Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Climate scientists have long declared that global warming could potentially release methane previously frozen in to the Arctic permafrost, setting off significant increases in warming trends. Now researchers at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and elsewhere say this change is underway in a little-studied area under the sea, the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, west of the Bering Strait. Scientists contend that while carbon dioxide is far more abundant and persistent in the atmosphere, ton for ton, atmospheric methane traps at least 25 times as much heat.

Nearly 570 concerned scientists have signed a letter urging Congress to “oppose an imminent attack on the Clean Air Act.” The scientists' plea comes as several coalitions of lawmakers attempt to overturn the endangerment finding using the Congressional Review Act, which establishes special procedures for disapproving regulations from federal agencies. The lawmakers claim the “Clean Air Act was never intended to regulate something like carbon dioxide.”

Is your cup of Joe on the outs? Coffee producers are creating a buzz with claims that global warming is adding risk to the long term sustainability of the industry. Many growers at the World Coffee Conference held in Guatemala this week predicted that if temperatures continue to rise, supplies of the world famous bean will decline. They contend higher temperatures are forcing their industry peers to seek higher, more costly land, driving costs up from the farm to your cup. 

Posted by: Leonard Anderson

Several items relating to the business and technology of clean energy and the environment caught our attention this week:

SolarCity, a solar power system design, financing and installation company, has secured an additional $90 million fund from a unit of U.S. Bancorp to finance expansion of its solar projects in the western states. In January, Pacific Venture Capital, a subsidiary of PG&E Corp., announced $60 million in financing for SolarCity installations mainly in California with some in Arizona and Colorado. SolarCity also serves Oregon and Texas.

Former Edison International CEO John Bryson plugged some green startup companies at the U.C. Berkeley Energy Symposium on Thursday: Santa Monica-based Coda Automotive, maker of electric vehicles in China; smart-grid wireless company On-Ramp Wireless, of San Diego; and Ostendo, maker of solid state lighting displays based in Carlsbad, California. Bryson, a member of Coda's board of directors, was a co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council and president of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Greenest city in the world? Reykjavik, Iceland, tops a list for sustainability, according to Global Green Blog at GlobalPost. Reykjavik runs entirely on green power, including geothermal and hydroelectricity, and the city's transit system moves people around on hydrogen buses. Light-rail and bicycle leader Portland, Oregon, comes second, followed by Curitiba, Brazil, where sheep trim the parks; Malmo, Sweden, developing sustainable neighborhoods; and Vancouver, British Columbia, where 90 percent of its electricity comes from hydropower.

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall

When it comes to corporate responsibility, the third time's a charm.

For the third time in three years, PG&E was named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine's annual list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens, chosen from among the Russell 1,000 largest companies based on performance on the environment, climate change, human rights, philanthropy, employee relations, financial performance and governance.

This year, PG&E was the top-ranked utility at number 25, improved from last year's ranking at 28th. And that was against tougher competition: the average composite score of the top 100 companies rose 19 percent, according to the magazine.

“The higher scores reveal a quantum leap in performance, which we attribute to the competitive dynamic of firms who understand the importance of stakeholder support from investors, customers, employees, regulators, and suppliers,” said Corporate Responsibility Magazine editor Dirk Olin. 

Earning a spot on the list reflects PG&E’s long-standing commitment to corporate responsibility, including its efforts to deliver some of the nation’s cleanest electric power and its groundbreaking programs to help customers use energy more efficiently. The ranking also recognizes the many ways in which PG&E is giving back to local communities, respecting and celebrating diversity and contributing to the quality of life in the areas where its employees live and work.

Further evidence that PG&E is on to something came last month when RiskMetrics Group named PG&E to its sixth annual Global ESG 100 list of top-rated companies worldwide. The companies were selected based on their "effective management" of environmental, social and governance issues. The list was previously managed by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, which RiskMetrics purchased in 2009.

As previously noted in NEXT100, Corporate Knights magazine recently ranked PG&E number two on its Global 100 list of sustainable large companies, behind only GE. 

One of the great contributions of organizations that monitor corporate responsibility and sustainability is educating investors that doing good is often a precondition for doing well. In today's interdependent world, handling environmental and social issues to the satisfaction of customers, regulators and other stakeholders is a sign of attentive management. Corporate Responsibility points out that longstanding members of its 100 Best list outperformed other companies on the Russell 1000 by 26 percent over three years. And RiskMetrics notes that since its list was created in 2005, "the Global ESG 100 has outperformed the benchmark FTSE All World Developed (AWD) Index by 116 basis points per annum, as of the end of 2009." 

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

The man responsible for leading worldwide global warming negotiations is leaving his post. The United Nations announced that Yvo de Boer, often called the United Nations Climate Chief, will step aside as of July 1, 2010. Recently, de Boer expressed discontent as to the outcome of the Copenhagen conference. Those who worked alongside de Boer claim they were not surprised by his decision to resign, saying he was “exhausted and frustrated.”

While you may not want it building up on your windowsill, new research claims dust could protect us from the harmful effects of global warming. That theory is being discussed at the annual scientific meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, taking place this year in San Diego, California. Scientists presenting at the conference assert that dust may limit the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) is pushing for a bill that he claims some lawmakers may accept as an alternative to renewable energy mandates. He calls it a broader clean energy standard that would require utilities to supply increasing amounts of power from specific sources, including wind, solar, biomass, clean coal and new nuclear generation. The big energy and climate bill the House approved last year includes a renewable electricity standard, and so does broad energy legislation the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved last June.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Recent polls show public support for global warming is declining but British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is denouncing warming deniers calling them “anti-science, flat-earth climate skeptics.” Brown will co-chair the United Nations High Level Advisory group on Climate Change Financing.  The group aims to raise cash to halt deforestation, encourage low-carbon development and adapt to rising sea levels, extreme weather events and higher temperatures.

President Obama wants to develop a new government agency that would focus specifically on Climate Change. During his campaign, he promised the American people he would devote a good portion of his administration’s time to fighting global warming. Obama announced that in an effort to live up to that promise, he was ordering the creation of a new organization. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Service will actually be a branch of the existing NOAA but will have its own director and specific agenda.

For the next couple weeks, Olympic hopefuls will adorn their colors and put their boots into bindings in the mountains overlooking Vancouver. And they’ll be racing and jumping towards medals in mostly man-made snow. January of 2010 was the warmest January on record in Vancouver, with temperatures averaging 44.8 degrees. This is in stark contrast to recent snow storms on the east coast of the United States, which have fueled the fire for global warming skeptics. Scholars of climate science argue that neither example is proof of anything.  Instead they would point to longer term trends showing a gradual warming of the whole earth over the last thirty years.  
 

Posted by: Leonard Anderson

Several items relating to the business and technology of clean energy and the environment caught our attention this week:

Major league baseball spring training begins next week and the greening of the sport continues to show no letup. The Minnesota Twins are installing a giant underground storage tank the size of a freight car to harvest and recycle rainwater at their new ball park, Target Field. The Twins may save more than two million gallons of water a year. The Rain Water Recycle System will purify rainwater for human consumption as well as maintenance and irrigating the field. It was designed by Pentair, a company specializing in water systems and storage. The Twins also are seeking a LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design) certification for the new park.

Eco-minded residents of Berkeley are recycling and composting so much that the city's refuse revenues are down by $4 million, the biggest factor in a $10 million city budget deficit. Residents are switching to smaller trash bins which carry a lower collection rate. People are buying less stuff so there's less packaging and cardboard waste, and a failed business means there's no trash to collect. "Not only does the amount of garbage change with the economy, but the very nature of garbage changes," says Robert Reed, spokesman for Recology Sunset Scavenger, San Francisco's garbage company.

Car sharing memberships in North America soared by 117 percent between 2007 and 2009, according to the Frost & Sullivan research firm, and total membership is projected at 4.4 million in North America and 5.5 million in Europe by 2016. The firm estimates that each vehicle in a car sharing fleet replaced 15 personally owned vehicles in 2009 and car sharing members drove 31 percent less than when they owned a personal vehicle. This means fewer cars on the road and a reduction of more than 482,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, car sharing firm Zipcar Inc. has pulled the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrids from its fleet (less than 1 percent) due to the recall for a potential brake problem. Zipcar also has removed 2009 and 2010 Toyota Matrix models in a previous safety recall.

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall

 Everyone knows that "sustainable" is good, but what exactly is it? Corporate Knights, a Canadian-based magazine for "clean capitalism," has come up with a comprehensive definition--and it announced yesterday that Pacific Gas and Electric Company ranks second on its Global 100 list of sustainable large companies, right behind GE.

Working with three strategic partners--Inflection Point Capital Management, Legg Mason's Global Currents Investment Management and Phoenix Global Advisors LLC--Corporate Knights came up with what they call the "international gold standard" for sutainability indexes. It summarizes 11 separate measures, including energy productivity (sales divided by energy consumption), water productivity, leadership diversity, R&D intensity and transparency.

Announcing the magazine's findings at Davos World Economic Forum, editor-in-chief Toby Heaps said that to be considered sustainable, companies must "squeeze four times more wealth out of every resource they use."

Heaps explained the significance of the new global ranking: “By using clear metrics to show investors which companies stand out from their peers, we hope to create a virtuous cycle where the most sustainable companies attract the most capital and earn the best returns.”

Although U.S. companies lead the list, they comprise only 12 of the 100. The United Kingdom dominated with 24; Canada and Australia took the bronze medal with 9 each.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

There's much ado about numbers when it comes to an inaccuracy regarding a 2007 United Nations (UN) report on Climate Change that predicted the disappearance of all Himalayan glaciers by the year 2035. While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the UN has since apologized for the typo, the body stands behind its overall finding that the glaciers are retreating and says the rest of the report is accurate, adding "small glaciers will probably disappear by the end of the century."

Two men falling on opposite sides of the global warming debate met in West Virginia at the University of Charleston as coal baron Don Blankenship and conservationist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went head to head in a verbal bout. The 950 audience members were selected by each man's camp so it is highly unlikely anyone in the room was influenced by the debate - and neither man was willing to concede any ground on issues such as mountaintop mining, green job creation and greenhouse gases. Kennedy said surface mining helps to make West Virginia a poor state, while defacing majestic scenery, polluting air and water and shattering the quiet country existence of people who've called the mountains home for generations. Blankenship argued the mining keeps people employed, puts food on their tables and mortgage checks in the mail.

A lengthy letter to the governor of Louisiana by 32 scientists, including 27 from the state's universities, suggests he should rethink his opposition to regulation of carbon emissions. Scientists believe Louisiana's coastline is receding at alarming rates due to sea level rise, glacial melting and global warming. In December, Governor Bobby Jindal sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency demanding that it rescind its recent determination that greenhouse gases endanger present and future generations. Jindal also said the ruling could force Louisiana's jobs and industries to move overseas.  

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Popular music magazine Rolling Stone released a list of what it calls the "planet's worst enemies." The magazines editors have been quoted as saying they want to recognize and stand behind the scientific consensus and report on global warming honestly and incisively. The list calls out 18 prominent figures and details why the magazine feels they are detrimental to the fight against global warming.

Researchers from Michigan State University are hoping the fruits of their labor will lead to new fruits in the field and ultimately feed people in east African nations hit hard by global warming. The study will utilize a Michigan State supercomputer and resources from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station to create a regional climate model that includes crop and water data to develop crop varieties to better withstand climate change. The New York-based Rockefeller Foundation gave a grant of $430,000 grant to Michigan State as part of its $70 million Climate Change Resilience Initiative.

The global economy may be considered flat at best by analysts but one new study shows a sector that is predicted to balloon in 2010. The reports claims considerable attention to global warming coupled with an increasing focus on energy efficiency and cost have laid the groundwork for an emerging carbon management market. The sectors predicted to be affected the most by the pressure to manage their carbon emissions are energy, manufacturing, government and retail.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

When "Miracle on 34th Street" hit the silver screen in 1947, 8-year-old Susan Walker, played by Natalie Wood, got her holiday wish when Kris Kringle gave her directions to the new home she asked Santa Claus to deliver. If the movie were written today, Susan would probably ask for an energy efficient home with ENERGY STAR appliances and solar panels.

Like Kris Kringle, Habitat for Humanity has been making children's dreams come true since 1976. But unlike Santa, Habitat delivers presents to families year round. To date, the organization has built over 350,000 houses around the world, providing close to 2 million people with safe, affordable and now energy efficient housing.

To make these homes even more environmentally friendly, PG&E created the Solar Habitat Program in 2005. So far, as part of the partnership with Habitat for Humanity, PG&E has funded solar installations on 260 homes for hard-working families. The average solar system produces 300 kWh of clean, renewable energy each month, saving participants about $500 a year. In addition, PG&E employees have donated more than 7,000 hours of their time working on Habitat for Humanity job sites.

Just last week, PG&E volunteers, including corporate officers and CEO Peter Darbee, spent the day at a Hunters Point construction site, working on one of seven four-bedroom homes. In addition to other duties, the crews worked to install and hook up eight solar panels on one of the homes. 
 
"It's impressive to see first hand how Habitat for Humanity constructs these quality homes with the help of volunteers from the community," said Darbee. "This is an extremely organized operation that allows those of us who are volunteering to make a real contribution to the construction of these homes."

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity and its many contributors, the spirit of 34th Street lives on as families get their 21st century, energy-efficient miracles year round.