How rising sea level could affect Florida's coastline

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) is hosting two events in Miami today to promote awareness about global warming's impact on sea level rise. A lunchtime event at the Intercontinental Hotel features Edward Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030’s which has prepared an interactive graphics display on how sea level rise might affect Florida's coastline.

"More than 70 per cent of electrical generation goes to heating, lighting and cooling for buildings," says Melissa Meehan, Florida climate organizer for the SACE. "So it's easy to see how green building has to be part of the solution."

Architecture 2030's mission is to transform the building sector from being the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to becoming part of the solution. The 2030 Challenge calls upon the building sector to reduce emissions by the year 2030 through investment in energy efficient buildings. The US Conference of Mayors, The American Institute of Architects and the US Green Building Council have adopted the challenge.

An evening Panel featuring leaders from business, community and faith-based group to discuss sea level rise problems and solutions at the Temple Beth Sholom from 6:45- 8:00 p.m.

Click here for the inter-active display.

- David Adams

World food prices rising - a variety of factors at play. Not just biofuels!

The Reuters news agency has an interesting series on rising food prices around the globe. Basically, the demand for food is outpacing supply from farmers. Wheat stocks are at a 30-year low, the article reports.
A whole of factors are involved, from drought, to population growth, a shift of investment money into commodities and use of farm land to grow fuel.

Click here to tread the first article in a third part series.

- David Adams

Al Gore: "PR agent for the planet."

Former vice president and 1997 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Al Gore, is embarking on a $300 million climate-change advertising campaign, one of the largest public service campaigns in history.

The Alliance for Climate Protection ad campaign plans to mobilise 10 million volunteers to force politicians to act on climate change. That's more than marched against the Vietnam war or in support of civil rights in the 1960s.

During the next three years, the campaign (www.wecansolveit.org) hopes to turn  global warming into a top priority for American politicians.

The campaign isbeing funded by donations and the proceeds of Gore's 2006 Oscar-winning documentary movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," as well as his Nobel peace prize, which carries $1 million in award money.

Gore says he is donating it all to the campaign. Click here to listen to his interview with Lesley Stahl on '60 Minutes.'

I case you're wondering, in the interview he says he's gone off politics and doesn't plan to run for the White House.

- David Adams

IndyCar racing season gets underway - 2nd year running on ethanol. Brazilian giant Petrobras may move into ethanol production.

The all-ethanol IndyCar racing season got underway yesterday at Homestead speedway in south Florida. As some of you may know the IndyCar series last year adopted ethanol as its fuel.

The shift to ethanol appears to have gone without a hitch (click here to see my story last year), and ethanol continues to be the fuel of choice this season. The ethanol industry's new IndyCar slogan this year is "Burns cleaner, burns rubber." I notice the industry has now cleverly switched from referring to ethanol "blended" fuel to ethanol "enriched" fuel, which has a more positive sound to it.

The ethanol industry is also sponsoring one of the teams again this year, with a car driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay. (see photo below of team ethanol's car being prepared for Saturday's race - the car finished a respectable 7th out of a field of 25)

I went along to Homestead to meet a marketing team representing Petrobras, the Brazilian fuel giant, which is using the IndyCar series to promote "the ethanol experience," as well as the company's position as the world's largest distributor of ethanol. "We use this as a nice showcase of what ethanol can do," said Carlos Lua Cintra Mauro of the Foster Marketing Group. "Motor racing is very exciting, so it's a good way to promote ethanol." Cintra Mauro knows a thing or two about racing. He was the manager of three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet, from Brazil. He's also knowledgeable about ethanol, recognizing that it is not the perfect solution, though a very useful energy alternative "if you do it properly." Like others he sees ethanol as a complementary part to the larger energy matrix. "The ideas isn't to completely substitute oil," he said. "The world has grown too hungry for energy for one solution to be the only solution."

Ricardo Largman, another marketing consultant with Brazilian company, Newsday, pointed out that Brazil and the United States, the world's largest ethanol producing countries, can benefit by sharing their biofuels experience. Brazil has the advantage with its large sugar cane production, which is a far more efficient source of ethanol than US corn. Brazil also has a large amount of available land (which Ricardo points out does not include the Amazon which is not apt for sugar cane farming due to its excessive rainfall). But the US spends far more on research and development. "Research is something the US spends ten times more than Brazil on," said Largman. He said the US spends about $1.5 billion on biofuels research, compared to only $150 million in Brazil. "It's about joining forces between the two biggest ethanol producers in the world," he said.

(click here for my two stories about the sugar-cane ethanol revolution in Brazil and the development of flex-fuel cars)

Largman and Cintra Mauro also say that Petrobras is preparing to launch its own biofuels production company in May. Until now Petrobras has limited itself to oil and gas production, as well as biofuels distribution and transportation. The new company, as yet unnamed, will also be investing in other forms of alternative energy, including wind and solar. I haven't been able to find any confirmation of this, although Petrobras officials did announce earlier this year they were seriously looking at going into ethanol production. (click here for more)

- David Adams

Rising sea level already having impact in Florida.

My colleagues at the St Petersburg Times, Craig Pittman and Curtis Krueger, have a story in our paper today about a University of Florida study logging the rising sea level in Florida. It's "already causing profound environmental changes," the article quotes scientists saying. It also points to specific examples of where the impact has been observed, at Wacasassa State Park in Levy County, Rookery Bay Preserve near Naples, and the western side of Everglades National Park.

The sea level has been rising about an inch a decade in Tampa Bay since measurement began in the 1940s. But the pace is now accelerating. This could soon have an effect on the state's economy, especially tourism and sports fishing.

"If sea levels continue rising, adapting to this new geography will require major changes in Florida's lifestyle — and soon," the article warns.

By the way, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the Faiths United for Sustainable Energy (FUSE) are holding a panel on the rising sea level on Monday in Miami. Click here for details.

Click here to read the article.

- David Adams

EPA still going slooooow on setting new greenhouse gas regs

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson told Congress today that his agency will finally roll out regulations on carbon dioxide later this spring -- more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the EPA must reconsider its 2003 refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

In a letter to key congressional leaders, Johnson explained his caution by saying that regulating carbon dioxide — a leading greenhouse gas — "could affect many (emission) sources beyond just cars and trucks" and needs to be closely examined before a decision is made, the Associated Press is reporting.

"EPA will present and request comment on the best available science including specific and quantifiable effects of greenhouse gases relevant to making an endangerment finding," Johnson said in his letter, according to a report from Reuters.

In response to a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts and 11 other states (plus three cities), EPA argued to the Supreme Court that it had no power to regulate greenhouse gases as pollution. The case hinged on a section of the Clean Air Act that says the EPA administrator "shall" set emission standards for "any air pollutant" from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines "which in his judgment cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare." The EPA said greenhouse gases, specificially carbon dioxide, did not meet that test.

But the Supreme Court shot down that argument on a 5-4 vote, forcing the EPA to finally take action. Why the delay? Noted Reuters: " The United States is the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, but the Bush administration to date has adamantly opposed mandatory regulations, citing inaction by other major emitters like China and India."

Incidentally, speaking of Massachusetts, a coalition of environmental groups released a report this week that says New England is nowhere near meeting its carbon reduction targets under an agreement signed in 2001. In fact, "global warming emissions have increased in most sectors of the region's economy, from transportation, electricity generation, and fossil fuel consumption," according to a story in the Boston Globe.

To read the AP report (well, more like a brief) on the EPA letter, click here. To read the slightly longer Reuters story on the EPA, click here. And to read the Globe story on New England's carbon problem, click here.

--Craig Pittman

There's gold in them thar credits: Big banks track $60-billion carbon market

Two big banks, Merrill Lynch from the U.S. and France's Societe Generale, "both launched global carbon indexes on Wednesday to track the international carbon markets, which were worth some $60-billion last year," Reuters is reporting.    

"The indexes will allow investors to access the world's carbon markets, including the European Union's emissions trading scheme and carbon trading markets under the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol," Reuters noted.

A Merrill Lynch official noted in a press release that the company's decision to launch its index comes "in response to strong demand from our institutional, asset management, and wealth management clients who seek exposure to the rapidly growing global carbon market.”

Lest you think the two banks are kidding about the richness of the carbon credit market, consider this other bit of financial news today: Investment house J.P. Morgan is acquiring carbon offset provider ClimateCare for an undisclosed sum.

"JP Morgan and ClimateCare said the move will create a 'leading market-maker' in carbon emission reductions," according to Forbes.com. Officials of the two companies said their goal is "to invest in quality, large-scale carbon emission reduction projects and to advance the development of a liquid financial market that trades in carbon emission reduction credits."

To read the Reuters report, click here. To read Merrill Lynch's press release, click here. To read the Forbes.com story click here.

--Craig Pittman

Sweet and carbon-free

You can get sugar-free carbonated beverages, and now you can get carbon-free sugar.

Florida Crystals announced Tuesday that it will offer sweeteners made without greenhouse gas emissions. The West Palm Beach company makes power from sugar waste to manufacture its sweeteners, and claims that the use of renewable fuels to make the sweetener makes its organic sugar carbon-free.

The greenhouse gas impact was certified by Carbonfund.org, a Maryland non-profit. The group claimed that it awarded the carbon-free certification after rigorous life-cycle analysis performed by the Edinburgh Center for Carbon Management, based in Scotland. The analysis took into account everything from farming, processing, packaging and delivery stores.

“CarbonFree certification and labeling is the next big trend in environmentally responsible living,” said Eric Carlson, executive director of Carbonfund.org, in a press release.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

Large ice shelf breaks off in Antarctica - see video

There is shocking new video of a massive collapse of an ice shelf in Antarctica estimated to be seven times the size of Manhattan.

British scientists say another area of ice the size of Connecticut is "hanging by a thread."

 

Late February is the end of summer at the South Pole and is when this kind of event is most common.

Click here for the story and video.

- David Adams

Clean Air standards on the horizon

The wait continues for greenhouse gas caps in Florida, but in the meantime clean air rules go into effect startign next year. Progress Energy is working to clean up coal emissions from Crystal River, while Tampa Electric is trying to clean up Big Bend. Read more about their efforts here.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

Gambling on global warming in Alaska -- literally

Every year thousands of Alaskans as well as people from other parts of the world spend $2.50 for a chance to guess what time the ice will crack on an frozen river -- and now the contest known as the Nenana Classic is being used to study climate change, too.

"An annual contest to guess the exact moment the ice breaks on the River Tanana, 300 miles north of Anchorage, is attracting global interest, both as a chance to win a $300,000 (£151,000) prize and as one of the world’s most precise scientific indicators of the effects of global warming," the Times of London reports.

Why there? "For 91 years the 500 villagers of Nenana, a frigid hunting and mining outpost, have been keeping records of the minute when the Tanana ice cracks," the Times story reports. "Their unusual history of climate change has provided researchers with insights into the shrinking of America’s frozen north."

In case you're thinking this is some noble scientific effort, well... "The contest was started in 1917 by bored railway builders, wondering how long it would be before they could get back to work," the Times noted. "Since then the records show a marked shift in the thaw averages. Spring now arrives 10 days earlier than in the 1950s."

Because of the accuracy of the records, and how long they have been collected, "the Nenana Classic is a pretty good proxy for climate change in the 20th century,” noted Dr Martin Jeffries, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska.

To read the full Times story, click here. To see footage of the Nenanah Classic on YouTube, click here.

--Craig Pittman

The economics of America's foreign oil dependency

I recommend this opinion article by Gal Luft, director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, looking at the cost to the United States of its heavy reliance on foreign oil. He point out that the US spends $460 billion per year on imported oil, about the same size as the country's entire defense budget.

Luft argues that the only way to correct this is for Congress to mandate that every new car sold in the United States be equipped with a 'flex-fuel' engine, is capable of running on alternative domestic sources of fuel, such as alcohols, coal-based fuels or electricity.

Click here to read the article.

- David Adams

 

Now this is serious: Japanese ballgames shortened to cut carbon emissions

Japan loves its baseball -- it's more the national pastime there than it is in the United States. Japan also loves unfettered capitalism. So until recently, despite being the location of the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, Japan has lagged behind other nations in battling global warming, because it has relied only on voluntary measures.

But Japan is becoming more serious about the challenge of climate change. How serious? Consider the report this week from the Associated Press about what's happening in Japanese baseball:

"Japanese professional baseball players have vowed to shorten playing time per game as part of the national pastime's contribution to the fight against global warming. They will aim to cut playing time by six percent, or 12 minutes, from the average of three hours and 18 minutes per game, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) commissioners' office said."

The AP story notes that "by reducing playing time by 12 minutes per game, the NPB estimates this year baseball will be able to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 209 tonnes over 864 games...To speed up games and save time, NPB said teams will be required to change offensive and defensive sides within two minutes and 15 seconds and the pitcher can spend no longer than 15 seconds throwing a pitch after receiving the ball from the catcher when all bases are empty."

The reason this is significant: In Japan, most professional ball clubs are owned by major corporations as a public relations tool. So if the ballclubs are trying to battle climate change, that means the big corporations are starting to pay attention as well.

To read the full AP story, click here. To read an excellent book on Japan's love for baseball, check out You Gotta Have Wa by Robert Whiting, reviewed by the New York Times here and by a baseball magazine called The Diamond Angle here.

--Craig Pittman

Taking the good with the bad in warming Alaska

A new report released this week on global warming in Alaska sees both the dark cloud and the silver lining in climate change. Sure the state's picturesque icepacks are melting -- but the warmer weather may attract more tourists.

"The unusually warm summer weather that occurred in Southeast Alaska in 2004 had a definite and positive economic impact from the point of view of the cruise industry," the report stated, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

However, the Daily News added, "that same year also saw forest fires ravage Alaska, burning a record 6.5 million acres, and 2007 resulted in the biggest tundra fire ever recorded on the North Slope. Smoky skies from fires like those not only detract from the tourist experience but pose a threat to public health, the report says."

The most dramatic changes, the report found, "may well be the need to relocate entire coastal villages -- like Newtok, Shishmaref and Kivalina-- due to dramatic reductions in shore-fast sea ice that used to protect them from violent autumn storms," the Daily News reported. "As many as 162 communities in all could be threatened by erosion and flooding, the report states."

To read the full story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Why we pay less for oil than Evian water? Interview with John Hess.

This week's edition of Newsweek has an intriguing Q&A interview with John Hess, CEO of Hess Corp, the global oil company.

Hess is an advocate of energy conservation and alternative fuels, and warns that oil is unlikely to drop back under $100 a barrel. He points out that 50% of oil demand is for transportation and that car sales are growing at a alarming rate in places like India and China. The world is consuming 86 million barrels of oil a day and each day we use a million barrels more.
He also points that that we have been able to absorb rising oil prices because fuel actually accounts for only 6% of our income, less than 20 years ago. This keeps demand rising and does not help conservation efforts.

Click here to read the interview.

- David Adams

Emissions on the upswing -- including in Florida

Carbon dioxide emissions from power plants rose 2.9 percent in 2007, the biggest single-year increase since 1998, according to new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Emissions of carbon dioxide from the electric power industry have risen 5.9 percent since 2002, and 11.7 percent since 1997.

A report on the EPA data by the Environmental Integrity Project points out that "because CO2 has an atmospheric lifetime of between 50 and 200 years, today’s emissions could cause global warming for up to two centuries to come."

The ten states that emitted the most CO2 in 2007, measured in total tons, are Texas, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and West Virginia. Ranked at No. 3, Florida produced 134,511,485.7 tons of CO2 gases last year, according to the report, and is one of the top 10 states for increases in CO2 emissions over the past 10 years (it's No. 7).

To read the full report, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Florida earns D+ for energy

Florida's energy infrastructure is as bad as its schools, according to a study released Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Florida’s energy infrastructure scored a D+, according to the study. The good news: electricity is cheap, about 20 percent less than the national average.

The study faulted Florida for per household energy consumption that ranks among the highest in the nation. The state is overly dependent on natural gas, presenting risks for long-term supply reliability. Florida generates more petroleum-fired electricity than any other state, the study said. The recommendation: Florida needs to learn to conserve.

The study scored the state on several areas, including a C+ for drinking water, B- for wastewater, B+ for bridges, C for highways, C+ for transit, C for ports, C+ for coastal areas and D+ for schools.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

For the report, click here: Download asce_infrastructure_summary_document.pdf

As the globe warms: Chicago editor goes back to warming-denial group

Readers of this blog may recall back in November when we posted an item about Chicago Sun-Times business editor Dan Miller sending out a letter to 200 journalists around the country urging them to "keep an open mind" about global warming.

Included with the letter -- written on Miller's letterhead -- was a double-DVD of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and a largely discredited BBC documentary called The Great Global Warming Swindle. That DVD, and the mailing of Miller's letter, were the handiwork of The Heartland Institute.

Not mentioned in the letter was the fact that Miller used to work for the Chicago-based libertarian think tank, and that its own website doesn't exactly keep an open mind. Instead The Heartland Institute asserts there is no scientific consensus on global warming and features a list of experts and like-minded think tanks, many of whom have received funding from ExxonMobil and other polluters.

Now comes the next act of the soap opera. The Heartland Institute announced Monday that  Miller had been hired as Heartland's  executive vice president, where he  "will oversee Heartland's research and education programs and present Heartland's ideas to several key audiences, including academics, civic and business leaders, educators, and media."

To read our previous post on  this subject, click here. To read Heartland's own website challenging the scientific consensus on global warming, click here. To read Heartland's attack on journalists who questioned Miller's ethics in sending out the Heartland mailing using his employer's letterhead, click here.

--Craig Pittman 

Florida Gives Green Light to New Nukes

Florida Power & Light today won state approval to build the state’s first new nuclear plants in more than two decades.

The unanimous decision this morning from the Florida Public Service Commission paved the way for the utility to build two new nuclear plants at its Turkey Point power station, 25 miles south of Miami. It also signalled the state’s unwavering support for new nuclear power, despite cost estimates that have tripled in little more than a year.

The project could cost $12-billion to $24-billion, depending on the type of reactor FPL selects. It would be among the largest investments ever undertaken by the nation’s electric industry, and perhaps the most expensive construction project ever built in Florida.

“This is a very historic day in the state of Florida,” said Commission Chairman Matthew Carter.

Florida needs to diversify its fuel supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure reliable power for its growing population, the commissioners emphasized.

“Simply put, nuclear power is a strategic investment for the state of Florida,” said Commissioner Nathan Skop.

Commissioner  Katrina McMurrian echoed his support, saying, “Nuclear power has served us safely, reliably, and economically for decades.”

Customers of the Juno Beach utility could start paying for the reactors next year. A Florida law passed in 2006 allows utilities to charge customers for certain costs years before the plants start producing power. For example, the utility plans to pay $16-million to hold a place in line at Japan Steel Works, the only company in the world that can make the large metal forgings the plants will need.

FPL still has to clear a number of regulatory hurdles before construction can begin. The utility has yet to file a license application with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which could take close to three years.

The decision Tuesday is good news for St. Petersburg-based Progress Energy. The utility last week asked the commission for approval to build two new reactors in Levy County, several miles north of its Crystal River power station. Progress Energy estimated the cost at $17-billion, although it insisted that the estimate is “non-binding” and could go much higher.

The price tag for Progress Energy’s nuclear ambitions tripled since the utility announced its plans in late 2006. The skyrocketing costs have reverberated throughout the Southeast, where five other utilities plan similar projects, including Progress Energy’s sister utility in North Carolina.

Plans have been announced for a dozen Westinghouse AP1000 reactors scattered throughout the Southeast. Florida Power & Light is also leaning toward the Westinghouse technology, bringing the total to 14. FPL’s estimate for the Westinghouse reactors ranges from $12-billion to $18-billion.

The nuclear industry is concerned that the new estimates could leave customers with sticker shock. Duke, South Carolina Electric & Gas, and Georgia Power have yet to revise their cost estimates, as negotiations continue with Westinghouse.

The industry is slowly recovering from a credibility hangover from the first round of nuclear construction. The first wave of nuclear plants in the 1960s and early 1970s were built in four to five years, and cost about $500-million, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry trade group. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, construction was taking 10 to 12 years, with costs as high as $5-billion.

Nuclear opponents in Florida worry that the industry could be in for a repeat.

Bill Newton, executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network, said the utilities have greatly overestimated the need for new power. Florida’s growth has slowed, even as energy efficiency measures become more popular. In addition, the costs of new nuclear could continue to rise, with Florida’s consumers on the hook. Newton worried that Florida’s electric customers could be left holding the bag if the bottom falls out of the industry.

“It’s scary,” Newton said. “It really is.”

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

Glaciers shrinking at double the rate of 1980s and 90s

The melting pace of the world's glaciers has more than doubled, according to new data from the United Nations.
It has risen from 30 centimeters per year in the 80s and 90s, to 1.5 meters in 2006.

Click here to read more.

- David Adams

Ethanol blamed for polluting the Gulf of Mexico

The U.S. corn ethanol boom will worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, according to University of British Columbia researcher.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertilizer used in cornfields have been found to promote excess growth of algae in water bodies, which can reduce oxygen in the water creating 'dead zones.' Corn-field fertilizer is the principal cause of nitrogen pollution in the Mississippi River which drains into the Gulf.

Click here to read more.

- David Adams

Blair beats the bushes for global warming allies in India, China & Japan

Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, right, talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, left, during their meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo.  Blair is visiting Japan as part of the "Breaking The Climate Deadlock" initiative in which he will visit Japan, China and India in the next seven days. [Getty Images]

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair began a tour of China, India and Japan on Friday hoping to rally support for a global pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050, according to the Associated Press.

In a video posted on his Web site, Blair -- who left office in June -- warned that the global response to climate change is still not living up to the scale of the problem. He insisted a deal must be agreed within two years, according to AP.

"China and some other developing countries, including India, argue their economies should not be penalized by binding cuts when their per capita emissions are below those in developed countries," the AP reported. "China now generates a large share of the world's greenhouse gases, with some experts saying it has already overtaken the U.S. as the world's No. 1 emitter."

To read the AP story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Sunshine State Loves Solar

The Sunshine State loves solar, according to a new poll.

Solar showed strong support across party lines, according to the Mason-Dixon poll sponsored by the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association and the Vote Solar Initiative, both solar power advocates.

"Floridians understand the importance of having a long term strategy for for harnessing energy from the sun to power our homes and businesses," said state Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, Florida House majority leader.

State Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, said, "We have a chance to address our growing energy needs in a cleaner, more cost-effective way that protects the environment while keeping the lights on."

The poll quizzed 625 registered voters, asking “Do you think the Florida legislature should or should not encourage investment in solar energy?” Eighty-five percent answered “should,” with 7 percent answering “should not” and 8 percent not sure. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats answered "should," along with 82 percent of Republicans.

Then the poll got down to brass tacks. Sure, solar sounds great — until you have to pay for it. The pollsters asked “Would you support or oppose having the Florida legislature encourage solar energy investment in Florida if it would cost you one dollar or less per month on your utility bill?” With cash on the line, support declined a bit. Eighty-one percent they’d be willing to pay up, 14 percent opposed, and 5 percent weren’t sure. Again, Democrats showed more support, with 86 percent willing to pay. But 78 percent of Republicans also said they'd be willing to reach for their wallets to pay for solar.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times Staff Writer

[AP Photo]

EU setting timetable on anti-warming plan

France's Nicolas Sarkozy, center, talks with Romania's counterpart Traian  Basescu, second left, as they pose for a group photo at a two-day EU summit at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels. European Union leaders were expressing growing worries over whether their economies could escape a downturn casting fresh doubts over how the bloc intends to implement pollution cuts. Man at left is Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias, at right is EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. [AP Photo]

European Union leaders meeting Brussels were ready today to agree on a timetable for tackling measures to combat climate change, according to Reuters. The agreement among the 27 EU members is designed to set the stage for negotiations on curbing emissions when EU leaders meet with other countries, including the United States, in Copenhagen in November 2009.

"Aside from cutting emissions by at least one-fifth by 2020 from 1990 levels, EU states have agreed to use 20 percent of renewable energy sources in power production and 10 percent of biofuels from crops in transport by the same date," Reuters is reporting.

However, "EU states are divided over how to handle the needs of energy-intensive industries such as steel, cement and aluminum, how to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars and whether to break up Europe's big power companies," according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace called the EU emissions target "way short of the mark."

To read the full Reuters report, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Nuke plant cost triples

Progress Energy tripled its estimate for its new nuclear power plant in Levy County, saying Monday that the new price is $17-billion. Customers could start paying for it next year, with the average residential customer facing an increase of about $9 a month.

"You can't avoid the notion that nuclear has an upfront cost for the customer," said Jeff Lyash, president and chief executive of Progress Energy Florida. "It does."

Nevertheless, Gov. Charlie Crist is still supporting the new plant. "I think this is an investment in Florida's future that is important to make," he said. "It will ultimately result in lower costs for customers because of the rising costs of oil and natural gas."

To read the full story published today in the St. Petersburg Times, click here.

--Asjylyn Loder

Oil keeps going higher: $107.93; gasoline prices follow suit.

The price of crude oil has hit an all-time high for the fifth time in six trading sessions.
New York sweet light crude reached a new record of $108.21 a barrel, before ending the day at $107.93.
Traders are investing in commodities to protect themselves against the falling dollar.
Another factor pushing up prices is last week's decision by OPEC to keep output unchanged, despite rising demand in China.

Gasoline prices also surged to $3.222 a gallon, only half a cent short of their record high of $3.227 a gallon.

Click here for more news.

- David Adams

Beyond just setting carbon limits -- how do you get down to zero?

The most recent scientific studies say industrialized and developing nations "must wean themselves off fossil fuels by as early as mid-century in order to prevent warming that could change precipitation patterns and dry up sources of water worldwide," the Washington Post reports today.

In short, the Post reports, "The world must bring carbon emissions down to near zero to keep temperatures from rising further."

"Although many nations have been pledging steps to curb emissions for nearly a decade, the world's output of carbon from human activities totals about 10 billion tons a year and has been steadily rising," the paper notes. "For now, at least, a goal of zero emissions appears well beyond the reach of politicians here and abroad. U.S. leaders are just beginning to grapple with setting any mandatory limit on greenhouse gases."

To read the full story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Going solar produces a toxic disaster in China

A piece in today's Washington Post looks at "the environmental trade-offs the world is making as it races to head off a dwindling supply of fossil fuels."

As the story reports: "Forests are being cleared to grow biofuels like palm oil, but scientists argue that the disappearance of such huge swaths of forests is contributing to climate change. Hydropower dams are being constructed to replace coal-fired power plants, but they are submerging whole ecosystems under water."

The story focuses in particular on China's push to get into the growing solar energy market. Right now there are 20 companies in China producing polysilicon destined for solar energy panels sold around the world, the Post reports.

"But the byproduct of polysilicon production -- silicon tetrachloride -- is a highly toxic substance that poses environmental hazards," the story notes.

And guess how the companies are dealing with that toxic byproduct? "The first time Li Gengxuan saw the dump trucks from the nearby factory pull into his village, he couldn't believe what happened," the Post reports. "Stopping between the cornfields and the primary school playground, the workers dumped buckets of bubbling white liquid onto the ground. Then they turned around and drove right back through the gates of their compound without a word. This ritual has been going on almost every day for nine months, Li and other villagers said."

To read the full Post story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Investors nagging businesses to tackle climate change

U.S. investors have filed a record 54 shareholder resolutions with U.S. companies facing business impacts from climate change, according to the East Bay Business Times.

That's nearly twice as many as were filed two years ago, says the Boston-based Ceres coalition of companies, investors and environmental groups, a group pushing for corporations to include tangible responses to climate change in their basic business strategies. Lest anyone think this is a bunch of flibbertigibbet tree-huggers, the coalition includes two of the nation's largest public pension funds.

"Companies targeted in this year's proxy season include some of the nation's largest electric power companies, oil and coal producers, airlines, home builders and other businesses that the coalition of investors believes are not adequately dealing with climate-related impacts on their businesses," the Business Times reported.

The coalition said said investors want greater disclosure of companies' responses to climate change, including greenhouse gas reduction and renewable and energy efficiency strategies. Usually the resolutions are voted down, "but proponents say they raise the issue and put pressure on companies to reconsider their positions," the Business Times noted.

However,  "14 of this year's 54 resolutions were withdrawn after the companies agreed to disclose potential impacts from emerging climate regulations and strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions," the story pointed out.

To read the full story, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Ocean dead zones expanding, thanks to warming

The least biologically productive areas of the oceans are expanding much faster than predicted, according the findings of a new study announced this week by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Hawaii.

"This change in ocean biology, linked to the warming of sea surface waters, may negatively affect the populations of many fish species trying to survive in these desert-like environments," according to a NOAA press release.

The study found that, between 1998 and 2007, these expanses of saltwater with low surface plant life in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans grew by 15 percent, or 6.6 million square kilometers, according to the study, which was published in Geophysical Research Letters.

"The expansion of these dead zones is occurring at the same time that sea surface temperatures are warming about one percent or .02 to .04 degrees Celsius a year," NOAA's press release says. "The warming increases stratification of the ocean waters, preventing deep ocean nutrients from rising to the surface and creating plantlife."

To read the full NOAA press release, click here.

--Craig Pittman

TECO and Progress reliability down slightly

If you’re a customer of Tampa Electric or Progress Energy, chances are you probably spent a few more minutes in the dark last year.

The reliability of both utilities worsened in 2007, according to reports the utilities filed this week with state regulators. The average Tampa Electric customer spent nearly 77 minutes in the dark, as opposed to about 69 minutes in 2006. Progress Energy’s customers spent 3.5 minutes more in the dark in 2007, for a total of just more than 78 minutes.

Both utilities blamed the slight up tick on severe weather.

Once a year, the utilities report to the state their System Average Interruption Duration Index, or SAIDI. It’s a system-wide average based on outages and the number of customers. The average doesn’t include lengthy outages caused by hurricanes.

Rick Morera, spokesman for Tampa Electric, said the company had the best record in the state in 2006, thanks to mild weather. Although the system-wide average worsened slightly in 2007, other numbers improved. For example, if your lights went out, Tampa Electric had them back on in 75.3 minutes, two minutes better than 2006.

Progress Energy has been steadily improving its performance, said spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs. When Carolina Power & Light bought Florida Progress in 2000, creating Progress Energy, the average customer spent more than 100 minutes a year without power. Since then, the St. Petersburg utility spent more than $100-million on new equipment, and beefed up tree-trimming programs.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Tampa Electric
2003: 70.87
2004: 78.43
2005: 83.90
2006: 69.16
2007: 76.80

Progress Energy
2003: 85.8
2004: 77
2005: 74.5
2006: 74.8
2007: 78.3

Source: Progress Energy, Tampa Electric, Florida Public Service Commission

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Oil hits another historic mark at $104.52. Exxon CEO says oil production "not peaking."

The price of oil price set a historic record for the second time this week, responding to unexpectedly low US inventory figures. This time it went past $104 a barrel. It ended the day at $104.52, a rise of $5 on the day.

ExxonMobil CEO, Rex Tillerson, met with analysts today. Click here to listen to his presentation to the analysts, or click here to see his interview with CNBC host, Maria Bartiromo. Tillerson denied oil production is peaking, saying it "continues to grow year by year." Tillerson says Exxon will spend $20 billion to invest in new production capacity, raising volume by one million barrels a day. But he conceded he is not optimistic that the Democratic-controlled Congress will give oil companies more drilling access to protected areas.

- David Adams

Tampa ethanol project moving forward

An ethanol plant planned for the Port of Tampa, mired in a lawsuit for more than a year, appears cleared for takeoff.

Brad Krohn, president of US EnviroFuels, declined to comment on the lawsuit, or confirm that it has concluded. But he did say the project was now seeking financing, and expected to get underway in the second half of 2008. That clearly signals a resolution in the project’s legal woes.

Krohn also said the project has changed. Original plans called for a 44-million-gallon-a-year plant that would use corn from the Midwest and reclaimed water from Tampa to make ethanol, an alcohol fuel. That plan has been indefinitely postponed. Instead, Krohn will start with an ethanol storage and blending facility.

“The market conditions are not optimal for building an ethanol plant at this moment,” Krohn said.

US EnviroFuels is moving forward with an ethanol plant in Highlands County. The company received a $7-million grant from the state to construct the facility, which will use sweet sorghum to make ethanol. Krohn expected construction on that project to begin some time in 2009.

The Highlands County project is one of many state-funded ethanol projects in Florida.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

New energy bill: drafting error or fighting words?

Let the brawling begin over who gets to be the boss of Florida's energy policy.

At the tail end of S.B. 1544, presented this morning by Sen. Burt Saunders, is a proposal to repeal 377.901 f.s. That deft slice of the pen would kill the Florida Energy Commission.

Does this mean a rumble between the commission and the Governor's Climate Action Team?

Nope. It's a "drafting error," said Sen. Lee Constantine, a commission member.

Who will be in charge of state energy policy, and how that body will be put together, will be hashed out over the next two months. Draft legislation from Crist's office proposed the elimination of the FEC and the formation of a new commission. The FEC has recommended that it be the boss of state energy policy. Other than the error, Saunders legislation didn't set out a new energy governance model.

At issue is who gets to direct multi-million initiatives, like a carbon cap-and-trade system  that could have an enormous impact on Florida's utilities and their customers. Crist has also asked for $200-million for grants, programs and tax credits to spur investment in renewable energy like wind, solar and biofuels.

Dozens of energy bills, including at least three from Constantine, have been floated in both the state House and Senate, although S.B. 1544 is considered one to watch.

"Eventually, I think most of those bills will come together," said Constantine. But that will take some time.

Constantine predicted that the energy debate will likely drag on through most of the session.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

UF gets grant to work on genetic engineering of sugar cane biomass study

The  U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy handed out up to $18.4 million in grants for biomass research projects this week.

Among the 21 recipients:"University of Florida  - up to $866,576. Grant Purpose: To address genetic engineering of sugarcane for increased fermentable sugar yield from hemicellulosic biomass in Florida."

To read the full press release, click here.

--Craig Pittman

PSC approves net-metering rules

In an effort to promote customer-owned renewable energy, the Public Service Commission finalized net-metering rules Tuesday.

The commission approved the rules on December 18, but several utilities wanted some changes made. The net metering rule expands the size of eligible systems from 10 kilowatts to 2 megawatts, expands eligible power from solar photovoltaic to all renewable technologies, expedites interconnection, and allows customers to offset their energy consumption by allowing them to get credit from the utilities for the power they generate.

Commission chairman Matthew Carter said, “This rule is expected to increase the development of renewable generation in Florida, which will enhance fuel diversity and reliability.”

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Progress tilts at windmills

Progress Energy Florida will make its first tilt at windmills, with a $1.3-million project. The utility won $123,868 last week from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to promote wind energy.

“We believe small-scale wind generation could play an important role in meeting Florida’s renewable-energy needs,” said John Masiello, director of alternative energy strategy for the St. Petersburg utility.

Progress Energy and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise have pledged land for the project, and the Florida Institute of Technology will provide its expertise. The demonstration project will provide 15,000 kilowatt hours of wind energy every year, about enough to run a single household for a year. The utility hasn’t yet decided where in their 35-county service area it will put the wind turbines. The state listed the location as Citrus, Lake, Levy, Pinellas, Orange or Sumter County. It’s unclear when the project will get under way.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Can you get fuel from an Onion?

The satirical site The Onion regularly runs a fake man-in-the-street piece where people respond to questions about current events. Right now the question regards the recent study that shows ethanol production may actually be worse for global warming.

Our favorite fake response: ""Just once, why can't one of our poorly considered quick fixes work?"

To read the rest, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Crystal River nuke has a problem during planned shut down

Progress Energy was shutting down its Crystal River nuclear plant on Saturday for planned maintenance when the main feed water system encountered a “perturbation.”

Of course, any problem at a nuclear plant can be perturbing. But this one was short-lived, and not much in the way of an emergency.

“It was over in just a few seconds,” said Mac Harris, a spokesman for Progress Energy.

Harris explained what happened: The reactor heats water that, in turn, goes through a steam generator. The steam generator heats the feed water, turning it into extremely hot steam that turns the turbines that make electricity. There was a “variation in the flow” of the feed water, and emergency pumps kicked on to make sure feed water stayed at sufficient levels. In addition to making steam for electricity, feed water also helps regulate the temperature of the reactor. It’s one of many systems used to cool the reactor, which never came close to getting too hot.

The two backup emergency feed water systems worked just fine, said Roger Hannah, spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The main feed water system recovered. Once the plant stabilized, the planned shut down continued. The reactor remains off line to repair a reactor coolant pump seal. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal agency that regulates the U.S. nuclear fleet, will look into the problem, Hannah said.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Florida votes to introduce net metering

Florida state regulators are meeting today to approve new "net metering" rules that will require utilities to pay  homeowners and businesses for self-generated energy from solar panels.

The new rules are being presented at the state's Public Service Commission after after a year of discussions and workshops.

Click here to read more.

Click here for a state-by-state map of net metering policies nationwide.

Click here to read a previous post on net metering on Dec 18 last year by Asjylyn Loder

- David Adams

Oil breaks 1980s record. Hits almost $104 a barrel

Oil prices have finally broken through the inflation adjusted record set back in the early 1980s.
Prices rose to nearly $104 a barrel on Monday.

Click here to read more.

p.s. this post has generated such interest that I will be adding more details as prices move. They hit a high of $103.95 which establishes a new record *the previous inflation adjusted record was $103.76). Oil later slipped back and closed Monday afternoon at $102.45.

The recent fall in the value of the dollar is a contributing factor, analysts say. The weak dollar is causing investors to buy commodities instead, such as oil and gold. Currency traders are selling dollars and buying euros to take advantage of the difference in interest rates between the US and Europe.

The dollar dropped to a record $1.5274 against the euro on Monday following steep declines last week.

 

Click here for more analysis.

- David Adams

Danish PM pushes Bush to deal with climate change

The Danish prime minister, who is the host of the next big international meeting on climate change, used a visit with President Bush to push him to take a greater leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Washington Post reported over the weekend.

"We need a comprehensive global agreement, and American leadership is needed to reach that goal, and American leadership is crucial in order to motivate major economies like India and China to contribute," Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after private talks with Bush and top aides at the president's Texas ranch.

"In his public remarks, Bush was noncommittal, other than to cite the need to develop alternative energy technologies," the Post reported. An aide to the president told the Post that, in private, Bush told Rasmussen: "We can agree to targets, but every country decides how to get there."

A bit of context here: Denmark will host next year's UN summit on global warming, and because Denmark supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the prime minister is close enough to Bush to rate an invitation to the president's ranch for weekend of bike riding and casual dining.

Last week, Rasmussen told the Post that U.S. leadership on climate change might be even more important to Europeans than American withdrawal from Iraq.

To read the full Post report, click here.

--Craig Pittman

Florida's gamble on ethanol: Is it worth it?

New research shows that ethanol could be worse for the planet than gasoline. Should Florida spend millions to promote it?

In its bid to halt climate change, Florida has pumped $50-million into ethanol projects in the past two years.

Florida has bet millions on unproven technology. If it works, in a decade Florida will produce enough ethanol to offset less than 2 percent of its thirst for gasoline. The state's gamble on ethanol continues, even as new research indicates that ethanol could be far worse for the planet than gasoline.

Jeremy Susac, director of Florida's Energy Office, stands behind the state's investment. He believes that the latest science is flawed and that ethanol offers deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Even if ethanol turns out to be a major polluter, he'd still back it.

"Even if it's a wash, even it's just as bad as gasoline, why not stimulate production in-house?" Susac asked. "How many wars do you have to have in the Middle East before you say it's a good idea to reduce our dependence on foreign oil?"

Read the full story from Sunday's St. Petersburg Times here.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Global warming skeptics seize on current cooling trends

Dipping temperatures fueled by a La Nina in the Pacific has global warming critics claiming the cooler weather is evidence that fears of warming are nothing but hype. But experts say its just part of a normal pattern, according to the New York Times.

“The current downturn is not very unusual,” said Carl Mears, a scientist at Remote Sensing Systems, a private research group in Santa Rosa, Calif., that has been using satellite data to track global temperature and whose findings have been held out as reliable by a variety of climate experts. He pointed to similar drops in 1988, 1991-92, and 1998 -- but with a long-term warming trend clear nonetheless, the Times reported.

The bottom line: You can't use a single season to generalize about a multi-decade trend.

Click here to read the New York Times piece.

- David Adams