After Petcoke, Community Confronts More Dangerous Pollutant: Manganese
"Bautista had bad news: Air pollution monitors installed at one of the nearby bulk storage sites during the petcoke battle had detected potentially dangerous levels of manganese, a metal used to produce steel and found in other minerals in combination with iron. The data were collected by the EPA in 2014-15 from monitors set up at KCBX Terminals."
The insane part about all of this? Our allies/competitors already have begun the transition to a clean-energy economy and have succeeded so well that they actually need to "pump the breaks" a bit.
Why auctions? Germany to cut renewables growth in half
Germany currently has a target of 2.5 GW of new onshore wind capacity annually, along with 6.5 GW in total (not annually) offshore by 2020. Last year, Germany added 818 MW (0.818 GW) at sea, bringing the total up to 4.1 GW. According to the German Offshore Wind Foundation, another 1.4 GW could be completed in 2017 alone, bringing Germany very close to its target for 2020 three years in advance.
Also, many of our policy makers live in a 20th century mindset about how the economy works. We have shown that not only do we no longer need increased energy consumption to deliver increased growth, but that we can deliver clean energy on par cost-wise with health-damaging sources.
The ‘New Normal’ in America: Renewables Boom, Emissions Plunge and Consumers Save More Than Ever
"This year’s fifth edition report builds on last year’s Factbook findings that show the U.S. economy grew by 10 percent since 2007, while energy consumption fell by 2.4 percent. 'In other words, energy productivity continues to improve as less and less energy is needed to fuel growth,' the authors wrote.
At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions are plummeting. Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions hit a 25-year low in 2016, down 12 percent from their peak in 2007 and 11.6 percent below 2005 levels. That puts the U.S. nearly halfway toward its Paris Agreement pledge to reduce national emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025."
When discussing the reality of the risks associated with the continued use of fossil fuels, I like asking the audience who they think has taken a leadership role in addressing climate change. Few if any get the answer, so I tell them, "That bastion of liberal tree hugging: the US military."
Who's Still Fighting Climate Change? The U.S. Military
"The Defense Department has been planning for climate change for more than a decade, often in the face of roadblocks set up by climate science skeptics in Congress. In 2014 and again last year, Republicans in the House of Representatives added language to Defense Department spending bills prohibiting funds from being spent to plan or prepare for climate change. Terrorism is the greater threat, the authors of those prohibitions declared, and federal funding should be steered towards snuffing out ISIS instead. Both times, the restrictions were nullified by the Senate. It is too early to say whether efforts to bar defense spending on climate change will be tried again."
Other nations have taken a leadership role, some large corporations (such as Google and Amazon) have taken a leadership role, our military has taken a leadership role...so fulfilling Churchill's prophecy that we can count on Americans to do the right thing after they have tried every other option, conservative statespeople have decided that reducing carbon has become a national obligation.
'A Conservative Climate Solution’: Republican Group Calls for Carbon Tax
"In an interview, Mr. Baker said that the plan followed classic conservative principles of free-market solutions and small government. He suggested that even former President Ronald Reagan would have blessed the plan: 'I’m not at all sure the Gipper wouldn’t have been very happy with this.' He said he had no idea how the proposal would be received by the current White House or Congress."
Happy Friday!
No comments:
Post a Comment