Green Experts Academy Forum Presents New San Diego Green Leaders, German Solar Miracle and Green Career Strategies on May 7th, 2013

4/30/13 11:22 AM 

social media news release 

Green Experts Academy Forum 

Presents New San Diego Green 

Leaders, German Solar Miracle and 

Green Career Strategies on May 7th, 

2013 

(San Diego, April 30th 2013) How does San Diego rapidly get to 100 % renewable energy utilization, and what 

best practices can we learn from Germany and other global solar leaders? How can 

you succeed in creating and advancing on a Green career path? On May 7th, 

5:30PM, Join New San Diego Green Leaders including Supervisor Dave Roberts, San 

Diego Unified School Board Vice President Kevin Beiser, Special Guest Peter Vogel, 

Executive Vice President, Wirsol Solar, Canada, and Green Careers 

Recruiter/Branch Manager Scott Gayes, Adecco San Diego. Moderator: Prof. 

Kathleen Connell, Founder of Green Experts Academy. Ticket includes free Cinco De 

Mayo Week light dinner, free parking and event materials. $22.09 per ticket in advance, 

$25 at the door. 5:30PM-9:00PM. Venue Host, Cricket Communications, Inc. 5887 Copley 

Drive, San Diego CA 92111 Registration: http://sdgreenleaders.eventbrite.com 

More Information 

A new study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) puts some hard 

numbers to the benefits realized when U.S. cities streamline their solar PV permitting 

processes. Germany's residential solar adoption is attributed to friendly policies and 

incentives, but also friendly permitting processes. Meanwhile, in the U.S., "soft" costs 

amount for more than half of the installed price for residential solar PV systems in the US. 

Various studies have pointed out the results: Customer acquisition costs are ten times 

higher in the U.S. vs. Germany. 

Many San Diegans are excited about a future powered by 100% renewable energy. San 

Diego policy makers will discuss this prospect. The forum will also consider the best 

practices from the global solar leader, Germany, to determine what lessons can be 

applied to sunny San Diego. 

 New studies also show that the Green economy continues to grow in California, and 

many career seekers want to participate. Green Experts Academy welcomes a top local 

recruiter to discuss how to search for a green job, engage recruiters, and the Art of The 

Ask in business. 

Main Press Contact 

Kathleen Connell 

CEO, Green Experts Academy 

858-361-3297 

kconnell@thecwgroup.com 

"Adopting best practices from a global solar leader like cloudy Germany only 

makes sense for sunny San Diego. Solar adoption is one of the fastest 

ways to grow the green economy, clean energy jobs and reduce 

greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. It is a question of political will. The 

roadmap now exists. San Diego can become the solar capitol of the US." 

Prof. Kathleen Connell, Founder of Green Experts Academy 

Company information 

Green Experts Academy is a project of the Connell Whittaker Group LLC (CWG 

LLC) is a proven public policy, strategy, business innovation, management, 

strategic communications, education & advocacy consulting group. CWG LLC 

works in the sustainability, space/aerospace, wireless and commercial real estate 

sectors. 

Green Experts Academy offers empowering seminars, workshops and products for 

the new Green citizen, expert, career seeker, entrepreneur, public official and 

anyone seeking a Green economy and Green policy to reverse climate change. 

See more at http://greenexpertsacademyglobal.eventbrite.com 

CWG LLC is known for being thought-leaders and innovators for NASA and other 

government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. CWG LLC also leads

and advises non-profit and private sector entities. CWG LLC has generated 

pioneering work in many cutting-edge research and technology-based 

organizations. Their work has resulted in groundbreaking new programs and 

billions of dollars of revenue, economic development, grants, financing and many 

benefits to society. 

CWG LLC also presents award-winning strategic events that make innovation 

possible by creating community, government and business leverage via learning, 

engaging, connecting and transforming our world. 

Professor Kathleen Connell, Principal of CWG LLC, has led and managed major 

initiatives with Congressional partners, the Governors of states around the nation, 

NASA, the private sector and NGO sector. 

Kathleen works today in San Diego, CA as an entrepreneur, educator, and public 

policy expert. Contact CWG LLC at kconnell@thecwgroup.com 

_______________________

How The Government Is Promoting Green Energy

by Guest Blogger
April 17, 2013

How the Government Is Promoting Green Energy

The U.S. government has had an active role in energy for decades. In fact, the Department of Energy was created in 1977. Since that time, the government has worked to research, fund and create energy efficiency. With the Obama administration's goal of doubling U.S. renewable energy production, the government has taken another big step up to ensure that happens. The following include just a few of the ways the government has affected the green energy industry.

• Funding renewable energy projects

Across the United States, the government financially supports and develops a number of renewable energy projects. In 2009 alone, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded grants to 12 renewable energy projects, largely to create wind farms. Together, these projects should produce 840 megawatts of electricity. That's enough energy to power approximately 672,000 homes! In addition, these renewable energy projects, along with others since, are creating thousands of good quality jobs. 

• Energy research

The U.S. Department of Energy operates the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which is dedicated to finding creative green solutions to the way the world uses energy. The NREL's main focus is to research and develop renewable energy and energy efficiency.  Besides seeking to solve energy challenges, the lab also operates sustainably. Each of the lab's buildings are LEED certified. In addition, NREL runs the National Wind Technology Center in Colorado.

• ENERGY STAR

In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established the ENERGY STAR program in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gases and promote energy efficiency. Since its inception, ENERGY STAR has been the standard for energy-efficient appliances.  Businesses, organizations and residential consumers have invested in these products, which has boosted the economy and created jobs. 

• Energy improvements

In 1992, the government changed the mandated regulations for new showerheads. At the time, showerheads had flow rates of around 5.5 gallons of water per minute, which caused a lot of water waste. The new regulations made way for low-flow options which could use no more than 2.5 gallons of water a minute, cutting water waste in half. Another example happened a few years ago when the government required incandescent light bulbs to lower wattage by 30%. While incandescent bulbs are not the most eco-friendly option, they are inexpensive. The government's decision to lower the wattage is a means to make the lower priced bulbs a more energy-efficient option.

• Rebate programs

For residential consumers, the government offers a variety of tax incentives and rebates for energy-efficient improvements. This includes new roofing, water heaters, insulation, solar energy systems and small wind turbines to name a few.

• Deregulation

A handful of states, such as Texas, have deregulated their energy markets to allow residents the opportunity to choose their own retail energy supplier. These suppliers bring new energy rates and plan options that include green energy. Right now, green energy is purchased through renewable energy credits, which allow consumers to purchase units of green energy to replace brown energy on the power grid. With some green energy suppliers, consumers can offset 100 percent of their energy consumption. A quick search on the Internet, such as Powderly Reliant information, may yield more specific information about the plans and rate options available in your area.

German Rooftop Solar: The New Decentralized Laptop of Energy?

Re-posted from Mother Jones.

Germany Doesn't Get Much Sun. How Did It Become a Leader in Solar Energy?
Germany’s little-guy suppliers are destabilizing big power companies.
By Andrew Curry on Mon. April 1, 2013 12:49 PM PDT

A solar panel in Munich, Germany. Joachim S. Müller/Flickr
This story first appeared in Slate and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

It's been a long, dark winter in Germany. In fact, there hasn't been this little sun since people started tracking such things back in the early 1950s. Easter is around the corner, and the streets of Berlin are still covered in ice and snow. But spring will come, and when the snow finally melts, it will reveal the glossy black sheen of photovoltaic solar panels glinting from the North Sea to the Bavarian Alps.

Solar panels line Germany's residential rooftops and top its low-slung barns. They sprout in orderly rows along train tracks and cover hills of coal mine tailings in what used to be East Germany. Old Soviet military bases, too polluted to use for anything else, have been turned into solar installations.

Twenty-two percent of Germany's power is generated with renewables. Solar provides close to a quarter of that. The southern German state of Bavaria, population 12.5 million, has three photovoltaic panels per resident, which adds up to more installed solar capacity than in the entire United States.

With a long history of coal mining and heavy industry and the aforementioned winter gloom, Germany is not the country you'd naturally think of as a solar power. And yet a combination of canny regulation and widespread public support for renewables has made Germany an unlikely leader in the global green-power movement—and created a groundswell of small-scale power generation that could upend the dominance of traditional power companies.

Twenty years ago, it was clear solar power wasn't going to get anywhere by itself. Photovoltaic panels were expensive and inefficient. Even solar systems designed to heat water, a far less technologically tricky task, were bad buys on the open market. Producing electricity from sunlight costs 10 times more than generating power using coal or nuclear energy. "The early systems might as well have been made out of gold," says David Wedepohl, a spokesman for Germany's Solar Industry Association.

In 1991, German politicians from across the political spectrum quietly passed the Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz (renewable energy law), or EEG. It was a little-heralded measure with long-lasting consequences.

The law guaranteed small hydroelectric power generators—mostly in Bavaria, a politically conservative area I like to think of as the Texas of Germany—a market for their electricity. The EEG required utility companies to plug all renewable power producers, down to the smallest rooftop solar panel, into the national grid and buy their power at a fixed, slightly above-market rate that guaranteed a modest return over the long term. The prices were supposed to balance out the hidden costs of conventional power, from pollution to decades of coal subsidies.

Investors began to approach solar and wind power as long-term investments, knowing there was a guaranteed future for renewable energy and a commitment to connecting it to the grid. Paperwork for renewables was streamlined—a big move in bureaucracy-loving Germany. The country invested billions in renewables research in the 1990s, and German reunification meant lots of money for energy development projects in the former East.

Now German companies lead the world in solar research and technology. The handful of companies that make inverters, the devices that reverse the flow of electricity and feed power from rooftop solar panels back into national grids, are almost all German. On a sunny day last May, Germany produced 22 gigawatts of energy from the sun—half of the world's total and the equivalent of 20 nuclear power plants.

The "feed-in" laws and subsidies pushed innovation to the point where solar panels are cheap enough to compete on the open market in Germany and elsewhere. The price for solar panels has fallen 66 percent since 2006, and the cost of solar-generated power may be competitive with coal in a few years, according to a study by UBS. Already, solar projects are thriving in places like India and Italy despite a lack of government subsidies or support, and a recent Deutsche Bank report predicted "grid parity" in Bavaria by next year.

You might think Germany would be smug about all its solar success. But, as usual, folks here are full of doubts. Part of the reason solar panels are getting cheaper is competition from China, which is threatening to push more expensive German producers out of business. Last year, German conservatives tried to end solar subsidies entirely, arguing that plummeting prices were encouraging too many people to install solar panels. They said that the subsidies come at the expense of city dwellers without solar-ready roofs, low-income electricity consumers, and investments in other forms of renewable energy. Even environmentalists have begun to grumble about the solar boom, which sucks up half of Germany's funding for renewables but provides just 20 percent of green power.

The proliferation of privately owned solar has large power companies in Germany worried. For two decades, they've been forced to facilitate and finance their competition, helping turn customers into producers. Soon, rooftop solar and other small-scale, locally owned renewables could upset the market for coal and nuclear power.

Here's why that's a problem: Renewable energy sources like wind and solar generate power intermittently, dependent on the sun or fickle breezes. Until researchers can find a way to store energy at a large scale, coal and nuclear plants—which can't simply be switched on and off at will—must be kept running to guarantee a steady stream of electricity when the sun isn't shining.

That means overproduction of power during daylight hours, as the country's ample solar energy floods onto the grid along with electricity produced by power plants. Power companies traditionally charge more during the day, when offices are full and manufacturing plants are in full swing, so the glut of daytime solar power reduces their profit. The proliferation of solar panels on homes also takes high-margin residential customers off the grid at peak hours. And the energy surplus has driven prices for traditional coal and nuclear power down, even as renewables are still guaranteed more-than-competitive rates. As power companies try to pass the costs to consumers in the form of higher bills, that just encourages more people to put solar panels on their roofs.

Already, Germany's power companies are closing power plants and scrapping plans for new ones. Germany had a national freak-out after the Fukushima disaster and decided to abolish nuclear power by 2023. Meanwhile, energy prices continue to sink, and solar installation continues to grow. By decentralizing power generation, the renewables boom could do to the power industry what the Internet did to the media: Put power in the hands of the little guy, and force power companies to rethink how they do business. As soon as the sun comes out, that is.

San Diego's New Green Leaders: The Road to 100% Renewables

Save The Date....May 7th, 2013! Green Experts Academy agenda and more information coming soon. Join Green Experts Academy on Facebook and get the latest updates on our stellar forums and programs. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Experts-Academy/189520337790638?ref=hl

Our Venue Host: Cricket Communications, Inc. San Diego, California

CAN SAN DIEGO GROW AMERICA’S FINEST GREEN REGION OVER THE NEXT DECADE? (Mayor Filner)

Bob Filner's Moonshot?

Moonshot for Green Job Creation Within Reach of New San Diego Leaders, Community (East County Magazine Op-Ed)

By Kathleen Connell

December 8, 2012 (San Diego)--As the post-election celebrations end and 2013 approaches, new leaders have been elected in San Diego in what many consider a historic moment in the region. At the same time, San Diegans, the nation, and the globe are struggling to come out of a recession so deep, it is often referred to as the second Great Depression. Meanwhile profound challenges - climate change and Hurricane Sandy - have swept through the East Coast and the consciousness of Americans as Sandy pushed the detritus of climate denial aside in its terrible force, damage and cost. 

Climate is being driven to alarming new thresholds that will impact San Diego. Treehugger reports, “Let there be no doubt that the poles are melting more quickly now than they have in the past: New researchsupported by NASA and the European Space Agency shows that the combined rate of melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica is increasing, with melting happening now at three times the rate it did in the 1990s.”

This era is not unlike a previous moment in our history when a new President, John F. Kennedy, took office on the heels of a recession and a seemingly overwhelming threat from the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik. Kennedy needed to both re-grow America’s economy and deal with a looming challenge that no one had ever faced before. His response was audacious. Kennedy directed government and called upon America to land a human on the moon and to do so in 10 years.  NASA was funded, a generation was inspired by space exploration, and many sought science and engineering degrees.  Only the Panama Canal and the wartime Manhattan Project were equivalent in scope to the new endeavor that succeeded as The Apollo Program. The deadline was met in 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the moon.

Leadership, a bold plan, an engaged innovative community, a need and intention to create jobs and a deadline may again work on the local level in San Diego, where new Green leaders have taken the reigns at the city, county, state and national levels. Mayor Bob Filner, City Council President Todd Gloria, County Supervisor Dave Roberts, Congressional representatives Susan Davis and Scott Peters are all in office. In addition, California, with the launch of cap and trade, Governor Jerry Brown, and President Obama are all pushing the envelope in search of increasing sustainable job creation and climate policy.

This alignment of elected sustainability-friendly leaders is supported by a new constituency of environmental activists, a robust cleantech and environmental non-profit sector. The potential it brings to usher in a new era in the San Diego/Tijuana region is indeed historic. Today’s Sputnik equivalent is climate change, drought, and sea level rise, all of which are high-risk realities in the present and near term in our region. And, it’s not just a partisan moment, either. In the 2012 election cycle, many Republican candidates stepped up to tout their green credentials, and are leading different initiatives in the region.  As newly elected GovernorJay Inslee (D-WA), co-author of “Apollo’s Fire” says: “Clean energy is the best engine for job creation.”

What will be needed to drive up new Green jobs are an Apollo style vision and plan, and collaboration, plus transparency and the ability to engage the community in a participatory way.  Here are 10 lessons from the first Moonshot that can guide San Diego to global leadership in green job creation:

   

1) Establish a bold vision.

 Mayor Filner has already committed to creating an office in Tijuana, signaling a new era of international and cross-border collaboration.  Greening our region in 10 years, and using the resources on both sides of the border, is a game-changing perspective and a challenging goal, which will marshal resources and in turn create jobs both north and south of the I-8 and into the Tijuana region. What is not sustainable is Greening San Diego, but allowing Tijuana to flounder.

   2)   Set a time frame for the implementation of big policy goals.

Study after study has shown that Green policy (like AB 32) encourages investment and attracts clean and green companies and innovators. Converting the region by enabling solar on every roof, growing 1,000 new cleantech companies and hardening our coasts against sea level rise within 10 years will drive job creation. Likewise, aggressively implementing state programs like Cap and Trade, and PACE lets Sacramento know San Diego is a reliable player and wants a role in leading the state in sustainability and job creation.

3) Take a Systems-of-Systems approach.

Bold goals and massive transformations require big plans, and the engagement of everyone. Just as Mayor Filner has called for bringing the neighborhoods to the policy table, neighborhood leaders and community members can help marshal neighborhood resources and engagement.  Managers and officials across jurisdictions and the agencies they fund or direct must also be brought together to work on their piece of the regional goals set in place.

4)   Grow jobs across locales.

North, South, and East County should all benefit from green jobs’ Apollo-like effort in San Diego.  County Supervisor Dave Roberts recently tweeted that he would like to create a broad coalition to install hundreds of megawatts of solar in the region. A coalition that cuts across stovepipes and turf will both innovate and succeed.

5)   Invite the world to participate in San Diego’s Green transformation. 

Just as JFK let the globe know that NASA would be tasked to put people on the moon, San Diego can openly step forward and invite other cities and counties to convene here for a global summit of local leaders on sustainability and the green economy. Such an event at our own convention center can establish our national leadership and create a space for dialogue and exchange of best practices.

The general public can be engaged too, particularly as the Balboa Park centennial approaches. This author talked with Mayor Sanders’ office about an annual tourism expo, which is envisioned as the Paris Air Show of Greendom. This builds on our core tourism industry, and further enhances the San Diego America’s Finest Green Regional brand.

6)   Use national resources, and borrow international best practices.

San Diego has many of the resources needed for success in this endeavor, but what is missing is a national laboratory. Our Congressional delegation can opt to create a campaign to bring a Department of Energy (DOE) lab to the region. An alternative is to create a sustainability campus, which houses nodes from DOE, NASA, Department of Transportation (DOT) and other Federal agencies and outposts from out-of-state research entities like MIT.  These nodes can in turn help create more R&D in the region, as well as spin out clean and green companies. In turn, investors like to locate where the innovation occurs, creating a virtuous cycle of locally-grown job creation and entrepreneurship.

7)   Green the public commons.

During the campaign, Mayor Filner committed to putting solar on public buildings. San Diego City Council leader Todd Gloria has made a commitment to infrastructure investments. Clearly, sustainable materials and best practices should be required in new infrastructure projects.

8)   Be self-sufficient, and live off the land.

NASA’s spacecraft, out of necessity, had to be self-sufficient in terms of water, food, air, and energy in order to operate in space for long duration missions. San Diego can follow the same principle and infill urban vertical gardens and intensify the quest to recycle water, so that we can self sufficiently use less resources and manage growth based on realistic available reservoirs of life-supporting materials and transit.

9)   Use solar, not dirty or dangerous energy.

Movements to quash proposed gas plants, and shutter San Onofre are well underway and have gained community support, which will not go away. Soiling our own energy pathways with dirty and dangerous energy no longer makes sense in the 21^st century, as climate change accelerates. Other countries, like Germany, are swapping nuclear energy for solar, and we must compete or be left behind.

10)  Likewise, as East County Magazine has reported.

Hasty installation of wind turbines in certain East County locations is causing health and quality of life issues. While wind energy might be appropriate in other locations, the current ones need review and re-siting if the negative impacts are too onerous.

Finally, to sustain life in paradise, follow the water and open competition to community choice aggregation. Mayor Filner has talked about a fusion economy of Green and Blue technologies into a new “Aqua Economy” for San Diego. Initial assessments done by this author and colleagues show a strong interest by major players in the idea of new marine-based sustainability initiatives and technologies.

Also, the proposed San Diego Energy District allows utility customers to choose renewable energy. Newly elected officials should do everything they can to support community choice and competition.

Where will the money come from?  Public investment that supports public policy is needed.  Mayor Filner may have shown one way to fund a bold refashioning of our economy while he served in Congress. Then Congressman Filner and his colleagues proposed the Clean Energy Victory Bonds Act of  2012. A comparable San Diego Clean Energy Victory Bond would allow investors to choose San Diego bonds, which are less risky that other municipal offerings where dirty energy is in the economic base.

A comprehensive green economy initiative, as outlined above, is one in which San Diego can be proud.  After all, in addition to all the benefits to our planet, region, and City, a green job is dignified work with both meaning and a paycheck, just as going to the moon created prosperity and inspired a generation. Ultimately, San Diego could emerge as an international sustainability player with all the benefits that would come to our region for generations to come.
-----------

Kathleen Connell, a former NASA executive, is a contributor to East County Magazine, and is a green economy educator, entrepreneur and public policy expert.

Bob Filner, Scott Peters, Dave Roberts, Other Candidates Speak On San Diego Green Policy. October 4th, 2012

San Diego Candidates Green Policy Forum 2012 gathers candidates for local, state, and national office on October 4th, 2012, to hear their positions on strategic issues in Green policy. Join Mayoral Candidate Bob Filner, Congressional candidate Scott Peters, County Supervisor candidate Dave Roberts, State Assembly candidates Dr. Shirley Weber, RJ Hernandez and Pat Hurley. Reserve your seat now for October 4th, and be a part of a dynamic night of civic discussion on the sustainable and economic  future of San Diego. $20 ticket includes meal, beverages, easy parking and proceedings Cricket Communications, Inc is our Venue Sponsor. Additional candidates will be announced as they confirm.  Register now, and please Share or Like. http://sdforum2012.eventbrite.com

August 4, 2012

I am re-posting this story from Climate Progress. Clearly, killing off the Green economy is a top priority for Big Oil supporters. The outcome of this battle will determine the future of civilization, as the stakes are larger than any faced by humanity during our time on the planet. The same goes for the  US economy, as the 

Green economy and renewable energy is the largest growth opportunity of this era. transformation of the energy base is a tremendous job and new venture engine-if we can get the vested carbon interests out of the way. California is leading the way, with the implementation of AB 32. Already, this policy decision has resulted in many hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and over $1 Trillion in new investment in the Golden State.

- Kathleen  Connell 

_________________

Can Clean Energy Strike Back Against The Growing Smear Campaign?

By Stephen Lacey on Aug 3, 2012 at 3:33 pm

There has been a noticeable shift within the clean energy industry over the last few months as the election season brings a fresh round of attacks.

From 2005 to 2008, advocates racked up an impressive array of policy support on the local and state levels due to strong bipartisan support. Many people believed that local momentum would carry forward on the national level and provide the catalyst for a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill after President Obama came into office in 2009.

Of course, it wasn’t enough. And the defeat of the climate bill in 2010 marked the beginning of an intensifying campaign against renewable energy. Now, with the Republican party using Solyndra as the center of its messaging strategy, that campaign has become a central theme of the 2012 election.

Renewable energy groups have come to grips with this reality and are adapting their messaging strategies accordingly. Consider this recent email, sent by Adam Browning of the Vote Solar Initiative, on the industry’s need to counter disinformation:

When people ask: What keeps you up at night? I tell them this: There’s an unholy amount of money being spent to attack renewables right now — an unprecedented blitz of solar slander, renewable-mongering and clean energy kvetching that could set policy efforts back decades.
Consider: Of the negative advertising in April of this this election cycle, 81% have targeted renewable energy for attack.  And when you factor that this presidential election is shaping up to be the most expensive in history, with experts estimating spending in the range of $6 billion dollars, well, we got trouble.

Since its founding, The Vote Solar Initiative has been all about helping states and municipalities understand the value of solar. They’ve had to deal with their fair share of misinformation over the years, but they’ve made extraordinarily impressive bipartisan progress on getting better regulatory standards and support mechanisms for solar in place.

But today, with organizations like Americans for Tax Reform, the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Manhattan Institute, and a growing army of Agenda 21 conspiracy theorists (supported by the Republican National Committee) all working to rhetorically smear renewables or take them down on the local level, a lot more people are waking up to the threat.

For sure, groups like Vote Solar want to maintain their non-partisan stance. They’ve worked in the bluest of the blue states and the reddest of the red states, communicating with regulators, policymakers and business owners about the benefits of solar. But they recognize that the political hits are going to pile up against them this election season. That’s a fact.

Consider these trends:

• American Energy Alliance, Americans for Prosperity, American Future Fund, and Crossroads GPS – the top outside interest group spenders – have spent a total $24.9 million on deceptive ads, many of them energy-related, the Annenberg Public Policy Center found.
• The Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity has devoted more than 90 percent of its ad spending to energy ads. Two of these ads pushed the patently false claim, roundly rejected by fact-checkers, regarding clean energy jobs. Politico just reported the Koch-backed organizations plan to spend $400 million ahead of the 2012 election, with a large amount of that money likely going toward energy issues.
• 85 percent of the dollars spent on presidential ads by four top-spending third-party groups were for ads with at least one claim ruled deceptive by fact-checkers.
• One in four of the dollars spent on TV ads has funded mostly false advertising mentioning energy. This equals the amount of spending on health care ads, according to Kantar Media.

In other words, hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent — virtually overnight — on straight-up lies designed to unravel the last decade of progress in renewable energy.

And just yesterday, the Sierra club issued a report detailing the flow of money from fossil fuel interests to organizations and individuals engaging in the campaign to take down renewable energy. The report outlines most of what we’ve been reporting on this website for the last year, but it’s a solid comprehensive overview of the players involved.

The report outlines political donations, industry dollars funding anti-renewable think tanks, and the relationship between local and national groups.

It’s still unclear how finely coordinated many of the current attacks are, particularly between local and national groups. However, it’s perfectly clear that organizations opposed to renewable energy — either for short-term political gain or long-term business reasons — are funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into the current smear campaign against the industry. There’s no refuting that it’s underway and it’s intensifying.

The Sierra Club summed up the attacks this way:

It is a testament to the success and rapid growth of clean-energy resources that they are now regarded as enough of a threat to draw fire from some of the largest, most powerful corporations on the planet. But with this rising status, there comes a heightened degree of difficulty that the renewable and efficiency companies — as well as advocates for their products as an environmental solution — must both recognize and contend with. The Koch brothers, Exxon Mobil, Peabody Energy, and others are playing for keeps. They have unlimited resources and we have documented that they are committing them to undermining clean energy. We clearly face a dog-eat-dog environment and must respond with as much vigor and aggressiveness as those who would see wind, solar, geothermal, and other technologies fade into the sunset — a product of a brief period in American economic history when the competitive environment was a friendly place for clean energy.
Ambitious efforts to change the political landscape to fit a certain set of interests are very unlikely to happen on a shoestring. Most of the activities described in this report have not taken place overnight, nor have they happened by accident. Hours of work and dedicated individuals have collaborated to build a meaningful opposition to renewable energy, whether through the previously discussed “think tanks,” “citizens groups,” or political contributions. These efforts have also required a significant amount of funding.

In order to combat this disinformation, many of the clean energy industry groups have banded together to create an Energy Fact Check website. It’s a great resource for keeping up with the growing list of deceptive or completely nonfactual claims. Unfortunately, it can’t match the Kochs, who can easily raise and spend $400 million in a few months.

But what’s potentially more valuable than money? Local businesses, entrepreneurs, and advocates sticking up for their industry. Look at what happened in New Jersey where Republican Governor Chris Christie — a man loved by the Kochs — expanded the state’s solar industry because it has been such an economic boost for small businesses. That happened because the New Jersey solar industry, along with the local utilities, were able to communicate the benefits of the technology. Local pragmatism beat out national politics.

In the medium and long-term, we know renewables, efficiency, and conservation will win the day — the need for distributed, low-carbon resources is far too environmentally and economically important. But that win isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to take some equally powerful push back from folks on the local level to counter the national smear campaign.

____________________

Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

I am cross-posting this important new Rolling Stone story by Bill McKibben. The case for the Green Economy grows ever more urgent, based on the new math of global warming.

By Bill McKibben

July 19, 2012 9:35 AM ET

If the pictures of those towering wildfires in Colorado haven't convinced you, or the size of your AC bill this summer, here are some hard numbers about climate change: June broke or tied 3,215 high-temperature records across the United States. That followed the warmest May on record for the Northern Hemisphere – the 327th consecutive month in which the temperature of the entire globe exceeded the 20th-century average, the odds of which occurring by simple chance were 3.7 x 10-99, a number considerably larger than the number of stars in the universe.
Meteorologists reported that this spring was the warmest ever recorded for our nation – in fact, it crushed the old record by so much that it represented the "largest temperature departure from average of any season on record." The same week, Saudi authorities reported that it had rained in Mecca despite a temperature of 109 degrees, the hottest downpour in the planet's history.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719#ixzz21ByZVfDv

Lori Saldaña Gets It: Good Jobs, Tech Jobs, Green Jobs

April 10, 2012
by Hon. Col. Kathleen Connell
San Diego, California
Past is often prelude in politics. Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, congressional candidate, has a career track record of creating, managing, teaching and providing San Diego with the best jobs available. See her website here to learn more about her jobs, high tech, and Green economy accomplishments. Lori has distinguished herself as a California Assemblywoman, career workforce development leader, and veteran's advocate. 


I spent many years living in or flying in and out of Washington DC. I worked with elected officials in Congress, in the nation's state houses, federal agencies and state economic organizations.  I often worked on high tech, economic development and education policy initiatives. From my experiences being on the ground in job creation efforts, I believe it is important to have a seasoned hand like Saldaña at the nation's job rudder right now. 


This is an era of unparalleled change for humanity, as we transition from a carbon-based economy to clean energy. America's roads and bridges are old now, and require refurbishment. Our energy grid is obsolete. Renewing America's entire infrastructure is an effort akin to the World War II national mobilization, only much, much bigger. It is a job that the private sector can and will be an integral part of. But infrastructure is the role of government, as government retires the risk with public investment, paving the way for further private sector investments. 


The lingering Great Recession and complicated economic recovery period, is no time to elect folks with steep learning curves. I know we need fresh, but wise leaders-already familiar regarding the intricacies of job creation and  deliberation-in the US Congress. Lori already has that experience, as her terms in the California Assembly are a natural stepping-off point for work in the  US House of Representatives. 


 California is, after all, like a nation. The World Bank states California is the 8th largest economy in the entire globe, despite the recession.  She was, effectively, a key decision maker and manager of the California economy during her years in the Assembly. As Speaker pro Tempore, her responsibilities of leadership grew during her tenure. Achieving this post says her peers believed she could lead, on both sides of the aisle. 

                                          Image: Saldaña Swearing In As Speaker pro Tem.
                                          East County Magazine


 In contrast, having had his turn at the wheel in Washington, incumbent candidate Brian Bilbray has demonstrated he is not quite up to this historic task of job creation and support for working people, including women. Bilbray's record on jobs, clean energy,  unemployment and small business-where the private sector new jobs are created- is a record of obstructionism. Common sense bills, that would have passed muster in the Reagan years got a "no" vote from Brian Bilbray. Brian voted with the right wing majority in the House. Falling in line will have it's rewards, when undisclosed campaign funds come his way in this election to bombard the media and web. 


It is important to look at the legislative records of our candidates, above all. What are the outcomes of bills in Congress?  Despite his affable demeanor, Bilbray's record is not so compassionate, or constructive.  Consider his record:


According to the non-partisan independent watch dog group OpenCongress.org, job bills Bilbray has opposed in recent years include:
-The American Jobs Act
-Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
-The Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act
-The American Clean Energy and Security Act
-The Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act


Crisis Equals Opportunity


Further, if crisis equals opportunity, an opportunity for job creation is unfolding as a crisis in San Diego right now. As the campaign in the newly drawn 52nd congressional district heats up, so did the nearby San Onofre nuclear plant in northern San Diego.  Radiation does not respect congressional district lines, and a failure there would be regionally catastrophic. Today this aging plant sits in darkness, as an investigation goes forward. The  problems and radiation leak potential are connected to redesigns done in secret, without the knowledge of federal regulators. Many San Diegans want San Onofre to stay closed, and to switch to Green energy and a Green job explosion instead on a nuclear one. It is a question of political will, in my view.

 We don't know the fate of San Onofre, but the opportunity to flood our energy base with renewable energy, a smart grid, and repairs of our aging infrastructure is here. In fact, it is a must. A new underclass of the permanently unemployed are in deep need of quality jobs. Returning veterans are coming home to a fragile, but promising, economic recovery. Saldaña notes that: "With growing concerns over safety at the San Onofre Nuclear Generation facility in San Diego County, it's becoming more clear: Americans need a safe, clean and modern power grid.
We have the technology and people to do this- but we need to invest in our infrastructure."


 Why does all this matter in the long run? America and San Diego can't compete in the global economy with crumbling roads, bridges, schools, Fukushima-like unsafe nuclear power plants, and a carbon-based energy infrastructure. We need new infrastructure, and Green, smart, high tech jobs. That is the hallmark of a 21st century city and country. 


Lori gets that. She always has. Lori Saldaña has spent a lifetime preparing and leading on jobs and economy issues. Her leadership is proven. No one can take that away from her in this hard fought congressional contest. Yes, experience matters. Now, more than ever, as we try to turn crisis into opportunity, we need the people-centered leadership of Lori Saldaña as our representative in Washington. 

GreenBlue San Diego, April 5. Green Leaders Brief: Oceans, Water, Careers, Green Economy, Climate Seminar

Earth is The Blue Planet! The sustainable water, ocean economy and career arenas are growing fast in San Diego, and our GreenBlue Leaders are navigating the way forward. Leader Briefings:  San Diego Council Member Sherri Lightner: "San Diegos' Comprehensive Water Policy and Our Economy".  San Diego Port Commissioner Lee Burdick: "The New Climate Action Plan of The Port, Our Economy and The Future of The Working Waterfront".  Carl Nettleton Founder, Open Oceans Global: Our Oceans Health, The Economy and The Future.  Water and ocean careers expert Wendy Evers, Senior Director of Program Development, San Diego State University College of Extended Studies: "The Next Wave of Water Careers, The Water Economy, and Continuing Education".  Dr. Oscar Romo, UN Delegate and Tijuana Estuary Watershed Coordinator for the State of California: Oceans, Water and Sustainability...and the Border Economy".  Tim Ostrowski, VP, Business Development, Cricket Communications, Inc. and Executive Sponsor, Cricket Green Team.  Hon. Col. Kathleen Connell, Former NASA Senior Executive/Senior Scientist, Policy Director, Congressional Advisor, and Green Experts Academy Founder, at the helm. Also welcoming Erin Martin, Associate Director, Marketing, Green Experts Academy.

This event is appropriate for Green experts, career seekers,  ocean lovers and anyone who is concerned about water, conservation, climate and the economy in San Diego. Join us for Earth Month!

Tickets:  Advance ticket discount price is $20 + $2.09 Eventbrite fee.  Includes food, and free parking.  Tickets are $30 (cash only) at the door, the day of the event, April 5th, 2012.  Registration starts at 5:30pm, The program begins at 5:50pm SHARP, and ends at 9:15pm.  Register now at http://greenbluesd.eventbrite.com

Please support our Venue Partner and Host Cricket Communications, Inc. 

Celebrate April, Earth Month, With Us!

Hon. Col. Kathleen Connell, M.A

Founder,  Green Experts Academy 

Discover I Engage I Transform

From our media release:

(San Diego, March 19, 2012) "GreenBlue San Diego" kicks off Earth Month in San Diego, on April 5th, 2012, in honor of the Blue Planet, Earth. A distinguished group of regional Green leaders will brief on the next wave in the renewable sector, the sustainable oceans and water economy. Career experts will also discuss the growth of careers and job paths in this new and expanding area of the economy. Climate change is occurring, and the oceans are key to our lives and the future of the Blue Planet, Earth.

GreenBlue San Diego is presented by Green Experts Academy, produced by Hon. Col. Kathleen Connell.  Kathleen is the Founder of Green Experts Academy, Principal of the Connell Whittaker Group LLC, and a former senior NASA executive.  She was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal and during her career has been the Aerospace States Association Policy Director, and an Associate Director and Senior Scientist at Universities Space Research Association. She also served as the Congressional Advisor to the Director of Space Life Sciences at NASA Headquarters.  Kathleen is one of the pioneering founders of the science of astrobiology, an earth, life and space sciences discipline, which seeks to understand the origin, nature and distribution of life in the universe and on earth.

GreenBlue San Diego is one of a continuing series of cutting-edge briefings for Green professionals and career seekers. The event is held at Cricket Communications Inc., in their LEED-certified headquarters. All event information and registration is available at http://greenbluesd.eventbrite.com

Green Experts Academy Leader Briefings Include:

• San Diego Council Member Sherri Lightner  

• San Diego Port Commissioner Lee Burdick

• Dr. Carl Nettleton Founder, Open Oceans Global 

• Water and ocean careers expert Wendy Evers, Senior Director of Program Development, San Diego State University College of Extended Studies. 

•  Dr. Oscar Romo, UN Delegate and Tijuana Estuary Watershed Coordinator for the State of California. 

 • Mr. Tim Ostrowski, VP, Business Development, Cricket Communications, Inc. and Executive Sponsor, Cricket Green Team.  

•  Hon. Col. Kathleen Connell, Former NASA Senior Executive/Senior Scientist, Policy Director, Congressional Advisor, and Green Experts Academy Founder, at the helm.

•  BlueGreen San Diego Also welcomes Erin Martin, Associate Director, Marketing, Green Experts Academy.

Green Experts Academy leader Kathleen Connell states:

“ Our planet, our human economy, and our spiritual lives are sustained by the great unknown wilderness that is the ocean, along with water and the precious coasts. At the same time, Southern California needs sustainable sources of potable water, and increased water management in an era of climate change. Our invited experts are leading in this all-important arena.

San Diegans love the ocean, and we are a world destination for our beautiful beaches. It is time to understand and grow a sustainable water and ocean economy that serves all, and conserves our seas and waterways.  And companion species.  Coming out of the recession, many folks would like a career doing just that. As social entrepreneurs at Green Experts Academy, we are exploring the next frontier of marine opportunities on April 5.   BlueGreen San Diego, is designed as a tribute to Earth Month and, as a service to the community. “  

See More Information about Speakers and Topics Below: 

            Water is the new oil. Get ahead of the sustainability economy and career curve,  with exciting overviews of this crucial and fast growing Green economy sector!

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Please Support our Media Partner Cali Bamboo Building Materials 

Cali Bamboo Building Materials was formed in 2004. It was founded and is run by people who love the outdoors and share the commitment to protect it. Cali Bamboo currently donates 1% of its revenue to various environmental organizations and will only sell products that are sustainable and do not impact the planet negatively.

The Mission

"Cali Bamboo's mission is to promote the use of bamboo as a new material for everyday products. It is our hope, that by providing alternative products made from renewable resources, we can make a difference in the future of our planet."

Learn more at http://www.calibamboo. com

     

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Discover The Future and Engage With Our GreenBlue Leaders

Carl Nettleton

"Our Oceans Health, Our Economy, and The
Future" 

Carl is the  founder of OpenOceans Global, the past president of the National Coalition for Marine Conservation – Pacific Region and the former founding executive director of the San Diego Oceans Foundation. In those positions he energetically worked with government agencies, educational organizations, and ocean interests to develop collaborations and consensus to resolve ocean issues. He operates Nettleton Strategies LLC, a consulting firm specializing in resolving complex public policy and business issues. 

About Open Oceans Global

Open Oceans Global envisions a marine community aligned to help the people of the world visualize and understand ocean processes for the purpose of protecting, restoring and maintaining the ocean's environomental value and fully documenting the ocean's relationship to the changes in the worlds climate. 

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More Sponsors and Partners! Please support these progressive companies...and THANK YOU FOR YOUR Support, Sponsors and Partners! 

White Construction, Inc - General Building Contractor in San Diego

White Construction is a full-service general contractor located in North County San Diego, specializing in tenant improvements. Since our inception in 1983 we have built over 3,000 commercial projects throughout Southern California.

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San Diego City Council Member, Honorable Sherri Lightner

"San Diego's Comprehensive Water Policy and Our Economy"

Since taking office in 2008, Councilmember Sherri Lightner has served the communities of District 1, balancing fiscal responsibility with preserving public safety and neighborhood services. Sherri has quickly become known on the Council for her independence from special interests, her knowledge of City issues and policies, and her willingness to ask tough, intelligent questions in fighting for San Diego taxpayers.

She has brought the neighborhood's voice to City Hall and has responded to the community's needs by providing excellent constituent services, ranging from repaving 22 miles of District 1 streets to helping University City residents to recover from the jet crash, securing funding to bring senior transportation to Carmel Valley, implementing a Community Canyon Fire Watch Program in Rancho Peñasquitos, and organizing the new La Jolla Village Merchants Association.

Prior to her election to the City Council, Sherri was a tireless and effective community volunteer and leader, serving on multiple community planning organizations and committees. She has served as President of both the La Jolla Town Council and La Jolla Shores Association, and as Secretary of the La Jolla Community Planning Association.

Through her work in the community, Sherri has become an expert in the planning and development process, which she currently applies to her role as Chair of the Council Committee on Land Use and Housing, where she is working to streamline regulations for community gardens, address homelessness, and provide incentives for sustainable building.

In addition, Sherri has demonstrated her strong commitment to preserving our coastal and canyon environments, creating a sustainable future through her work on the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve Task Force and San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority, and developing a comprehensive water policy for the City of San Diego.

Sherri was born in Western Pennsylvania but moved with her family to San Diego while in grade school. After attending public school in San Diego, she graduated from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), first with a B.A. in both Mathematics and Sociology and later with an M.S. in Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences. She is a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer.

Sherri worked in private industry for 23 years, including 18 years at General Atomics and 5 years at Rohr Industries. After "retiring" from the engineering profession 13 years ago, she formed a small consulting business with her husband, Bruce. Sherri and Bruce have owned and lived in the same home in Council District 1 (in La Jolla Shores) for over 19 years where they raised their family. Before moving to La Jolla, the Lightners were homeowners and residents of Scripps Ranch for 17 years.

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                Thanks to Lifework/ our Green T-shirt Print company.    

Going green has never looked so good...

Earth-friendly T-Shirt Options: In addition to our standard options, we also offer (& advocate) one of the industry’s largest variety of earth-friendly apparel selections (because ‘green’ doesn’t have to mean boring) made using organic cotton, recycled polyester, bamboo, hemp, & custom blends… Even tees made from Coke bottles!

                                            _____________________________________      

   

 Wendy Evers, Senior Director, San Diego State Unversity College of Continuing Studies

"The Next Wave of Water Careers, The Water Economy in San Diego, and Continuing Education"

Wendy Evers job focus is to look at the larger "30,000 foot level" in forecasting new and emerging industries in San Diego and across the country. She creates new industry programs for careers based on business and workforce needs. Currently she is developing professional certificates in the Green Industry for the future green job force. She has developed four Professional Certificates in Green Building Construction, Residential and Commercial Sustainable Practices, Green Energy Management, and the Green Home Performance Contractor with BPI Certification. She has also written and received ARRA Stimulus grant funds for "education to career" programs in Green and Allied Healthcare, and developed educational franchise partnerships with multiple businesses and with Universities across the U.S. Accomplishments include: past-president of North County Personnel Association (NCPA), a member of SHRM, and serving on the WIB and WAC council for San Diego Workforce Partnership.

Wendy and her team have just launched a water careers program, after extensive research on the sector. She will discuss their findings and reccommend strategties and career paths, and internships that are growing fast!

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Commissioner Lee Burdick, Port of San Diego 

"The New Climate Action Plan of the Port, The Economy, and the Future of the Working Waterfront in San Diego"

San Diego Magazine declared Lee is one of the "50 People to Watch" in San Diego.  

Lee Burdick was appointed on June 8, 2009 by the San Diego City Council to represent the city on the Board of Port Commissioners. Commissioner Burdick served as director of government affairs and general counsel for Jimsair Aviation Services. Active in civic affairs, she currently serves as the Executive Director of the California Health Care Coalition. She has served on the board of directors for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, was chair of the Chamber of Commerce Working Group on the City of San Diego General Plan Update, chair of the Chamber of Commerce Legal Committee and chair of the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee. She is a past member of the National Aviation Transportation Association Airports Committee, the board of directors and chair of Program Committee for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and is a current member of the working group on the County of San Diego's General Plan Update.

 

 

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Oscar Romo, United Nations Diplomat; Professor UCSD,  Government Advisor

Watershed Coordinator, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve 

"Ocean, Rivers, Water, Sustainability... and the 21st Century Border Economy"

The California College of the Arts states about Dr. Romo:

"The integrity of the Tijuana River Estuary and its associated ecosystems in Imperial Beach, California, has been threatened for decades by uncontrolled loads of trash, waste-water, and sediment flows from unplanned and recurring illegal acts of urbanization in the coastal canyons of Tijuana, Mexico. Through scientific research, innovative techniques, and the creation of regional and cross-border policies, Professor Romo has developed revalorization methods to build source control structures and other environmental friendly solutions utilizing trash as the instrument of choice. This system-design approach provides local communities with jobs and otherwise unattainable public services, and prevents negative impacts to these wetlands of international importance."

About Dr. Romo

Oscar Romo, Ph.D., is a former United Nations diplomat and now the watershed coordinator at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and lecturer at the UCSD Urban Studies and Planning Program. Romo serves as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development; participates as a co-chair of the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission Citizens Forum, the U.S. EPA Border 2012 Water Task Force and the Tijuana River Recovery Team Bi-national Task Force.

In Mexico, Romo is a member of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, Baja California Task Force; the City of Tijuana Urban Planning and Ecology SubCommittee; and serves as projects coordinator for the Los Laureles Watershed Council. He is also an advisor to the Baja California State Assemby. On April 2007, Romo was recognized as one of the Environmentalists of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and in 2009 received the Visionary Award from the Urban Land Institute.

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GREENBLUE NEW WAVE SPOTLIGHT: Ms. Erin Martin, Associate Marketing Director, Green Experts Academy 

As a May 2011 graduate from the University of California, Berkeley Erin earned  a B.S. in Society & Environment with a concentration in Global Environmental Politics. Erin’s coursework in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management has provided her with a skill set to analyze and solve environmental problems while integrating multiple perspectives and values from business and government.

While at Cal, Erin garnered green business consulting experience and implemented campus-wide energy efficiency programs. Erin minored in Earth and Planetary science with an emphasis in Marine Science.

Erin’s  environmental passion is caring for our oceans and working to help solve water and marine issues. She is actively pursuing a career that will enable her to protect the world's coasts and oceans by practicing environmental law, managing coastal marine resources, engaging in public policy, and advising busness in the water and ocean domain.

Since graduating, Erin has engaged in the green business and environmental sector in San Diego. She worked for the US Green Chamber of Commerce as their Green Certification Program Manager to develop a sustainability standards certification program for its members. Erin also attended her first Green Experts Academy in November of 2011 and found the Green Experts Mission to be inspiring and their content to be invaluable for anyone involved in the green economy. She became the Associate Director of Marketing and helped organize the Green Experts Academy's Public Policy, Green Jobs and the Green Economy San Diego event in January 2012. She is ecstatic to be making The Green Expert Academy's dream of hosting an event dedicated entirely to the water and ocean economy a reality!