About JPierce

Jerrad is a environmental policy person, and watches a lot of PBS.

Mass Renewables Redux

Posted on July 21, 2010 by JPierce

This time last year we reported that a state law requiring heating oil to contain a paltry 2% biodiesel was finally being enforced. Alas, once again, implementation has been delayed.

Although Cape Wind gets most of the press, it is not the only contentious wind project in the Bay State. Last week the SJC ruled that a planned project in Western Mass. was legitimately permitted and could proceed.

Finally, the state has also announced that it will be reviewing emissions regulations for biomass-fueled power plants. Variously characterized as perplexing, raising the bar, and a win for biomass opponents

EIA finds cost of bill to address global warming is low

Posted on July 16, 2010 by JPierce

A story from Greenwire in the New York Times summarizes the findings of the Energy Information Administration’s report on the costs of implementing the Kerry-Lieberman energy bill. It concludes that in a middle of the road scenario, adoption of the bill would result in a (basis point) reduction of GDP¹ by 2‰ (2 thousandths) over more than two decades of growth. Thus given a rate of 2.2% growth annually, the cost of insurance to help forestall greater costs is 17.5 hours of growth each year.

Although the bill arguably does not go far enough, and so has a lower cost, it compares favorably with the figures from the famous Stern Review that suggests a cost of 2% of gross global product to address global warming, or forgoing about one week of growth per year.

^{1. Itself a flawed measure, particularly when considering broader social and environmental issues e.g; All of the money BP is spending to clean the Gulf are considered gains in GDP, whereas most of the environmental losses are not counted.}

Free Energy Audit Program Began Last Week

Posted on July 15, 2010 by JPierce

Audit team members prepare for conducting home energy audits.

Cambridge residents looking to save on utility bills for electricity and heating can request a free audit this summer from the Youth Energy Audit Partners, a collaborative project of HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) and the Cambridge Community Center. Three audit teams will install energy and water-saving devices, calculate the dollar savings from these devices, and advise homeowners and tenants on the costs and benefits of additional energy efficiency work and how to obtain rebates and contractors. On average, households can realize a 10%-15% savings on electric and heating bills, or an estimated $200 a year by implementing simple measures.

Each team is led by a trained supervisor, and two high school students employed by the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. The project is made possible by material resources and advice contributed by the Cambridge Energy Alliance, and grant awards from Constellation Energy EcoStar and the Cambridge Agassiz Harvard Fund, which serves as a catalyst for innovative programming to address emerging community needs.

To sign-up for a free audit for home energy savings , contact:
Ms. Doreen Wade, Cambridge Community Center, Tel. 617-547-6811

Only you can prevent tyre pyres

Posted on July 2, 2010 by JPierce

Recycling directory website, 1-800-RECYCLING has a recent story about the obscure problem of tire—or tyre in most Commonwealth nations—disposal, accompanied by some pretty astonishing photographs. There aren’t too many major reuses for old tires where the resource doesn’t go up in smoke, so they keep piling up, but research is under way. Off hand, it seems like ground tire might be usable as some part of a road bed or surface, maybe even as a playground tan-bark replacement …except for the heavy metals; which one ends up breathing anyhow. Other uses? Ten Thousand Villages—including the Central Square location—sells wallets made of repurposed tire. The adventurous can also try making their own sandals or resoling shoes.

Burning breakfasts for bus fuel

Posted on June 18, 2010 by JPierce

Although the specifics may have since changed, this chart from Bio Hope, Bio Hype in the September 2007 issue of the Sierra Club’s magazine provides a nice overview of the major biofuel options.

What about moving Beyond the Corn Field: Balancing Fuel, Food and Biodiversity? After all, if there’s one thing that thing that our reliance on fossilized sunlight has taught us, it’s that that there should be room for every fuel that makes ecological (and economic) sense. Indeed, there are a number of exotic fuel feedstocks you are probably not yet familiar with. Indeed, on Earth Day the Navy tested a bio-blend jet fuel made from 50% German sesame seed oil. What of the much touted cellulosic ethanol? An alternative to the use of sugary food crops, or the relatively low-yield plant-based oils. In February University of Wisconsin researchers published a paper with details about a mechanism for efficiently converting an intermediate product that may be derived from sugar or cellulose into a high-grade liquid fuel.

Despite these and other advancements, more evidence is coming to light that biofuels are not without ecological costs including biodiversity as linked above, and soil degradation. In the end, it will be a balancing act, with conservation and efficiency offering the highest yield.

While not specifically about biofuels, the agri-business exposé King Corn is being shown at the Main Library next Tuesday evening; it has its detractors though.

Need to Know: It’s not impossible to ween ourselves off of coal & oil

Posted on June 12, 2010 by JPierce

PBS’ new weekly news magazine—Need to Know—has been covering some interesting stories. The fifth episode aired last week, and included the piece below on the Danish isle of Samso’s effective elimination of fossil fuels within the past decade. FYI: rapeseed is what most of the planet calls canola, and the Danish subsidies for wind appear to be less than those in the U.S. ¹.

They’ve also had some compelling coverage of the gulf spoil including Big Oil’s Chernobyl and A chance encounter on the Gulf Coast with a BP engineer

^{1. Wind is subsidized at 30% of capital cost in Denmark. Ignoring any state incentives, there is a 2.2¢/kWh federal tax-credit. At typical costs and an average operating capacity of 50%, this amounts to a subsidy of up to: 2.2¢/kWh × 10yr × 8,760 hr/yr × 50% × 2.5MW × 1,000 kW/MW ÷ 100¢/$ = $2.4 million / $3.5 million = 68% (not accounting for erosion by inflation)}

“If it was my home”

Posted on June 7, 2010 by JPierce

From Strange Maps:

The oil spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history. But it’s a catastrophe of the creeping, cumulative kind, composed of images familiar from earlier ecocides. How to get a grip on its width and breadth? Obviously: a map. Ingeniously: a map of the area affected by the oil spill transposed on your geographic location of choice – your home, for optimum shock effect.

Drink Local, Hike Local too

Posted on June 2, 2010 by JPierce

CCTV blogger Karen Klinger has an interesting write-up of her stroll around the birthplace of your drinking water last Monday evening. Should you find the tale inspiring, you have two more chances to take part in a guided tour of the upper watershed, and three of Fresh pond. If you attend, or otherwise visit Fresh Pond check out some of the interesting 1) public 2) art versions of the watershed map:

Eco-pimp my dirty job

Posted on May 30, 2010 by JPierce

Although it’d be easy to dismiss “The Lazy Environmentalist” as a simple product placement vehicle for Brita filters and GE CFLs, it can be an entertaining and informative show¹. In this Sundance Channel series media personality Josh Dorfman tries to convince small business owners and hobbyists from all walks of life to adopt alternative products and techniques. If you don’t subscribe to this premium channel, recent episodes are also available via Comcast On Demand and clips of episodes can be viewed on the series website. Check it out next time you feel the need to become one with the couch, but there’s nothing good on.

Also for your enjoyment, a 45 minute discussion by Josh to Google employees about his approach to environmentalism:

^{1. The enlightenment can also be frustrating when many of Josh’s challenges can’t see the forest for the trees, but interspersed are plenty of pleasant surprises.}

MIT & NSTAR partner for efficiency

Posted on May 26, 2010 by JPierce

Just announced this morning:

In an effort to dramatically cut energy use at one of the country’s premier academic and research institutions, NSTAR and MIT are teaming up to launch the single most aggressive efficiency project in NSTAR history. Dubbed “MIT Efficiency Forward,” the program has a goal of cutting electricity use by 15 percent over three years through innovative programs, substantial student, faculty, and staff engagement, and the piloting of new technologies and approaches at MIT.

Read the rest of the press release.

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Sustainability begins at home

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