Florida's Climate Change summit: July 12-13

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is hosting a Climate Change Summit in Miami July 12-13.

Among the keynote speakers are California's 'green' Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, Theodore Roosevelt IV and Robert Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy is a leading environmentalist. Roosevelt is managing director at Lehman Brothers, and is also an active conservationist. He serves as chairman of Lehman Brothers’ Council on Climate Change, a position created in February 2007. He is also chair of the Pew Center for Global Climate Change, a co-vice chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection, a member of the Governing Council of the Wilderness Society, and a Trustee for the American Museum of Natural History, and The World Resources Institute.

This is Governor Crist's introductory message to the summit:

"I am persuaded that global climate change is one of the most important issues that we will face this century. With almost 1,200 miles of coastline and the majority of our citizens living near that coastline, Florida is more vulnerable to rising ocean levels and violent weather patterns than any other state…I will bring together the brightest minds to begin working on a plan for Florida to explore groundbreaking technologies and strategies that will place our state at the forefront of a growing world-wide movement to reduce greenhouse gases. Florida will provide not only the policy and technological advances, but the moral leadership, to allow us to overcome this monumental challenge."

Click here for summit details

- David Adams

DOE's dedicates another $375 million to cellulosic ethanol funding

Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman has announced three projects that will receive up to $375 million in federal money over the next five years to develop cheaper ways of making cellulosic ethanol and other next-generation biofuels.

The three bioenergy research centers - which will be located in California, Wisconsin and Tennessee - will combine the expertise of DOE laboratories, universities and private companies. Researchers will focus on how to re-engineer biological processes to develop new and more efficient methods for converting plants' tough cellular material into cleaner-burning transportation fuels.

Click here to read more.

- David Adams

Energy efficiency measures in Spain

Arriving in Spain one is immediately struck by Europe's drive for clean and efficient energy technology.
Coming in by plane over the north-west coast the long lines of wind turbines are plainly visible strung across the hill tops of Galicia. Spain, (along with the US) is perhaps the world's fastest growing wind energy powerhouse. The north-eastern province of Navarra generates 50% of its energy from wind.

From Madrid's modern new airport on the north-eastern outskirts I was able to reach the home of my parents-in-law on the western outskirts by a modern, well-connected public transport system: metro and bus. Instead of forty minutes and 50 euros by taxi, it took me one hour with one change of metro line and a short bus ride at the end, for a total of three and a half euros.

On the streets there are also new 'bio-ethanol' buses. I'm not sure what blend of ethanol they are running on, but I shall endeavor to find out.

Picking up the main daily newspaper, El Pais, the lead item on the front page Wednesday was a story about Spain's new policy to tax cars according to their CO2 emissions. Cars with high CO2 emissions will have to pay as much as 1,200 euros ($1,500) more than current tax rate for new car sales. Hybrid cars could be tax free altogether.

The new emissions tax is being discussed in the Spanish parliament as part of a new Air Quality Act proposed by the socialist government. Under current law car sales tax is regulated according to engine size, with a 12% maximum. The new law would create three tax grades: 0% tax exemption for eco-friendly vehicles (less than 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer), 7% for moderate emissions and 17% for high emissions.

Spain's Institute for Energy Diversification and Savings (IDAE) has compiled a list of emissions for every vehicle sold in the country. (click here to check emissions of your car).

Only eight car models currently fall in the low emissions category: among them the Toyota Prius (hydrid), Kia Picanto (diesel), Peugeot 107 (diesel), and Citroen CI (diesel).

Under the new rates a Toyota Prius which currently costs 26,000 euros with standard 7% tax included, would cost 1,800 euros less.

While all this may sound impressive, it should be noted that Spain is struggling to meet its Kyoto Protocol targets, largely due to its strong economic growth and rising population.
The European Union has set high goals for its members to begin taxing atmospheric pollution. Spain is apparently lagging way the rest of Europe in introducing these measures.

Click here for the article in El Pais.

- David Adams

How much Florida could save with energy efficient and renewable policies.

A new report by the American Council for and Energy Efficient Economy estimates that Florida could save $28 billion over the next 15 years while creating 14,000 jobs if the state adopts a more efficient renewable energy strategy.

Here are some of the highlights of the report, titled “Potential for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Meet Florida’s Growing Energy Demands.”

•    If Florida used the energy efficiency and renewable energy policies outlined by ACEEE experts, the state would save $28-billion by 2023. That’s enough to cover this year’s entire state transportation and education budgets combined.

•    More than 14,000 new jobs would be created – indirect and direct jobs created would be equivalent to nearly 100 new manufacturing plants relocating to Florida, but without the demand for infrastructure and other energy needs.

•    Energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies combined would meet a third of the state’s electricity needs by 2023.
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•    Using energy efficiency policies alone -- such as efficient windows, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and Energy Star appliances -- can nearly offset the state’s entire future growth in electric demand by the year 2023.

•    Florida would cut emissions that cause global warming. Specifically, the strategies outlined would avoid more than 16 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide, almost 11 thousand tons of nitrous oxide, and more than 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2023.

•    Using energy efficiency as a resource costs about less than 4 cents per kilowatt hour. Building new power plants costs 5 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour.

The report, Potential for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Meet Florida’s Growing Energy Demands, is available for free download at http://aceee.org/pubs/e072.htm or a hard copy can be purchased for $35 plus $5 postage and handling from ACEEE Publications, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C. 20036-5525, phone: 202-429-0063, fax: 202-429-0193, e-mail: aceee_publications@aceee.org.

Click here for an editorial about energy conservation in The Tallahassee Democrat.

 - David Adams

On the road again - Vacation announcement

I shall be on vacation from Tuesday June 26 to Monday July 16. But I shall endeavor to keep you updated with new postings. I shall be traveling in Europe (Spain , Turkey and the UK) and will be keeping my eyes out for interesting alternative energy stories there.

My colleagues Craig Pittman, Janet Zink and the St. Petersburg Times' new energy correspondent, Asjylyn Loder, will also be blogging for you.

- David Adams

Exxon and ConocoPhillips to leave Venezuela

Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips have rejected a deal to stay in Venezuela after that country announced it is taking over a majority stake in its vast oil fields, according to Reuters.

Four other companies — Chevron Corp., Norway's Statoil, Britain's BP and France's Total — plan to sign an accord that will keep them in the massive Orinoco oil reserve projects, the government says.

Click here for latest from Reuters

- David Adams

Florida's eco-renegades

Florida's energy crunch is producing a new crop of eco-renegades.

Click here to read the article 'Clever Green' in the Miami New Times.

- David Adams

Hybrids hard to find in Mexico City

Hybrid car sales are beginning to do well in the United States. But try looking across the border in Mexico. Mexico City, one of the largest and most heavily polluted cities in the world could do with some cleaner air. But, it's hard to find a hybrid there, according to The  Austin American-Statesman.

Click here to read the article, 'A Hard Sell for Hybrid Cars.'

- David Adams

Another look at Home Depot's 'Eco Options.'

Manufacturers are striving to be green. But many don't make the grade. Just ask Ron Jarvis, a Home Depot senior vice president who oversees the Eco Options program.

Click here to read an article in The New York Times about how Home Depot grades its econ-options products.

Click here to visit Home Depot's Eco Options website.

Click here to visit previous April 17 posting on The Fueling Station.

- David Adams

ADM looking at investing in Brazil sugar-cane.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co, the U.S.'s largest ethanol producer, is preparing to enter the sugar-cane-ethanol business in Brazil, The Wall St Journal reports.

ADM is exploring a variety of strategies to enter Brazil's sugar-cane-ethanol market, ranging from building sugar-cane mills and ethanol plants from the ground up, to an outright purchase of  Cosan SA, Brazil's largest ethanol producer.

Click here to read more in The Wall St Journal.

- David Adams

After two decades will Congress raise the average fuel economy standard?

The US Senate voted Thursday to require average fuel economy of 35 miles per gallon for new cars, pickup trucks and SUVs by 2020, raising efficiency standards that have not changed significantly for nearly two decades.

Automakers are currently required to meet an average of 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for SUVs and small trucks. The car standard has not changed since 1989, though the truck requirements have been increased slightly by the Bush administration.

However, the debate is far from over. Auto industry leaders are expected to fight the new standard in the House.

Click here for more coverage.

- David Adams

Ethanol craze threatens tequilla industry in Mexico.

About one-quarter of farmers who grow agave, used in the production of tequila, are expected to burn their fields to make way for corn, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Prices of corn have nearly doubled from a year ago, due to US ethanol demand, and not only agave but beans, potatoes, rice, and barley have all been mowed over to grow it.

Click here to read the story.

- David Adams

Ethanol requires a closer look

The St Petersburg Times has an editorial today suggesting that ethanol requires a "much closer look."

"Ethanol is expensive to make, difficult to distribute and could have adverse implications for the world's food supply and environment," the paper says.

"Not all of the environmental implications for ethanol production and use are positive, either," it adds. "The demand from rising corn production could destroy conservation land and increase soil erosion and pesticide and fertilizer pollution."

The editorial goes on to say:

"Concerns would be lessened if the nation could make more ethanol out of something other than corn. But technology to make affordable cellulosic ethanol from materials such as switch grass or wood chips is in its infancy."

It concludes:

"The rush to turn ever more corn into ethanol without considering the consequences is foolish."

While I work for the St Petersburg Times I do not entirely agree with the paper's editorial. Yes, ethanol does require a closer look. But this editorial fails to do just that. It focuses entirely on the negatives surrounding ethanol, without mentioning a single one of its positives, many of which have been highlighted by The Fueling Station over the last 10 months. It is also untrue to say that cellulosic technology is in its "infancy." I have in fact written about cellulosic ethanol for the paper and pointed out that the technology is closer to commercial viability than previously believed. Among the negatives not mentioned by the paper is also the issue of water consumption by ethanol plants.

Among the positives I would note:

* reduction of dependence on depleting reserves of foreign oil
* proven reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
* creation of much needed rural jobs
* can be grown in a wide variety of countries greatly alleviating the cost of importing oil for poor countries that produce no oil of their own.

Click here for a link to the St Petersburg Times editorial.

- David Adams

Are you being served? Florida ethanol creeping southwards

After the first ethanol pumps opened in north Florida last year, bioblended gasoline is gradually making its way south.

The Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) reports that it's not being sold by Marathon, which has been seeking state approval to distribute it from its terminal in Tampa and Port Everglades.

Instead, ethanol is being sold via the unbranded market.

The ethanol is currently available out of the Kinder Morgan terminal in Tampa, and it should be available in Orlando storage later this month, the sources say. It is apparently being brought in by Houston-based The Ethanol Corp.

The price is looking favorable too. Ethanol was fetching $2.10-$2.20 a gallon on coastal spot markets last week, whereas unbranded 87 octane regular was priced around $2.20 gallon.

There is a lot at stake, OPIS reports. "With 18 million residents, Florida is by far the most highly populated state without broad distribution of ethanol," the report notes, adding that Florida has more drivers than, say, the slice of the corn belt that includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, and Oklahoma.

Click here to read the full OPIS report.

- David Adams

Summit on global warming gains some political muscle

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming to Florida next month to "pump you up" about global warming.

He will be the keynote speaker for Gov. Charlie Crist's global warming summit in Miami. In a statement, Crist said Florida is "more vulnerable to rising ocean levels and violent weather patterns than any other state."

The July 12-13 summit is expected to explore alternative fuels and other technologies to help reduce greenhouse gases. Crist and Schwarzenegger also are among the 800, 000 people who have joined the Stop Global Warming Virtual March (www.StopGlobalWarming.org). It's like a protest march, but not, because it's only in cyberspace.

Brazil's cellulosic breakthrough - George Soros is investing there too.

Brazilian researchers said they have perfected a method of producing cellulosic ethanol that drastically reduces the cost of processing.

Not much is known about this process, but if true it could represent a major breakthrough for an industry that is suffering a backlash due to concerns over the impact on food prices of using crops like corn and sugar cane to make ethanol.

It could also be the answer to another problem facing ethanol - the processing cost of cellulosic ethanol which is greater than corn or sugar cane.

Ethanol production basically involves fermenting the sugar in the plant. Traditional ethanol production deals only with the edible portions, where the natural sugars are concentrated. Cellulosic ethanol production has to first break up the plant fiber using bacteria, heat and enzymes to get at the cellulose. The price of this process has dropped 10-fold in recent years, but is still about twice the cost of the traditonal method.

The Brazilians claim their new process reduces cellulosic ethanol production costs down to 35 cents to 50 cents per gallon. This would make it much more competitive with gasoline.

George Soros, speaking at a Sao Paulo ethanol conference this month noted that Brazil was leading the way in ethanol technology. "I think Brazil has the capacity to increase its production capacity as much as ten-fold," he said.

Brazil is the already worlds leading ethanol exporter and No. 2 ethanol producer after the United States.
Soros has invested his own funds in Brazil's sugarcane industry via Argentine agribusiness firm AdecoAgro.  AdecoAgro - which currently operates one sugarcane mill in Brazil's center-south state of Minas Gerais - has allotted $900 million to construct three new sugarcane mills in coming years.

Here is the link to an article that considers the environmental benefits of celluosic energy crops. http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/cellcrop.html

- David Adams

The dance of legislation, this time on energy

Having botched the immigration bill and failed to muster enough votes for a no-confidence vote on the attorney general, the U.S. Senate has now turned its attention to the subject of the nation's energy policy.

"With gasoline prices hovering near all-time highs, the Senate on Monday began debating a sprawling energy bill that has already kicked off an epic lobbying war by huge industries, some of them in conflict with one another: car companies, oil companies, electric utilities, coal producers and corn farmers, to name a few," the New York Times reported today.

"Industry groups have raced to sign up influential lawmakers and are nervously calculating how much regulation they might have to accept from the Democratic majority in Congress," the Times story noted. "Detroit’s automakers are lobbying hard against tough fuel economy standards, but they support increased production of ethanol and other alternative fuels."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was promising tougher fuel-economy rules, which have been blocked for years by lobbying from Detroit automakers.

"The measure would boost fleetwide average fuel economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020, up from 25 mpg," the LA Times reports. "It would increase standards by 4% a year from 2021 to 2030. If passed, it would be the first increase in standards for passenger cars in about 18 years. The first increase could come in model year 2011."

But there's far more on the table besides fuel-economy standards for cars. The energy bill "would also ramp up domestic production of alternative fuels, from about 7 billion gallons projected this year to 36 billion gallons by 2022," the LA Times reports. "It would authorize funding for projects to capture greenhouse gases emitted by power plants and other polluters. It would promote energy efficiency in such products as light bulbs and big-screen TVs."

Although the Senate has set aside two weeks for debating the issues, the  New York Times reports, some of the most basic questions have yet to be dealt with: "Does 'clean' and 'renewable' energy include nuclear power? Should the government subsidize only 'renewable' fuels, like wind or ethanol, or should it subsidize 'alternative' fuels, including coal-based liquids, that might substitute for oil and reduce dependence on foreign oil?"

Stay tuned. Whatever happens, it's lliable to cost you money.

To read the full NYT story, click here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/washington/12energy.html?ex=1339300800&en=0e77afb0bcc82757&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

For the LA Times story, click here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/la-na-energy12jun12,0,7081558.story?coll=la-home-center

--Craig Pittman

Global Warming: The Game?

Coming soon to an Xbox near you: Global Warming -- the game.

Microsoft and Games for Change have announced a partnership to create a game that "drives awareness for global warming," according to a posting on a website called The Daily Game. "The initiative is the first in a series of games based on social themes that the companies will commission."

It's a contest. College students in more than 100 countries will be offered the chance to create "a global-warming-themed game using XNA Game Studio Express," according to the website. "Microsoft and Games for Change will award cash prizes to the best entries, and the winners will receive an invitation to present their entry to the Microsoft games management team for possible inclusion as a Live Arcade download."

No word yet on how much energy the game will consume or the size of its carbon footprint.

To read the full story, click on:

http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/006355.php

--Craig Pittman

Macy's goes green

Macy's announced last week it will install solar power systems on 26 stores in California. With solar power and other energy efficiency improvements, the department store expects to reduce its consumption of utility-provided energy by 40 percent. A press release from SunPower, the San Jose, California-based company providing the solar systems, says the move will allow Macy's to reduce its carbon footprint by more than 195 milion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of the systems -- the equivalent of removing 1,144 cars from California’s highways. Read more about it here.

Mexico tackles greenhouse gas emissions

Under the Kyoto Protocol developing nations have not had to take action on their greenhouse emissions.

But an article in the Chicago Tribune suggests large developing nations such as Mexico are beginning to wake up to the need to take their emissions into account.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon won international praise when he rolled out the country's first national blueprint for reducing carbon emissions last month, the paper reports. For now, Mexico is avoiding tough tasks, such as confronting the powerful state-run energy sector, in favor of ideas such as planting trees in deforested areas, it adds.

Mexico is believed to be the first developing nation to encourage manufacturers to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions, using international standards. The GHG Mexico program is backed by European governments and environmental groups such as the Washington-based World Resources Institute.

Click here to read the full article.

- David Adams

GAO: We're dropping the ball on biofuel

A new report released today by the Government Accountability Office paints a fairly unflattering portrait of the Department of Energy's biofuels efforts.

The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, says flat out that the DOE "has not yet developed a comprehensive strategic approach to coordinate the expansion of biofuel production with biofuel distribution infrastructure development and vehicle production, and has not evaluated the effectiveness of biofuel tax credits."

In 2006, the GAO reports, an estimated 4.5-million flexible fuel vehicles capable of operating on ethanol blends up to E85 were in use—an estimated 1.8 percent of the nearly 244-million U.S. vehicles. "The number may increase substantially because of a recent commitment by DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors to increase FFV production to compose about 50 percent of their annual production by 2012," the GAO said.

But where they get their fuel may be the problem. "From 2004 to 2006, annual U.S. ethanol production increased from 3.4-billion gallons to about 4.9-billion gallons, and annual biodiesel production expanded from 28-million gallons to approximately 287-million gallons," the GAO reports.

However, "existing biofuel distribution infrastructure has limited capacity to transport the fuels and deliver them to consumers," and "increasing the availability of E85 at fueling stations is impeded largely by the limited availability of ethanol for use in high blends."

And as for the taxes: The largest of the biofuel tax credits "cost the Treasury $2.7-billion in 2006," the GAO noted. Without some evaluation of whether it was worth it, "it is not known if these expenditures produced the desired outcomes or if similar benefits might have been achieved at a lower cost. "

To read the full report, click on:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07713.pdf

--Craig Pittman

Thinking globally, acting locally...very locally

Intriguing front-page story in the Washington Post this weekend about how more than 500 cities across America are taking steps to deal with global warming.

The cities "are racing ahead of the federal government in setting carbon emission targets and developing concrete strategies to deal with climate change. Their solutions are already beginning to alter the fabric of life for millions of urban dwellers," the Post story says.

For instance, in Boulder, Colo., the city council last November passed the nation's first "carbon tax." Homeowners there are facing average increases of $16 and businesses $48 annually on electricity bills to cover a "climate action plan," the Post reports.

The story features this quote from Daniel Esty, director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy: "Because of what many see as a policy failure on this issue in Washington, you see state and city governments stepping up and taking the lead on global warming. You've got people in Europe saying that America is doing nothing on global warming, but that's not true. You are seeing real action. But it's happening in a local way."

To read the full story, click on:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060802779.html

--Craig Pittman

Group ranks states on energy efficiency

Florida ranked 29th among the nation's states in its energy efficiency policies and programs in 2006, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy (ACEEE). California, Connecticut and Vermont topped the list. The organization's new report, "The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard for 2006," places the three states in a tie for first place because of their spending on energy-efficiency programs, building codes, and other efforts. Those states received 33 points out of a possible 44. Florida received 9 points, with 4 of those for building codes. At the bottom of the list: North Dakota with one-half a point. The Florida Legislature this year passed a relatively ambitions energy bill, that among other things would require government buildings be built to national green standards and increase the use of biofuels for state fleets and school buses. The bill requires the signature of Gov. Charlie Crist to become law. Read more about the ACEEE report here. 

--Janet Zink

Is this any way to run a railroad? Actually, yes

Billionaire Richard Branson has launched Europe's first scheduled passenger train service fuelled by vegetable oil, Reuters is reporting.

"Branson's Virgin Trains is running one of its trains on a 20 percent biodiesel blend for a six-month trial and the entrepreneur said his whole fleet might eventually be converted to run on biofuels," Reuters said.

"There is a possibility as the engines get changed we could go up to 100 percent biodiesel," Branson told a news conference. The story says he also plans next year to have a test flight for one of his passenger aircraft using a biofuel.

Among those attending the launch: incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said he wanted Britain to become a world leader in the development of environmentally friendly fuel.

"I believe they will play a fundamental part in our efforts to reduce emissions and tackle climate change," Brown said.

Virgin CrossCountry Managing Director Chris Gibb told Reuters the biofuel for locomotives would come mainly from the UK via domestically produced rapeseed oil blended with U.S. soyabean oil and palm oil from the Far East.

To read the full story click on:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10444542

--Craig Pittman

FPL and the winds of change

Florida's biggest utility, the one that just got smacked down by the Public Service Commission for trying to build a coal plant near the Everglades, has announced it will explore building a wind-powered project in St. Lucie County, according to reports today in the Port St. Lucie News and the Palm Beach Post.

Florida Power & Light is already the nation's biggest generator of wind power, with 47 wind farms in 15 states -- none of them Florida. For years FPL has said the wind in Florida isn't strong and predictable enough to make it worthwhile to build one in the Sunshine State. Now they're going to give it a try anyway.

St. Lucie County officials, who rejected an FPL proposal for a coal plant there in 2005, sounded delighted with the possibility of getting power from the wind.

"With the amount of pressure we have put them under with their attempt to build a coal plant, we kept screaming green, green, green at them," St. Lucie County Commission Chairman Chris Craft said. "And I think they listened."

Initially FPL has plans for just two windmills, hardly enough to produce a tremendous amount of power. But it's a start.

"This is a great first step in seeking more renewable generation resources in Florida," said Armando Olivera, president of FPL, said in a news release. "Adding wind will help diversify our fuel mix and is emissions-free."

FPL also filed a zoning application with Miami-Dade County on Wednesday as part of a plan to consider adding two more nuclear plants at its Turkey Point site near Homestead, the Post reported.

To read the Port St. Lucie News story, click on:

http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,2545,TCP_16736_5575871,00.html

To read the Palm Beach Post story, click on:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2007/06/07/0607fplwind.html

To read the FPL press release about this, click on:

http://www.fpl.com/news/2007/060707.shtml

--Craig Pittman

G8 cuts let U.S., Russia off the hook...for now

At the Group of Eight meeting of industrial nations in Germany Thursday, a majority of the leaders vowed to cut carbon emissions in half by 2050...but they're not going to force the U.S. and Russia to set any targets for cuts.

"The U.S. and Russia promised to take part in talks on a new international treaty to combat global warming," Bloomberg News is reporting.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted binding reductions, but President Bush opposed them, the Associated Press reports. "He instead had proposed having the top 15 polluters meet and set a long-term goal, but decide for themselves how much to do toward meeting it," the AP story says.

Bush said the U.S. "wouldn't be shackled to specific targets without including developing nations such as China and India," Bloomberg noted.

"All parties agreed the process should take place within the U.N. framework and will begin with a meeting of environment ministers at a U.N. climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December," the AP reports.

To read the full AP story, click on:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/G_8_SUMMIT?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

To read the Bloomberg report, click on:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070607g8-greenhouse-story,0,1323646.story?coll=chi-bizfront-hed

--Craig Pittman

Florida rejects one coal plant -- what about others?

On Tuesday, global warming concerns helped persuade Florida's Public Service Commission to reject a coal-fired power plant near the Everglades -- the first time in 15 years the PSC has said no to any new power plants in fast-growing Florida.

Does this bode ill for the other coal-fired plants that have been proposed by Florida's utilities? Environmental groups sure think so, although a spokesman for the next one in line for PSC consideration, a plant in rural Taylor County, insists that each one should be considered on its own merits.

To read the full St. Pete Times story on this, click on:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/06/State/PSC_bars_coal_fired_p.shtml

...and for prior coverage of this issue, click on:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/05/Business/State_of_energy.shtml

--Craig Pittman

Florida says no to coal plant

The Florida Public Service Commission today shot down a plan by Florida's largest utility to build a new coal-fired power plant near Everglades National Park.

Gov. Charlie Crist had questioned the plant's location, the National Park Service had raised concerns about air pollution and environmental groups had argued it would increase greenhouse gases at a time when the nation is trying to combat global warming.

In the end what persuaded the Public Service Commission to vote 4-0 against Florida Power & Light was something far more basic: the cost to the utility’s customers. And yes, that includes the cost of controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

Natural gas plants are cheaper to build than coal-fired plants, Commissioner Matthew Carter contended in making the motion to deny the FPL project. Natural gas plants also produce less pollution than coal.

While coal itself costs less than natural gas, Carter said, "if everybody starts building coal plants, the price of coal is going to go up."

Commissioners also expressed concerns that a coal-fired plant is likely to be subject to new regulations limiting carbon emissions -- regulations that FPL itself has endorsed. Building an expensive new coal plant would lock in high prices for utility customers for decades, and the prices could then grow higher if the government begins taxing carbon emissions.

The governor immediately issued a statement saying he was delighted with the decision.

“I applaud the Florida Public Service Commission’s decision to deny Florida Power & Light Company’s petition seeking approval to construct a coal-fired power plant in Glades County," Gov. Crist said in a news release. "The Public Service Commission today made the right decision for the environment, the right decision for the Everglades and the right decision for Florida."

"This is a major milestone, both for Florida and the nation, in taking the first steps to deal with pollution that causes global warming," said Earthjustice attorney David Guest, who represented some of the environmental groups opposing the plant. "Coal generates twice as much greenhouse gas as any other fuel. Finally, the PSC is acknowledging that global warming is a critical issue in Florida."

An FPL spokeswoman said the utility would have a comment about the matter later today.

Look for full coverage of this issue in Wednesday's St. Petersburg Times. For an in-depth look at the issue of Florida utilities' turn back to coal as a fuel source, click on:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/05/Business/State_of_energy.shtml

--Craig Pittman

Clean Investing

Looking to put your money where your mouth is but you're not sure where to invest? Clean Edge, a company that analyzes clean-energy technology markets, wants to help. A page on the Clean Edge web site offers an A to Z listing of clean-energy technologies and their stock market performance. Check it out here.

Florida fights global warming...but pushes for more coal-fired power plants too

This is the year that Florida's business and political leaders have all lined up to declare their concern about curbing carbon emissions that lead to global warming. Gov. Charlie Crist calls climate change "one of the most important issues" facing the state.

Yet at the same time, Florida's utilities have proposed building six new coal-burning power plants to serve Florida's growing population, in places ranging from rural Taylor County in the Big Bend area to a spot near Lake Okeechobee.

Today the Public Service Commission will vote on whether to approve the most controversial of the proposed coal plants: a pair of 980-megawatt facilities that FPL wants to build in Glades County. The $5.7-billion Glades Power Park, to be built 70 miles from Everglades National Park, is intended to provide power for 650,000 homes.

Even Gov. Charlie Crist "does have reservations regarding the proposed Glades Power Park Plant, especially with respect to its location and emissions," spokesman Thomas Philpot said.

But Public Service Commission officials say concerns about hurricanes disrupting the natural gas supply as well as the volatile cost of gas have prompted them to ask FPL and other utilities to diversify their fuel supply -- and that has led to a return to coal.

"I don't believe in the U.S. or in Florida we can move forward without coal," FPL's Rayburn Butts told the Climate Change Conference last month, "although coal is a larger emitter of carbon gases than other fuels."

For an in-depth look at how Florida is grappling with this contradiction, click on:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/05/Business/State_of_energy.shtml

--Craig Pittman

Blog announcement - Adams away on reporting assignment.

I shall be travelling in Colombia for the next couple of weeks reporting on the drug war, peace efforts to end Colombia's long-running armed conflict, and free trade negotiations. I shall endeavor to add to the blog, and my colleague Craig Pitman will be holding the fort, with assistance from another St Pete Times staffer, Janet Zink in our Tampa office.

- David Adams

Small car sales indicate buyers are switching from gas-guzzling light trucks.

Small cars outsold light trucks last month, The New York Times reports today.

The last time cars outsold light trucks was in May 2002, the paper said. Light trucks have routinely been outselling cars each month since 1997, when consumers’ tastes for big vehicles tipped the scales in their favor, it added.

Among the  most popular cars, sales of the Honda Civic rose 32.6% in May. Sales of the hybrid-electric Toyota Prius rose 184.9%.

Click here for the report.

- David Adams

If trees can do it... are man-made carbon sequestration devices possible?

NPR's Talk of the Nation 'Science Friday' just had a fascinating program about carbon sequestration using synthetic tree-like devices to capture CO2 from the atmosphere.

Scrubbers do a similar thing to strip pollutants such as sulfur from smokestack emissions. So, could a carbon dioxide scrubber be built to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and help combat global climate change?

One scientist thinks so. He's Klaus Lackner, a professor of Geophysics at the The Earth Institute of Columbia University.

                  

Click here to listen to Ira Flatow's interview with Lackner on Science Friday.

- David Adams

How to turn salt water into fuel. But does it make energy sense?

A Florida man has found a way to burn salt water using a radio-wave generator he developed to kill cancer cells.

John Kanzius of Naples says he was testing the machine to see if it could desalinate salt water. To his surprise, the water ignited. It doesn't take a genius to work out what's happening. As we all know, water  (H2O) contains hydrogen, a very hot-burning fuel. It appears that Kanzius' machine was freeing the hydrogen from its molecular bond, allowing it to burn.

Videos of Kanzius' machine igniting salt water have become a hit on YouTube.

But, before you get too excited about the potential for this discovery, it's important to remember that energy doesn't come out of nowhere.

In fact, Kanzius's machine likely takes more energy than it creates to separate the hydrogen from the salt water. Even so, hats off to him for trying.

Others are also experimenting with similar technology, such as Hydrogen Technology Applications in Clearwater and Greenfuels in the UK. (see my previous post).

- David Adams

Lula defends biofuels and seeks to put "certain myths" to rest.

Brazil's president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, has taken a leaf out of Fidel Castro's book and penned some thoughts on biofuels in the British newspaper, The Guardian.

In remarks clearly directed at the G8 summit in Germany next week Lula writes that that industrialized nations must do better in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The could do well by looking at Brazil's example, he says.

Under the title "Brazil does it better", Lula promotes his country's biofuels strategy, arguing that it poses no threat to the environment or world food supplies.

He states that Brazil's energy matrix is 45% renewable, against a worldwide average of 14%. "We are dramatically reducing the pace of deforestation - there has been a 52% decrease since 2003," he adds.

Answering Castro's attacks on biofuels, he attacks what he calls "certain myths" that "must be put to rest."

"Ethanol use does not threaten the environment. Neither does sugarcane cause damage to rainforests, for it grows poorly in Amazonian soil. Sugarcane does, however, help to recover degraded pasture lands elsewhere in the country, which can then be brought back into agricultural use," he writes.

Lula also says that to guarantee the environmental sustainability and labor standards of both ethanol and biodiesel production, "rigorous national biofuel certification systems" should be set up, "possibly within the framework of multilateral agreements."

Click here to read the full op-ed.

 

(p.s. registered Brazilian ethanol exports soared 176 percent in May compared
to the same month of 2006, Dow Jones reported on June 1, citing
preliminary data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat.)

- David Adams