About LGlick

Lilah was was the Global Warming/Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator for Clean Water Action’s Boston office where she advocated for climate and energy policy in the commonwealth and worked in local communities to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. Prior to serving as a clean energy advocate, she worked as a Development Associate for a non profit Internet Service Provider to promote low income/ rural access to wireless services. She also served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua as a small business coordinator and as an Americorps Community Organizer for the city and school district of Falls City, Oregon.

Biomimicry- The next green revolution?

Posted on August 21, 2009 by LGlick

Wood Ant Hill

The current green revolution looks to renewable energy and green products to replace the polluting industries of the modern era. What is often left out of the discussion is our relationship with the living biosphere and how our technology much revolutionize itself to not just being low-carbon, but operate under the principles of how nature organizes itself. Janine Benyus, a scientist and founder of the company Biomimicry Guild, has been looking to nature to develop technologies that maximize efficiency prinicples inherent in the natural world. This new movement, labeled biomimicry, asks homo sapiens sapiens to tap into the intellengence of nature in our design principles. The natural world is not seen as a dumb organic machine, but rather a dynamic force that intelligently adapts to environmental changes to produce rhobust living ecosystems.

Humans are not the first and only species to be master builders, tool users, or farmers. For over 3.8 billion years, nature has evolved eligant solutions to some of the basic ecological challenges we are struggling with today. In the new online resource, www.asknature.org, it provides innovative minds with life’s best ideas to help develop sustainable technologies that are conductive to life. On this free open source website, one can research a design question and find a list of how nature solves the issue. For example, under the category of storing energy, there is a list of 33 species that adopt strategies to maximize energy use.

In the case of the wood ant, they build a nest with numerous holes for ventilation and entrances. At night and in cold weather the ants plug the holes to keep heat in. The workers also keep the slope of the nest at the right angle to obtain maximum amount of solar heat. The ants bring extra warmth into their nests as live heaters by basking in the sun in large numbers and taking the heat energy collected in their bodies into the nest. Can our homes be built in ways to maximize existing natural resources and store and cool the building without destroying our atmosphere? Passive solar design is one quick example of building techniques that blend old and new knowledge into our building design principles– with the potential of creating net zero energy use homes.

I believe this presents a paradigm shift for humanity, in which humans are not separate from the natural world but part of an intellegent ecosystem full of other species that have skills and wisdom to share with us. To learn more about Biomimicry I recommend watching a talk by Janine Benyus at http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action.html.

Youth take the lead on climate change and planet stewardship

Posted on August 20, 2009 by LGlick

Today was a sad day for the environment, with reports released on the safety of our rivers and oceans being at stake. It is hard to imagine that every river in the US has fish contaminated with mercury or that the plastic bags circulating in the Pacific Ocean in an area twice the size of Texas is now being found to be breaking down into a toxic soup of bisphenol-a. More than ever, we need a movement to rise up and protect this fragile blue orb that supports life as we know it.

What gives me hope, is an article I came across today, that the seeding of such a movement is underway. Over seven hundred youth from across the globe have gathered in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, to call on leaders to address Climate Change at Copenhagen in December and involve youth in environmental decisions. Young people comprise of 3 billion of the global population and will be faced by the growing environmental challenges plaguing the planet. They asked that environmental education be included in their curriculum and that global citizens take real steps to reduce their impacts on the planet like using public transportation and purchasing environmentally friendly products.

One of the most poignant statements from a youth delegate from the Netherlands, “We are the generation of tomorrow. The decisions that are made today will define our future and the world we have to live in. So we young people of the world urge governments to commit to a strong post-Kyoto climate regime. It is our lives we are talking about.” Will the public and political leadership heed their call?

The Rights of Nature?

Posted on August 17, 2009 by LGlick

Alaskan Lake Army Corps of Engineers and the Supreme court has deemed Alaska’s Lower Slate Lake as a dump site for millions of tons of toxic tailings from gold mining. While these types of practices are presumably illegal under the US Clean Water Act, the courts failed to keep this ecosystem from being destroyed. A number of similar types of cases demonstrate that nature and the natural commons can be destroyed for private profit– especially in the name of providing jobs and fueling economic growth.

For example, mountain top removal which has buried thousands of miles of streams with coal seams is still legal under the Obama administration. The Clean Water Act is supposed to prevent our water systems from being denigrated from these types of activities, yet the Water Standard Quality Index allows site specific pollution levels for contaminants. Perhaps this is why according to the EPA, approximately half of the rivers, lakes, and bays under EPA oversight were not safe enough for fishing and swimming in 2007.

In the case of Alaska’s Slate Lake, Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), said this project will provide an “improved fish habitat.” The permit which has been extended to Coer Alaska Inc., will allow the company to pollute the lake until 2014– effectively killing all aquatic life in the lake. The lawyers for the company have argued that this could be a good thing since the lake can be restocked after the project. This poses both a legal and moral question for humanity– Does nature have the right to exist on its own merits?

The planet’s ecosystems are in the mist of the sixth largest extinction event— this time caused by humans. In addition, our species consumes 1/3 of all productive land on the planet leaving the rest for the other ten plus million species we inhabit the planet with. Will economic growth and human consumption supersede the right for species and ecosystems to survive if its economically beneficial?

For the first time, the country of Ecuador has recognized the intrinsic rights oif nature. In September of 2008, the Ecaudor Constitutional Assembly voted to recognize the inalienable rights belonging to ecosystems in their new constitution. This changes the status of nature from being a function of property to a rights-bearing entity. Will this ground-breaking law have farther reaching impacts on international law? Hopefully sooner rather than later as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution accelerates its impacts on the planet.

Ocean temperature breaks June heat record & other canaries in the coal mine…

Posted on August 11, 2009 by LGlick

Ocean Thermograph While climate change skeptics continue to derail needed climate policy and deepen the public’s confusion on accepted science, the planet is exhibiting more acute global warming symptoms. Recent observations are indicating that climate change is occurring at a faster pace and of a greater magnitude than predicted by IPCC models. Our Oceans are showing a decreased ability to absorb our excess carbon, leading to ocean acidification– reducing the ability of many marine organisms to build their shells and skeletal structure.

The Ocean which covers 70 percent of our planet, just broke a record last month for the warmest temperature on record and combined with land temperatures it was second to 2005’s all time high. Run away global warming is a real concern with the potential for accelerated ice melt and rising sea levels, which are also exceeding IPCC predictions in the Latest Climate Science publication.

Summer has yet to run its course and it is likely that other potential record breaking climate change news will occur. How much more data is needed before we can leave the debate behind and step up our collective action on climate change? In a recent Global poll, Americans ranked government action on climate change as the lowest priority compared to any other country. We have a long way to go…

City Council Health & Environment Committee Hearing on the Stretch Code: July 28th

Posted on July 22, 2009 by LGlick

The state is upgrading the state energy code as part of the Green Communities Act. On May 12, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) approved the stretch code as an optional amendment to the 7th edition Massachusetts Building Code 780 CMR. Municipalities in Massachusetts do not have the legal authority to adopt their own code, but the recent passage of the state stretch code allows municipalities to adopt the tougher standard at their discretion.

This optional “stretch code” was developed in response to the call for improved local building energy efficiency in the commonwealth. The stretch code is about 30% more efficient than baseline code in Massachusetts. Some builders and developers worry the adoption of the stretch code will hinder a housing market revival and add additional red tape to the permitting process. Advocates contend that the stretch code will allow municipalities to improve the efficiency of buildings in their communities, helping to reduce greenhouse gasses and reduce fossil fuel consumption. See “Everything’s ACES” for additional context.

The stretch code would require a third-party certification for a HERS index rating of 60 or less on new buildings. The current base energy code in Massachusetts requires a maximum HERS rating of 99. For major renovations under the stretch code, a HERS index of 70 or less is required.

The City Council will need to adopt the stretch code by January 1 in order for it to go into effect by July 1, 2010. The City Council Health & Environment Committee is holding a hearing on the stretch code on July 28. The Climate Protection Action Committee and the Green Building/Zoning Task Force have recommended adoption.

Measuring progress in the fight against climate change

Posted on July 21, 2009 by LGlick

At a recent meeting hosted by Robert Costanza and the Seventh Generation Corporation, we tried to figure out how to measure progress in combating climate change over the next five years. I’m of the school that says “If you can’t measure it, you can’t fix it.” So, five years from now, what do we have to measure and how do we have to measure it… Read more»

Cambridge Community Center gets an Energy Make-Over

Posted on June 30, 2009 by LGlick

The Cambridge Community Center received a major energy efficiency upgrade on Sunday, June 28th Sunday, when community members and experts gathered to reduce the building’s energy consumption. The community “barn-raising” project was a combined effort of the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) and the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) that aimed to improve the comfort and efficiency of the Cambridge Community Center while teaching volunteers energy efficiency and conservation skills.

Councilor Henrietta Davis, CCC member Yvonee Gittens, and HEET leader Audrey Schulman

The project drew approximately 60 community volunteers, primarily from the Riverside neighborhood in Cambridge. A team of eight volunteers from Mass Climate Summer also joined the neighborhood effort as part of their broader campaign to educate residents on efficiency solutions in partnership with the Cambridge Energy Alliance.

Community volunteers learned how to make doors and windows less drafty, seal air leaks in the building, install interior storm windows, and save on electricity through simple changes. They also received energy efficiency kits from the Cambridge Energy Alliance that contained materials to make their own homes more energy efficient and information on community environmental resources and programs. The Cambridge Community Center barn-raising provided a great opportunity to meet neighbors, try out a green job, cut energy bills at the Community Center, and get a free energy savings kit, while learning to save energy and money at home.

Climate Bill Passes the House

Posted on June 29, 2009 by LGlick

uscongress The controversial climate bill passed through the House on Friday and pressure is mounting for the leadership in the Senate to take up the bill. Republicans see the climate bill as too costly for for households and view the bill’s carbon reduction mandates as having a harmful effect on industry. Some environmentalists are also not in support of the house bill, raising concerns over the reduction targets being too low and giving carbon allowances away to industrial polluters.

It is likely the Senate will vote on a version of the bill by fall, which would then need to be hashed out between the two houses. The climate legislation is a contentious bill for republicans and industry with many legislators calling global warming an outright hoax. Paul Krugman published an article “Betraying the Planet,” in the New York Times on how majority of the climate bill no votes were from global warming denialists.

In addition, even though the American public wants to see action on climate change, there is growing concern about cap and trade and the potential cost impacts that will have on their wallets. Independent research groups have estimated the climate bill will cost taxpayers approximately $175 per year, while industry is estimating much higher costs to American citizens.

The United States is also facing international pressure to have a strong climate policy in place for the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December to develop a new Kyoto protocol. It is likely that a national climate bill will be passed by the end of the year, but it is unclear whether the US’ national climate bill will lead the way or serve as an ineffective panacea to our growing climate crisis.

Summer Canvass Begins

Posted on June 18, 2009 by LGlick

This week, the Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) launched an ambitious community outreach and education program to help Cambridge residents save money and reduce their carbon footprint. Eight dedicated climate heroes arrived in Cambridge Massachusetts after completing a 90 mile bike ride that began in Deerfield, MA. Cambridge is the riders’ the first stop on the Massachusetts Climate Summer tour to raise awareness about climate change by biking from community to community, promoting sustainability.

Over the next month, the climate heroes will bike throughout Cambridge, MA, speaking one-on-one with up to 3,000 residents about energy efficiency programs and services. The Climate Summer riders will visit Cambridge neighborhoods from the 17th of June to the 7th of July, offering a unique opportunity for residents to connect to information and resources to make their homes more comfortable and efficient.

During the door-to-door visits, residents will also learn about CEA’s services and programs. CEA helps residents access free and low-cost home energy audits, where an energy professional investigates opportunities to save energy and water for homeowners and tenants.

The CEA-sponsored door-to-door visits will have an immediate impact. Residents visited by the riders will receive a free energy efficient light bulb in exchange for an incandescent bulb from their home. The 5,000 light bulbs were donated by TCP, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio. The light bulb swap will reduce carbon emissions by over 2.5 million pounds over the lives of the bulbs.

Sea Ice Levels Drop Again…

Posted on June 15, 2009 by LGlick

Remember back in 2007 when annual sea ice hit its lowest level ever recorded and declined at a rate far surpassing scientists worst predictions? Arctic sea ice during the 2007 melt season plummeted to the lowest levels since satellite measurements began in 1979. The average sea ice extent for September 2007 was 4.28 million square kilometers (1.65 million square miles), the lowest September on record, shattering the previous record for the month, set in 2005, by 23 percent.

This year, sea ice melted at a slower rate,but in May sea ice level’s have almost dropped to levels during the same period in 2007 . The National Snow and Ice Data center is monitoring sea ice coverage and its latest report and images can be viewed at http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/. It is very likely that this year’s sea ice coverage will again fall below normal, but summer conditions will determine how far we vary from the average.

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