Adding Light is taking Thanksgiving week off of new posts, but as this week marks the end of the first six months of full-time blogging, I would like to share the top stories with you as thanks for your attention over these months. Please feel free to share with others, and I look forward to many more months of sharing stories and ideas with you.
Enjoy the journey,
Joseph F. Clair
Adding Light 1st most viewed story of June 1 - November 30, 2013:
The opportunity & the challenge from September of this year.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Friday Five: November 29, 2013
We call those who make great discoveries before finding proof geniuses, and those whose predictions of coming catastrophe come true, prophets. Until that time, however, we call them unstable, unbalanced, and either dangerous or irrelevant. This author points out the great psychological rift between what we have today, and what our actions of today will cause for tomorrow. Until we come to terms with that rift, and heal it, we offer ourselves little hope for survival.
Learning how to die in the Anthropocene
"This March, Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, the commander of the United States Pacific Command, told security and foreign policy specialists in Cambridge, Mass., that global climate change was the greatest threat the United States faced — more dangerous than terrorism, Chinese hackers and North Korean nuclear missiles. Upheaval from increased temperatures, rising seas and radical destabilization 'is probably the most likely thing that is going to happen…' he said, 'that will cripple the security environment, probably more likely than the other scenarios we all often talk about.’"
Small glimmers of light have emerged over the past couple of years. We finally see how coal-related energy devalues human life, and our economy reflects the falling priority we place on coal as a source of energy.
UK announces end of public financing for coal
"Finally, this reality is catching on. Governments and financial institutions are facing the reality that coal kills, and our future and our children’s future depend on transitioning away from the dirty and dangerous fuel.
The UK’s banking arm, the Export Finance department has approved over $100 million for coal projects since Oct. 2011, according to the department’s own annual reports. Those have all been in the form of coal mining projects in Russia. This new announcement would not only halt the funding for these projects, but it would also prevent any future investment in similar projects, aside from exceptional circumstances."
We now need a plan to transition those who still have years of value to give our society from their dirty jobs to ones that provide equal or better chance at high quality of life. Although this will take much effort, those skilled in operating equipment, managing people, and staffing logistics operations have many opportunities as long as our communities prioritize moving these fellow humans, fellow citizens into value-adding careers.
A part of Utah built on coal wonders what comes next
"As energy companies tack away from coal, toward cleaner, cheaper natural gas, people here have grown increasingly afraid that their community may soon slip away. Dozens of workers at the facility here, the Carbon Power Plant, have learned that they must retire early or seek other jobs. Local trucking and equipment outfits are preparing to take business elsewhere."
Despite the best propaganda from energy companies, more and more data shows that extractive energy industries do not provide employment boosts to the economy. Clean energy and energy efficiency provide much greater, and more stable, increases in employment, while adding value through improvement human and environmental health.
New report examines shale drilling impact
"Between 2005 and 2012, less than four new direct shale-related jobs have been created for each new well drilled, much less than estimates as high as 31 direct jobs per well in some industry-financed studies. Some counties with a long history of mineral extraction have experienced a shift in employment from coal to shale extraction. Recent trends are consistent with the boom and bust pattern that has characterized extractive industries for decades. It also points to the need for state and local policymakers to collaborate to enact policies that serve the public interest."
Solving the "wicked problems" posed by our relationship with energy, food and water will not take one large movement or solution, but rather the cumulative effort of thousands to millions small solutions. The time has come to keep moving forward.
Small planet, big appetites: How to feed a growing world
"If you see each tiny effort in isolation, then they each feel so small in the face of the behemoth of the industrial food system. However, if you take all these efforts together, then a global social movement takes shape. And global social movements have the power to make real change. This is how we can find hope that our kids and our grandkids will have a food system that works for them, for the earth, and for the future."
Happy Friday!
Learning how to die in the Anthropocene
"This March, Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, the commander of the United States Pacific Command, told security and foreign policy specialists in Cambridge, Mass., that global climate change was the greatest threat the United States faced — more dangerous than terrorism, Chinese hackers and North Korean nuclear missiles. Upheaval from increased temperatures, rising seas and radical destabilization 'is probably the most likely thing that is going to happen…' he said, 'that will cripple the security environment, probably more likely than the other scenarios we all often talk about.’"
Small glimmers of light have emerged over the past couple of years. We finally see how coal-related energy devalues human life, and our economy reflects the falling priority we place on coal as a source of energy.
UK announces end of public financing for coal
"Finally, this reality is catching on. Governments and financial institutions are facing the reality that coal kills, and our future and our children’s future depend on transitioning away from the dirty and dangerous fuel.
The UK’s banking arm, the Export Finance department has approved over $100 million for coal projects since Oct. 2011, according to the department’s own annual reports. Those have all been in the form of coal mining projects in Russia. This new announcement would not only halt the funding for these projects, but it would also prevent any future investment in similar projects, aside from exceptional circumstances."
We now need a plan to transition those who still have years of value to give our society from their dirty jobs to ones that provide equal or better chance at high quality of life. Although this will take much effort, those skilled in operating equipment, managing people, and staffing logistics operations have many opportunities as long as our communities prioritize moving these fellow humans, fellow citizens into value-adding careers.
A part of Utah built on coal wonders what comes next
"As energy companies tack away from coal, toward cleaner, cheaper natural gas, people here have grown increasingly afraid that their community may soon slip away. Dozens of workers at the facility here, the Carbon Power Plant, have learned that they must retire early or seek other jobs. Local trucking and equipment outfits are preparing to take business elsewhere."
Despite the best propaganda from energy companies, more and more data shows that extractive energy industries do not provide employment boosts to the economy. Clean energy and energy efficiency provide much greater, and more stable, increases in employment, while adding value through improvement human and environmental health.
New report examines shale drilling impact
"Between 2005 and 2012, less than four new direct shale-related jobs have been created for each new well drilled, much less than estimates as high as 31 direct jobs per well in some industry-financed studies. Some counties with a long history of mineral extraction have experienced a shift in employment from coal to shale extraction. Recent trends are consistent with the boom and bust pattern that has characterized extractive industries for decades. It also points to the need for state and local policymakers to collaborate to enact policies that serve the public interest."
Solving the "wicked problems" posed by our relationship with energy, food and water will not take one large movement or solution, but rather the cumulative effort of thousands to millions small solutions. The time has come to keep moving forward.
Small planet, big appetites: How to feed a growing world
"If you see each tiny effort in isolation, then they each feel so small in the face of the behemoth of the industrial food system. However, if you take all these efforts together, then a global social movement takes shape. And global social movements have the power to make real change. This is how we can find hope that our kids and our grandkids will have a food system that works for them, for the earth, and for the future."
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Flashes: November 27, 2013 Thankfulness
- I am thankful that I live in a developed economy where the labors of the many (in which I hope people would include me) allow me and my family to have ready access to food, water, and shelter.
- I am thankful that the Clean Air Act has led to improved air quality, reduced lead in the air, and a coincident drop in crime due to improvement in IQ among urban populations.
- I am thankful that my parents pushed the importance of education on me, and that through some crazy genetic mixup, I got an aptitude for science. It is a blessing and a curse, but on the whole, life is richer with an appreciation for the laws that underpin our existence.
- I am thankful that my children will grow up in an age of even greater communication and connectedness than I have. The conversations they can, and will, have with peers across the world will set us on a path toward even greater cooperation and harmony across the globe.
Enjoy the journey! and Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Week of thankfulness: Want to make a difference? Don't work for non-profits
Adding Light is taking Thanksgiving week off of new posts, but as this week marks the end of the first six months of full-time blogging, I would like to share the top stories with you as thanks for your attention over these months. Please feel free to share with others, and I look forward to many more months of sharing stories and ideas with you.
Enjoy the journey,
Joseph F. Clair
Adding Light 2nd most viewed story of June 1 - November 30, 2013:
Want to make a difference? Don't work for non-profits from June of this year
Enjoy the journey,
Joseph F. Clair
Adding Light 2nd most viewed story of June 1 - November 30, 2013:
Want to make a difference? Don't work for non-profits from June of this year
Monday, November 25, 2013
Week of thankfulness: The high price of grocery shopping
Adding Light is taking Thanksgiving week off of new posts, but as this week marks the end of the first six months of full-time blogging, I would like to share the top stories with you as thanks for your attention over these months. Please feel free to share with others, and I look forward to many more months of sharing stories and ideas with you.
Enjoy the journey,
Joseph F. Clair
Adding Light 3rd most viewed story of June 1 - November 30, 2013:
The high price of grocery shopping from July of this year.
Enjoy the journey,
Joseph F. Clair
Adding Light 3rd most viewed story of June 1 - November 30, 2013:
The high price of grocery shopping from July of this year.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Friday Five: November 22, 2013
Someone celebrating a company getting a waiver to pollute the air for six years actually described the outcome as they could "breathe a sigh of relief". Alanis, that is the definition of ironic.
Dynegy gets waiver for Illinois coal plants
"The panel voted 3-1 to approve the order, and would not comment afterward. Board Chairwoman Deanna Glosser cast the only dissenting vote, saying she did not believe the company demonstrated an economic hardship. Her opinion would be posted on the board's website by Monday, an aide said.
Dynegy spokeswoman Katy Sullivan said the acquisition from St. Louis-based Ameren provided the best future for the plants, their employees and the communities in which they're located, and should be completed next month."
Let the finger-pointing begin. Now that we have identified the players that generate the most carbon pollution, it is only a matter of time before these companies point to others as the reason…the consumer who demands the product, or the government who allows it to happen (except of course, when the government is the owner).
Who is responsible for climate change?
"We’ve worked together to explore what lessons for climate accountability might be drawn from understanding how the science of health risks from smoking informed the history of tobacco control. UCS provided funding to ensure that his Climatic Change paper is open-access, available to all readers without charge. And we’re working together with a team of top-notch climate modelers to measure how much of the rise on global average temperature and specific climate change impacts can be attributed to the emissions traced to the major industrial carbon producers Heede identifies."
Once people do understand who causes most of the damage, when they decide to make their voice heard, they will now have to "pay to play". We talk all the time about "free speech", but our present dynamic no longer recognizes it. It appears that the literalist interpretation of the constitution notes that our Bill of Rights guarantees "freedom of speech", but that the speech need not be truly "free".
House to vote on bill that would impose $5,000 fee for protesting drilling projects
"The bill, introduced by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), is broad legislation designed to make it much easier for oil and gas companies to obtain permission to drill on public lands. If signed into law, the legislation would automatically approve onshore drilling permits if the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) failed to act on them in 60 days.
If an individual does not like a proposed drilling project and wanted to oppose it, he or she would have to pay a $5,000 fee to file an official protest."
Only in baseball and energy use is a production rate of 30-40% considered a success.
Estimated energy use in 2012
"Rejected energy: 58.1 Quads out of 95.1 Quads total energy (61%)"
Overall, it comes down to humility. If we acknowledge that the current method has major flaws that we can address, then we open up to those who have solved some of the issues successfully, then we can create a society flush with quality-of-life-creating energy without causing harm to ourselves.
Lowering the Cost of Solar PV: Soft Costs with Hard Challenges (Part 1)
Lowering the Cost of Solar PV: Soft Costs with Hard Challenges (Part 2)
"The solar industry will remain a small story in America’s electrical system unless it can tame the soft cost beast. Progress to date has been uninspiring, due to limited focus and a dependency on government- and nonprofit-funded activities. Cross-competitor and cross-stakeholder (particularly utilities and solar developers) antagonistic dynamics have undoubtedly contributed to the lack of progress. The industry needs to grab the bull by the horns and take soft costs much more seriously. Stepping up soft cost engagement requires both increased pre-competitive actions supported by the industry, and additional cross-stakeholder solutions that provide value more broadly across the playing field."
Happy Friday!
Dynegy gets waiver for Illinois coal plants
"The panel voted 3-1 to approve the order, and would not comment afterward. Board Chairwoman Deanna Glosser cast the only dissenting vote, saying she did not believe the company demonstrated an economic hardship. Her opinion would be posted on the board's website by Monday, an aide said.
Dynegy spokeswoman Katy Sullivan said the acquisition from St. Louis-based Ameren provided the best future for the plants, their employees and the communities in which they're located, and should be completed next month."
Let the finger-pointing begin. Now that we have identified the players that generate the most carbon pollution, it is only a matter of time before these companies point to others as the reason…the consumer who demands the product, or the government who allows it to happen (except of course, when the government is the owner).
Who is responsible for climate change?
"We’ve worked together to explore what lessons for climate accountability might be drawn from understanding how the science of health risks from smoking informed the history of tobacco control. UCS provided funding to ensure that his Climatic Change paper is open-access, available to all readers without charge. And we’re working together with a team of top-notch climate modelers to measure how much of the rise on global average temperature and specific climate change impacts can be attributed to the emissions traced to the major industrial carbon producers Heede identifies."
Once people do understand who causes most of the damage, when they decide to make their voice heard, they will now have to "pay to play". We talk all the time about "free speech", but our present dynamic no longer recognizes it. It appears that the literalist interpretation of the constitution notes that our Bill of Rights guarantees "freedom of speech", but that the speech need not be truly "free".
House to vote on bill that would impose $5,000 fee for protesting drilling projects
"The bill, introduced by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), is broad legislation designed to make it much easier for oil and gas companies to obtain permission to drill on public lands. If signed into law, the legislation would automatically approve onshore drilling permits if the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) failed to act on them in 60 days.
If an individual does not like a proposed drilling project and wanted to oppose it, he or she would have to pay a $5,000 fee to file an official protest."
Only in baseball and energy use is a production rate of 30-40% considered a success.
Estimated energy use in 2012
"Rejected energy: 58.1 Quads out of 95.1 Quads total energy (61%)"
Overall, it comes down to humility. If we acknowledge that the current method has major flaws that we can address, then we open up to those who have solved some of the issues successfully, then we can create a society flush with quality-of-life-creating energy without causing harm to ourselves.
Lowering the Cost of Solar PV: Soft Costs with Hard Challenges (Part 1)
Lowering the Cost of Solar PV: Soft Costs with Hard Challenges (Part 2)
"The solar industry will remain a small story in America’s electrical system unless it can tame the soft cost beast. Progress to date has been uninspiring, due to limited focus and a dependency on government- and nonprofit-funded activities. Cross-competitor and cross-stakeholder (particularly utilities and solar developers) antagonistic dynamics have undoubtedly contributed to the lack of progress. The industry needs to grab the bull by the horns and take soft costs much more seriously. Stepping up soft cost engagement requires both increased pre-competitive actions supported by the industry, and additional cross-stakeholder solutions that provide value more broadly across the playing field."
Happy Friday!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Pick a card….like maybe a multi-modal transit card?
We live in a time where companies can track our entire online history and offer us up product suggestions with ease. When I shop for groceries, I receive a coupon with my receipt targeted toward my purchases. My credit card company knows more about my purchasing and travel habits than my wife. With the recent, albeit problematic, launch of Ventra card for CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) and PACE (suburban bus service), the time has finally come for a simple, easy to use, multi-modal transit payment system.
I am a multi-modal transit consumer. I use a variety of ways to get where I need to go, and will often plan around avoiding car transit unless the cost or schedule prohibits it. Right now, for a consumer like me, I have to obtain a separate pass or payment management system to access the different public transportation or vehicle share networks in the city and surrounding area. This complexity, combined with the cost, stands in the way of greater use of these systems, and a single system that provided a low-cost way to access these networks could increase ridership and revenue with little change in the infrastructure to deliver the service.
Right now, in Chicago, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) coordinates and appropriates to the three major public transportation agencies: CTA (trains and buses serving mostly City of Chicago locations), Metra (commuter rail serving some stops in the city, but mostly suburban locations), and PACE (serving mostly suburban areas). By state mandate, these three agencies must implement a single collection payment system, which CTA and PACE have done with the launch of Ventra. Metra, under the previous administration, slow-walked implementation, but with the changes in leadership could come an interest in developing a way to extend the single payment system throughout public transportation at least.
The other significant alternative transportation options come from bike and car share programs. Chicago has had two major car-share programs over the past decade: IGo and ZipCar. The Center for Neighborhood Technology launched IGo as a not-for-profit car-share organization specific to Chicago. (It was recently acquired by the for-profit Enterprise Car Share.) ZipCar operates as a for-profit corporation, and has a national footprint allowing members access to vehicles across the country. For bike share, Chicago tried to launch a program on its own in 2011, but that program fell apart, and with the help of some federal funding, a public-private partnership called Divvy Bikes launched in 2013. These options help to connect travelers between established train and bus stops and their final destinations. In addition, these options give travelers flexibility to use vehicles for trips that do not naturally lend themselves to public transportation modes of travel (grocery runs or trips to locations not on transit routes). In transit-dense areas of downtown and the north side, these options combined with traditional public transit mean a resident can live completely without a car. Although the density of service has not yet made its way to the west and south sides of the city, the potential is there to create equally transit-option-dense systems.
If we are to create a truly transit-friendly city that does not require its residents to own a car for their basic travel needs - a goal that would decrease road costs, decrease pollution, and increase happiness and quality of life - then we need to link all these systems together into the single-payment option. The precedent already exists with CTA and IGo having developed a version of the CTA Chicago Card Plus (predecessor to the current Ventra system) that would activate IGo cars and also grant access to CTA buses and trains. A system that provided unlimited access to Metra, CTA, PACE and Divvy, then granted a limited number of car-share rides could easily make money and provide transit flexibility.
Currently, the services individually offer volume discounts as follows:
Metra (for my zone C): $4.25 per ride, $121 for unlimited monthly (savings of $83)
CTA/PACE: $2.25 per ride, $100 for unlimited monthly (savings $8)
Divvy: $7.00 per day, $6.75 per month (paid yearly) unlimited 1/2 hour rides
(savings of $63.75)
Enterprise: $10.75 per ride (1 hour or less within 10 miles),
$6.25 per month for $7 per trip rides of unlimited distance
(savings of $12.50 per month)
These savings estimates come from estimates of commuter usage (44 rides a month on Metra and CTA, 20 Divvy rides and 5 car-share rides). If the agencies and providers are willing to give a nearly one-third discount to a regular user, then why can we not give someone who commits to using all of them instead of vehicle transportation another four or five percent. For $250 per month, an individual should have unlimited access to public transportation and bikeshare with an allowance of five rides on car share to get them through (additional or longer rides would come a la carte). If just 10,000 of the current automobile commuters switched to alternative means, it would inject $30 million into the local alternative transportation pool, and save drivers as much as $200 per month. The kind of win-win that can inject life into local economies.
The truth is, our cities are not able to handle everyone driving individual cars to work every day. We need robust and vibrant public transportation to keep our cities livable. If we move toward a system that rewards regular ridership with low costs, and promotes multi-modal transportation, we can both create a culture of ridership and provide needed revenue to make the system more sustainable.
I am a multi-modal transit consumer. I use a variety of ways to get where I need to go, and will often plan around avoiding car transit unless the cost or schedule prohibits it. Right now, for a consumer like me, I have to obtain a separate pass or payment management system to access the different public transportation or vehicle share networks in the city and surrounding area. This complexity, combined with the cost, stands in the way of greater use of these systems, and a single system that provided a low-cost way to access these networks could increase ridership and revenue with little change in the infrastructure to deliver the service.
Right now, in Chicago, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) coordinates and appropriates to the three major public transportation agencies: CTA (trains and buses serving mostly City of Chicago locations), Metra (commuter rail serving some stops in the city, but mostly suburban locations), and PACE (serving mostly suburban areas). By state mandate, these three agencies must implement a single collection payment system, which CTA and PACE have done with the launch of Ventra. Metra, under the previous administration, slow-walked implementation, but with the changes in leadership could come an interest in developing a way to extend the single payment system throughout public transportation at least.
The other significant alternative transportation options come from bike and car share programs. Chicago has had two major car-share programs over the past decade: IGo and ZipCar. The Center for Neighborhood Technology launched IGo as a not-for-profit car-share organization specific to Chicago. (It was recently acquired by the for-profit Enterprise Car Share.) ZipCar operates as a for-profit corporation, and has a national footprint allowing members access to vehicles across the country. For bike share, Chicago tried to launch a program on its own in 2011, but that program fell apart, and with the help of some federal funding, a public-private partnership called Divvy Bikes launched in 2013. These options help to connect travelers between established train and bus stops and their final destinations. In addition, these options give travelers flexibility to use vehicles for trips that do not naturally lend themselves to public transportation modes of travel (grocery runs or trips to locations not on transit routes). In transit-dense areas of downtown and the north side, these options combined with traditional public transit mean a resident can live completely without a car. Although the density of service has not yet made its way to the west and south sides of the city, the potential is there to create equally transit-option-dense systems.
If we are to create a truly transit-friendly city that does not require its residents to own a car for their basic travel needs - a goal that would decrease road costs, decrease pollution, and increase happiness and quality of life - then we need to link all these systems together into the single-payment option. The precedent already exists with CTA and IGo having developed a version of the CTA Chicago Card Plus (predecessor to the current Ventra system) that would activate IGo cars and also grant access to CTA buses and trains. A system that provided unlimited access to Metra, CTA, PACE and Divvy, then granted a limited number of car-share rides could easily make money and provide transit flexibility.
Currently, the services individually offer volume discounts as follows:
Metra (for my zone C): $4.25 per ride, $121 for unlimited monthly (savings of $83)
CTA/PACE: $2.25 per ride, $100 for unlimited monthly (savings $8)
Divvy: $7.00 per day, $6.75 per month (paid yearly) unlimited 1/2 hour rides
(savings of $63.75)
Enterprise: $10.75 per ride (1 hour or less within 10 miles),
$6.25 per month for $7 per trip rides of unlimited distance
(savings of $12.50 per month)
These savings estimates come from estimates of commuter usage (44 rides a month on Metra and CTA, 20 Divvy rides and 5 car-share rides). If the agencies and providers are willing to give a nearly one-third discount to a regular user, then why can we not give someone who commits to using all of them instead of vehicle transportation another four or five percent. For $250 per month, an individual should have unlimited access to public transportation and bikeshare with an allowance of five rides on car share to get them through (additional or longer rides would come a la carte). If just 10,000 of the current automobile commuters switched to alternative means, it would inject $30 million into the local alternative transportation pool, and save drivers as much as $200 per month. The kind of win-win that can inject life into local economies.
The truth is, our cities are not able to handle everyone driving individual cars to work every day. We need robust and vibrant public transportation to keep our cities livable. If we move toward a system that rewards regular ridership with low costs, and promotes multi-modal transportation, we can both create a culture of ridership and provide needed revenue to make the system more sustainable.
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