U.S. clean-air efforts stay on target

Here's some really good news and a great report.  Keeps you optimistic on a clean and bright future:

"Atmospheric researchers at Rice studied the state implementation plans (SIPs) from 23 regions mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5) to less than 15 micrograms per cubic meter by 2009.

The Rice analysis appears this week in the Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association.

All but one of the regions studied reported they had met the goal by deadline. States with regions that met the deadline included Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. The final region, Alabama, reported attainment in 2010.

PM 2.5 concentrations in the nonattainment regions that filed SIPs to attain the standard by 2009 declined by an average 2.6 micrograms per cubic meter -- significantly greater improvement than in regions that had attained the standard from its inception. The study showed PM reductions in the SIP regions were broadly spread, rather than pinpointed at the most polluted monitors.

"One of the things we were most interested in looking at was to see if states were cherry-picking their measures to meet the standard by reducing pollution at their worst monitors, compared with how much they were doing to bring down levels all across the region so that people were breathing cleaner air," said Daniel Cohan, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice.

"It was encouraging to find that across the country, we have seen overall particulate-matter levels come down. We found very slight extra improvement at monitors that were targeted the most, but regions that had to develop plans achieved pretty solid controls that didn't just pinpoint the worst monitors. And the large populations of these regions benefited."

Cohan and Rice alumna Ran Chen also documented that air pollution continued to decline even after the 2009 standards were met. The majority of the SIP regions had already attained the mandated 2014 goal of 12 micrograms per cubic meter by 2012.

"We've been on a good trajectory," Cohan said. "This demonstrates that the combination of state and federal controls has been substantially improving air quality in the U.S."

Recent stories about the ongoing crisis in Beijing, where PM has reached hazardous levels, and in rapidly industrializing countries such as India set the U.S. efforts in sharp relief, Cohan said. The World Health Organization announced this month that about 7 million people die each year as a result of air pollution exposure.

Particulate matter consists of microscopic particles spewed into the air by vehicles and industry, as well as particles that form from pollutant gases. "Particulate matter is not a chemical, like ozone; it's a category, and it's a real challenge to figure out the origin of those particles," Cohan said. "Are they sulfates or carbons or nitrates? Each of these needs vastly different control approaches to make a difference."

PM also includes natural emissions from plants, volcanoes, forest fires and desert dust and can be blown across states or even continents.

The health community, Cohan said, has long expressed concerns about particulate matter in the atmosphere and determined in the 1990s that PM 2.5 particles can penetrate deeply into the lungs and cause heart attacks, decrease lung function and even cause premature death. The EPA found healthy people could experience symptoms from exposure to elevated levels of particulate matter and set mandates for regions deemed in 1997 to be in "nonattainment" to file cleanup plans and follow through by 2009.

The study was the first to take a comprehensive, retrospective look at the overall effectiveness of SIPs for PM. A previous study by Cohan and alumnus Andrew Pegues conducted similar analysis of progress by states in achieving ozone standards."

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Rice University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Southeast England most at risk of rising deaths due to climate change

Does this get your attention?

Date:

March 23, 2014

Source:

Imperial College London

Summary:

Warmer summers brought on by climate change will cause more deaths in London and southeast England than the rest of the country, scientists predict. In the most vulnerable districts, in London and the southeast, the odds of dying from cardiovascular or respiratory causes increased by over 10 per cent for every 1C rise in temperature. Districts in the far north were much more resilient, seeing no increase in deaths at equivalent temperatures.

It get ours, very much.  We have the tools to reduce carbon emissions and the related fall out and environmental damage.  Let's use them.  They are clearly worthy investments in protecting the Earth and our future here:

"Warrmer summers brought on by climate change will cause more deaths in London and southeast England than the rest of the country, scientists predict.

Researchers at Imperial College London looked at temperature records and mortality figures for 2001 to 2010 to find out which districts in England and Wales experience the biggest effects from warm temperatures.

In the most vulnerable districts, in London and the southeast, the odds of dying from cardiovascular or respiratory causes increased by over 10 per cent for every 1C rise in temperature. Districts in the far north were much more resilient, seeing no increase in deaths at equivalent temperatures.

Writing in Nature Climate Change, the researchers say local variations in climate change vulnerability should be taken into account when assessing the risks and choosing policy responses.

Dr James Bennett, the lead author of the study from the MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health at Imperial College London, said: “It’s well known that warm weather can increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory deaths, especially in elderly people. Climate change is expected to raise average temperatures and increase temperature variability, so we can expect it to have effects on mortality even in countries like the UK with a temperate climate.”

Across England and Wales as a whole, a summer that is 2C warmer than average would be expected to cause around 1,550 extra deaths, the study found. Just over half would be in people aged over 85, and 62 per cent would be in women. The extra deaths would be distributed unevenly, with 95 out of 376 districts accounting for half of all deaths.

The effects of warm temperature were similar in urban and rural districts. The most vulnerable districts included deprived districts in London such as Hackney and Tower Hamlets, with the odds of dying more than doubling on very hot days like those of August 2003.

“The reasons for the uneven distribution of deaths in warm weather need to be studied,” said Professor Majid Ezzati, from the School of Public Health at Imperial, who led the research. “It might be due to more vulnerable individuals being concentrated in some areas, or it might be related to differences at the community level, like quality of healthcare, that require government action.

“We might expect that people in areas that tend to be warmer would be more resilient, because they adapt by installing air conditioning for example. These results show that this isn’t the case in England and Wales.

“While climate change is a global phenomenon, resilience and vulnerability to its effects are highly local. Many things can be done at the local level to reduce the impact of warm spells, like alerting the public and planning for emergency services. Detailed information about which communities are most at risk from high temperatures can help to inform these strategies.”

The researchers received funding from the Medical Research Council, Public Health England, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

Nissan LEAF drivers save big!

We did a great a great interview last month we Andy Palmer, Nissan's COO who also serves as President of Infinity and heads up their battery and EV products, and we talked a lot about the Leaf.  Andy, in fact, was driving his to work at 5a in Japan when we caught up with him.

Here's some good data on the Leaf, its performance, its value to owners.  Besides loving the savings (50 m Euro), the carbon reduction is a true celebration.   Good job to Nissan, its owners and all EV owners for their contribution to clean air:

Also, tune in today:  Talking to Jim Montavalli, writer for the NY Times, about EV's:



From: Staff ClickGreen, ClickGreen, More from this Affiliate 
Published March 22, 2014

"Drivers of the world’s best-selling electric car, the Nissan LEAF, are edging towards the milestone of clocking up 1 billion kilometres of low-cost, low-carbon motoring.

Owners of more than 100,000 Nissan LEAFs worldwide have now collectively saved over £50 million through cheaper fuelling costs and are responsible for removing 204,000 tonnes of potential CO2 emissions from the environment.

The LEAF costs 1p-a-kilometre to run compared to more than 6.25p-a-kilometre for conventional, petrol-powered cars, meaning the billion km mark has now saved owners a combined £52.5 million.

It also emits zero CO2 emissions whilst driving, whereas according to the Government the average car on the UK roads today is responsible for emitting 204.6 grams of carbon dioixide (CO2) per kilometre.

To celebrate the nearing achievement, Nissan is releasing a series of animated stories to capture the advantages of the popular electric car, beginning with Spanish cab driver Roberto San Jose.

Roberto, from Valladolid, narrates his own story as the first taxi driver in Spain to buy a Nissan LEAF, explaining that since buying his LEAF in October 2011 he has covered over 100,000 km and eliminated three-quarters of his running costs.

"As long as my car is my business, my car will be a Nissan LEAF," he says. The LEAF makes perfect sense. It's relaxing to drive and it's such a smooth ride that my clients love it too."

Nissan LEAF image via Shutterstock.

Read more at ENN Affiliate, ClickGreen.

Smart Power/Renewable Now

It has been a great week at Renewable Now.  Our radio shows for the next two months are booked solid with great guests from around the world (you can listen live each week at WARL 1320 and their global stream, or each week at our main site referenced below), we have covered some great stories and events, and, today, we released the news on building a new, dedicated channel to Smart Power and their CEO, Brian Keane.

Here's a link to the main story on our site, and some bio below.  Welcome Brian, Smart Power, to the network that covers the business side of green:  http://renewablenow.biz/smart-power.html

About Brian F. Keane

Brian F. Keane is President of SmartPower and author of Green Is Good: Save Money, Make Money, and Help Your Community Profit From Clean Energy (Lyons Press, 2012). He is a leading voice on clean energy, energy efficiency and the environment. As President of SmartPower, a Washington, DC-based marketing agency dedicated to promoting clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency, Keane has helped shape the energy debate in the United States and brought clean energy and energy efficiency to the American consumer.

Hailed as Mad Men for an eco-conscious generation, SmartPower’s award-winning marketing campaigns have engaged hundreds of thousands of people across the country, drawing credit for inspiring our nation’s renewed interested in renewable energy and energy efficiency. 

For their efforts, Keane and SmartPower have been recognized with numerous awards, including a 2010 Clean Air Excellence Award from the Environmental Protection Agency, recognizing SmartPower’s “America’s Greenest Campus” energy efficiency campaign. Other accolades include the coveted Green Power Pilot Award presented by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy; four Gold Awards from the Service Industry Advertising Awards (SIAA); and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Circle Award. In 2005 Keane was recognized as one of Connecticut’s “Outstanding Forty Under 40.”

PART OF BRIAN'S REPORT THIS MONTH:

Issue: 001 April, 2014

"While very little is happening on the political front to advance solar power, there’s really exciting progress happening across the country state by state.  A very recent report released by Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in conjunction with Green Tech Media (GTM) shows that solar expanded rapidly last year to nearly 13 GW of installations in the U.S. – enough to power nearly 2.2 million homes.  That growth spurred a burst of green jobs, with 143,000 added at 6100 businesses.  As SEIA’s report pointed out, “more solar has been installed in the U.S. in the last 18 months than in the 30 previous years combined, the equivalent of taking 2.8 million cars off the road or closing down 4 coal-fired power plants.”  That’s progress everyone can celebrate.

Our own SmartPower solar campaigns are seeing the same exciting results.  We’ve been operating community-based group buying programs in cities and towns across Connecticut.  As a result, participating towns more than doubled the amount of residential solar in just 20 weeks than over the previous 7 years combined..."

See the rest at our main site.

The vending machine for CARS: China rolls out electric vehicle scheme to combat smog

Can China innovate out of their environmental disaster?  Will that create a whole new aspect to their economy?

The former is a tough question to answer but clearly, with investments in wind, solar and EV's, they can at least stop the slide into an uninhabitable nation.  The later is, yes, and this article is another example of new companies coming on line with sustainable changes and new products or services.

We really like this idea and would love to see it come to major cities around the world.  We will work to get a rep on the radio show as well:

 

At the push of a button, public can borrow cars from dispensing stations

• Cars reach speeds of 75mph and can travel for around 50 miles per charge
• Operator, Kandi Technologies, has opened two EV vending machines in Hangzhou and has plans to open another 10 this year

By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD

PUBLISHED: 05:08 EST, 30 January 2014 | UPDATED: 11:06 EST, 30 January 2014

China’s love-affair with the car has caused the country to suffer some of the world’s worst air quality.

But now an innovative car vending machine has been unveiled in Hangzhou, on the the south-eastern coast, that could help combat the problem.

With just the push of a button, commuters can drive away in an electric car operated by Kandi Technologies.

n a similar way to how Boris bikes work in London, people in need of a ride can borrow a fully-charged, electric car from an automated garage.

Each of the specially designed parking lots can hold up to 300 vehicles, which can be rented on the spot by members of the car share service.

For less than £2 an hour commuters can rent one of the Chinese-made vehicles, using a membership card, which is then lowered down to them, fully-charged and ready to drive.

Once their journey is done, drivers just have to drop off their rented motor at the nearest station.

The tiny cars - manufactured by Volvo's owners Geely - reach a top speed of 75mph and can travel for around 50 miles per charge.

‘Kandi EV is beautiful, flexible, easy to operate, green and is a great choice for the vehicle sharing system,’ said Hong Li, director of Hangzhou's Tourism Commission.

‘Having EV sharing stations located across the city will provide more convenient transportation options for the citizens and tourists in Hangzhou.’

Since the launch last year, Kandi has opened two EV vending machines in Hangzhou, and also has plans to open another 10 this year, expanding into more populated cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Kandi has outlined a five-year plan to establish a public transportation system across the city, including up to 100,000 rental cars, EV smart vertical parking and charging facilities.

They also have plans to open another 10 stations this year, expanding into China's more populated cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

The scheme could help combat China’s on-going smog problem, which is especially severe in winter.

China’s premier Li Keqiang recently said the government should use electric vehicles to help improve pollution levels in the country’s major cities.

Earlier this month it was reported that the smog has become so thick in Beijing that the public have been flocking to huge outdoor TV screens to watch virtual sunrises. 

Billionaires Influencing the Politics of Climate Change/Part 2

Obviously, the fight to balance the economy and environment, with goals of sustaining jobs and commerce while protecting natural resources, is fought on many levels and has incredible mix of influences.  Some are political, of course, or purely focused on short-term financial considerations.

This article, sent to us by Better World Club, is unsettling in some ways but instructive in many ways. We feel strongly that companies can, and most, be part of the solution.  We can't leave them out or lack their ardent support (see this link to the Environmental Defense Fund and their incredible work with companies:  http://edfclimatecorps.org/blog/2014/01/14/along-new-edf-climate-corps-hosts-new-project-offerings-2014).  Of course, some companies and individuals oppose our collective move to cleaner energy, renewables, energy efficiency, certainly government regulation to push new limits. That is OK...they make us think long and hard about the long-term implications of the changes we make today.  We love the discourse.

This is a fairly long article.  We finish it today.

Third Grader, Alice Bellwether, asks her Social Studies teacher if “checks and balances” is now talking about money.

Hush your valid concerns little girl.  Captain Planet has some work to do.

By Noah Grunzweig

"...As the New York Times reported, “Mr. Steyer [has already] poured tens of millions of dollars into a successful 2012 ballot initiative in California that eliminated a loophole in the state’s corporate income tax and dedicated some of the resulting revenue to clean-energy projects. He also has helped finance opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, appearing in a series of self-funded 90-second ads seeking to stop the project.”

Perhaps you too are thanking the green gods of capitalism; mass accumulation of wealth has nothing to do with political/ideological affiliation.  In our current climate of big money making big policy happen, having some of the wealthiest Americans start to take on Climate Change is a really positive movement (especially considering the enviro-antecedents of said wealth).

Perhaps also, you’ve had the same thought democracy advocates have been losing sleep over since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision; our Representative Democracy is fast becoming a Representative Corporatocracy.  Well, we at the Better World Club want to ease those fears.  You should know, In a Corporatocracy, we will still have representatives making policies, only our representatives will be the men who own Kellogg, Nike, Google, Walmart, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Bank of America, and Farallon Capital Management.  The good news is we won’t need to corporate campaign financing reform as we will all already be dumping billions of dollars into their campaign funds every year to live out various marketed lifestyles … I mean visions of a bright American future!

Does this make you nervous?  Do you want to give up on the massive potential of a Corporatocracy?  Of course not!  If everyone in America is willing to consistently support only companies that fit their social and economic values (occasionally “sacrificing” the feeling of convenience, low cost, status, or personal gain), a Representative Corporatocracy might work out really well!  If not, then we will continue to see a growing imbalance of political power – for better or worse - swaying with tides of corporate and wealthy individual interests. 

Besides, you don't have a stake in this fight anyways, right?"

Like it.  Share it.  Post it.  Know it. . . And Think Critically.

Billionaires Influencing the Politics of Climate Change.

Obviously, the fight to balance the economy and environment, with goals of sustaining jobs and commerce while protecting natural resources, is fought on many levels and has incredible mix of influences.  Some are political, of course, or purely focused on short-term financial considerations.

This article, sent to us by Better World Club, is unsettling in some ways but instructive in many ways. We feel strongly that companies can, and most, be part of the solution.  We can't leave them out or lack their ardent support (see this link to the Environmental Defense Fund and their incredible work with companies:  http://edfclimatecorps.org/blog/2014/01/14/along-new-edf-climate-corps-hosts-new-project-offerings-2014).  Of course, some companies and individuals oppose our collective move to cleaner energy, renewables, energy efficiency, certainly government regulation to push new limits. That is OK...they make us think long and hard about the long-term implications of the changes we make today.  We love the discourse.

This is a fairly long article.  We will finish it Monday:

Third Grader, Alice Bellwether, asks her Social Studies teacher if “checks and balances” is now talking about money.

Hush your valid concerns little girl.  Captain Planet has some work to do.

By Noah Grunzweig

"In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision, which allows businesses, unions, and wealthy individuals to fund, without limit, the political candidates and issues they value, the amount of money spent to influence campaigns has more than quadrupled to nearly $1 Billion dollars spent during the 2012 campaign season.  One billion dollars was spent not informing citizens about ideas but fostering the current bitterly divisive political system, tipping the balance of ideas away from democratic discussion to the dogmatic camps of red (mostly white) and blue.

The majority of money contributed is coming from affluent, white individuals like the Koch brothers who have dumped millions into campaigns to lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services and less oversight of industry - in particular environmental regulation.  Millions have gone to fund and support organizations that contribute significantly to Republican candidates, and that lobby against universal health care and climate change legislation.  Millions have also gone into more traditionally Democratic issues, but it wasn’t till recently that anyone has focused entirely on environmental issues AND, more specifically, on climate change.

When thinking of the Koch brother, you may be imagining two short villains on a wacky bus wearing black trench coats and bowler hats, sporting evil curly mustaches and sly, impish smiles. And maybe you imagine fists full of cash as their super power and the Koch brothers bribing and buying their way to world domination; and you’d be pretty close – only these guys don’t ride the bus.

Fortunately, billionaire and former Hedge Fund manager, Tom Steyer (the most successful hedge fund manager to date, worth more than $1.5 billion), is planning to spend at least $100 million during the 2014 election season.  The focus of Steyer's political organization, NextGen Climate Action, will be to push climate change not just to the forefront of election issues, but to put it above typically divisive issues.

Steyer and NextGen will pump money into political races to unseat climate change deniers and supporters of the Keystone XL Pipeline – regardless of political/issue affiliation.  They don't care if a candidate is pro-life or pro-choice, for or against gun control.  What they are focusing on is trying to put politicians in office who want to tackle the most important national and global challenge of our time - Climate Change.  One of five candidates targeted for removal is Democratic Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, who has close ties to the oil and gas industries and has been an outspoken supporter of the Keystone pipeline..."