NASA Scientist Warns Congress about Warming (again...)

Dr. James E. Hansen is the chief climatologist at NASA and one of the leading experts on Global Warming and the Climate Crisis.

He testified to Congress twenty years ago (June 23, 1988) on the dangers of global warming. This week, he returned to testify again and shared his thoughts on the differences between those two briefings.

An excerpt:

"There are striking similarities between then and now, but one big difference...

The difference is that now we have used up all slack in the schedule for actions needed to defuse the global warming time bomb."

He goes on to write of an ominous foreshadowing for the past 20 years:

"My testimony two decades ago was greeted with skepticism. But while skepticism is the lifeblood of science, it can confuse the public...
The evidence was strong enough that I could say it was time to "stop waffling." I was sure that time would bring the scientific community to a similar consensus, as it has."

And then he proposes a clear plan, something no government official seems able or willing to do:

"The steps needed to halt carbon dioxide growth... Phase out of coal use... Solution of the climate problem requires that we move to carbon-free energy promptly."

Hansen also talks about why things have barely progressed in 20 years of threats:

"Special interests have blocked transition to our renewable energy future. Instead of moving heavily into renewable energies, fossil companies choose to spread doubt about global warming, as tobacco companies discredited the smoking-cancer link. Methods are sophisticated, including disguised funding to shape school textbook discussions.

CEOs of fossil energy companies know what they are doing... In my opinion, these CEOs should be tried for high crimes against humanity and nature."

I love that part!

read the FULL STORY here.

Grist: Eban Goodstein's article on Choose Your Future

Eban Goodstein, professor of economics at Lewis & Clark College and director of Focus the Nation, has a wonderful piece today in Grist on global warming and what YOU can do about it.

It is clear that we are standing at a critical moment in human history. Unless we begin to cut global-warming pollution within a few short years, a window for our children and the creatures of this earth will close. Forever...

Choose Your Future is a program from his group that allows people to take part in saving our planet.

Full story via Grist

NYT: Carbon Offsets

This story on carbon offsets is a great intro into understanding something I find myseterious.

Corporations spent more than $54 million last year on carbon credits toward tree planting, wind farms, solar plants and other projects to balance the emissions created by their work.

But where exactly is that money going?

F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent

Greenpeace Photoclima: Landscapes in a changed climate

Spain: Landscapes in a changed climate

Greenpeace has launched a new book, Photoclima, in which images of some of Spain's most emblematic places have been altered to show what they could look like if action is not taken to tackle climate change.

Full Report from Greenpeace

GreenHomeGuide: my recent articles

GreenHomeGuide, an incredible green building reference for homeowners, is building an archive of information around sustainable design. I recently wrote two short articles for them, found here:

What can I do to reduce my home’s carbon footprint?

Should I worry about the mercury in fluorescent light bulbs?

Moving Beyond Kyoto - Al Gore

Al Gore wrote a wonderful opinion piece in the New York Times calling for some action, before it is too late.

...many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to several “tipping points” that could — within 10 years — make it impossible for us to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet’s habitability for human civilization...

Next weekend, on Saturday July 7th, 2007, Gore is hosting the Live Earth Concert to raise awareness about the Climate Crisis.

In the words of Buckminster Fuller, “If the success or failure of this planet, and of human beings, depended on how I am and what I do, how would I be? What would I do?”

Business Council on Climate Change

I am proud to be one of the founding council member companies for the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3). This morning was the kick off meeting at City Hall. I encourage you to get your company or business to JOIN BC3.

I love that some major companies here in the Bay Area are doing more than simply talking about Climate Change, we are actually doing something about it.

The official press release (via BusinessWire)

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United Nations Global Compact, the City of San Francisco, the Bay Area Council and a wide array of Bay Area businesses have joined together in a unique partnership designed to provide meaningful actions that businesses around the world can take to combat global warming.

The program, called Business Council on Climate Change (BC3), will give Bay Area businesses a forum to share best practices to reduce greenhouse gasses in both large and small businesses. But more importantly, BC3 will create a model for climate action in the commercial and public sectors that the United Nations Global Compact will seek to place in companies and cities worldwide. BC3 launched officially on Thursday, March 1 with a symposium at San Francisco’s City Hall attended by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, top regional business leaders, and representatives of the United Nations.

BC3 member companies pledge to address greenhouse emissions throughout their operations and corporate cultures, and agree to follow the BC3’s five Principles for Climate Leadership: Internal Implementation, Community Leadership, Advocacy and Dialogue, Collective Action, Transparency and Disclosure.

BC3 founding members comprise a diverse range of companies, including: 3 Phases Energy; AccessFlow; ARUP; CH2M Hill; Clif Bar; EcoAdvantage Network; Food from the Park; Gap Inc.; Gensler; Google; Green Impact; Green Squared Consulting; Hallisey & Johnson; HOK; Natural Logic; New Resource Bank; Organic Architect; PG&E Ponderosa Homes; Shaklee; SMWM Architecture; Solutions; Swinerton; Waldeck’s; Webcor; Wendel, Rosen, Black and Dean; and William McDonough + Partners.

COST BARRIERS: Rent your own solar panels

In our projects, there are now only three items where cost is still a barrier to greening the building:

1. Specifying FSC Certified Wood.
This important Certification (demonstrating wood to be sustainably harvested, still adds a 20% upcharge to the cost of your wood framing. This is a tough sell to most clients, but we try to do it anyway. TIP: save money in one area, say removing the need for air conditioning, and divert that money towards the purchase of FSC Certified Wood instead.

2. Carbon Neutrality.
Innovative Carbon Trading programs now exist for both your car and your home, such as the TerraPass and DriveNeutral. While these are great ways to make yourself Carbon Neutral, they represent a small, but additional, cost that is a tough sell for many.

AND 3. Solar Panels.
While everyone seems to understand the obvious benefits and uses of Solar Panels, the cost can often be prohibitive. Even with the great State Incentives that exist for solar, and an average payback of 5-7 years, the $20,000 average up front cost is too much.

But now, a rental program called REnU is removing this barrier to entry. Delaware-based Citizenre, a renewable energy development group, will rent solar panels to US residents on a per-kilowatt basis on a one, five, or twenty-five year contract. With a tiny $500 deposit, paid back at the end of the contract WITH interest, homeowners can easily and inexpensively make the switch from local utilities to solar power. What’s more, Citizenre acquires all necessary permits for residential installation, making the process simple. I have not tried it yet, but I have already begun the process.

Offset Your Car and Home Carbon Emissions

Despite what many people assume, I do not drive around in an all electric vehicle, nor do I walk everywhere either! After all, many of our projects are located far away, well outside of San Francisco.

To reduce our impact, we use ZipCar for the staff vehicle needs, and we purchased a TerraPass for the one company car to compensate for the emissions produced even just driving our relatively low 6,000 miles a year.

Now the good people at TerraPass have a TerraPass for your home. The Home TerraPass reduces carbon dioxide emissions by funding clean energy and efficiency projects. The greenhouse reductions from this purchase are in direct proportion to your home energy emissions.

TerraPass

For more on carbon emissions, read on...