Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Awards

The Aspen Institute, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering creative thinking and leadership, is now accepting nominations for its first annual Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Awards.

Nomination forms, information and judging criteria for the awards are available at: http://www.energyandenvironmentawards.com/

The award categories include:
- Corporate Energy Generation
- Corporate Energy Conservation
- Individual Thought Leadership
- Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
- Government Agency

The awards will be presented during a dinner ceremony on March 29 in Aspen, Colorado, at the Aspen Environment Forum, presented by the Aspen Institute and National Geographic.

Information on the Forum is available at: http://www.aspenenvironment.org/

The deadline for award nominations is Feb. 17, 2008.

The awards draw international attention to the organizations and people who are making the biggest strides, acting as leaders, catalysts, and educators in the effort to address global demands for energy and the need to reduce environmental impacts.

This year's competition entails six separate award categories, including corporate energy generation and conservation programs, as well as individual thought leadership in the field of energy and environmental problem solving, with a special emphasis on disruptive solutions that have the potential for widescale application.

In addition, an award will be made to an NGO (non-governmental organization) for its contributions in renewable energy generation, improved efficiency, radical price reductions, or stimulation of new green energy markets in developing countries.

A separate award will go to a government entity for encouraging renewable energy generation or efficiency and/or its pursuit of other significant new policies that advance energy and environmental goals.

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The Aspen Institute

environmental news

Clean Air Task Force Director Comments on FutureGen

Statement of John Thompson, Clean Air Task Force Director of Coal Transition Project, on DOE Secretary Bodman’s Decision Not To Fund FutureGen

“It is short-sighted for the Bush Administration to retreat on FutureGen now. This project is important because it would be among the first power plants in the nation to capture large quantities of carbon dioxide. By mid-century, virtually all the nation’s coal, oil and natural gas fueled power plants must capture carbon dioxide if we’re to prevent global warming. President Bush needs to stick by what he started.

This unfortunate decision makes it more important than ever that the Midwest’s other proposed clean coal plants move forward and become “NowGen” projects that capture a portion of their carbon dioxide.

Two large proposed 630 MW commercial coal plants—one near Edwardsport, Indiana and one near Taylorville, Illinois— will use similar gasification technology as FutureGen. Neither plant has firm carbon capture plans, but with support from the states of Illinois and Indiana, both of these plants could capture 20% of their carbon emissions and remain economically competitive.

By building a plant like FutureGen that captures 90% of its carbon dioxide emissions, and flanking it with two commercial-sized plants that capture 20% carbon dioxide, it would be possible to create a trio of plants that could truly change the path of coal world-wide.

Indiana economic regulators gave the Duke Edwardsport plant permission to build in November 2007. As part of the decision, Duke must return with plans for studies to capture and store 20% carbon dioxide within 6 months. Last week, the plant received its air permit.

Yesterday, the USEPA’s Environmental Appeals Board finalized the air permit for the Taylorville, Illinois plant. Legislation enabling Taylorville to move forward with construction unanimously passed the Illinois Senate. The company now needs action from the Illinois House to facilitate construction. The legislature should move forward with this legislation, and also include provisions to fund partial carbon capture.”

About the Clean Air Task Force
The Clean Air Task Force is a national environmental organization that is dedicated to restoring clean air through scientific research, public education, and legal advocacy. The Clean Air Task Force is comprised of twenty professionals with backgrounds in science, engineering, law, economics and public outreach headquartered in Boston but located throughout the United States. CATF is recognized as one of the nation’s leading environmental organizations addressing air quality and atmospheric protection issues, and its work is widely respected in government and industry. For more information about the Clean Air Task Force, see http://www.catf.us/.

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Business Wire

clean coal

FutureGen Scrapped

On Wednesday the DOE announced a restructuring of the FutureGen project. The initial goal of the project is to demonstrate cutting-edge carbon capture and storage technology in order to advance clean coal power plants. Last year the Department of Energy agreed to spend $950 million to develop the project with FutureGen Alliance, a coalition of coal and oil companies. But this week's announcement cancelled this agreement and issued a new direction requesting a 2009 budget of $648 million for clean coal research.

According to Deputy Secretary Clay Sell, a projected increase of $1.8 billion in the original plan was the reason for the restructuring. The new plan "protects the government's exposure and ensures that it is financially and politically viable," stated Sell.

For the FutureGen Alliance this was a disappointing outcome, as they had lobbied hard for the project demonstration site to be located in Illinois.

According to the Associated Press, Wyoming Gov. Freudenthal, "It's kind of like they invited all of us to go to the prom, picked the date, and then canceled the dance. It seems to me - the absurdity of it - it could only be the federal government that would do this."

See the Source:
DOE - Fossil Energy Techline
The Wall Street Journal - Environmental Capital
C/Net - Green Tech Blog

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How selective catalytic reduction reduces NOx emissions from coal fired power plants, lean burn engines and gas turbines.

clean coal

53 Fortune 500 Corporations Surpass EPA Green Power Goals

In response to EPA’s nationwide challenge issued in December 2006, 53 Fortune 500 corporations are now collectively purchasing more than six billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually. These purchases surpassed the goals set by EPA’s Green Power Partnership by 130 percent and equal the avoided carbon dioxide emissions of more than 570 million gallons of gasoline each year or the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power nearly 670,000 average American homes annually.

“EPA applauds our Fortune 500 partners for protecting our environment by purchasing green power,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By voluntarily shifting to renewable energy, EPA’s environmental partners are proving you don’t need to wait for a signal in order to go green.”

Intel Corporation leads the group as the top buyer with a purchase of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours per year. PepsiCo is second, followed by Wells Fargo & Company, Whole Foods Market, The Pepsi Bottling Group, and Johnson & Johnson. Cisco Systems and Kohl’s Department Stores recently made sizable purchase increases to place them at seventh and eighth on the list, respectively. Rounding out the top ten green power purchases are Starbucks and DuPont Company.

EPA's Green Power Partnership works with more than 850 partner organizations to buy green power voluntarily as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use and to support the development of new, renewable generation resources nationwide. Overall, EPA Green Power Partners are buying more than 13 billion kWh of green power annually.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and biogas, as well as low-impact hydropower. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce no net increase to greenhouse gas emissions.

Top Ten Partner Organizations in the EPA's Fortune 500 Green Power Challenge:

1. Intel Corp.

2. PepsiCo.

3. Wells Fargo & Comp.

4. Whole Foods Market

5. The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.

6. Johnson & Johnson

7. Cisco Systems, Inc.

8. Kohl's Department Stores

9. Starbucks

10. DuPont Company

green news
energy

The Staggering Statistics of Air Pollution

60,000,000 - The number of plastic bottles thrown into U.S. landfills each day. It takes 1.5 million barrels of crude oil each year to produce these bottles - translating into enough fuel to run 100,000 cars for a year.

45,000,000 - The number of barrels of oil saved each year by using public transportation.

6,000,000 - The number of servers found in American data centers, consuming more energy than over 300 million televisions found in American homes.

2,150,000 - The number of barrels of oil saved if 100,000 homes installed eco-friendly geothermal heating systems.

400,000 - The number of Chinese that die prematurely each year from respiratory illnesses and other diseases related to air pollution.

2,000 - The number of coal-fired power plants located in China. (One new power plant goes into operation every 4 to 7 days in China).

13 - The number of pounds a person would lose if they walked one half hour a day instead of riding or driving a motor vehicle. If every US citizen between the ages of 10 to 74 walked this equivalent each day rather than drive, our carbon dioxide emissions would be decreased by 64 million tons.

Find out:

- How to reduce diesel particulate pollution by using diesel particulate filters

- How to get rid of NOx with selective catalytic reduction catalysts

environment
air pollution

To Green or Not to Green: Is Corporate America Implementing Strategies to Protect the Environment?

New Harris Interactive Study Looks at “Going Green” Efforts Through the Eyes of IT Decision Makers

It is almost impossible for one to pick up a newspaper, magazine or access the Internet without seeing an article concerning the “greening” of Corporate America. A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive® with more than 300 IT decision makers indicates there is a plethora of thoughts and activities for “Going Green”. While the majority of companies have implemented “Going Green” strategies with recycling and proper waste disposal, overall only 41 percent of corporations have deployed virtualization or server consolidation strategies to save on energy cost.

What is “Going Green”?
Today, as part of their corporate citizenship, brand equity, and go to market strategy, some corporations are implementing a “Going Green” strategy. One definition of “Going Green” is designing, selling, or funding eco-friendly products and services. For example, does your company recycle old electronic products to properly dispose of electronic waste such as lead and mercury?

Innovative “Green Thinking”: Why or Why Not?
Attitudes for adopting “Green Thinking” are diverse among the IT professionals surveyed. About 16 percent might be put in an “anti-green camp”, saying that corporations should be environmentally friendly only if they can do so and achieve their profitability goals. However, 71 percent might be described as “pro green”, believing that corporations should go beyond governmental requirements in their efforts to be environmentally friendly (39%) and that they should be environmentally friendly even if they have to sacrifice some of their profitability goals (32%).

Among those IT professionals that either have implemented a going green strategy or are in a pilot phase, fifty seven percent say “Going Green” is good for business. Fifty-five percent say that “going green” reduces their energy costs, thus improving profitability, while 53 percent say that being environmentally friendly is a corporate value. Only 27 percent say that the decision to implement this strategy is due to top management, and 21 percent say that the implementation is due to government regulatory requirements.

On the flipside, for those with that have not implemented a “green strategy”, the reasons for not implementing are varied:

- Twenty-six percent says that they “fully comply with current governmental regulations for environmental safety”, while 25 percent says that they have other pressing corporate needs

- One quarter isn’t sure of what actions that they must take to “Go Green” in the most cost effective way

- Twenty percent indicate that they don’t have the funds to implement a “Going Green” strategy

- Sixteen percent feel that they are already environmentally friendly

How Do They Do It? Actions Taken in “Going Green”
Nevertheless, despite the positive attitude toward “going green” efforts, the plot thickens when asked about the firms’ actual actions in becoming “a green company” and when focusing on the actions that are underway. Ultimately, there appears to be a lot more bark than bite, since most of the action is in recycling programs and very few firms are doing the heaving lifting that includes adopting alternative power solutions and designing energy efficient buildings.

Only nine percent say they have a fully implemented plan across all areas of their respective companies and about 32 percent say they are in “pilot mode” or have partially implemented something in departments considered appropriate. Nearly one-quarter (23%) say their company has no plan at all.

According to Milton Ellis, Vice President and Senior Consultant of the Harris Interactive Technology Practice, “‘Going Green’ represents a win-win opportunity for IT suppliers and users of virtualization technologies. More people would agree that being kind to our environment is a good thing. So like motherhood and apple pie, wouldn’t you expect businesses to get behind the ‘Going Green’ movement? Seems like a logical thing to do.”

See the Source:
Business Wire - Harris Interactive

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How companies can go green by reducing their emissions of PM, CO, and HC from emergency generators by retrofitting with diesel particulate filters from CleanAIR Systems.

environmental news

CleanAIR's Emissions Guidebook Keeps Air Pollution Professionals In the Know

CleanAIR Systems, a leading manufacturer of emissions control systems, has released a newly revised version of their popular Emissions and Product Guidebook. In light of the ongoing battle raging in the Supreme Court between the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) over emission regulations, the Guidebook provides a timely and necessary resource of regulatory information geared towards air pollution professionals, environmental and engineering consultants, as well as engine equipment dealers.

The hyperlinked 80-page PDF e-book is distributed as a no-cost service to qualifying companies and consultants, offering up-to-date air quality information based mainly on emissions standards for stationary engines and off-road vehicles. Compiled as an all-in-one resource, the Emissions and Product Guidebook places state and federal information at hand, when quick answers to tough questions are required.

Including easy-to-read emissions charts along with several new sections, the Guidebook offers the following:
- California Air Resources Board (CARB) - Current regulatory information, emissions summary charts, a directory of Air Quality Agencies and resource links
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Nonroad and stationary regulatory information, emissions summary charts, resource links
- A glossary of terms for emissions control technology
- FAQs related to emissions control
- Buyer’s FAQs/Buyer’s Checklist – points to be aware of when purchasing emissions control products
- An extensive abbreviation and acronym directory
- Links to funding resources
- European Union (EU) - Current regulations
- Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) – Links to regulations and resources
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) - Links to regulations and resources
- New Jersey Division of Environmental Protection – Division of Air Quality (NJDEP) - Links to regulations and resources
- Emissions control product information from CleanAIR Systems

Since its October 2007 release, over 2,000 copies of the Emissions and Product Guidebook have been downloaded by air pollution professionals.

“Thank you very much for sending me the revised edition. I found the first edition to be very helpful, full of good information and a valuable reference tool.”
T. Stewart
Advanced Global Engineering

To request a copy of the newly revised Guidebook, consultants and equipment dealers can go to http://www.cleanairsys.com/emissionsguide/contact.asp or send an email request to information@cleanairsys.com

About CleanAIR Systems:
CleanAIR Systems is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution such as diesel particulate matter and NOx, for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation. Visit CleanAIR Systems online at http://www.cleanairsys.com/.

The Global Green Energy Consortium is Launched

“A Former US Congressman, U.S. Ambassador and industry veterans have announced the launch of a non-profit organization to promote green energy and sustainability”, said Zacharie Mondel, the group’s Chief Operating Officer.

Called the Global Green Energy Consortium (GGEC), the group is headlined by former US Representative Barry Goldwater Jr., and former U.S. Ambassador Osman Siddique, along with representatives from the hospitality and green energy sectors.

”As a global forum, GGEC’s mission is to dramatically and continuously improve the ability of business, building owners, management and industry to save both kinds of green,” said Mondel. “We believe that environmentally friendly business is profitable business.”

“Our goal is to complement current environmental efforts and initiatives being pursued by USGBC’s LEED, EPA’s Green Partnership and the Energy Star program,” states Ron Kendig, GGEC Chief Communication Officer. “We intend to help public utilities, oil and gas companies raise awareness of their commitment to Sustainability and Green Energy,” said Bob Scammell, Vice President of Business Development.

Barry Goldwater Jr., Executive Vice President of Government Relations, will form a team to interface with existing agencies and regulators, including the EPA, Department of Energy and The Pentagon, to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign energy while focusing on sustainable sources. “We can’t jump from one dead-end solution to the next,” said Goldwater. “We have to find a mixture of future fuels that can be managed and made to work for us, not the other way around.” Goldwater served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969-1983. He has won many awards including the Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; an award from the President’s Commission on Employment of the Handicapped; the Distinguished Service Award of the A.C.A.; and the Conscience of the Congress Award of the American Conservative Union.

Ambassador Siddique, Executive Vice President of International Business Development, “will bring his entrepreneurial and diplomatic skills to create green opportunities worldwide,” said Kim Karch, GGEC’s Chief Marketing Officer. Ambassador Siddique served as Ambassador to the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga and to Tuvalu from 1999-2001. His company, ITI/Travelogue, Inc., was honored with the Arthur Anderson and Washington Business Journal's FasTrack Award in 1994 as one of the fastest growing companies in the D.C. area. Siddique was also twice named as a finalist for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

“Promoting international collaboration and helping former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner Mr. Al Gore establish global environmental standards and protocols is one of the primary goals of GGEC,” states Ambassador Siddique.

Dale Wiley, the Executive Vice-President of Biofuels and Carbon Markets, is the President and CEO of American Green Holdings and BidForGreen. Wiley is an expert in biofuels logistics, and has consulted with the film, television and music industries on implementing green strategies.
About Global Green Energy Consortium (GGEC):

GGEC is a non-profit organization registered in the State of Delaware. The Consortium’s mission is to provide businesses and communities with the education and tools to effectively and efficiently implement sustainable and green energy initiatives. A primary objective is to align the offerings of the energy market segment with the needs of the business world to effectively reduce our energy usage and promote renewable energy technologies.

GGEC’s unique portfolio of services demonstrates the commitment to serve as a comprehensive source of energy conservation standards, certification and resources to facilitate implementation of sustainability initiatives across market segments.

GGEC recognizes the host of information and standards offered by numerous organizations and strives to consolidate, not duplicate current standards. A key message of the Consortium is that the implementation of energy and resource conservation initiatives can be profitable for all businesses.

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GGEC - Global Green Energy Consortium

Air Pollution May Cause Heart Disease

Patients prone to heart disease may one day be told by physicians to avoid not only fatty foods and smoking but air pollution too.

A new academic study led by UCLA researchers has revealed that the smallest particles from vehicle emissions may be the most damaging components of air pollution in triggering plaque buildup in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. The findings appear in the Jan. 17 online edition of the journal Circulation Research.

The scientists identified a way in which pollutant particles may promote hardening of the arteries — by inactivating the protective qualities of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, known as "good" cholesterol.

A multicampus team from UCLA, the University of Southern California, the University of California, Irvine, and Michigan State University contributed to the research, which was led by Dr. Andre Nel, UCLA's chief of nanomedicine. The study was primarily funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"It appears that the smallest air pollutant particles, which are the most abundant in an urban environment, are the most toxic," said first author Dr. Jesus Araujo, assistant professor of medicine and director of environmental cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "This is the first study that demonstrates the ability of nano-sized air pollutants to promote atherosclerosis in an animal model."

Nanoparticles are the size of a virus or molecule — less than 0.18 micrometers, or about one-thousandth the size of a human hair. The EPA currently regulates fine particles, which are the next size up, at 2.5 micrometers, but doesn't monitor particles in the nano or ultrafine range.
These particles are too small to capture in a filter, so new technology must be developed to track their contribution to adverse health effects.

"We hope our findings offer insight into the impact of nano-sized air pollutant particles and help explore ways for stricter air quality regulatory guidelines," said Nel, principal investigator and a researcher at UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute.

Nel added that the consequences of air pollution on cardiovascular health may be similar to the hazards of secondhand smoke.

Pollution particles emitted by vehicles and other combustion sources contain a high concentration of organic chemicals that could be released deep into the lungs or even spill over into the systemic circulation.

The UCLA research team previously reported that diesel exhaust particles interact with artery-clogging fats in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to activate genes that cause the blood-vessel inflammation that can lead to heart disease.

In the current study, researchers exposed mice with high cholesterol to one of two sizes of air pollutant particles from downtown Los Angeles freeway emissions and compared them with mice that received filtered air that contained very few particles.

The study, conducted over a five-week period, required a complex exposure design that was developed by teams led by Dr. Michael Kleinman, professor of community and environmental medicine at UC Irvine, and Dr. Constantinos Sioutas, professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC.

Researchers found that mice exposed to ultrafine particles exhibited 55 percent greater atherosclerotic-plaque development than animals breathing filtered air and 25 percent greater plaque development than mice exposed to fine-sized particles.

"This suggests that ultrafine particles are the more toxic air pollutants in promoting events leading to cardiovascular disease," Araujo said.

Pollutant particles are coated in chemicals sensitive to free radicals, which cause the cell and tissue damage known as oxidation. Oxidation leads to the inflammation that causes clogged arteries. Samples from polluted air revealed that ultrafine particles have a larger concentration of these chemicals and a larger surface area where these chemicals thrive, compared with larger particles, Sioutas noted.

"Ultrafine particles may deliver a much higher effective dose of injurious components, compared with larger pollutant particles," Nel said.

Scientists also identified a key mechanism behind how these air pollutants are able to affect the atherosclerotic process. Using a test developed by Dr. Mohamad Navab, study co-author and a UCLA professor of medicine, researchers found that exposure to air pollutant particles reduced the anti-inflammatory protective properties of HDL cholesterol.

"HDL normally helps reduce the vascular inflammation that is part of the atherosclerotic process," said Dr. Jake Lusis, study co-author and a UCLA professor of cardiology, human genetics and microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. "Surprisingly, we found that exposure to air pollutant particles, and especially the ultrafine size, significantly decreased the positive effects of HDL."

To explore if air particle exposure caused oxidative stress throughout the body — which is an early process triggering the inflammation that causes clogged arteries — researchers checked for an increase in genes that would have been activated to combat this inflammatory progression.

"We found greater levels of gene activation in mice exposed to ultrafine particles, compared to the other groups," Lusis said. "Our next step will be to develop a biomarker that could enable physicians to assess the degree of cardiovascular damage caused by air pollutants or measure the level of risk encountered by an exposed person."

Researchers added that previous studies assessing the cardiovascular impact of air pollution have taken place over longer periods of exposure time, such as five to six months. The current study demonstrated that ill effects can occur more quickly, in just five weeks.

"Further study will pinpoint critical chemical and toxic properties of ultrafine particles that may affect humans," Nel said.

See the Source:
UCLA

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About diesel particulate filters to reduce particle pollution

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diesel pollution

New Report Shows Toll from Overdue EPA Emissions Standards

A new technical analysis shows that even a one year delay by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in implementing overdue emission standards for diesel trains and ships will allow serious health effects to go unaddressed over the course of EPA's program. The adverse health consequences include: 1400 premature deaths, 3000 heart attacks, and 24,000 asthma attacks. The technical analysis by the national nonprofit group Environmental Defense is based on EPA's own data and methodologies, and is summarized in a one page fact sheet available from jscott@ed.org or scrowley@ed.org .

In 2004, EPA announced plans to put in place new standards for the nation's fleet of diesel locomotives and ships by mid-2006, but missed the deadline. In March 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson issued draft federal standards that would reduce particulate pollution and smog-forming nitrogen oxides from each engine by 80 percent or greater when fully phased in. Collectively, this pollution reduction is equivalent to taking three-quarters of a million diesel trucks off the road each year. At the time the draft standards were released, Administrator Johnson said the agency would "finalize [the proposed rule] by the end of the year [i.e., 2007]," but EPA has now missed this deadline.

"EPA's delay in adopting clean air standards for diesel trains and ships has serious human health consequences in the real world and will allow thousands of deaths, heart attacks and asthma attacks to go unaddressed," said Environmental Defense staff attorney Janea Scott. "We urge EPA to fulfill its commitments to the American people by immediately adopting protective clean air standards for high-polluting diesel trains and ships."

Most of the ships and trains in the U.S. today are powered by diesel engines. Diesel trains and ships, such as ferries and tugboats, are major sources of air pollution. Diesel exhaust contains toxic chemicals that together with diesel particulate matter pose a cancer risk greater than that of any other air pollutant. Each year, diesel locomotives and commercial ships together emit nearly two million tons of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen. Both are major sources of lethal particulate pollution.

Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. http://www.environmentaldefense.org/

See the Source:
Earthtimes.org

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About diesel particulate filters and diesel oxidation catalysts to reduce emissions

diesel emissions
particle pollution

Biofuels Sustainability: Nation's Ecological Scientists Weigh in on Biofuels

The Ecological Society of America, the nation's professional organization of 10,000 ecological scientists, today released a position statement that offers the ecological principles necessary for biofuels to help decrease dependence on fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global climate change. The Society warns that the current mode of biofuels production will degrade the nation's natural resources and will keep biofuels from becoming a viable energy option.

"Current grain-based ethanol production systems damage soil and water resources in the U.S. and are only profitable in the context of tax breaks and tariffs," says ESA. "Future systems based on a combination of cellulosic materials and grain could be equally degrading to the environment, with potentially little carbon savings, unless steps are taken now that incorporate principles of ecological sustainability."

Three ecological principles are necessary:
1 - Systems Thinking: Looking at the complete picture of how much energy is produced versus how much is consumed by extracting and transporting the crops used for biofuels. A systems approach seeks to avoid or minimize undesirable production side effects such as soil erosion and contamination of groundwater. Consistent monitoring is critical to ensure that biofuel production is sustainable.

2 - Conservation of Ecosystem Services: Maximizing crop yield without regard to negative side effects is easy. On the other hand, growing crops and retaining the other services provided by the land is far more challenging, but very much worth the effort. For example, lower yields from an unfertilized native prairie may be acceptable in light of the other benefits, such as minimized flooding, fewer pests, groundwater recharge, and improved water quality because no fertilizer is needed.

3 - Scale Alignment: How agriculture is managed matters at the individual farm, regional, and global level. Policies must provide incentives for managing land in a sustainable way. They should also encourage the development of biofuels from various sources.

"The current focus on ethanol from corn illustrates the risks of exploiting a single source of biomass for biofuel production," says ESA.

Continuously-grown corn leads to heavy use of fertilizers, early return of land in conservation programs to production, and the conversion of marginal lands to high-intensity cropping. All of these bring with them well-known environmental problems associated with intensive farming: persistent pest insects and weeds, pollution of groundwater, greater irrigation demands, less wildlife diversity, and the release of more carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. Ironically, one of the touted benefits of biofuels is to help alleviate global climate change, a benefit that is considerably diluted under a high-intensity agriculture scenario.

The Ecological Society of America will contribute more to this timely issue in a few months when it convenes a conference devoted to the ecological dimensions of biofuels.

Like other organizations, ESA is also concerned about the hardship on the nation's poor communities as higher crop prices drive up the cost of food.

It has been said that biofuels have achieved cult-like status and in the rush it is only too easy to overlook the big picture of environmental implications. Iowa alone has planted more than a third of its land surface with corn and, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the federal government has some 20 laws and incentives to boost ethanol use.

A biofuels infrastructure that incorporates systems thinking, conserves ecosystem services, and encompasses multiple scales can best serve U.S. citizens, the economy, and the environment.

See the Source:
Ecological Society of America

environmental news

California to Retrofit 1,000 Old, Polluting Trucks

California Air Resources Board staff is proposing that $25 million in Proposition 1B Bond funding go to diesel emission reduction projects for the South Coast, Central Valley, San Francisco and San Diego air districts, mostly for truck retrofit and replacements. These recommendations will be before the entire Board for approval at a January hearing in Sacramento.

ARB also announced that it plans to allocate more than 75 percent of the overall $1 billion in Bond 1B funding to be used toward reducing diesel pollution from trucks associated with goods movement around the state. The remaining 24 percent of funding, $240 million, will be earmarked for diesel emission reductions from ships, harbor craft and locomotives.

"This strategy puts the lion's share of the dollars where they're needed most: on trucks traveling from the state's ports and along our major transportation corridors," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Within months of passing a new regulation aimed at cleaning up port trucks we are following through with much-needed funding to help drivers retrofit and replace older, dirty engines."

If approved by the Board at its Jan. 24 hearing in Sacramento, ARB staff will begin allocating the funds immediately to the air districts.

ARB staff is basing its proposed distribution of funds to specific air district projects using three criteria: population, the contribution of emissions from goods movement sources, and the need for new emission reductions to meet federal health standards. Staff also leaned heavily toward projects that would have benefits statewide. Thus, trucks traveling from the Los Angeles ports to the Inland Empire, highways 5 and 99 in the Central Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Diego border region will achieve emission benefits far beyond their home of origin.

Proposition 1B was the transportation bond put on the ballot by the Legislature and before the voters in November 2006. The 2007-08 Budget, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in August, funds the initial $250 million of the $1 billion set aside for air quality improvement projects in Proposition 1B.

The Board is focused on funding projects that reduce emissions and health risk, incorporate simplicity and efficiency, ensure cost-effectiveness, and leverage other funding source. Go to http://www.blogger.com/www.arb.ca.gov for application criteria.

ARB has recently passed a series of measures that focus on reducing diesel emissions from trucks and ships, with more on the way in 2008. Much of these regulations require engine replacements and retrofits that 1B funding can help in terms of early compliance, such as the regulation aimed at cleaning up the state's 20,000 port, or "drayage" trucks. ARB estimates that this regulation alone will prevent 1,200 premature deaths from 2009 through 2020, with benefits being the most dramatic in the communities where port trucks are heavily concentrated.

See the Source:
California Air Resources Board

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About diesel particulate filters for truck retrofits

air pollution
diesel emissions

EPA Widens Window on Regulatory Process

EPA is sharing more information about ways the public can get involved in environmental regulation.

The agency has added new features to one of its most popular Web sites for environmental regulatory information. This site – titled "Laws, Regulations, Guidance and Dockets" - is often the public's first exposure to EPA's regulatory activities. Its user-friendliness has been enhanced with easily accessible ways to search and comment on EPA regulations and significant guidance documents, and to learn how environmental regulations are written. The site also includes new sections for finding regulations and related documents, plus regulatory history, statutory authority, supporting analyses, compliance information, and guidance for implementation. Also, for the first time, searches for regulatory information can be conducted by environmental topics, such as water or air, or by business sectors, such as transportation or construction.

The new site is easily accessible from EPA's homepage and can be found by choosing "Laws, Regulations, Guidance & Dockets" from the left-hand navigation bar at www.epa.gov/lawsregs/

air pollution
emission standards

ARB Fights Back Against EPA with Statistics

On the heels of the next Supreme Court battle being waged by states and proponants of stricter regulations to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has release a report comparing GHG reductions under the national CAFE standards to reductions that would be made under the proposed ARB regulations (AB 1493). The report was issued due to an unsupported claim made by USEPA administrator, Steven Johnson that California's vehicle GHG rules are less effective than recently adopted national CAFE standards. ARB staff analyzed both standards and prepared their own evaluation.

The study calculates the two programs using an "apples-to-apples" comparison of total tons of GHG emissions reduced under CAFE standards versus the projected reduction of emissions if the ARB ruling was fully implemented.

The following results are from the Executive Summary:
- In calendar year 2016, our State standards will reduce California’s GHG emissions by 17 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide. This is more than double the 8 MMT reduction produced by the federal rules.

- By 2020, California is committed to implement revised, more stringent GHG emission limits. These increase the stringency of the current rules and would reduce California GHG emissions by 33 MMTs of carbon dioxide, 74 percent more than the 19 MMTs from the federal rules in 2020.

- ARB analysis estimates the effects of the federal CAFE standards on GHG emission rates. This allows a comparison of the impact of the two programs on vehicle efficiency. Since the California rules are significantly more effective at reducing GHGs than the Federal CAFE program, they also yield a better fuel efficiency – roughly 44 mpg in 2020 for the California vehicle fleet as compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg.

- The cumulative benefits of our standards have also been estimated. Between 2009 and 2016, the California standards will prevent emissions of 58 MMTs of CO2. This is almost three times the 20 MMTs expected if only the new federal CAFE standards were implemented. By 2020, the full California rules would prevent 167 MMT of CO2 emissions, more than twice the 76 MMTs reductions of CO2 expected if only the federal standards were implemented.

- There are also significant benefits for the other states that adopt the California standards. Twelve states have done so to date. In those states in 2020, California’s more stringent limits will reduce GHG emissions in those states by 59 MMTs of carbon dioxide, a 59 percent improvement over the federal standards in 2020.

Benefits to California:
- In calendar year 2016, California standards will reduce GHG emissions from cars in California by 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide more than the federal CAFE standard. This is more than double the reduction produced by the federal standard.

- By 2020, California will have implemented revised, more stringent GHG emission limits, as set forth in its Climate Action Plan. As a result of these new requirements GHG emissions will be reduced by almost 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (77 percent) more than the federal standard in 2020.

- There has been interest in how the California and Federal emission standards compare. For illustration purposes only, ARB has converted the federal fuel economy standards to greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide) emissions and assumed a proportional increase of the CAFE standard between 2011 and 2020, when its standard reaches 35 mpg.

- The California standard is significantly more effective at reducing greenhouse gases than the new Federal standard, yielding an equivalent fuel economy of 44 mpg by 2020 as compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg.

- The California standard is 16% more stringent for 2016 models, and 18% more stringent for 2020 models, when the planned second phase of California’s standards is in place.

Benefits to Other States that Adopt the ARB Program:
- California consumed 11.5 percent of the motor vehicle gasoline in 2005 as compared to 21 percent for the 12 states that have adopted the regulation. In sum, these thirteen states consumed about one-third of the nation’s motor vehicle gasoline in 2005.

- In calendar year 2016, adopting California standards will reduce GHG emissions from cars in twelve states by 13 million metric tons of carbon dioxide more than the federal CAFE standard. This is 79 percent greater than the reduction produced by the federal standard.

- By 2020, states adopting California’s proposed more stringent GHG emission limits would reduce GHG emissions by 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (59 percent) more than the federal standard in 2020.

To read the full report, go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ccms/ab1493_v_cafe_study.pdf

emission standards
environmental news

New Report: Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the US

The US Energy Information Administration issued a new report in Nov. on "Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006". The report states that GHG emissions have declined by 1.5% in 2006 due to a drop in carbon dioxide emissions. Lower energy use, along with an increase use of natural gas for power generation are attributed to the decline.

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Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006

environment

German Cities Designate Environmental Zones

In an attempt to cut air pollution emissions, new environmental zones went into effect on Jan. 1 in three German cities, Berlin, Cologne and Hannover. An environmental sticker is being issued in three colors - red, yellow and green, for vehicles that meet specific environmental requirements. Between Jan. 1, 2008 to Jan. 1, 2010 all vehicles displaying a sticker will be allowed into designated environmental zones within the cities. Vehicles with no sticker will not be able to drive into these zones. After 2010, only vehicles with a green sticker (meeting Pollutant Class 4) will be allowed within the zones.

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Law Pundit

air pollution
environmental news

Beijing Logs Last Blue Sky Day of 2007

On the last day of the year, Beijing registered 246 "Blue Sky Days," meeting China's goal to tackle air pollution before the Olympic Games. In order to log a "Blue Sky Day" 27 monitoring stations across the city must show levels of three air pollutants have been reduced in order to cut smog that perpetually lingers over the city. According to James Reynolds of the BBC, on a typical day when pollutants have not been reduced, it is difficult to see more than 50 metres into the distance.

Due to respiratory issues caused by choking smog that could impact athletes, Olympic officials have warned some games may be cancelled if air pollution is not cleaned up. Reportedly China's government is not as stringent with its air quality index as other countries. A good day in Beijing would be considered a polluted day in the U.S., with increased levels of sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and NOx.

See the Source:
APA
BBC News

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