MissionToHumanity.com

California Green Economy Doubled Performance of Total Economy in Recession

2012-02-08T10:47:00.001-08:00

As I and others have been saying, based on studies and our own observations in the Green sector.

Cross-post from
http://www.climateprogress.org

Recession Resilience: California’s Green Economy Doubled Performance of Total Economy During Downturn
By Stephen Lacey on Feb 8, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Job creation in California’s clean energy/materials manufacturing sector increased by 53% from 1995 to 2010

When times get tough, companies often fall back on an old familiar phrase: “we just need to do more with less.” That usually applies to human resources. But it’s equally important with natural resources.
As it turns out, “green” companies in California that do more with fewer natural resources fared much better than companies in other sectors during the worst of America’s economic troubles — more than doubling the performance of the broader economy.
A new report from the non-partisan environmental think tank Next 10 shows that between 2009 and 2010, the “core green economy” in California — comprised of companies that provide products or services to cut natural resource use, re-purpose waste, and reduce global warming pollution — experienced half the number of job losses seen in the state’s broader economy.
Between January of 2009 and January of 2010, California’s economy shed 7% of jobs; however, the green economy saw only a 3% reduction in jobs. And from 1995 to 2010, the green economy in the state grew by 53% — far outpacing the 12% growth in the rest of the economy during that period of time.
California’s Core Green Economy shows signs of greater resilience than the economy as a whole. Over the past 16 years, its growth has outpaced the economy as a whole by more than a factor of four, and percentage losses are half those of the state’s total employment.
Despite these losses, some segments posted employment gains in the most recent observable period (January 2009 to 2010). Employment in Energy Infrastructure increased 14 percent, Advanced Materials expanded by four percent while Clean Transportation and Energy Generation grew by one percent each. Across the value chain, Manufacturing jobs in the Core Green Economy expanded by one percent from January 2009 to 2010, the only value chain segment to do so.
The big story was job creation in the clean energy/materials manufacturing sector, which increased by 53% from 1995 to 2010 while jobs in the rest of the manufacturing sector dropped by 18%. And as the report authors note above, even though companies saw a substantial slowdown due to the economic crisis between 2009 and 2010, employment in green manufacturing saw a slight increase in employment of one percent.
These figures echo those in a recent report from the Brookings Institution showing that clean energy jobs nationwide expanded by 8.3% per year from 2003 to 2010, with the rest of the “clean economy” (a broader definition including public transit, recycling and next-generation materials) growing 8.3% during the height of the recession between 2008 and 2009.

Next Week, January 31: San Diego Green Policy Leaders Present Green Economy, Green Jobs and Careers Outlook for 2012

2012-01-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

Register now, for online, advance ticket discount: Green Experts Academy San Diego: Public Policy, Green Jobs and the Green Economy. Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM (PT), San Diego, CA. $20 + $2.09 Eventbrite fee, in advance. $25 at the door. Free appetizers, parking and proceedings. Registration/Full Agenda: http://greenexpertsacademy2012.eventbrite.com

Summary

Lane Sharman, Founder, Solana Energy, takes on the solar rate fee debate with a game-changing new organization. He speaks about:

"Is There a Business Case for a New "San Diego Energy District"?

Hon. Lori Saldana, co-sponsor of AB 32 in the California Assembly, is running for Congress. A sustainability expert by trade, Lori addresses "Perspectives on San Diego's Green Policy, Green Jobs and The Economy: Lessons Learned In The State Assembly. Policy Prospects in Washington D.C... 2012 and Beyond"

Mark Reynolds, Executive Director of the national Citizens Climate Lobby takes global warming on in Washington DC. Mark will report on thier 2011/2012 visits to Congress, and discuss thier climate policy objectives, and impacts on the Green Economy and Green jobs in San Diego and Beyond.

Kathleen Connell and the CWG Group LLC, Founder Green Experts Academy will lead a real-time policy "Greenstorm", and the results will be shared with the Office of the Mayor of San Diego, by special arrangement.

Join us and grow your knowledge, career, network, business, organization, the Green community, and mitigate climate change! Location: Venue Sponsor, Cricket Communications, Inc. (Corporate Headquarters), 5887 Copley Drive, Training Room, 1st Floor, San Diego, 92111

About The Event

The Green Economy is very integrated with public policy, and in many areas, is policy-driven. Our stellar experts will give you breaking information about this arena, as we move into the election year and beyond. Gather timely information and valuable contacts as we grow our Green economy, together. The time to get engaged is now, as destructive and disruptive climate change is moving at an ever faster pace. Please join us. Thank you.

Discover, Engage and Transform!

- Kathleen Connell and The Green Experts Academy, San Diego Team

Thanks to our generous Venue Sponsor, Cricket Communications, and The Cricket Green Team. The event is being held in the new Cricket LEED-certified Headquarters.

AGENDA

5:30-6:00pm: Sign In, Networking, Appetizers

6:00-8:00pm

Part I – Green Public Policy, Green Jobs and Economy Briefings from State, Local & Federal Leaders:

National Outlook: Mark Reyolds, Executive Director, Citizens Climate Lobby

Dr. James Hansen, the renowned NASA climate scientist who first warned Congress of global warming, says of Citizens Climate Lobby:

"Most impressive is the work of the Citizens Climate Lobby, a relatively new, fastgrowing, nonpartisan, nonprofit group with 46 chapters across the United States and Canada. If you want to join the fight to save the planet, to save creation for your grandchildren, there is no more effective step you could take than becoming an active member of this group.”

- Dr. James Hansen, head of Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA

Citizens Climate Lobby will report on their 2011 visits to Congress, and discuss their climate policy objectives, and the impact on the Green Economy and Green Jobs. Founded in the San Diego region, CCL is a national group to watch on the climate policy front.

Mark Reynolds, left, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Bob Filner

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State of California and Federal Policy Perspectives: Honorable Lori Saldana, Former representative, California State Assembly District 76, College Professor, Water Quality Expert, Candidate for Congress in the 52nd District of the San Diego Region.

"Perspectives on San Diego's Green Policy, Green Jobs and The Economy: Lessons Learned In The State Assembly & Policy Prospects in Washington D.C. in 2012 and Beyond"

Lori's accomplishments in sustainability include:

Lori co-authored California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) to reduce CO2 emissions. Her Million solar roofs initiative put thousands to work while improving the environment. She also authored AB 1103, creating thousands of jobs doing building retrofits for energy efficiency.

In addition, Professor Saldana Lori earned her BA and MA from San Diego State University. She became an Information Technology Professor and Dean of Service Learning at Mesa Community College, then an Environmental Policy Research Fellow at UCSD. Lori Chaired the Mayor’s Wetlands Advisory Board, Chaired the San Diego Sierra Club, and was appointed by President Clinton to the Border Cooperation Commission.

Professor Saldana is currently a candidate for Congress in the new 52nd District of the San Diego region.

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Local Issues/Business Solutions: Lane Sharman, Founder, Biozoil International & Managing Partner, Solana Energy. Sharman founded Solana Energy to negotiate the development of solar farms throughout the Southwest and in 2009 Solar Energy became a local equity partner of the Solarpack Development Corporation headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

"Is There a Business Case for a New "San Diego Energy District"? What are the Green Jobs and Economy Implications of this Proposal?"

As a serial, social, renewable energy entrepreneur, Lane Sharman and his team believe that the proposed solar rate fee and other factors call for a new, innovative entity to aggregate, distribute and manage regional energy in San Diego. Is this disruptive innovation that will change the energy playing field? Hear Lane discuss his latest innovative concept, which is creating waves in the San Diego Green energy sector.

_______________________________________________

8:00-9:00pm

Part II & III " Green Public Policy Strategies and "Greenstorm": Brainstorming Workshop

Kathleen Connell, Principal, Connell Whittaker Group LLC, Sustainability expert, Social Entrepreneur, former NASA Public Policy & Program executive/congressional advisor, former Policy Director, Aerospace States Association (Governors and Lt. Governors' group), Founder, Green Experts Academy.

Whether from the community or in the the highest reaches of NASA and government, Kathleen has pursued and executed many successful policy-related initatives during her career. Kathleen is a public policy, strategy, business development, strategic communications & advocacy consultant and educator, in both the sustainability and space/aerospace industries, and a Principal of The Connell Whittaker Group, LLC. She is known for being a thought-leader and innovator throughout her career with NASA and other government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. Her pioneering work in many cutting-edge research- and technology-based organizations has resulted in groundbreaking new programs and billions of dollars of revenue, economic development, grants, financing and benefits to society.

Her deep and long-standing expertise in sustainability policy, research and technology includes pathfinding-work in advanced ecological closed-loop life support systems, earth sciences, multi-disciplinary science and policy, remote sensing, bio-info-nano, renewable energy, agriculture, livable communities, model research parks, virtual organizations, information societies as systems, and economic development. She will share lessons learned from the trenches of constructive policy creation and strategy.

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Kathleen and Green Experts Academy staff will facilitate a first: a discussion and brainstorm on public policies you would like to see implemented in the City of San Diego. Producers have made special arrangements with the Mayor’s Office staff to review the best ideas presented.

This is a rare opportunity to be heard directly on Green public policy by decision makers. Bring your most innovative and feasible ideas, or work in a "Greenstorm" group at the workshop to suggest top level concepts or improvements to existing programs that you think would enhance sustainability. In addition, working in small groups, you will get to know other attendees and grow your Green network, so bring lots of business cards.

We will sign your name as a participant in the Greenstorm, with your permission, so gain visibility with the key staff in city government who will review our work.

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Refund policy: Due to event costs and very low ticket prices for a high-quality event, we cannot offer refunds. However, we will send you any presentation materials made available to attendees. Thank you for your support of the Green Experts Academy. Questions? Contact us at the "contact the host" link on the Eventbrite Green Experts Academy event page for this event. Thank you.

Green Experts Academy, San Diego, Jan.31, 2012: Public Policy, Green Jobs & The Green Economy: National, State, Local Issues and Opportunities in the Era of Climate Change

2012-01-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Green Experts Academy San Diego: Public Policy, Green Jobs and the Green Economy. Tuesday, January 31, 2012 from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM (PT), San Diego, CA. $20 + $2.09 Eventbrite fee, in advance. $25 at the door. Free appetizers, parking and proceedings. Registration/Agenda http://greenexpertsacademy2012.eventbrite.com Featuring Green careers and economy briefings, power networking, Green public policy 2012 updates from top leaders, and real time policy impact and input. Join us, grow and Green your career, your awareness, business, organization, the community, and mitigate climate change on the planet. Location: Venue Sponsor, Cricket Communications, Inc. (Corporate Headquarters), 5887 Copley Drive, Training Room, 1st Floor, San Diego, 92111

About The Event

Discover, Engage and Transform!

- Kathleen Connell and The Green Experts Academy, San Diego Team

Thanks to our generous Venue Sponsor, Cricket Communications, and The Cricket Green Team. The event is being held in the new Cricket LEED-certified Headquarters.

AGENDA

5:30-6:00pm: Sign In, Networking, Appetizers

6:00-7:30pm

Part I – Green Public Policy, Green Jobs and Economy Briefings from State, Local & Federal Leaders:

o Federal Outlook: Speaker To Be Announced! Coming soon!

o State/Federal Policy Perspectives: Honorable Lori Saldana, Former representative, California State Assembly District 76, College Professor, Water Quality Expert.

Lori's accomplishments in sustainability include:

Professor Saldana is currently a candidate for Congress.

Topic: "Perspectives on San Diego's Green Policy, Green Jobs and The Economy: Lessons Learned In The State Assembly & Policy Prospects in Washington D.C. in 2012 and Beyond"

o Local Issues/Business Solutions: Lane Sharman, Founder, Biozoil International & Managing Partner, Solana Energy. Sharman founded Solana Energy to negotiate the development of solar farms throughout the Southwest and in 2009 Solar Energy became a local equity partner of the Solarpack Development Corporation headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

The electrical energy harnessed and generated by photovoltaic panels on the solar farms is sold to public utility companies and incorporated into the electrical grid. The farms are typically located on former agricultural lands of at least 40 acres, but unlike fields devoted to agriculture, solar farms require no water and are emission free.

Sharman currently has 150 megawatts worth of solar farms in various stages of development in California.

Topic: "Is There a Business Case for a New "San Diego Energy District"? What are the Green Jobs and Economy Implications of this Proposal?"

7:30-9:00pm

Part II – "10 Winning Green Public Policy Strategies & Tactics" Kathleen Connell, Principal, Connell Whittaker Group LLC, Sustainability expert, Social Entrepreneur, former NASA Public Policy & Program executive/congressional advisor, former Policy Director, Aerospace States Association (Governors and Lt. Governors' group), Founder, Green Experts Academy.

Her deep and long-standing expertise in sustainability includes advanced ecological closed-loop life support systems, earth sciences, multi-disciplinary science and policy, remote sensing, bio-info-nano, renewable energy, agriculture, livable communities, model research parks, virtual organizations, information societies and systems. She will share lessons learned from the trenches of policy advocacy and strategy.

Part III – Public Policy Green Brainstorming Session. Discussion and brainstorm on public policies you would like to see implemented in the city of San Diego. Producers have made special arrangements with the Mayor’s Office staff to review the best ideas presented.

Climate Ethics Campaign: Morality and Human Suffering in Spotlight on Capitol Hill

2011-12-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

By putting the moral case first, at long last policy makers and others are focusing on the human consequences of global warming, and the impact on humanity. We salute them and we join them, as we have argued global warming is a matter of human and economic rights. Likewise, the economic crisis and the climate crisis, driven by oil dependence are one crisis now and going forward. The answer is acceleration of a Green economy and Green job creation. To get to this in the US, a equally massive reform of a money-corrupted political system must be undertaken by the people, for the people.

Groups frame climate as a moral cause (Washington Post, December 1, 2011)

A broad coalition of civic leaders, elected officials, and labor, environmental and social activists launched a campaign Wednesday aimed at convincing U.S. politicians that they should curb greenhouse gas emissions for moral and ethical reasons.
The Climate Ethics Campaign — which kicked off with a Capitol Hill news conference headlining Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — comes as negotiators are struggling to make progress at U.N. climate talks in Durban, South Africa.
“We believe it’s time to talk about our moral obligation to prevent the human suffering created by climate change, to safeguard the poor and most vulnerable communities from harm they did not create, and to protect the natural environment that is the source of all life,” said campaign coordinator Bob Doppelt, executive director of the Resource Innovation Group, a nonprofit association affiliated with Willam ette University."

Green Experts Academy, San Diego: Top Green Leaders Brief On Green Jobs, Business Start-Up Success Strategies. November 16, 2011

2011-11-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

Green Experts Academy, San Diego: Top Green Leaders Brief On Green Jobs, Business Start-Up Success Strategies. November 16, 2011

(San Diego, November 1, 2011) Green Experts Academy, San Diego is offered for a recession-friendly registration of $23 base ticket price, and includes a catered meal, beverages, parking and reports from the seminar briefings. The seminar includes top Green leader briefings, a workshop for attendees to focus on thier career, business or organizational goals, and real-time policy brainstorming that wil be shared with the staff of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. Time: 5:30-9:00pm.Registration, and Directions to Green Experts Academy: http://greenexpertsacademy.eventbrite.com
The Green sector and sustainability are the future of the global economy, if we are to overcome the challenges of climate change. In the near future, all jobs will have a sustainability component and all businesses will as well. What does Green success require, and what does it take to succeed in this emerging sector? Expert Green leaders will speak on this topic, and a hands-on workshop will enable attendees to vet and refine their Green goals. Attendees at Green Experts Academy, will experience dynamic seminars and workshops. Previous attendees report that they come away inspired and empowered with cutting-edge information. This excellent event is designed to help people create a work path with meaning, and to take the next steps to reach their Green career and business goals in a bright spot of a troubled economy. This event is sponsored by Cricket Communications, Inc.

More Information

Green Experts Academy Founder Kathleen Connell states about the event: "The Green Economy is the one bright spot in this Great Recession. However, Green jobs are being created in San Diego, as the region is a hot spot for cleantech, biofuels, consumer businesses, electric vehicles, environmental preservation and much more. That is a good thing for job seekers, career changers and entrepreneurs. It is also good for the environment, as climate policy is not coming out of Washington's gridlock this year. So businesses are stepping up and starting up. Rarely does a sector emerge which is absolutely critical to our well being."
Connell also observes: "Green is crucial, as transitioning away from carbon is the only hope for mitigating climate change. Everyone should get engaged, for our present prosperity, and for the future. Green Experts Academy's mission is to enable that engagement. The good news is that very soon, every job and business will be Green. The time to get informed is now. The opportunities are increasing every day, but folks have to know where to look. And we provide that guidance." Kathleen Connell is the author of “The Green Jobs Transition”, recently published in the San Diego Union Tribune, and the producer of many sustainability events dedicated to public education. She is the Principal/CEO of Connell Whittaker Group LLC (CWG LLC), a sustainability business consultant, policy expert, public educator, former NASA executive and a hurricane survivor. Connell can be reached at kconnell@thecwgroup.com for further information and media interviews.
Green Experts Academy, San Diego. November 16, 2011
AGENDA
-5:30pm Check in, Networking, Select meal, beverages
-6:00pm-6:20pm Lisa Bicker, Consultant, and recent CEO, CleanTECH San Diego "What It Takes: Success in the Green and Cleantech Entrepreneurial Sector, and Green Jobs Growth Areas"
-6:20pm-6:40pm Commissioner Robert Coleman, City of Chula Vista/California Center for Sustainable Energy, Associate Program Manager, Building Retrofit Programs"Crossing The Green River: Persistence and Strategy: Lessons Learned Creating and Growing a Green Career in the San Diego Green Economy"
-6:40pm-7:00pm Karen Overklift, EDGE Enrollment Manager, Biocom Institute "Free Quality Degrees, and Green Jobs Training: The EDGE program: Training for Future Biofuel Employees"
-7:00pm-7:20pm Steve Hoffmann, Western Area Vice President, NRG Energy, Inc. "Challenges and Opportunities in the Strategic Transition from Carbon-based Energy to a Greener Economy, and Career Opportunities To Consider"
-7:20pm-7:45pm Break, Networking7:45pm-8:00pm David Steel, CEO, Green Chamber of Commerce"Where are The Green jobs in the San Diego Business Community? Is Becoming a Green Entrepreneur Doable in San Diego? Local, National, Global Opportunities and Challenges"
-8:00pm-8:45pm Green Careers and Business Workshop Session: Connell Whittaker Group LLC 7 Steps You Must Take To Build and Grow Your Green Career or Business8:45pm-9:00pm
-Public Policy Brainstorm: Suggestions for Green Policy in San Diego
9:00pm Adjourn
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Green Experts Academy, San Diego November 16: New! More Leaders To Brief on Success in the Green Economy

2011-10-17T13:29:00.001-07:00

Green Experts Academy Presents

"Success Strategies in the Green Sector During Turbulent Times" November 16, 2011 5:30PM-8:30PM

Green Leaders Share Success Strategies, Latest Information • Evolve Your Green Plans and Career • Engage with Policy Makers

Event Hosting Sponsor: Cricket Communications, Inc. $23 plus Eventbrite fee, Includes catered meal, beverages, and free parking at the venue.

Part I: Green Keynote Briefing by Ms. Lisa Bicker, Consultant, Former CEO and President of CleanTECH San Diego

Part II: Green Workshop: 7 Steps You Must Take To Grow Your Green Career and/or Business and the Green Economy

(Bring your ideas, plan and/or resume and business cards, for a hands-on workshop to advance your goals)

Part III: Green Policy Brainstorm

• • •

The Green Space and sustainability are the future of the global economy, if we are to overcome the challenges of climate change. What does Green success require, and what does it take to succeed in this emerging sector? Expert Green leaders will speak on this topic, and a hands-on workshop will enable attendees to vet and refine their Green goals. Also, real-time policy engagement via a Green Policy Brainstorm, with results communicated to staff in the San Diego Mayor's Office. Join us for this dynamic event, and come away inspired and empowered to take the next steps to reach your goals!

The November 16th event is supported by our generous Host Sponsor, Cricket Communications, Inc. The seminar and workshop will be held in Cricket's LEED-certified corporate headquarters in San Diego, California.

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Agenda Details

Advance Registration: $23 plus small Eventbrite fee. Credit cards accepted for online registration.

Registration at the Door: $30, cash only.

Registration includes a catered meal, beverages and free parking.

Part I: Green Leaders Briefings

Presenters:

• We are pleased to welcome Ms. Lisa Bicker to talk with us about:

"What Does It Takes to Succeed in the Green and Cleantech sector?"

Ms. Bicker is a consultant and the globally-known former CEO and President of Clean Tech San Diego, a private nonprofit corporation working to establish San Diego’s position as a leader in the clean technology industry.

Prior to joining Clean Tech San Diego, Ms. Bicker was president of the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF), a private nonprofit corporation formed to accelerate investment in California’s clean energy economy. Before joining CalCEF, Ms. Bicker was a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of TruePricing, Inc. an energy technology company. Prior to that, Ms. Bicker served as Chief Operating Officer of NewEnergy, Inc., a high-growth, retail electricity provider that grew to over $800 million in revenues prior to its acquisition by AES. Constellation NewEnergy is now the largest retail electricity provider in the United States. Ms. Bicker has also served as General Counsel to California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance (CCEEB), a nonprofit advocacy group founded by Edmund G. “Pat” Brown. Prior to that, she served as senior writer for Governor George Deukmejian. Ms. Bicker has a B.A. from the University of California at Davis and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco. In 2007, she was appointed to and currently serves on the Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee (ETAAC), a statewide committee that is tasked with reporting to the Governor, the state Legislature and the Air Resources Board on recommendations as to how to effectively implement AB 32, the state’s landmark global warming law. She is a member of the California State Bar and several industry associations.

• David Steel, CEO, US Green Chamber of Commerce

"Should You Become A Green Entrepreneur? Local, National, Global Opportunities and Challenges"

As the President and CEO of the U.S. Green Chamber, David Steel’s uncompromising commitment to the environment has helped skyrocket the formally locally-based Green Chamber of San Diego into a nation-wide organization. With vast experience in the green arena, David understands the importance of providing the community with the resources and networking opportunities of like-minded individuals and businesses.

“I’ve been moved for many years by the state of our planet and have been committed to creating an organization that can make sustainable business practices practical, beneficial, and easily accessible under the Green Chamber,” explained David. “Already, I’ve seen immense success and growth in these areas, extending from our eco-hub, home base in San Diego to cities across the country.”

David also serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of SmarterLight an earth-friendly LED lighting company that helps individuals and corporations easily replace their current lighting with top of the line, next phase, environmentally gentle LED lighting solutions. He is also a founding board member and CFO of Conscious Humanity, a 501©3 committed to spreading peace and personal empowerment to all people. Previously David served on the board of directors for the San Diego Entrepreneurs Organization. David’s passion and experience in these fields has helped the U.S. Green Chamber reach a number of ambitious goals as he continues to expand the organization’s reach.

• Commissioner Robert Coleman, City of Chula Vista

Member, Resource Conservation Commission, City of Chula Vista

Employer, California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), San Diego

Member, Sustainability Alliance of Southern California, Emeritus Advisory Board

"Crossing The Green River: Persistence and Strategy: Lessons Learned Creating and Growing a Green Career in the San Diego Green Economy"

Learn from a local leader who is also a successful career-changer. Bob Coleman is now a Mayoral appointee and also an employee in the sustainability sector. Learning from role models like Bob is key to finding, growing and excelling on your Green career path, regardless of where you are on your journey. Learn why we call Bob "The Hardest Working Man in Green!"

Part II: Green Workshop

Presenters: Connell Whittaker Group, LLC

7 Steps You Must Take To Build and Grow Your Green Career or Business

From mental attitude to concrete actions, we will provide an overview of a "system for success" in order to achieve your Green career and business goals.

- Green Mind Meld (All). Those who wish to participate can help each other grow their ideas, plans and/or career search. Get to know folks, work on goals together and come away with new contacts, potential friends and allies, and a clearer path forward. Bring your ideas, plans and/or resume and learn while you help other folks grow the future together.

Part III: Green Policy Brainstorm (Plenary)

We have made special arrangements with Mr. Jacques Chirazi, Office of The Mayor of San Diego, and Cleantech Program Manager, to review our ideas about green policy in San Diego. We will have an open forum, and together, identify green policies and programs we would like to see implemented in San Diego. The best ideas will be forwarded to the Mayor's Office for review.

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How to Get to Green Experts Academy

Where: Cricket Communications, Inc. corporate headquarters office, San Diego, California. Training Room, 1st Floor.

Address:

5887 Copley Drive

San Diego, CA 92111

Additional directions to Cricket building:

At the end of the cul-de-sac on Copley Drive, enter the middle driveway and proceed into the Parking Garage on your right. There are also a few Handicapped and Visitor parking spaces in front of the building. Proceed to the Cricket building (to the left of Kaiser Permanente) and enter the Lobby. The training room is on the first floor to the right of the lobby.

Refund Policy: At this low event rate, we can not provide refunds. HOWEVER, we will send any PPT slides or other briefing materials to paid attendees after the event.

As 2011 winds down, end the year prepared to move forward with your Green goals in your career, expert field, and business. Together we can transform our economy, empower ourselves and mitigate climate change. Join us! Thanks!

California Rewards Environmental and Societal Corporations with New Benefits Corp

2011-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Re-posting on the fly today. This is a huge step in the evolution of our market-based economy. Thank you, Governor Jerry Brown. As Jerry said recently, "the future is California sun, not Texas oil." The future of the global economy, I say, will grow up around the model of the California Benefits Corporation.
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By Kyle Westaway at VentureBeat | October 12, 2011 1:38 AM EDT

Even as Wall Street is being occupied and corporations are reviled, there is a revolution quietly raging across the country that empowers corporations to be a strong force for good. This week,California joined that revolution when Governor Jerry Brown created two new classes of corporations for businesses that seek to pursue both profit and purpose: Benefit Corporations and Flexible Purpose Corporations.

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Sponsorship Link

The Benefit Corporation is a new class of corporation that allows companies to pursue profit as well as a strong social and environmental mission.

Under current corporate law, a company’s sole mandate is to maximize shareholder value — make as much profit as possible –for its shareholders. If a corporation takes other stakeholders into account in its decision making — such the environment, community, employees or suppliers — and that adversely affects the profits of the corporation, the shareholders may file a lawsuit against the directors of the corporation for failing to maximize shareholder value. Obviously, this poses a huge problem for socially and environmentally responsible corporations.

The new Benefit Corporation structure addresses this problem in two primary ways.

First it mandates that, in addition to shareholders, the board of directors take the environment, community, employees and suppliers into account when they make decisions. This is known as the shift from maximizing shareholder value to maximizing stakeholder value.

Secondly, it mandates a high level of transparency and accountability. Within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a Benefit Corporation is required to publish a Benefit Report, which states how the Benefit Corporation performed that year on a social and environmental axis. The Benefit Corporation is held to a third party’s independent assessment that measures social and environmental impact. The most prominent is currently B Labs Assement. The Benefit Corporation has to then share this assessment of its performance publicly, which increases transparency and accountability.

What is a Flexible Purpose Corporation?

Benefit Corporations and Flexible Purpose Corporations are, by and large, similar legal structures. However there is one primary difference between these two pieces of legislation: The Flexible Purpose Corporation (FPC) allows a corporation to select a specific mission, in addition to profits, that it will pursue.

Just like the Benefit Corporation, a Flexible Purpose Corporation broadens the duties of its board of directors, from solely maximizing shareholder value to also pursuing an additional purpose that is clearly stated in the FPC’s organizing documents.

The Flexible Purpose Corporation allows the directors to choose a their own “special purpose,” such as employing people from an underprivileged community. The FPC must clearly state its specific purpose, outline goals to achieve that purpose, and publish an annual report disclosing how well it has achieved that purpose. The premise is that clearly stating the positive purpose of the company and being transparent in an annual report will create better business.

The special purpose chosen by a FPC can be anything that generally benefits society, but can include the following:

One or more charitable or public purpose activities that could be carried out by a California nonprofit public benefit corporation.
The purpose of promoting positive short-term or long-term effects of the Flexible Purpose Corporation’s activities upon stakeholders, the community and society, or the environment.
The purpose of minimizing adverse short-term or long-term effects of the corporation’s activities upon stakeholders, the community and society, or the environment.
What are the advantages of these structures?

The benefits of these new structures for a company are, first, that it has the ability to make decisions that are in the best interest of all stakeholders without risking a shareholder suit. Second, it allows a company to differentiate itself from any competing companies that are green washing.

The benefits for shareholders are that they can now invest in companies that are serious about running in a sustainable manner.

By mandating that corporations only focus on profits, the current system almost assures a negative outcome for society. By removing mandating stakeholder primacy and increasing transparency and accountability, directors are freed up to use the market as a force for good without risking suit from their shareholders.

How do you become a Benefit or Flexible Purpose Corporation?

If you have an existing company, two thirds of the shareholders have to vote to make a change into either of the new forms.

If you have a new company, you simply register as one of these new classes of corporation. The FPC classification requires that you list your “special purpose” in the organizing documents.

Is it right for your company?

You should use either of these new forms if you are serious about operating a sustainable business, and if you are comfortable enough to allow the public to see how well you are performing. If you just want to greenwash your business, or want to look socially conscious without actually changing your core business model, then these new classes of corporations will just make you look ridiculous.

I think the best analogy is, if you’re going to be naked, you’d better be buff.

Carbon Nation Returns to San Diego

2011-09-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

"Carbon Nation", the controversial film about clean technology energy solutions, is returning to San Diego, again with Director Peter Byck.

I am one for educating about climate change. Global warming is the entire reason we bother with renewable energy in the first place. It is a public responsibility to counter the well- funded climate denial effort, discussed widely, and on this blog. There is too much at stake.

This film is reputed to make the equally important economic benefits case for renewable energy, for consumption by climate skeptics. See this free film on October 7th at the University of San Diego and decide for yourself.
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Review: "Paint Your Career Green" by James Geddes

2011-09-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to James Geddes, author, who wrote this review for our "San Diego Cleantech Beach" event attendees. -Kathleen

Paint Your Career Green

Get a Green Job Without Starting Over

Authors: Stan Schatt and Michele Lobl

Review by JamesGeddes

With unemployment at around 10% Paint Your Career Green has comeonto the scene to offer options for job seekers and resources to eithertransition the career path you’re on to a shade of green, or launch you on anew green path altogether.

What is a green job? Schatt and Lobl state, “Green jobs arethose jobs that maintain, preserve, and restore the environment while providinga livable wage.” So, who is goingto provide that livable wage? Accordingto the authors there is pressure on companies to paint themselves green. Theauthors state, “As companies ramp up their sustainability efforts, they createmore and more positions for employees to audit and analyze energy use, writereports on environmental efforts and compliance, and publicize results.” Thisbook maintains this is just a sample of how companies are transitioning topolicies that foster environmental responsibility.

The authorstell us, “As a green pioneer, you’ll be in a position similar to people whojoined the computer industry when it was in its infancy, well before there wasa formal computer science majoravailable in college.”

Chapter Igives a short summary of the main green energy sources including Solar Energy,Wind Power,

Geothermal Energy, Bio Energy, Hydroelectic Power, andHydrogen Fuel Cells, With each energy source there is a table provided thatgives examples of job titles. Other sources include Green transportation,Ecotourism, and Green Education and Training.

Paint Your Career Greenhelps you analyze your current situation in light of those careers. That iswhat chapter 2 is about. It posesquestions like Who am I? What can I do? Where can I best fit in a green economy?It also discusses the right way to change careers.

Chapter 3 goes into greater detail in helping you find outthe kinds of things about yourself that have direct bearing on finding theright career fit. There is aSkills Checklist to evaluate your Human Relations Skills, Helping Skills,Training/Instructing Skills, Leadership Skills, Managing Skills etc.

Assessment.com provides a free assessment to get basicresults. You can upgrade and purchase a more in depth assessment or utilize theshort version that is free. Theonline test is called MAPP and I found it very helpful and surprisinglyaccurate at describing my tendencies as they relate to work. Insight areasinclude: Interest in Job Content, Temperament for the Job, Aptitude for theJob, People, Things, and Data, Reasoning, Mathematical Capacity, LanguageCapacity.

Chapter 4 delves into researching a new environmentalcareer. This chapter starts out asking three key questions to get the ballrolling. How viable is the career? The authors tell us, “If you’re going tospend money preparing for a career, you need to feel reasonable comfortablethat the career you’ve selected will be viable for several years and willcontinue to grow at a reasonable rate.”Are there geographic limitations? Theauthors advise, “If you’re excited about a job in the wind-power industry, doyou live in a state where wind power is a viable industry? If not, are youprepared to move to one of the states where there is significant businessdevelopment in that industry?”

Grassroots Community Career options are discussed in Chapter4. The authors explain, “One green career area that allows career changers tofeel they really are making a difference is that of environmental advocate.”Some policy advocates work in Washington DC yet the majority work at the grassroots level. Volunteering is considered the best path for career changers tomove into this field.

The authorrecommends, “For a great number of green careers, the best single source ofsuch information is the O*NET Online database (online.onetcenter.org). O*NET isa creation of the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and TrainingAdministration.” There aredetailed explanations on how to access information on over 200 green careers.

Chapter 5 shifts the reader into the developing a planphase of your career search. In thischapter the focus is how to take charge of marketing yourself. Much of theinformation in this chapter is good sound advice on the nuts and bolts ofmapping out just how you are going to go about what you want to do and how youare going to do it. Subheadings include Identify Your Career Goals,Know what Employers Want, MatchYour Preferences to Your Careers, and NarrowDown Your Career Choices. This chapterprovides an excellent career evaluation worksheet which has you answer a set ofquestions on each career choice you are interested in. For example, “List theskills, experience, and education you already have that will prepare you forthis occupation (include transferrable skills learned in another occupation).” Thereis also a sample goal worksheetand a sample plan worksheet thathelp you focus on taking concrete steps towards your career destination.

The rest of the book continues to walk you through thecareer process including locating the right opportunity through attending tradeshows, researching companies, attending green job fairs, and becoming active in an environmentalgroup. Listed in this book youwill find a valuable table that lists training opportunities by program nationwide. There is a whole section onnetworking successfully, as well as writing a green resume leading to the allimportant interview. In the backof the book you will find a list of volunteer organizations containing a shortbio and websites. There is also a section in the back identifying professionalassociations that also contains a short bio and website.

Resourcesabound in Paint Your Career Green. Foranyone serious about moving from where they are

towards agreen career, this book is a solid place to start. The information is wellorganized taking you systematically through the many steps one takes whenmoving from A to B as a career changer or as an individual who wants to paint theircareer green. If you are new tothe green jobs field, you will get a good overview of the various green careeroptions that exist and direction for deciding what works for you. I highlyrecommend this book.

--------------------------------------------------

The Green Jobs Transition by Kathleen Connell. San Diego Union Tribune (Sept 18, 2011)

2011-09-18T09:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the San Diego Union Tribune for the opportunity to write the pro side in the green jobs debate in the Sunday paper today.

http://m.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/18/the-green-jobs-transition

"The green jobs transition
Kathleen Connell
Sunday, September 18, 2011
By ignoring the big picture of the Great Recession, purveyors of misinformation about green jobs have recently had a field day. With viral sharing on the web, these critics have no doubt influenced public opinion. Add a healthy dose of skepticism and disappointment about the ability of Washington to do much for Main Street, and some are ready to abandon the quest for green jobs entirely. This would be a catastrophic error of historic proportions.

So where are we with green and clean jobs? Without a map, it’s hard to understand or traverse the green economy landscape, especially while carrying the load of the Great Recession on our backs. Yet there is every indication we are well on our way in the transition to a green economy.

The green jobs and economy shift is locally based, so we need to look there first. California and San Diego are on the leading edge of this transition. As Gov. Jerry Brown said recently, “The future belongs to California sun, not Texas oil.” If so, then Houston, you have a problem! Backing up his claim, Brown recently signed California’s Renewable Energy Resources Act, which requires that one-third of the state’s energy be generated from renewable sources. During the governor’s race, Brown called for an investment to create 20,000 megawatts of clean power, along with investments in energy efficiency technology by 2020 that he says will create 500,000 green jobs.

In San Diego, intensive efforts to grow a clean-tech cluster have produced results that are the envy of the nation. More than 800 clean-tech companies have taken root. Local small business is creating consumer-focused products and services. This also drives local job creation, as does energy and solar retrofits of buildings and homes. Furthermore, large organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sectors are implementing sustainability and energy efficiency practices, which is also creating quality jobs and contracts.

Nonpartisan studies show a clear trend. The Brookings Institution released a report on the green economy that found there are 2.7 million green jobs, with California in the lead. The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimates that the number of green jobs will almost triple by 2040. The San Diego Foundation has investigated the local green/clean sector and found that in 2010 “in a very broad sense, industries related to the clean economy in the San Diego region account for as much as 10 percent of the current employment. As these industries contain the firms most likely to be engaged in green and clean activities, it is fair to conclude that the clean energy economy will have a direct impact on one out of every 10 jobs in the region.” This is due in no small part to the role of policy and local government, as more and more San Diego regional leaders step up to support green job creation.

But should mere mortals falter at creating more green jobs, and soon, the Earth will see to it. This year alone, more than 67 historically unprecedented extreme weather events in the U.S. foreshadow a long and painful march toward irreversible climate change. In the worst case, grim green jobs of the near future may be survival-oriented, defending against storms, fires and flood. Mopping up one natural disaster after another in an attempt to adapt to global warming is not the green future we want to experience in beautiful San Diego. Proactively creating more green jobs that drive down greenhouse gas emissions is the only way to avoid the dire consequences of climate change in our region.

If Washington can’t or won’t get us off dirty energy and create more green jobs, then we, in California and San Diego, must get the job done ourselves.

Connell is a San Diego sustainability consultant, educator, policy expert and former NASA executive."
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2011-09-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

CLEANTECH AND GREEN ECONOMY SECTOR LEADERS TO SHARE LATEST INFO ON GREEN JOBS & GREEN ECONOMY SEPT. 15 AT SAN DIEGO SEMINAR

Source: EastCountyMagazine.com

September 3, 2011 (San Diego) -- “San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding The Green Jobs and Economy Wave” (Registration link) is an event to designed to help people countywide launch or expand clean technology careers, start-ups and community initiatives by providing briefings from leaders in the green economy sector.

The Thursday, September 15 event from 5:30-8 p.m. is hosted by The Connell Whittaker Group LLC at San Diego Environmental Services, 9601 Ridgehaven Court , First Floor Auditorium, San Diego, CA 92123. Parking is free.

In the wake of new studies and confusing media reports about the status of the Green economy, many career changers, entrepreneurs, and others are in need of reliable information and networking to help reach their business goals. CleanTech Beach speakers are leaders in the sector and will offer reality-based briefings on the 2011 status of the local and state green economy.

Speakers and topics include:

• 6:00-6:20 pm Jacques Chirazi, Office of the Mayor of San Diego, Cleantech Program Manager: "The CleanTECH San Diego Success Story and Jobs Outlook”
• 6:20-6:40 pm Bill Powers, P.E. Powers Engineering, and Author, San Diego Smart Energy 2020 Distributed Generation Plan: "Insights Into The California Plan for Green Job Growth, and Briefing on Distributed Energy”
• 6:40-7:00 pm Arun Kumar, MSEE, MBA, LEEP AP, and President, Global Renewable Energy & Power Inc.: "Greening the Globe From The Web: Global Green Job Training and Job Creation From San Diego to India and Beyond"
• 7:00-7:30 pm Emily Young, PhD, Senior Director, Environment Analysis & Strategy, San Diego Foundation: "Findings from the San Diego Foundation Regional Clean Jobs Study, and Building Our Vision for the Future of the Region."

“Recently, the Brookings Institution released a report on the status of our national green economy, which found that 2.7 million Americans work at green jobs," event organizer Kathleen Connell of the Connell Whittaker Group stated. "In San Diego, over 810 Cleantech companies have taken root, local entrepreneurs are creating jobs and consumer-focused businesses, and more and more organizations of all types are implementing sustainability and energy efficiency practices, which can also create jobs."

She added, "Certainly, more needs to be done, but the US Conference of Mayors estimates that the number of green jobs will almost triple by 2040. So, the landscape is shifting, and people need quality up-to-date information and connections to break into the sector. Our event is designed to orient folks about the status of local Green jobs and businesses, and point them to where the action is happening. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask what can be done to create more jobs and to find out about planning and growth that are already underway in California and San Diego.”

Press Release: San Diego CleanTech Beach: Register Now To Get Your Seat: Sept 15

2011-08-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

CleanTech and Green Economy Sector Leaders to Share Latest Information on Green Jobs and Green Economy at San Diego Seminar, September 15, 2011

(San Diego, August 29, 2011) “San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding The Green Jobs and Economy Wave” http://sandiegocleantechbeach.eventbrite.com is an event that is designed to help people launch or expand clean technology careers, start-ups and community initiatives by providing briefings from leaders in the Green economy sector. The September 15 event is hosted by The Connell Whittaker Group LLC. (see http://www.missiontohumanity.com). The location is San Diego Environmental Services 9601 Ridgehaven Court , First Floor Auditorium, San Diego, CA 92123 (Free Parking) Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM (PT)
In the wake of new studies and confusing media reports about the status of the Green economy, many career changers, entrepreneurs, and others are in need of reliable information and networking to help reach their business goals. CleanTech Beach speakers are leaders in the sector and will offer reality-based briefings on the 2011 status of the local and state Green economy.
Speakers and topics include:
6:00-6:20 pm Jacques Chirazi, Office of the Mayor of San Diego, Cleantech Program Manager: "The CleanTECH San Diego Success Story and Jobs Outlook”
6:20-6:40 pm Bill Powers, P.E. Powers Engineering, and Author, San Diego Smart Energy 2020 Distributed Generation Plan: "Insights Into The California Plan for Green Job Growth, and Briefing on Distributed Energy”
6:40-7:00 pm Arun Kumar, MSEE, MBA, LEEP AP, and President, Global Renewable Energy & Power Inc.: "Greening the Globe From The Web: Global Green Job Training and Job Creation From San Diego to India and Beyond
7:00-7:30 pm Emily Young, PhD, Senior Director, Environment Analysis & Strategy, San Diego Foundation: "Findings from the San Diego Foundation Regional Clean Jobs Study, and Building Our Vision for the Future of the Region."
Event organizer Kathleen Connell of the Connell Whittaker Group stated:
“Recently, the Brookings Institution released a report on the status of our national green economy, which found that 2.7 million Americans work at green jobs. In San Diego, over 810 Cleantech companies have taken root, local entrepreneurs are creating jobs and consumer-focused businesses. Organizations of all types are implementing sustainability and energy efficiency practices, which can also create jobs. Certainly, more needs to be done, but the US Conference of Mayors estimates that the number of green jobs will almost triple by 2040. So, the landscape is shifting, and people need quality up-to-date information and connections to break into the sector. Our event is designed to orient folks about the status of local Green jobs and businesses, and point them to where the action is happening, even as Washington is slow to act, in our view. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask what can be done to create more jobs and to find out about planning and growth that are already underway in California and San Diego.”

CleanTech and Green Economy Sector Leaders to Share Latest Information on Green Jobs and Green Economy at San Diego Seminar, September 15, 2011

2011-08-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Media Contact and More Information:
Kathleen Connell
kconnell@thecwgroup.com

Note to Editors, Reporters and Calender Editors

CleanTech and Green Economy Sector Leaders to Share Latest Information on Green Jobs and Green Economy at San Diego Seminar, September 15, 2011

(San Diego, August 29, 2011) “San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding The Green Jobs and Economy Wave” http://sandiegocleantechbeach.eventbrite.com is an event that is designed to help people launch or expand clean technology careers, start-ups and community initiatives by providing briefings from leaders in the Green economy sector.
The September 15, 2011 evening event is hosted by The Connell Whittaker Group LLC (see http://www.missiontohumanity.com). The location is San Diego Environmental Services 9601 Ridgehaven Court , First Floor Auditorium, San Diego, CA 92123 (Free Parking) Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM (PT)

In the wake of new studies and confusing media reports about the status of the Green economy, many career changers, entrepreneurs, and others are in need of reliable information and networking to help reach their business goals. CleanTech Beach speakers are leaders in the sector and will offer reality-based briefings on the 2011 status of the local and state Green economy.

Speakers and topics include:

•       6:00-6:20 pm Jacques Chirazi, Office of the Mayor of San Diego, Cleantech Program Manager: "The CleanTECH San Diego Success Story and Jobs Outlook”

·      6:20-6:40 pm Bill Powers, P.E. Powers Engineering, and Author, San Diego Smart Energy 2020 Distributed Generation Plan: "Insights Into The California Plan for Green Job Growth, and Briefing on Distributed Energy”

•       6:40-7:00 pm Arun Kumar, MSEE, MBA, LEEP AP, and President, Global Renewable Energy & Power Inc.: "Greening the Globe From The Web: Global Green Job Training and Job Creation From San Diego to India and Beyond"

•       7:00-7:30 pm Emily Young, PhD, Senior Director, Environment Analysis & Strategy, San Diego Foundation: "Findings from the San Diego Foundation Regional Clean Jobs Study, and Building Our Vision for the Future of the Region."
Event organizer Kathleen Connell of the Connell Whittaker Group stated:

“Recently, the Brookings Institution released a report on the status of our national green economy, which found that 2.7 million Americans work at green jobs. In San Diego, over 810 Cleantech companies have taken root, local entrepreneurs are creating jobs and consumer-focused businesses, and more and more organizations of all types are implementing sustainability and energy efficiency practices, which can also create jobs. Certainly, more needs to be done, but the US Conference of Mayors estimates that the number of green jobs will almost triple by 2040. So, the landscape is shifting, and people need quality up-to-date information and connections to break into the sector.   Our event is designed to orient folks about the status of local Green jobs and businesses, and point them to where the action is happening.   Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask what can be done to create more jobs and to find out about planning and growth that are already underway in California and San Diego.”
--------------------------------------------------------------

Register for Sept 15: "San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding The Green Jobs and Economy Wave"

2011-08-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Register HERE at Eventbrite.com Space is Limited! Register Today

September 15, 2011 5:30pm-7:30pm

San Diego Environmental Services

9601 Ridgehaven Court

San Diego, CA 92123-1686

-FREE Parking-

Ticket: $20.00 + $2.09 Eventbrite ticket fee in advance on Eventbrite.com.

$25.00 at the door

Space is limited...Register today

“The Future of Energy is not Texas oil, it’s California sun.” –Governor Jerry Brown

There may be troubled times in the global economy and in Washington, but California and San Diego continue to pursue coherent and collaborative policies, green start-ups and job creation. Over 810 CleanTech companies have taken root in San Diego during the Great Recession.

At the state level, Governor Brown and the legislature are aggressively pursing goals that will drive Green Job creation and carbon emission reduction.

At the same time, sometimes it's hard to find reality-based information on the status and future of jobs in the Green/Clean sector. This San Diego CleanTech Beach event is designed to empower your Green career, start-up or community efforts with cutting-edge briefings from leaders in the Green sector. Information is power!

We have created an affordable event with free parking, free appetizers, and high quality briefings to make participation easy for you. Register today, Space is limited! Please encourage your friends and colleagues to attend as well. Thank you!

Who should attend this event

• Green professionals and those contemplating re-careering in the sustainability arena

• Start-ups that want to understand the Green Jobs landscape

• Public policy professionals

• Anyone curious about opportunities in the sustainability sector

• All are welcome! We believe diversity is the foundation of a vibrant Green sector.

Event Agenda

• 5:30-6:00 pm Networking, Appetizers (Food and Beverages are Free, included in ticket price)

• 6:00-6:20 pm Jacques Chirazi, Office of the Mayor of San Diego, Cleantech Program Manager: "The CleanTECH San Diego Success Story and Jobs Outlook. Updates on The New Biomimicry Initiative."

• 6:20-6:40 pm Bill Powers, P.E. Powers Engineering & Advisor to Governor Jerry Brown on Distributed Energy: "The California Plan for Green Job Growth, and Briefing on Distributed Energy

• 6:40-7:00 pm Arun Kumar, MSEE, MBA, LEEP AP, and President, Global Renewable Energy & Power Inc.: "Global Green Job Training and Creation From San Diego"

• 7:00-7:30 pm Special Guest: "Findings from the San Diego Regional Clean Jobs Study. Building Our Vision for the Future of the Region."

Benefits for You

Learn. From local and state Green Job creation leaders and visionaries

Engage. Grow your community, contacts and opportunities

Transform. Your future, San Diego and the planet

San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding the Green Jobs & Economy Wave

2011-08-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Registration now open! http://www.sandiegocleantechbeach.eventbrite.com

DC Greenwatch: Dems Promise Green Job Focus Going Forward

2011-08-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

If Dems make Green jobs a centerpiece for job creation, then others will surely oppose it, with the net effect of a vetting of the entire subject, including global warming.

To date the use of the POTUS bully pulpit on climate has been lacking. Now that huge areas of America have broiled under record smashing summer temps, the timing may be right for public discussion leading to 2012.

And we also have months of hurricane potential to worry about. Let's hope for no land strikes.

I think this Democratic push on energy jobs is a winner for we Greensters, as the debate garners more public mindshare around carbon and green retooling of the economy.

The shovel-ready stimulus results however, will be used as a club and a distraction. At first.
Story:
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/175075-overnight-energy

August 3 2011
---

Californians Show Overwhelming Support for Green Energy

2011-08-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Many in this poll expressed that they feel they are experiencing the effects of global warming. As a hurricane survivor, I agree that Mother Nature can be persuasive, and invites us to look at global warming further. Progressives, Independents and Republicans
in CA are ready for the shift to Green Energy.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/global-warming-green-energy-california-poll.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Washington Fiddles While Globe Burns: Mayors Lead Climate Effort

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Under the cover of a budget battle that imposes wrong-headed austerity on a depressed economy, Tea Party members find time to slay the EPA and roll back 40 years of enviro progress. Perhaps the most cynical and depressing event is an amendment to kill public education for children about the dangers of sun exposure. I guess enabling kids to court skin cancer is now a blow for freedom.

So, who will lead? Thankfully, as in San Diego, the world's Mayors have stepped up.
I am re-posting a piece from eenews.net about the gains being made by the C40. Green is a local policy matter in the US today.
And cover up your kids at the beach, as House Republicans don't care about them or thier future in an era of global warming.
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"C40 Cities' Aggarwala says local governments can lead the way on climate action (OnPoint, 07/27/2011)

Can local governments use their political power to garner action on climate change? During today's OnPoint, Rohit Aggarwala, special adviser to the chair of the C40 Cities Group, discusses the group's efforts to bring together the world's largest cities on climate initiatives. He also explains how the C40 is working with the World Bank to provide financing to cities to reduce emissions.

Transcript

Monica Trauzzi: Hello and welcome to OnPoint. I'm Monica Trauzzi. Joining me today is Dr. Rohit Aggarwala, special advisor to the chair of the C40s cities group. Dr. Aggarwala, thanks for coming on the show.

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: Thanks for having me.

Monica Trauzzi: Doctor, you work with the C40 group, which was created to harness the political power in cities to garner some action on climate change. How is the C40 initiative different from some of the other regional and state programs that we see on climate change?

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: So, the C 40 Cities Climate Leadership Group was founded in 2005 by Mayor Ken Livingstone and I think a couple of things make it unique, although we work very closely with a number of other organizations of course. The first is that it's focused on megacities around the world and the belief in that is that London and Tokyo and Johannesburg and Jakarta, by the virtue of the fact that they are large cities, often the centers of finance for their cities or for their nations, the centers of media, etc., they actually have very similar problems that smaller cities might not share or that large cities and small cities have to do differently. The second is that it is multinational. And so one of the things we find is that there are sometimes counterintuitive things that cities are working on together. To say that New York and London are doing a similar policy on something, nobody would be surprised. But one of our partnerships involves Rotterdam, New Orleans, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. What they have in common is they're all river delta cities that are facing sea level rise around their ports and, at the end of the day, hydraulics doesn't care if you're an American city, a rich city, or a poor city. You have to deal with it the same way. So that's one. Focus on megacities, broadly international and counterintuitive. And then I think the other is that we're not just an advocacy group. We really are a peer learning network, where city officials get together and exchange notes. And now, with our deeper partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative that will be more fully integrated into the activities of the C40, we'll be able to provide direct assistance to those things that city officials are working on.

Monica Trauzzi: So, what percentage of total global emissions are C40 cities responsible for?

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: We think it's just under 10 percent of the globe. The C40 cities are 18 percent of global GDP. So that tells you that on an output basis cities are more efficient. Or I think a little less than 10 percent in population, probably around eight or 7 percent, and what that tells you is that in developing countries, most of the time, cities are the main source of carbon emissions, because that's where the wealth is, that's where the cars are, that's where the heavy industry is. In the developed world, of course, it's the other way around. The cities are usually the most efficient places because they have density and transit and smaller homes and, in fact, usually less industry.

Monica Trauzzi: Just how powerful are the world mayors? How are they able to affect climate change?

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: Well, I think one of the things that makes the C40 such a useful and powerful organization is the fact that mayors are, in fact, on the cutting edge of the fight against climate change. Transportation, mayors control the streets in most of their cities. Half of our mayors control their transit system. Most mayors have either direct control or significant control over planning decisions. So if you want to talk about compact cities or transit oriented development, that's not done at the national level, that's not done at the state or regional level, that's done at the city level. Thinking about building codes, most of our -- especially outside Europe, most cities have at least some influence over the standards to which their buildings are built. So there's no American building code. There isn't really a New York state building code that applies to New York City. It's the New York City building code. So, if you want to require green buildings in New York, you go to the city Council and the mayor. Water systems are, generally speaking, municipal functions and in most every city, solid waste, at least from the residential sector, is the mayor's job. So, at the end of the day, waste, water, energy consumption and buildings and transportation policy, those are the jobs of mayors in cities.

Monica Trauzzi: So, when you're talking about all these different cities from around the world, how do you get everyone on the same page in terms of standards, how to measure emissions, essentially speaking, the same climate language?

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: Well, part of it is getting together and exchanging notes in, as I said, some of those counterintuitive ways or counterintuitive connections. But what I think we see recently that might not have been true four or five years ago, what was certainly visible at the C40 mayoral summit in São Paulo last month was that the cities themselves are seeking this. The cities want to understand from each other how they stack up, not because of ranking, rankings are not actually useful at all. It doesn't help anybody to tell you that New York is a denser city than Los Angeles. We knew that what's useful is when you can get into the details and actually understand, oh, a per mile traveled basis or given the same land-use patterns or what have you. So cities are looking for better data. We partnered with the Carbon Disclosure Project last year to make the CDP's new cities tool available to all C40 cities and the C40 steering committee and the chair. Then mayor of Toronto David Miller put out a request to all of the C40 cities to use the CDP tool voluntarily to disclose their emissions. We -- in fact I was blown away, we were hoping for 50 percent. We got 76 percent of the C40 participating in 18 affiliate cities to comply with that. So we actually, for the first time, have data that spans across all C40 cities. One of the initiatives we also talked about a great deal in São Paulo was an agreement that we signed with ICLEI, cities for local government -- or Local Governments for Sustainability, pardon me, to work together, committing the two organizations to work together over the course of this year to create, for the first time, a global standard for how to report municipal and community wide emissions for a large city. Right at the moment one of the problems is ICLEI has a standard, the World Bank has a standard, the European Union Community of Mayors has a separate standard. C40 has no standard. We just want them all to get standardized and ICLEI agrees, the World Bank agrees. They're actually not that far apart once you do the research, which we did last summer in conjunction with the World Bank. And so we're going to work together to harmonize those a year from now. You'll know that when a city puts out -- at least a C40 city puts out its carbon inventory, it's apples to apples when you compare it to another city's.

Monica Trauzzi: So how are you expecting the C40 to play into next year's Rio +20 meeting?

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: Well, so in fact, when we were in Brazil, the mayor of Rio invited Mayor Bloomberg as chair of C40 and the C42 to play a formal role, at the very least as an official side event. I think directly we're still figuring out, and, again, in conjunction with ICLEI, which is obviously the official lead for local governments at Rio +20, exactly what the right role of the mayors of megacities ought to be. I don't think we know that yet. What we do know is two things. One is that mayors, even more than they are in the United States, mayors are often significant figures in national government or at least on the national political scene of their countries. And so they can sway the discussion in their countries. You see lots of examples where the mayor of São Paulo is cited as having had an impact on Brazil's national policy. You see that in other places as well. So I think having mayors speak out about what ought to happen at Rio +20 is important. But even more so it's the fact that mayors are already delivering the goods. And what we saw in another report that we put out in São Paulo called Climate Action in Megacities, was the fact that over the last five years the C40 cities have undertaken, not planned, not hoped for, have undertaken 4734 separate initiatives to improve -- to protect ourselves against climate either through adaptation or mitigation.

Monica Trauzzi: Impressive numbers. We'll end it there.

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: All right.

Monica Trauzzi: Thank you for coming on the show.

Dr. Rohit Aggarwala: Thank you.

Monica Trauzzi: And thanks for watching. We'll see you back here tomorrow.

[End of Audio]"

Source: http://www.eenews.net/tv/transcript/1373
- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Gore: What Climate Crisis and Debt Ceiling Crisis Have In Common

2011-07-26T09:50:00.001-07:00

When I was the congressional and state policy advisor to NASA HQ life sciences, I went to a luncheon with Gore. He had a lonnnggg paper visual aid that ran the length of the room, and was a timeline of the history of the earth. By the time we got to the carrot cake and coffee, he had reached the appearance of humanity in his description, which he delivered standing on a creaky banquet chair. His point was we have been here such a short time but have had such a dramatic impact on the planet.
He never dissapoints if you hang in there with him, and such is the case with his appeal for fact-based reasoning, which has been lost in our public conversation. We must insist on it's revival or risk our democracy and our climate-imperiled civilization.- Kathleen

For story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-gore/debt-ceiling-climate-crisis_b_909461.html

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Cleantech: 2.7M Jobs: The Recovery Is Clean, Green

2011-07-13T11:49:00.001-07:00

By Kathleen Connell.
San Diego and San Francisco lead in California Cleantech. So goes California, goes the nation! Great news-a recovery that some in Washington refuse to acknowledge or support, and are trying to kill in the right wing-led House.

But it's too late, it is happening.
So we are growing our own recovery, locally. The future will not be denied, and it's Green. I am re-posting a story here. Image credit:climateprogress.org
-

Re-post: ClimateProgress.org

"Numerous reports have shown solid growth in the “clean economy” over the years. But what we’re seeing now is that the clean economy is just, well, a normal part of the overall economy — albeit one with higher wages and more value-added.
Growth in jobs, wages, and GDP has been too slow, for sure, but the clean economy has been one of the few brights spots. From 2003 to 2010, the clean economy grew grew by 8.3% — almost double what the overall economy grew during those years. That’s according to a comprehensive report released today by the Brookings Institution that tracked the growth of these sectors over a 15-month period of time.
“The pace of growth really is torrid in that sector,” says Mark Muro, a senior fellow at Brookings Metropolitan Program and a co-author of the report. “This confirms the intuition that these exciting industries really are growing as fast as we think they are.”
As members of Congress and presidential hopefuls focus on job creation and maintenance, here’s another important statistic for them to consider: Sectors like clean energy, green building, and efficient transport employ 2.7 million workers — more than the biosciences and fossil fuel sectors.
And guess what? They pay better than the average job too. Median salaries for cleantech-related jobs are $46,343, or about $7,727 more than the median wages across the broader economy.
These Brookings figures show, yet again, that environmental sustainability isn’t some passing fad or a feel-good exercise, it’s a natural progression of the economy.
In 2010, 2.7 million jobs in the United States directly contributed to the production of goods and services that had an environmental benefit. The jobs were spread over 57,501 different establishments in 41,185 companies and existed in almost every industry.
There is also one more attractive feature of the clean economy opportunity structure: The clean economy not only pays well, but pays well even for those without post-secondary degrees. Almost half of all jobs in the clean economy are held by workers with a high school diploma or less, compared to only 37.2 percent of U.S. jobs.
Today, workers without college degrees are facing twice the unemployment rate as people with college degrees. A focus on cleantech jobs that are heavy in manufacturing, construction and installation could help close that disparity.
It’s probably not fair to compare this wide range of sectors (which includes nuclear — a decision that the Brookings researchers debated heavily) directly to fossil fuels. Brookings found that in the renewable energy sector specifically, there are over 100,000 jobs, with hydro, wind and solar PV accounting for about 75,000 of those workers. These are conservative figures: Other industry assessments put direct jobs at around 200,000. By comparison, direct jobs in coal, oil and natural gas are roughly 1.2 million.
An analysis from the Center for American Progress found that clean-energy investments create about 16.7 jobs for every $1 million in spending. Spending on fossil fuels, by contrast, generates 5.3 jobs per $1 million in spending.
Rather than engage in bean counting, however, the important take-away from the report is that the clean economy — which has become a large portion of our overall economy — comes with immense benefits beyond the obvious environmental factors.
Along with offering higher wages to a broader swath of workers, the sector is also very manufacturing-intensive and export heavy. Brookings found that the export dollars per job in cleantech almost doubled those in the broader economy.
Manufacturing and exporting are strengths of the clean economy. Engaged in the production of everything from house paint to fuel cell components and refrigerators, approximately 26 percent of all clean economy jobs are involved in manufacturing, compared to just 9 percent of jobs in the economy as a whole. In addition, Brookings estimates that in 2009 clean economy establishments exported an estimated $49.4 billion in goods, representing 5.3 percent of all U.S. goods exports. Such establishments were also responsible for an additional $4.5 billion in service exports.
These figures again highlight cleantech’s role in re-establishing America’s dominance in “making things,” as President Obama likes to say. Inventing, manufacturing and deploying clean technologies are a part of what we have always done as an economic powerhouse, but they offer even greater potential.
Ultimately, this is being lead by the private sector — with large investment banks, technology developers, construction companies and local businesses spurring innovation. However, while this broad sector is becoming a natural part of the economy, there are still many institutional barriers in place that make consistent, stable government incentives critical —especially in energy. Long-term tax credits, streamlined permitting, and public/private financing mechanisms such as the proposed Clean Energy Deployment Administration are an important piece of growing high-paying, manufacturing-intensive, export-heavy jobs.
If not, then we’ve all been warned of the consequences:
…U.S. firms are losing market share both at home and abroad to competitors from other nations. A huge part of the answer has to do with China’s ability to channel vast sums of affordable capital into innovative large-scale deployment projects—something that the U.S. continues to struggle with. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2010, China put into place a staggering $54.4 billion in clean energy investments. Of this, asset financing—funding for hard assets like wind farms and solar arrays—accounted for more than $47 billion of the total. By contrast, U.S. private investment in clean energy totaled $34 billion, with just $21 billion or so in asset finance. Now the gap is widening further, with Chinese asset finance investment in Q1 2011 clocking in $10.9 billion as compared to just $2 billion in the United States.
Developing cleantech is not a fad. Quite the reverse — the clean economy is could be the biggest source of high wage jobs in the coming decades as we make the transition off of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases. The economic stakes are very high."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Societal Alignment and New Green Branding Paradigm

2011-07-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jacquie Ottman has it exactly right. The products and services that succeed, from both the private sector and government, must have social and environmental needs built in. After all, consumers are savvy, and prefer authentic socially responsive brands. This is particularly true for green products. Her piece re-posted here.

"The New Green Marketing Paradigm
By Jacquie Ottman

Question: How can you effectively harness the power of green m arketing?

Answer: By understanding the environmental, social beliefs and values of your consumers.

Conventional marketing is out. Green marketing and what is increasingly being called "sustainable branding" is in. According to the new rules of green marketing, effectively addressing the needs of consumers with a heightened environmental and social consciousness cannot be achieved with the same assumptions and formula that guided consumer marketing since the postwar era. Times have changed. A new paradigm has emerged, requiring new strategies with a holistic point of view and eco-innovative product and service offerings.

The Seven Strategies for Green Marketing Success
Under the new rules, the currency of sustainable branding is innovation, flexibility, and heart. I have formulated seven strategies that I believe can help businesses address these deep-seated and lasting changes in consumer sensibility. Reflecting our learning from working with sustainability leaders over the past 20-plus years, they can be summarized as follows:

1. Understand the deeply held environmental, social beliefs and values of your consumers and other stakeholders and develop a long-term plan to align with them.

2. Create new products and services that balance consumers' desires for quality, convenience, and affordability with minimal adverse environmental and social impacts over the life of the product.

3. Develop brands that offer practical benefits while empowering and engaging consumers in meaningful ways about the important issues that affect their lives.

4. Establish credibility for your efforts by communicating your corporate commitment and striving for complete transparency.

5. Be proactive. Go beyond what is expected from stakeholders. Proactively commit to doing your share to solve emerging environmental and social problems--and discover competitive advantage in the process.

6. Think holistically. Underscore community with users and with the broad array of corporate environmental and societal stakeholders.

7. Don't quit. Promote responsible product use and disposal practices. Continuously strive for "zero" impact."

----
Jacquelyn Ottman is an expert adviser on green marketing to Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. government. She is the author of four books on green marketing, including the recently released The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding (Berrett-Koehler, 2011), from which this post was excepted.

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Google: 5 Year Renewable Energy Delay Will Cost Economy Trillions

2011-06-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Source: ClimateProgress/ThinkProgress.org. Re-posting. What are we waiting for?! -Kathleen Connell

" Google, a leader of innovation in the digital economy, says that without a private and public focus on innovation in renewables, storage and electric vehicles, the cost of delaying the clean energy economy could be in the trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy.
Google released an analysis of the economic impact of clean energy innovation today, modeling a variety of long-term scenarios and their influence on GDP growth, a reduction in energy costs and greenhouse gas reductions. They used McKinsey’s Low Carbon Economics Tool, which provides models to assess the macroeconomic impact of climate and energy policies.

Based on our modeling, we estimate that by 2030, innovation in the modeled technologies alone could have a transformative impact on the US, adding over $155 billion per year in GDP and 1.1 million net jobs, while reducing household energy costs by $942 per year, oil consumption by 1.1 billion barrels per year, and GHG emissions by 13% relative to BAU. By 2050, annual gains in GDP increase to $600 billion, net additional jobs to 3.9 million, and emissions reductions to 55%."

San Diego Clean Tech Cluster Emerges As National Green Pathfinder & Hub

2011-06-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

June 23, 2011
I am re-posting an article from the NYT and Greenwire, which I believe takes the clean tech miracle of San Diego viral. Many of us here, myself included, have been pushing for this evolution and knitting it together bit by bit. The clean tech cluster is vibrant now, and San Diego is the new California go-to region for Green, clean tech and solar adoption. One of our biggest competitive advantages? Our beautiful weather and natural environment. Another advantage is a culture of forward-leaning collaboration.

A third factor, which needs more discussion in future posts, is the importance of societal inclusiveness. As Richard Florida articulated in"The Rise Of The Creative Class", a community which is welcoming for a diverse workforce (race, nationality, gender, LGBT, age, etc), is a top-if not the top-indicator of success in geographic innovation clusters.

Equally important are our universities, proximity to Mexico, working port, Navy, Marines and a tech heritage which links back to the space program. All of these factors are synergistic agents in the innovation stew.

The policy meta engine state-wide is AB 32 implementation. Locally, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Former Council member Donna Frye, and a growing list of sustainability policy leaders deserve credit for pro-Green policies and initiatives.

Another driver is the ethos and support for Green economic development at the regional, city and community level. Non-profits like Cleantech San Diego, SASC, The San Diego Foundation, Scripps, CCSE, unions, local entrepreneurs and enviro advocates are all part of the big tent Green movement in the region.

Some things that must not be overlooked in San Diego is relative affordability, ease of transport, land and copious housing options. All of which San Diego has. As a professional from Silicon Valley/NASA Ames, and a home town San Franciscan, the lack of affordability there cramps innovation, as tech creatives and businesses can not afford to live and work with financial ease. Recruitment is a real problem in the Valley, because housing is so expensive for the workforce.
San Diego is a very attractive alternative option, as it offers what I call the "flip flop factor" of the still-affordable San Diego lifestyle.

Come on in, the water is fine!
-----

Source: newyorktimes.com and Greenwire

"Southern Calif. Energy Hub Eyed for Clues to U.S. Green Economy

By ANNE C. MULKERN of Greenwire

Published: June 22, 2011

SAN DIEGO -- A small company that developed a $1 billion wind farm works out of a pink-hued building near the Pacific Ocean here. Down the hill, an investment firm decides how to spend $6.5 billion on energy ventures. Two traffic lights away sits a company that is building one of the world's largest wind projects.

Renewable power developers, biofuel researchers and clean technology entrepreneurs have flocked to this coastal city, making it a growing hub of energy-sector interests.
Despite the region's higher costs, companies here find multiple draws. There are myriad research institutions with top experts, access to the desert and Mexico for wind and solar farms, and San Diego's inviting weather.
"When it comes to competing for experienced people, an awful lot of folks would rather live in San Diego than Missouri," said Gerry Monkhouse, 68, co-founder and chairman of Cannon Power Group, a private wind developer based here. "We have the ability to attract the top-flight people."
The trend affects more than San Diego, said Bruce Cain, a Washington, D.C-based political scientist with University of California, Berkeley. The region is an important testing ground for the state as it backs renewable power for its next economic engine.
With Washington, D.C., watching, Cain said, San Diego and California must prove to the rest of the country that "there really is a green economy.
"Up and down the state there's a belief that this is an industry which is well suited to California," Cain said, adding that state leaders pushed green energy to help replace the once-booming defense industry. "We've got to find new businesses," he said, "so the question is, why do businesses come? They're going to come if the technical expertise is here."
California's energy policies also are a lure.
The Golden State has the country's most aggressive mandate for green power generation, requiring that clean sources represent 33 percent of power sold by 2020. The state's climate law, A.B. 32, takes effect next year and will place mandatory caps on carbon emissions.
For renewable energy companies, that means increased demand.
"We see California as a sustainable market for renewable energy, probably the most sustainable," said Cecilia Aguillon, director of market development and government relations for Kyocera Solar Inc., which last year opened a solar manufacturing operation in San Diego.
"If you're going to invest, you need to invest where you're going to get a return faster than anywhere else," Aguillon added.
While green companies see the state's rules as a plus, however, they are problematic for some in Congress, Cain said. California's laws agitate lawmakers who see it as government "picking winners and losers," he said.
Even in California, Cain said, there are people who are "skeptical about global warming and not terribly appreciative" of the state's mandates.
"The promise of California, the California model has caused a backlash," Cain said, angering parts of the country that have a fossil fuel economy and lack a technology infrastructure. "We are a polarizing state."
Growing up green
San Diego developed into an energy hub over several decades. Long a base for defense and science, the city has a foundation of technical expertise that fits with the renewable industry, Cain said.
Business clusters tend to form around research universities, he said, and similar ones exist in Los Angeles, the Silicon Valley and San Francisco.
Cannon Power and Sea West -- a company that later became AES Wind -- started here in the 1970s, when the state first created tax credits for renewable power. Those incentives came, Cain said, after people became alarmed about smog and some demanded action.
"Spurred by the beauty of the state, we just got on a path that snowballed over time," Cain said.
Some companies shifted work to Europe and Asia when incentives for renewable power disappeared in the 1980s. Businesses returned around 2000 as the state's electricity supply crisis started and California offered new enticements.
Energy-focused subcontractors, suppliers, law firms and venture capital groups have moved into the area, Monkhouse said. As more project developers came in, so did more manufacturers.
Japan-based Eurus Energy put its U.S. headquarters here a few years ago. France-based enXco opened its North America headquarters in a San Diego suburb in 2006, then moved to an expanded city-based office last year. EnXco's office houses 175 workers, said Donna Lotz, enXco marketing coordinator.
"San Diego's just a better diversified area for us," Lotz said. "There's a lot of companies here that are in the wind and solar business. The people that we work with, it's easier to fly them in and out of here.
"And [enXco] preferred the area," Lotz added. "Let's face it, San Diego is a beautiful area to fly people in when they're in 5 feet of snow. We bring them in to work with us."
Kyocera Solar opened its panel factory last year, manufacturing out of a Kyocera plant that packages semiconductor microchips.
With 146 sunny days each year, San Diego currently has the most households in the state with solar roof tops.
"With the time and cost of shipping" solar panels," Aguillon said, "you would like to be as close to the market as possible."
San Diego also has attracted business like renewables consultant Garrad Hassan, a British company. It put one of its four U.S. offices here. (The others are in Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; and Peterborough, N.H., the U.S. headquarters.)
Energy Capital Partners, a firm investing $6.5 billion in both renewable and traditional power generation and transmission, splits work between San Diego and its New Jersey headquarters. The San Diego location opened in 2005 when the company started. It wanted a West Coast presence and already had company leaders based in the city.
There also are a host of startups and smaller companies working on biofuels, energy efficiency, carbon capture, electric vehicles and improved solar technology.
New Leaf Biofuel blends biodiesel using waste cooking oil collected from local restaurants. Envision Solar aims to design visually appealing solar installations that are placed in parking lots. Energy Innovations is working on concentrated photovoltaic panels, which make more power for their size than traditional solar.
"The smaller [companies] are the ones that are making the biggest difference," said Jacques Chirazi, San Diego's clean-tech program manager. "They are creating new ideas that the big companies are not able to tackle yet."
Making deals
The city is working to boost the growth of its energy companies.
In 2007, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders along with the University of California, San Diego, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, San Diego State University and a few others launched an initiative called CleanTECH.
The effort nurtures startups, offers networking for established businesses and helps promote advancements like electric vehicles and smart grid technology. The cluster includes 767 clean technology members, up from about 200 when the initiative began, said CleanTECH President Lisa Bicker.
"Our mission really is to ensure that the San Diego region leads the way in the global transition to a clean energy economy," Bicker said.
The proximity of companies to each other has led to deals.
NRG Solar, a subsidiary of Princeton, N.J.-based NRG Energy Inc., has an office in north San Diego County. Regional President Steve Hoffmann three years ago met Eurus North America President Mark Anderson at a networking event sponsored by CleanTECH.
"We started talking about ways we could work together," Hoffmann said.
NRG Solar and Eurus then partnered on one of the largest solar photovoltaic generating facilities in the state, based in Avenal, Calif. When finished, the project will generate enough electricity to power 36,000 homes.
San Diego's nearness to Mexico also has attracted renewable power developers. Two companies with offices here -- Cannon Power and Sempra Energy -- plan to build wind farms across the border.
Cannon through a subsidiary will build on a 140-square-mile site about 15 miles south of the United States. Sempra is in the permitting process for a project about 1 mile south of the border and 70 miles east of San Diego, spokesman Scott Crider said.
Both projects aim to feed electricity into the California grid. Sempra has secured a power purchase agreement with its subsidiary, utility San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
The Mexican government supports renewables, Cannon's Monkhouse said, and there are sites with strong winds.
"You've got a pretty tremendous opportunity just south of the border to create some pretty good projects," Monkhouse said.
"I really think that Mexico is in fact the next gigantic market," Monkhouse added.
Building elsewhere
Many of the renewable energy companies in San Diego install their projects outside the area. Cannon Power, for example, built its $1 billion project in Washington state (Greenwire, Oct. 18, 2010), a wind farm that is again under expansion. That project's electricity feeds into California.
Terra-Gen Power works out of a San Diego office, but its Alta Wind Energy Center, currently the world's fifth largest wind farm, is 250 miles northeast in Kern County, Calif.
Eurus Energy put its U.S. headquarters in an office tower across the street from a popular shopping mall near La Jolla. But Eurus' closest project to its headquarters is in the Mojave Desert 200 miles north.
Eurus is building a photovoltaic power plant in Avenal, Calif., 300 miles north. Other U.S. developments are in Oregon, Illinois and Texas.
Those offices in San Diego have smaller economic impact on the city, said Russ Gibbon, San Diego's business development manager. It is limited, he said, to the payroll of company employees working in the city.
San Diego County's unemployment rate in May was 9.6 percent, down from the year-ago estimate of 10.1 percent, according to the state Employment Development Department. The state's unadjusted unemployment rate for the same period was 11.4 percent while the nation's was 8.7 percent for the same period.
But Cain said California benefits from projects hatched here and installed elsewhere in the state as well as from technology developed in San Diego.
"What happens in San Diego spreads out throughout the state," Cain said.
A lack of transmission, bureaucratic red tape in California and hurdles connected to environmental concerns previously have prompted developers who might be based here to build projects elsewhere, Monkhouse said. The state's green power mandate now is pulling projects back in, he said.
NRG Solar has had 38 workers in its office in north San Diego County. But it recently acquired the building next door to expand, growth driven in part by the state's renewable portfolio standard.
"It's just a crazy place to work," Hoffman said, adding that the company is considering expanding its electric vehicle and rooftop solar businesses. "You may see 60 people in this office within the next 12 months."

For more news on energy and the environment, visit www.greenwire.com."

Celebrate Solar Day, June 18

2011-06-17T10:15:00.001-07:00

Yes, someday in the far distant future, the sun will burn out and the earth will collapse into it. By that time, we as a species will have extended our range into the universe, so no worries.

Right now the sun is an inexhaustible free resource which biology has learned to use to create a garden planet.
We can too!
---
This Saturday, June 18, millions of people in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom will join the solar power movement to push for energy reform and raise awareness of solar power’s benefits. SolarDay 2010 was the largest solar awareness program in U.S. history, and 2011 promises to be even bigger.
America is falling behind in the clean energy race: China invests an estimated $12 billion per month in clean tech, while clean energy initiatives in America are under attack in New York and elsewhere. Yet the global market for efficient and renewable energy technologies will likely reach $2 trillion by 2020.
America had only 6 percent of the solar world market in 2008 despite engineering the first solar cells. The Recovery Act of 2009 appropriated $7 billion for clean energy reform, but this is only the beginning. It’s time to start pursuing innovative energy alternatives with oil prices high and climate change making extreme weather events increasingly common.
Solar power could help jump-start America’s movement toward a clean energy economy, a stable climate, and secure energy sources. Clean energy industries such as solar can provide jobs and attract investors to power the American economy. Steadily falling prices mean that solar power could be cheaper than fossil fuels in five years. Solar photovoltaics are easy to install, energy efficient, and could even positively affect our national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil.
Given solar power’s potential, SolarDay 2011 has been able to get big names on board for this Saturday. Sponsors include the UN NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, the American Sustainable Business Council, and the Earth Institute of Columbia University. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has pledged her support for SolarDay, as has Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA).
Check out the SolarDay.com for details about events, information about solar power and sustainable energy, and how to plan your SolarDay 2011. Keep in mind, though, that the list of events included in the website is incomplete. Anyone can hold a SolarDay 2011 event, so check local listings, organizations, and city and state governments to see if there is an event in your area.
Event highlights include the 14th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy &Energy Efficiency EXPO and forum in Washington, D.C., as well as a solar power fair in New Orleans featuring various environmental nonprofits and solar contractors.
And if you can’t find any events in your area take a look at Solar Day’s media partners to keep informed about solar power and America’s clean energy future.
– A CAP cross-post
---

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Putting Social and Environmental Needs Into The Core of Capitalist Value Policy

2011-06-07T13:16:00.001-07:00

There is a way out of social, economic and environmental
collapse. Putting societal needs at the core of business is the key evolution that must drive a really new business model.
-
Source: Harvard Business Review, Michael Porter

"The capitalist system is under siege. In recent years business increasingly has been viewed as a major cause of social, environmental, and economic problems. Companies are widely perceived to be prospering at the expense of the broader community.

Even worse, the more business has begun to embrace corporate responsibility, the more it has been blamed for society’s failures. The legitimacy of business has fallen to levels not seen in recent history. This diminished trust in business leads political leaders to set policies that undermine competitiveness and sap economic growth. Business is caught in a vicious circle.

A big part of the problem lies with companies themselves, which remain trapped in an outdated approach to value creation that has emerged over the past few decades. They continue to view value creation narrowly, optimizing short-term financial performance in a bubble while missing the most important customer needs and ignoring the broader influences that determine their longer-term success. How else could companies overlook the well-being of their customers, the depletion of natural resources vital to their businesses, the viability of key suppliers, or the economic distress of the communities in which they produce and sell? How else could companies think that simply shifting activities to locations with ever lower wages was a sustainable “solution” to competitive challenges? Government and civil society have often exacerbated the problem by attempting to address social weaknesses at the expense of business. The presumed trade-offs between economic efficiency and social progress have been institutionalized in decades of policy choices.
"The capitalist system is under siege. In recent years business increasingly has been viewed as a major cause of social, environmental, and economic problems. Companies are widely perceived to be prospering at the expense of the broader community.

Even worse, the more business has begun to embrace corporate responsibility, the more it has been blamed for society’s failures. The legitimacy of business has fallen to levels not seen in recent history. This diminished trust in business leads political leaders to set policies that undermine competitiveness and sap economic growth. Business is caught in a vicious circle.

A big part of the problem lies with companies themselves, which remain trapped in an outdated approach to value creation that has emerged over the past few decades. They continue to view value creation narrowly, optimizing short-term financial performance in a bubble while missing the most important customer needs and ignoring the broader influences that determine their longer-term success. How else could companies overlook the well-being of their customers, the depletion of natural resources vital to their businesses, the viability of key suppliers, or the economic distress of the communities in which they produce and sell? How else could companies think that simply shifting activities to locations with ever lower wages was a sustainable “solution” to competitive challenges? Government and civil society have often exacerbated the problem by attempting to address social weaknesses at the expense of business. The presumed trade-offs between economic efficiency and social progress have been institutionalized in decades of policy choices."
More: http://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-shared-value/ar/1
- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Carbon Offsets: Balboa Park Funding Source?

2011-05-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

As the funding hunt to support the 2015 Balboa Park Centennial heats up, so does the drive to implement AB 32, California's cap and trade enabling legislation. With cap and trade, carbon offset projects can be funded, including urban forests.
Balboa Park appears to me to be a possible locus for a carbon offset project, and local
GhG producers like SDGE likely need projects to fund, providing millions of dollars to
projects that offset thier excess GhG production. Where better than in San Diego?

Certainly a theme and forward looking project for Balboa Park can be the reforestation and use of existing and new Park forest as a GhG offset.
Is this underway? If not, I think it should be considered. There are large areas of the Park where more trees could be planted, for the enjoyment of visitors. Now there is a funding mechanism to
enable that.
To learn more about carbon offsets:
http://m.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/21/hopefuls-seek-green-investment-carbon-offsets/

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

UN Publication: The Green Economy and Poverty

2011-05-20T13:20:00.001-07:00

A policy report and resource of interest which addresses the relationship between sustainability and poverty challenges from
a global perspective.
---
PUBLICATIONS FROM THE UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
Green economics, emerging environmental issues, marine plastic pollution.

UNEP, 2011, Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication - A Synthesis for Policy Makers, available at www.unep.org/greeneconomy

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

UN Challenges US: Climate Change Must Be Global Effort

2011-05-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

In no way does the catastrophe-under-way that is global warming equal Vietnam war era squabbling over the shape of the negotiation table. US citizens must hold Washington accountable for foot-dragging on these climate negotiations, and the lack of a progressive energy policy.
____

The United Nations diplomat leading talks on a binding treaty to curb global warming today rejected the U.S. position that the negotiations are based on unrealistic expectations.

“What is not doable is not to address climate change and not to do it in a timely fashion and at the level which it merits and with the urgency it needs to be done,” Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change told reporters in New York.

“We certainly understand that different countries are at different political moments, but on the whole what is not doable is to evade the responsibility of addressing climate change as a collection of countries, as a community of nations,” Figueres said.

She was responding to statements last month by Todd Stern, the State Department official who heads the U.S. negotiating team, that the talks are based on “unrealistic” expectations that are “not doable.” Stern said a meeting in Bangkok was “marked by struggles over the agenda” similar to “bickering over the shape of the negotiating table.”

New Pew Poll: Red and Blue Alike Support Renewable Energy

2011-05-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

"The Pew Research Center has just released a very interesting study, “Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology.” It segments the public into nine groups: eight politically active groups and one inactive group (bystanders) composed entirely of nonvoters. Of the eight active groups, two are described as “mostly Republican” (staunch conservatives and Main Street Republicans), three as “mostly Democratic” (new coalition Democrats, hard-pressed Democrats, and solid liberals), and three as “mostly independent” (libertarians, disaffecteds, and postmoderns). In reality, however, postmoderns lean strongly Democratic, while libertarians and disaffecteds lean strongly Republican. So there are really four active Democratic and four active Republican

In light of this diversity it is interesting to note a couple of areas where almost all of these groups agree. The first is on support for alternative energy. Overall, the public prioritizes developing alternative energy over expanding oil, coal, and natural gas by a 63-29 margin. And, as shown in the chart below, seven of Pew’s eight active typology groups support this position, including a whopping 40-point margin among the Main Street Republican group. Only the staunch conservatives (9 percent of the public) dissent from the rest.

Conservatives usually act like progressive ideas have no purchase in “their” part of the political spectrum. These data suggest otherwise.

General support for tougher environmental protection remains strong as evidenced by the polling numbers cited at the top. A related question found 53% of Americans believe “Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost” compared to 39% says “Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy.” Reconciling that with the71% who say they believe “This country should do whatever it takes to protect the environment,” would seem to imply that even some people who think environmental laws and regulations hurt the economy still want tougher environmental protection, which in turn would suggest that the overwhelming majority of Americans are not economists."
Source: Climate Progress)

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Will Solar IPO Spark Next Gold Rush?

2011-05-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

All that glitters is not only gold, but the prospect of a clean tech rush to invest. Certainly investors crave more than social media, as the clean tech sector is based on hard revenues.

A bright object on the horizon?

From San Francisco... "BrightSource Energy Inc.'s plan to go public this year could spur a wave of clean technology startups looking to follow suit if investors flock to the solar developer in large numbers, experts say. The Oakland-based company recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to start the initial public offering process, following the example of others in "clean tech" that have raised cash over the past few years for fledgling technologies that have yet to prove their mettle."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book | Video on TED.com

2011-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book | Video on TED.com

Seriously Like: Facebook Says Maybe to Greenpeace No Coal Campaign

2011-04-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

Facebook didn’t exactly meet Greenpeace’s Earth Day challenge, which called for the social network giant to pledge to cut out coal as an energy source for its data centers by April 22. The day before Earth Day (and at our Green:Net event last week) Greenpeace’s unveiled its “Dirty Data” report, which gave Facebook three failing grades for its use of clean power: two D’s, and an F. But Facebook didrespond in a letter to Greenpeace last week, in which the company said it would do more in the future for the carbon impact of the energy of its data centers. Original Story: http://gigaom.com/cleantech/facebook-to-greenpeace-well-do-more/

Obama: End Oil Subsidy, Increase Renewables, Stop Gas Graft

2011-04-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

Increasing gas prices at the pump have stimulated the White House to set up a working group to investigate price gouching and to monitor the situation.

Politico.com reports:
“We will be vigilant in monitoring the oil and gas markets for any wrongdoing so that consumers can be confident they are not paying higher prices as a result of illegal activity,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement after Obama announced the news at a town hall in Nevada. Holder vowed to take “swift action” against those who illegally contribute to gas-price gouging and manipulation.

In addition to the launch of the working group, Obama argued, another important short-term step is to immediately stop oil and gas companies receiving $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies. “They’re making record profits and you’re paying near record prices at the pump,” he said. “It has to stop.”

Finally, the president said the country must continue to make long-term investments in clean and renewable energy sources, citing the fuel economy of cars and trucks, and hybrid technology. Obama maintained that his budget proposal takes a far more “balanced approach” to spending cuts proposed by House Republicans that include a cut in clean-energy investments of 70 percent.

“Yes, we have to get rid of wasteful spending … But we can do that without sacrificing our future,” Obama said. “We can do that while still investing in the technologies that will create jobs and allow the United States to lead the world in new industries. That’s how we’ll not only reduce the deficit, but also lower our dependence on foreign oil, grow the economy and leave for our children a safer planet.”

The U.S. still lags behind many countries by being slow to adopt aggressive renewable energy goals and policies.

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

The Good News: Public Shifts on Desire For Climate Action and Clean Tech Investment Up

2011-04-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Repost from Climate Progress.
---
Shift in public view of whether Obama is giving ‘too little’ or ‘too much’ attention” to global warming
Posted: 11 Apr 2011 08:35 AM PDT
Although it didn’t get a lot of attention last week, an NBC/WSJ poll of 1000 adults did have some interesting findings for climate change.

The pollsters had asked respondents “if you think Barack Obama is giving too much attention to this issue, too little attention to this issue, or the right amount of attention to this issue.”

Back in January 2010, it was 27% “too little” and 29% “too much” and 37% “right amount.”

But now it is 35% “too little” and 22% “too much” and 39% “right amount.”

Not a huge shift, but still pretty impressive given that the disinformers have almost certainly outspent the pro-science crowd in the past 6 to 9 months, especially counting all of the brutal ‘cap-and-tax’ ads run by the likes of the Chamber of Commerce in the campaign.

This also seems to match the recent Gallup poll (see Gallup poll: Public understanding of global warming gains).

I’m not certain what might be driving this, since there really hasn’t been all lot of media coverage of global warming. Perhaps it is all of the extreme weather, which the public and the media is starting to connect to climate change:

As floods and extreme weather devastate the world, CBS News explains the link to global warming.
Terrific ABC News story: “Raging Waters In Australia and Brazil Product of Global Warming
Munich Re: “The only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change”
April 11 News: Clean-tech investing soars; UK can meet carbon targets even without nuclear energy
Posted: 11 Apr 2011 07:49 AM PDT
Clean-Tech investing jumps 115%

Clean-technology ventures in North America raised $2.2 billion over the first quarter, up 115% from the previous quarter and 43% from a year ago, driving the second-highest quarter in global clean-tech investing, an industry research firm reported this week.

The gains were led by a $201 million funding deal for BrightSource Energy, a solar power plant developer, and a $200 million deal for Plastic Logic, a plastic semi-conductor developer, according to San Francisco-based Cleantech Group. Both firms are based in California.

North America accounted for 85% of global clean-tech investing in the first three months of the year, followed by Asia and Europe, the report said.

Globally, clean-tech investing rose 52% to $2.6 billion across 159 companies, led by 26 deals in the solar sector and eight deals in transportation, the report said.

The increase was driven by a rash of large later-stage deals, according to Cleantech Group CEO Sheeraz Haji. “It’s encouraging to see some big private-equity firms entering the space and continued strength with M&As,” Haji said in a statement.

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

RIP: Baruch Blumberg, Nobel Prize Winner

2011-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

A friend from NASA called today with the sad news that Barry passed away after giving talks at NASA Ames. I was fortunate to work with this lovely man, who helped us establish The NASA Astrobiology Institute. Barry, who discovered the Hepatitus B virus through rigorous field work, saved millions of lives via the vaccine that followed. A life well lived, and a hero of humanity.
More about Baruch from the Hepititus B Foundation:
" Baruch Blumberg, M.D.,
Ph.D. Nobel Laureate

Dr. Blumberg has been a tremendous source of inspiration for the Hepatitis B Foundation. His discovery of the hepatitis B virus is considered one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century. He has dedicated most of his scientific career to the problem of hepatitis B. When the Foundation was established, Dr. Blumberg enthusiastically joined as a charter member of the HBF Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. With his professional encouragement and personal support, the HBF hopes to find a cure to complete the circle of discovery that he started 30 years ago!

In 1976, Dr. Blumberg won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of the hepatitis B virus. He and his colleagues discovered the virus in 1967, developed the blood test that is used to detect the virus, and invented the first hepatitis B vaccine in 1969.

These outstanding accomplishments have contributed significantly towards making the world a much healthier place to live.

Currently, Dr. Blumberg is Senior Advisor to the President of Fox Chase Cancer Center, and Professor of Medicine and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, both located in Philadelphia, Pa. In 1999, he was asked to serve as Director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute in Moffett Field, Ca. Recently, he was appointed Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Biology, headquartered at NASA in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Blumberg has a long and distinguished career with broad-ranging interests that include clinical research, epidemiology, virology, genetics and anthropology. He received his medical degree from Columbia University, and his doctoral degree from Balliol College of the University of Oxford. He joined the National Institutes of Health in 1957; moved to Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1964; and served as Master of Balliol College of the University of Oxford from 1989-1994.

HBF Founders' Award 2001
Dr. Baruch Blumberg

Discovery of the Hepatitis B Virus

Scientific findings are often serendipitous. Such was the case for Dr. Baruch Blumberg who discovered the hepatitis B virus. He did not set out to discover the cause of hepatitis B. Rather, his intellectual curiosity and understanding of the scientific process led him to this profound discovery. In brief, the story of hepatitis B started with a search for inherited differences and ended with the discovery of a new virus.

As a medical anthropologist in the early 1950's, Dr. Blumberg was interested in the genetics of disease susceptibility. He wondered whether inherited traits could make different groups of people more or less susceptible to the same disease.

Dr. Blumberg and his team traveled the globe to collect blood samples from native populations in remote parts of the world. They planned to look for genetic differences, and then study whether these differences were associated with a disease. However, since they did not have the technology to analyze these blood samples at the genetic level, a new indirect method had to be developed; they turned their attention to hemophiliac patients.

Dr. Blumberg reasoned that hemophiliacs who had received multiple blood transfusions would have been exposed to blood serum proteins that they themselves had not inherited, but had been inherited by their donors. As a result of this exposure, the immune systems of the hemophiliac patient would produce "antibodies" against the foreign blood serum proteins, or "antigens", from the donors. Since antibodies are programmed to lock onto specific antigens, Dr. Blumberg decided to use antibodies from hemophiliac patients to test the blood samples collected around the world.

Using this new lab technique for matching antibodies with antigens, an unusual match was identified between an antibody from a New York hemophiliac and an antigen found in the blood sample of an Australian aborigine, which they called the "Australia antigen".

A series of research and clinical observations led to confimation that the "Australia antigen" caused hepatitis B and thus, this was how the hepatitis B virus was discovered in 1967. Two years later, Dr. Blumberg and Dr. Iriving Millman invented the hepatitis B vaccine, which is another fascinating story!"

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

NASA Plans Major Solar Installation at Wallops

2011-03-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

In an era of a post-Shuttle budget crunch at NASA, this renewable project should demonstrate the significant energy cost savings that industrial scale solar can provide the space agency.
-------

Source: Climateprogress.org
"NASA plans sun-energy project on Eastern Shore

NASA announced plans Thursday to develop a solar-energy facility that would meet part of the energy needs at its Wallops Island Flight Facility. The project, to be built in stages, would have as many as 80 acres of solar panels.

As part of its alternative-energy project at Wallops Island, it also plans to install two residential-scale wind turbines capable of generating 2.4 kilowatts, NASA said. One turbine would be built near the NASA visitor center and one near the entrance gate and security-guard station at the Eastern Shore facility.

NASA said it expects the electricity output to alleviate rising utility costs at its Wallops Island facility and enable the agency to meet energy-conservation requirements imposed by the Federal Energy Policy Act. When complete, the project would generate enough electricity to supply about 850 typical American homes, it said.

NASA said its alternative-energy plan for Wallops Island no longer calls for installing the two utility-scale wind turbines that it proposed earlier. These were dropped, it said, because of concerns that agencies and organizations expressed about the potential impact on birds and bats."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Prop 23 Coalition Revived To Push for CA Clean Energy Global Leadership

2011-03-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

We did some work for this excellent bi-partisan coalition and I am pleased to see it come back to life. See:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/25/3502256/state-can-be-the-global-leader.html

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

House Repubs Vote Global Warming Does Not Exist

2011-03-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Source: Scientific American podcast

"Congress has finally acted on global warming—by denying it exists. It’s in the grand lawmaking tradition of the Indiana state legislature’s 1897 attempt to redefine the value of pi.

The Republican-led House of Representatives is currently working on the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, which would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions to mitigate climate change.

In the House Energy and Commerce Committee, California Democrat Henry Waxman had proposed an amendment calling on Congress to at least acknowledge that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal,” just as abundant scientific evidence confirms.

But on Tuesday, March 15, all the committee’s Republicans voted down that amendment, as well as two others acknowledging the threat of climate change to public well-being. Rep. Ed Markey, Democrat from Massachusetts, had this to say:

“I rise in opposition to a bill that repeals the scientific finding that pollution is harming our people and our planet. However, I won’t rise physically, because I’m worried that Republicans will overturn the law of gravity, sending us floating.”

—John Rennie"

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Solar Stock Rally As Japan Crisis Continues

2011-03-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

While American leaders talk only about a nuclear new plant hiatus, Europeans have taken immediate action in light of the nuclear failures in Japan. Germany shut down 7 aging plants this week. And demand for solar stocks shot up. Will American investors back away from the risky nuclear technology and shift to safe renewables?

Source: Forbes.com

"Jefferies analyst Jesse Pichel observed in a research note yesterday that the cost of nuclear has “suddenly become more expensive as the cost of capital for any new plant has risen significantly.” He adds that European sentiment “has swung clearly against nuclear and towards natural gas and renewables.” Pichel notes that solar is “flexible and fast to install,” while nuclear plants can take up to 10 years to build. “It is clear that sentiment towards renewables has changed and we expect governments to phase out nuclear power stations and cut build programs and funds to be pushed towards renewable energy,” he writes."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

5 Habits of Innovative Thinking

2011-03-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Cross-post from Fast Company. Very insightful piece. Can genius be learned, I wonder?
---

FC Expert Blog
The Five Habits of Great Innovators
BY FC EXPERT BLOGGER KAIHAN KRIPPENDORFFWed Mar 2, 2011
This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

This week I am preparing for a presentation to the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York, titled "The Five Habits of Great Innovators." The event is open to the public, but you must register to join.
For more than a decade I've studied history's most creative strategists--from Napoleon Bonaparte to John Boyd--and compared their thinking habits with those of their modern peers--Grameen Bank founder Mohammad Yunus or Tesla CEO Elon Musk. I have found five thinking habits that stand out:
Mental time travel
Seeing the interconnected system
Frame-shifting
Disruptive mindset
Influence
Mental Time Travel
As Albert Einstein once said, "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
Interview someone who has had a major impact on their industry or the world and bring them back to the early days when they built belief in their cause. Ask them what was going through their mind, and they are likely to take you along a mental time machine that starts at the beginning and then fast-forwards to a desired future. These "outthinkers" are able to hold their minds at that hypothetical moment, exploring everything that would need to be true for their vision to be realized.
Cognitive scientists call this "mental time travel" and believe it serves as a key distinction between humans and animals. Most animals show no ability for imaging future states but most humans exhibit this capacity by the age of four. I believe that the greater capacity you have for "mental time travel," the better chance you have for impacting the world.
Seeing the Interconnected System
When Scipio Africanus took on the seemingly impossible task of defeating Hannibal in 205 B.C., he resisted the head-on assault that other Roman military leaders had tried before him. Instead he took in a bigger picture, and looked not just at the players but at their inter-dependencies.
By understanding the system, Scipio Africanus saw a master-stroke that would weaken his enemy with minimal effort. Rather than confront Hannibal head on, he turned his men to the ancient city of New Carthage (now called Cartagena), took the city, and thereby cut off Hannibal from his chief supply route.
In the West, we might call this "systems thinking" or talk of the "butterfly effect." The Taoists began speaking of this ability five millennia ago, advocating the point of seeing the interconnectedness of all things.
As I mentioned in my last blog, "outthinkers" seem to think in terms of a system, often a simplified one that keeps them focused on what is most important. The CEO of Knoa software, for example, follows a four-step process for building a business: get a customer, make them happy, get a referral, and repeat.
Regardless of how far you are willing to take this--from building a simple map to embracing the Taoist view that everything is connected--it is worth taking a pause before you begin problem-solving to look at the system, looking at what depends on what, building out the web until you see clearly the fronts of your battle, the levers you must turn, to realize your vision.
Frame-Shifting
I was running late, but I could not find my car keys. I looked in all the usual places but they were simply gone. Desperate for ideas, I dropped to the floor and looked around. They were right there, under the couch.
Sometimes just changing your perspective reveals the answer.
Innovative thinkers shift their perspectives more often, drawing from a more diverse set of experiences, than the rest of us. They are able to handle more complexity and ambiguity because they recognize more patterns. Grandmaster chess players, for example, recognize ten times as many situations as expert chess players. By bringing more perspectives to their game they are more likely to see that winning move when their opponent freezes in confusion.
I've found that if you can shift a group's perspectives seven times on a single problem, they can produce between four and ten times as many possible solutions to that problem.
Disruptive Mindset
How did Rosetta Stone emerge from relative anonymity to become the leading provider of language-learning software in less than ten years? They saw the white space--the opportunity that no one with the capability would be willing to pursue. They saw that technology would be better used to replicate the immersive, natural experience of learning a language than as a tool to replace the classroom. They knew that existing language-learning players were too invested in the old classroom-based model to pursue this opportunity quickly.
It is this same thinking that transformed Sony from a maker of electric teapots into an electronics giant, or RIM into the leading smartphone maker, or Google into ... Google.
"Outthinkers" think not just about what customers will want but also about what competitors will not pursue. Understanding both allows them to see the white space, the uncontested territory.
The higher up I go when working with a good organization, the more often I hear conversations about the competition, what they will and won't do, what they will and won't defend. It is not enough to know your customer. You must grow equally acquainted with your competition and then focus on the few unique opportunities your competition will not defend or respond intelligently to.
Influence
The fifth habit is a big one. Innovators are nothing more than dreamers if they cannot convince others to live out their dreams. It is only when others believe in and act upon their dream that it becomes reality.
I don't have space here to dig into the key aspects of influence--I believe great innovators do at least four things differently here--but if there is one thing that stands out more starkly for me it is that "outthinkers" step into the minds they are seeking to change. They speak in the same language, use the same metaphors, appeal to the same values of the people they are seeking to win the support of.
The rest of us do the opposite. Rather than stepping across the line into "enemy" territory, we stand on our side of the line, use our language, metaphors, and values to lure people over to our side.
Follow @FastCoLeaders for all of our leadership news, expert bloggers, and book excerpts.
There are five specific habits that innovators seem to have in common. If you are willing to retrain yourself to think in these terms and adopt these habits, then you too will achieve true success.

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

NASA Creates Climate Policy Tool: Finds Transport, Food Drive Global Warming

2011-02-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

Source: NASA.gov

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/road-transportation.html

Road Transportation Emerges as Key Driver of Warming in New Analysis from
NASA
02.18.10

For decades, climatologists have studied the gases and particles that have
potential to alter Earth's climate. They have discovered and described
certain airborne chemicals that can trap incoming sunlight and warm the
climate, while others cool the planet by blocking the Sun's rays.

Now a new study led by Nadine Unger of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space
Studies (GISS) in New York City offers a more intuitive way to understand
what's changing the Earth's climate. Rather than analyzing impacts by
chemical species, scientists have analyzed the climate impacts by different
economic sectors.

Each part of the economy, such as ground transportation or agriculture,
emits a unique portfolio of gases and aerosols that affect the climate in
different ways and on different timescales.

"We wanted to provide the information in a way that would be more helpful
for policy makers," Unger said. "This approach will make it easier to
identify sectors for which emission reductions will be most beneficial for
climate and those which may produce unintended consequences."

In a paper published online on Feb. 3 by the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, Unger and colleagues described how they used a climate
model to estimate the impact of 13 sectors of the economy from 2000 to
2100. They based their calculations on real-world inventories of emissions
collected by scientists around the world, and they assumed that those
emissions would stay relatively constant in the future.

Snapshots of the Future

In their analysis, motor vehicles emerged as the greatest contributor to
atmospheric warming now and in the near term. Cars, buses, and trucks
release pollutants and greenhouse gases that promote warming, while
emitting few aerosols that counteract it.

The researchers found that the burning of household biofuels -- primarily
wood and animal dung for home heating and cooking -- contribute the second
most warming. And raising livestock, particularly methane-producing cattle,
contribute the third most.

On the other end of the spectrum, the industrial sector releases such a
high proportion of sulfates and other cooling aerosols that it actually
contributes a significant amount of cooling to the system. And biomass
burning -- which occurs mainly as a result of tropical forest fires,
deforestation, savannah and shrub fires -- emits large amounts of organic
carbon particles that block solar radiation.

The new analysis offers policy makers and the public a far more detailed
and comprehensive understanding of how to mitigate climate change most
effectively, Unger and colleagues assert. "Targeting on-road transportation
is a win-win-win," she said. "It's good for the climate in the short term
and long term, and it's good for our health."

Due to the health problems caused by aerosols, many developed countries
have been reducing aerosol emissions by industry. But such efforts are also
eliminating some of the cooling effect of such pollution, eliminating a
form of inadvertent geoengineering that has likely counteracted global
warming in recent decades.

"Warming should accelerate as we continue to remove the aerosols," said
Unger. "We have no choice but to remove the aerosol particulate pollution
to protect human and ecosystem health. That means we'll need to work even
harder to reduce greenhouse gases and warming pollutants."

By the year 2100, Unger's projections suggest that the impact of the
various sectors will change significantly. By 2050, electric power
generation overtakes road transportation as the biggest promoter of
warming. The industrial sector likewise jumps from the smallest
contribution in 2020 to the third largest by 2100.

"The differences are because the impacts of greenhouse gases accumulate and
intensify over time, and because they persist in the atmosphere for such
long periods," said Unger. "In contrast, aerosols rain out after a few days
and can only have a short-term impact."

Factoring in Clouds

For each sector of the economy, Unger's team analyzed the effects of a wide
range of chemical species, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide,
methane, organic carbon, black carbon, nitrate, sulfate, and ozone.

The team also considered how emissions from each part of the economy can
impact clouds, which have an indirect effect on climate, explained Surabi
Menon, a coauthor of the paper and scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.

Some aerosols, particularly sulfates and organic carbon, can make clouds
brighter and cause them to last longer, producing a cooling effect. At the
same time, one type of aerosol called black carbon, or soot, actually
absorbs incoming solar radiation, heats the atmosphere, and drives the
evaporation of low-level clouds. This process, called the semi-direct
aerosol effect, has a warming impact.

The new analysis shows that emissions from the power, biomass burning, and
industrial sectors of the economy promote aerosol-cloud interactions that
exert a powerful cooling effect, while on-road transportation and household
biofuels exacerbate cloud-related warming.

More research on the effects of aerosols is still needed, Unger cautions.
"Although our estimates of the aerosol forcing are consistent with those
listed by the International Panel on Climate Change, a significant amount
of uncertainty remains.
---

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

House Moves to Kill Climate Science At Agencies As Gov Shutdown Looms

2011-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

An anti-climate science and regulation flurry of votes were cast by the House on Friday, targeting EPA, DOE, NOAA and NASA. The fight now heads to the Senate.
---
"http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49857.html

EPA fight heads to Senate
By: Darren Goode
February 19, 2011 12:07 PM EST

House Republicans led a charge late into the night Friday against Obama
administration decisions to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, block
mountaintop removal mining and allow increased use of ethanol in
gasoline.

The continuing resolution faces an uphill climb in the Senate and a
veto threat from President Barack Obama, but the myriad votes against
the administration's energy and environmental initiatives this week
will likely not be the last.

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), chairman of the Interior-EPA
Appropriations subpanel, said the strong support for riders blocking
the Environmental Protection Agency will build momentum for future
attempts to pass more permanent pushbacks on the agency's regulations.

"The same thing that you see on the floor with all the people offering
amendments [on EPA] is the same thing I hear out in my district,"
Simpson told POLITICO. "If the issue of the EPA comes up, it dominates
the rest of the conversation, and the EPA needs to know that."

The entire debate – covering hundreds of amendments over several days –
was largely anticlimactic as well-worn partisan differences ruled the
day. Democrats didn’t even bother to offer amendments aimed at
stripping out the Republican language trumping EPA’s ability to
regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

“I didn’t see any reason to,” Energy and Commerce ranking member Henry
Waxman (D-Calif.) told POLITICO late Friday. “I didn’t want to make a
bad bill any better. I didn’t think it was likely to pass given the
makeup of the House.”

Waxman noted that an amendment Friday afternoon from Rep. Ted Poe and
fellow Texas Republicans that minimally clarified the language already
in the underlying bill won 249-176, falling short of the two-thirds
needed to overcome an expected White House veto.

“I don’t know what they gained by it but they made me feel pretty
good,” Waxman said.

With Senate Democrats insisting that Republican policy riders must be
removed in order to pass a short-term spending plan and avoid a
government shutdown, there is seemingly little likelihood that any of
the amendments passed by the House will make it to the president’s
desk."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Devouring the Seeds of Innovation: House and Administration Cuts

2011-02-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

The cuts discussed below hobble our national ability to innovate, compete and grow jobs.

Source: Climate Progress

"This cross-post is by CAPAF’s Daniel J. Weiss and Kate Gordon.
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union on January 25, 2011, waved the green flag for innovation and competition in the clean-tech sector. He proposed a number of programs to speed the development and manufacturing of domestic energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors to help American businesses race with their Chinese, German, and other competitors.

But before the president’s proposals had completed their initial laps in Congress, the Republicans’ proposed House “continuing resolution” (or spending bill) for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 waves the yellow caution flag that they would slow down—if not outright halt—the promise of America’s clean-tech revolution and all the ensuing companies and jobs it would create.

The proposed bill would slash clean-tech and energy investments by nearly 30 percent, devastating this growing but immature industry that struggled during the Great Recession. The House Appropriations Committee majority brags that it “cuts climate change funding bill-wide by $107 million, or 29%, from the fiscal year 2010 enacted level.” The proposed budget includes many other cuts that would harm innovation, the economy, and public health (see table).

The previous 111th Congress passed a continuing resolution that would fund nearly all of the federal government through March 4, 2011. The proposed House GOP spending bill would fund the government for the remainder of FY2011, which ends September 30, 2011. The House Appropriations Committee majority claims its bill would cut spending by more than $100 billion between now and October 1. And clean energy, one of the great hopes for American global competitiveness, is one of its biggest targets.

The proposed budget bulldozes the building blocks of clean-tech innovation and economic growth. It would slash spending for science, information, research and development, infrastructure, job training, efficiency, domestic manufacturing, solar and wind power, and transit options that could help reduce our oil dependence. Here are the details.

Science: The truth is out there but we’re not going to look

The proposed budget would slash funding for scientific study of our atmosphere and the consequences of the past 150 years of massive carbon-dioxide pollution on our climate. Some representatives seek a $379 million cut in NASA’s programs to study climate change from space that would deprive scientists of essential knowledge about our increasingly chaotic climate. The bill would also devastate America’s clean energy and other scientific research by cutting the Department of Energy’s Office of Science by 18 percent.

Information: Ignorance is bliss

In addition to flattening funding for scientific investigation, the House Republicans’ proposed spending bill would devastate the federal government’s ability to study, understand, and communicate vital information about our changing energy sector. It would cut the Department of Energy’s independent Energy Information Agency by nearly one-sixth. EIA is the preeminent collector and disseminator of vital statistics and projections of energy production, consumption, and pollution.

The budget also would wipe out the “Greenhouse Gas Registry” that collects data on companies’ carbon-dioxide pollution. These two cuts would save a paltry $25 million. For comparison, this is just one-twentieth of the $500 million spent on military bands in 2010. The large congressional climate science denier caucus clearly believes that ignoring the problem will make it go away.

Research and development: Keep inventors in their garages

Venture capitalist John Doerr, an early investor in Google Inc. and other companies, worries we are falling behind in the clean energy race because investments in R&D are completely inadequate to drive innovation and growth:

America spends only about $5 billion—about half a percent—per year on new energy R&D. … America spends more on potato chips than we do on our new energy R&D.

An essential element of innovation and competition is to nurture new technologies so they can be built and commercialized. Many inventions require continued investment across the technology innovation cycle—from invention at the federal labs and publicly sponsored universities, to public-private partnerships aimed at commercializing and licensing new technologies, to technical assistance to make our manufacturers the most advanced and efficient in the world. Finally, new technologies need market demand to help bring them to scale.

The House Republican spending bill slashes key elements of this invention support system, including the Economic Development Administration. One of its programs, the Energy Regional Innovation Cluster program, focuses on fostering regional partnerships to discover and develop breakthroughs in invention, commercialization, and deployment of clean energy technologies. Next fiscal year, the budget would also halt the low-carbon technology efforts of the DOE’s Loan Programs that are essential to support investment in clean energy technologies, including renewables and nuclear. In 2010, the Loan Programs Office was the world’s largest renewable energy projects financier. Without this office and the credit subsidies required to execute its mandate, many leading clean energy companies will struggle to overcome the industry’s “valley-of-death” financial gap to fully commercialize their technologies at scale.

In addition to these breakthrough programs, American prowess in innovation also depends on a strong advanced manufacturing sector to translate new ideas into marketable products. This leads to ongoing engineering improvements that generate second and third waves of innovation. The House Republicans’ budget undermines both sides of this innovation equation by slashing the budget of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which houses both the Technology Innovation Program and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

The first program fosters public-private partnerships to develop new technologies. The second program works with mostly small- and mid-sized manufacturers to help them become more energy efficient and to access new markets, including emerging clean energy markets. Without investments in research, development, commercialization, and manufacturing, the United States stands poised to become the clean energy consumer of the future, not its inventor, manufacturer, and exporter.

Infrastructure: Keep the lights on?

The American Society of Civil Engineers produced a 2009 “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” grading key infrastructure segments. Energy received a “D+,” partly due to our aging and inadequate transmission system. ASCE determined that:

The U.S. generation and transmission system is at a critical point requiring substantial investment in new generation, investment to improve efficiencies in existing generation, and investment in transmission and distribution systems.

The proposed House spending bill ignores these infirmities and instead cuts funding for “Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability” by one-fifth. This disinvestment in our electricity infrastructure will undermine performance and reliability.

Green job training: Who needs new jobs?

The worldwide clean-tech market should expand to $2.3 trillion by 2020. To compete in the global clean energy race, America must take a page from China’s playbook and begin to seriously train our workers in key skills like engineering and science, as well as in trades such as machining, welding, and pipefitting. This is critical for our future competitiveness, as well as essential if we are to keep our existing lights on and electricity flowing through the transmission grid. Fully half of America’s utility workforce is expected to retire in the next decade.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 made a down payment on the future competitiveness and job readiness of America’s workers by investing $500 million to train people for existing jobs in weatherization, retrofitting, and the utility trades, as well as investing in science, technology, engineering, and math education, and related training for the clean energy jobs of the future. The House Republican spending bill would slash all job-training funds in half, leaving us ill prepared to compete with workers in other nations, whether in clean energy sectors or in other growing industries such as health care and telecommunications.

Oil: Let’s import more foreign oil!

ASCE included passenger and freight rail in its report card and gave the rail system a “C-.” It concluded that new investments in rail systems could:

Alleviate growing freight and passenger congestion experienced by other modes of transportation. In addition, rail is a fuel efficient alternative for moving freight long distances.

Anticipated growth over the coming decades … will tax a rail system that is already reaching capacity in some critical bottlenecks. A substantial investment in rail infrastructure will maximize efficiencies and ultimately reap broad benefits.

Yet the proposed House spending bill would cut existing rail by slicing one-tenth of Amtrak’s budget. It would also zero out funds for high-speed rail, even though our global competitors in China and the European Union have invested heavily in high-speed passenger rail to move people quickly between cities, cut air pollution from air and car travel, and free up regular rail corridors for freight rail.

Energy efficiency: Waste not, watt not

Thrift used to be a conservative value but apparently that is no longer so. The proposed House GOP budget would decimate investments in energy efficiency, cutting funding for these vital programs by more than one-third. This is penny wise but pound foolish since investments in efficiency actually lower electricity bills and ultimately save more money than they cost.

The budget would also eliminate funds for EPA’s “Energy Star” program that informs consumers about energy-efficient products and practices. In 2009 it helped consumers save nearly $17 billion on their utility bills.

Renewable energy: Out of the running?

The United States used to lead the pack in the invention and manufacturing of clean energy technologies such as pioneering breakthroughs in PVC solar. Over the past decade we were lapped by other nations due to their pro-renewable investment and energy policies. The United States ranks 11th among the G-20 nations in “clean energy investment intensity,” or clean energy investments per unit of gross domestic product. President Obama is determined to gain ground so we can compete with China, Germany, and other nations. To accomplish this goal, we invested billions of dollars in clean tech under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The GOP budget would dramatically disinvest in the solar, wind, wave, geothermal, and other renewable technologies that enabled the United States to get back in the clean energy race. It would cut funds for clean tech by nearly $800 million. Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke reports that China invests almost $12 billion monthly into its renewable-energy sector: “They’re doing this because they really want to be the world’s supplier of clean energy and they recognize this will support millions of jobs.”

EPA: Taking the health cops off the beat

The Environmental Protection Agency is the federal watchdog to protect Americans from air, water, and land pollution that threatens public health and the environment. In addition to designing such public health safeguards, it cooperates with states to enforce these laws. They are defenders of public health from cancer-causing and other hazardous pollutants spewed from industrial facilities.

The proposed House budget would devastate EPA’s ability to protect our health. It would remove public health cops from the beat while making it harder to adopt new protections too. It would also cut funds for states that help them enforce these health protections. The result of these huge cuts will be more violations, more pollution, and more illnesses. These cuts could spark massive environmental law breaking.

LIHEAP: Stay warm by shivering

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is a lifeline for seniors and others who cannot afford high electricity bills. By providing this assistance, people in the dawn, dusk, or shadows of life do not have to choose between eating, taking medicine, or staying warm.

The House GOP budget would cut money for the LIHEAP emergency fund by $200 million, or one-third of current funding. This could force low-income families to make the horrible choices described above. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) made it clear that the GOP will proceed with steep cuts in this vital assistance. This is shameful for the richest nation in the world.

President Obama also proposed deep cuts in LIHEAP, which is a shameful act in the midst of the worst economy in 80 years. Unfortunately, the President ignored Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA) letter beseeching him to fund this vital service.

In the middle of a brutal, even historic, New England winter, home heating assistance is more critical than ever to the health and welfare of millions of Americans, especially senior citizens. … I request that the administration preserve LIHEAP funding at least to the Fiscal Year 2010 funding at $5.1 billion when it submits its FY12 budget proposal to Congress.

Conclusion

President Obama reminded Congress during his State of the Union that the United States faces a real innovation challenge from China, Germany, and other nations, much as it did in 1957 as the Soviet Union rocketed ahead of us in space exploration.

When the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik, we had no idea how we would beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t even there yet. NASA didn’t exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs.

This is our generation’s Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We’ll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology—an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.

Instead of proposing a budget that invests in future clean-tech jobs, the proposed House Republican budget turns back the clock to the Bush administration era when there was relatively little investment in clean tech and other countries began to lap us. The proposed House GOP spending bill for the remainder of 2011 would strangle clean-tech innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth.

Their proposed disinvestments in energy efficiency and renewable technologies and their disruption of business assistance and job-training programs would wave the white flag of surrender in the international race to lead the clean-tech industry in the 21st century. Americans should know that House Republican leaders want to force our best innovators, business people, and investors into an endless pit stop while we watch another nation cross the finish line first.

– Daniel J. Weiss is a Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy at the CAPAF. Kate Gordon is the Vice President for Energy Policy. Michael Linden, Associate Director for Tax and Budget Policy at the Center, contributed to this analysis. This post has been updated.""

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

China Cleantech: A Sputnik Moment For US?

2011-01-19T11:17:00.000-08:00

The American space program kept solar alive for decades, as solar advocates acknowledge. Now the Chinese investment in Cleantech is taking our terrestrial leadership away, much as the Soviet Sputnik dominated space a generation ago. We responded with Apollo. At the moment we are loosing the cleantech race, and the jobs that go with it. -Kathleen
----
Source: Huffington Post/Small Business/Amy Lee
"The push to develop cleaner energy technologies–a widely embraced strategy for nurturing innovative new industries–is increasingly threatened by a shortage of investment, according to venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and renewable energy experts.

New technologies that can enable broader use of wind, solar, and other renewable forms of energy require billions of dollars in research and development. But potential investors are balking at the sums involved, cognizant that early-stage technologies are an especially risky bet, with the majority of start-up companies almost certainly doomed to fail.

At the same time potential American ventures are stalling, China’s leaders are directing enormous political and financial support toward forging a Chinese-made clean energy future. And they are moving fast. Chinese factories churn out enormous quantities of solar cells and wind turbines. More importantly, China is investing aggressively in innovation, with spending for clean energy exceeding $51 billion last year–a 31 percent increase from 2009, and ten ten times the level of American governmental support.

This lopsided disparity has occasioned talk that the United States is on the cusp of a modern-day Sputnik moment. American industry has built itself on a legacy of innovation, from the advent of the automobile through the expansion of aviation and into satellite communications and the Internet. In each of these spheres, American companies and know-how have played dominant roles in pioneering technologies and developing lucrative products. But as cleantech now emerges as the next potentially enormous area of global innovation, the United States risks falling behind.

“America still has the opportunity to lead in a world that will need a new industrial revolution to give us the energy we want, inexpensively and carbon-free,” said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu in a recent speech. “It’s a way to secure our future prosperity. But I think time is running out.”"

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

NASA Earth Science Budget Increases

2011-01-02T22:01:00.001-08:00

New Funding Gives NASA Earth Science Missions a Big Lift (Source: AIA)
The current five-year government spending plan should allow NASA to substantially ramp up its Earth science program. The program faced constraints and uncertainty just a year ago, but the new spending plan provides an additional $2.4 billion over the previous blueprint. This could allow NASA to fly a few missions each year instead of one every couple of years, one official said. (12/29)

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

San Diego On Cusp Of Clean Tech Boom

2010-12-30T11:44:00.001-08:00

It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with so many Green leaders in San Diego and beyond in 2010. This tribe has worked to make San Diego a global leader in clean tech and environmental protection, by collaboration. Special thanks to our friends at The San Diego Foundation for supporting the study discussed below in the local media. Happy New Year! Best, Kathleen
-
"Region on cusp of clean-tech boom
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/30/region-cusp-clean-tech-boom/
BY LISA BICKER, BOB KELLY AND SCOTT PETERS,
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2010 AT MIDNIGHT

San Diegans have strong reasons to believe that a vital and growing economy and a clean environment go together – because it’s a reality. It’s happening right now, and right here in San Diego.

A report just out from The San Diego Foundation finds that our clean and green industries already touch one in 10 jobs in our region. And all trends indicate that San Diego’s clean energy and clean-tech industries will be major job creators in the region for years to come. In fact, renewable energy investments already have brought in over $1 billion in investment capital to the region. It is likely that future investments could bring as much as $200 million to $1 billion in coming years, resulting in an estimated 5,400 to 27,000 more jobs.

That’s encouraging news during this time of economic uncertainty and confirms the importance of our continued commitments to pursue more clean, renewable energy and to continue making our homes and buildings as efficient as they can be, which are part of meeting California’s landmark clean energy and climate security law, AB 32.

San Diego has a strong history of creating opportunity out of challenge. And right now we’re at a crossroads. We must find solutions to some of our biggest economic and environmental problems: to curb our dependence on costly oil, to develop reliable and clean water supplies for our growing population, and to create new jobs for our workers.

These are enormous challenges that San Diego is uniquely capable of solving. In fact, the report highlights what makes our region stand out as an established leader in California in remodeling the business environment to leverage the growing clean-tech economy. It includes significant local investments, local demand and a skilled work force.

Let’s take those one at a time.

First, San Diego is fueled by a diverse innovation economy that is attracting attention and dollars from investors. The region is home to close to 800 clean-tech companies. The biofuels sector alone has seen venture capital and other investments over the last three years exceeding $1 billion. We are helping to create sustainable alternatives to oil – and competing for a multitrillion-dollar global fuels market. That’s both good for our environment and good for our wallets.

Next, in the San Diego region, there is a strong local demand for clean energy. For example, military spending on solar installations is expected to have a significant effect on energy efficiency and green building job growth. A recent survey of the region’s specialty trade construction employers revealed that more than 30 percent report having worked on a green building project. And those numbers are expected to rise.

Lastly, San Diego is home to some of the greatest academic institutions in California, providing a strong, skilled work force to support a growing clean economy. According to the report, a majority of clean economy jobs require less than two years of education or training, providing many opportunities for workers with diverse educational levels. And with the success of biotech, wireless communications and defense industries, and access to talented university graduates, San Diego can both help workers and veterans transfer existing skills into new industries, as well as support a steady supply of new workers.

And we’d like to add one more attribute to San Diego’s leadership position: our strong local pride in protecting the environment around us. We are extremely fortunate to live in this beautiful county, and even more privileged to be in a position to create jobs and establish a thriving economy at the same time.

Bicker is president and CEO of Clean Tech San Diego, working to establish San Diego as a clean-tech leader. Kelly is president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation, providing quality support in philanthropic giving in San Diego. Peters is chair of the Climate Initiative at The San Diego Foundation"

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Chu Supports Open Source Reseach For Greentech

2010-12-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Source: gigaom.com

"All hail the open source scientist. Open collaboration in energy innovation will be a key part of fighting climate change, said Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to an audience at the Green Solutions conference in Cancun, Mexico, a side event to the U.N.’s climate negotiations going on this week. While Chu noted that protecting intellectual property is very important for incentivizing the development of greentech, open collaboration between scientists often times leads to better research that can be produced more quickly.
Beyond the greater good, scientists who are more open with their research and willing to collaborate with their peers are generally more successful in their careers, and usually don’t look at a single breakthrough as the last one they are event going to make, pointed out Chu. For example he and two other scientists collectively won the Nobel Prize in the late 90′s, and Chu said “We were competitors, but we shared notes and tried to collaborate on aspects of research together. We were friends before the Nobel Prize and we are friends afterwards,” said Chu." More at headline...

Virgin Green Fund Lauds Clean Tech Cluster

2010-12-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

The prospects for growth of the clean tech sector in San Diego grow ever brighter, with pro
Green Jerry Brown as Governor, and AB 32 now safe, post the Prop 23 victory here and statewide.
- Kathleen
"San Diego hotbed for cleantech
BY ONELL R. SOTO
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1, 2010 AT 6 A.M., UPDATED DECEMBER 1, 2010 AT 10:50 A.M.

Support for San Diego's clean technology cluster from schools, the government and the business community bodes well for the region, a venture capitalist said Tuesday.

"It's got a good reputation as a place that fosters the environment," said Evan Lovell, a general partner for the Virgin Green Fund, in town to talk at a Cleantech San Diego event.

From schools with a long history of letting researchers spin off companies to local political leaders who support green business, the ingredients needed to help new technology grow are in place, he said.

"It seems like a pretty robust environment for new technology development," he said.

Lovell spoke Tuesday at the 2010 International Showcase at the University of San Diego, in which companies from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Switzerland showed off their products.

Cleantech San Diego announced that it was joining a new global group of similar organizations, called the Global Cleantech Cluster Association.

Cleantech San Diego ranks 7th worldwide, and 3rd in the United States, in a list of clean technology clusters compiled in February by Sustainable World Capital, which raises money for green investments."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Climate Progress Reports On Royal Society: Hellish Vision for 2060

2010-11-29T11:39:00.001-08:00

In the interest of information dissemination, I am reposting todays Climate Progress.org massively intelligent and far reaching commentary on information coming from the Royal
Society about the hellish future that awaits in 2060 should temps increase by 7 degrees F.
As the devil is in the details, readers can make thier own assessments on the horrific future that awaits the next generation if we do not change the course of warming immediately. Read on.
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"Royal Society special issue details ‘hellish vision’ of 7°F (4°C) world — which we may face in the 2060s!
"In such a 4°C world, the limits for human adaptation are likely to be exceeded in many parts of the world, while the limits for adaptation for natural systems would largely be exceeded throughout the world."
November 29, 2010

“Projections of global warming relative to pre-industrial for the A1FI emissions scenario” — the one we’re currently on. “Dark shading shows the mean ±1 s.d. [standard deviation] for the tunings to 19 AR4 GCMs [IPCC Fourth Assessment General Circulation Models] and the light shading shows the change in the uncertainty range when … climate–carbon-cycle feedbacks … are included.”

Note: The Royal Society is making its “entire digital archive free to access” (!) through Tuesday, so download the articles in their special issue on 4C warming ASAP.

One of the greatest failings of the climate science community (and the media) is not spelling out as clearly as possible the risks we face on our current emissions path, as well as the plausible worst-case scenario, which includes massive ecosystem collapse. So much of what the public and policymakers think is coming is a combination of

The low end of the expected range of warming and impacts based on aggressive policies to reduce emissions (and no serious carbon-cycle feedbacks)
Analyses of a few selected impacts, but not an integrated examination of multiple impacts
Disinformation pushed by the anti-science, pro-pollution crowd
In fairness, a key reason the scientific community hasn’t studied the high emissions scenarios much until recently because they never thought humanity would be so self-destructive as to ignore their warnings for so long, which has put us on the highest emissions path (see U.S. media largely ignores latest warning from climate scientists: “Recent observations confirm … the worst-case IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are being realised” — 1000 ppm [A1FI]).

A special issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, “Four degrees and beyond: the potential for a global temperature increase of four degrees and its implications,” lays out this 4°C (7°F) world. Warming of 7F is certainly not the worst-case in the scientific literature (see M.I.T. doubles its 2095 warming projection to 10°F — with 866 ppm and Arctic warming of 20°F and “Our hellish future: Definitive NOAA-led report on U.S. climate impacts warns of scorching 9 to 11°F warming over most of inland U.S. by 2090 with Kansas above 90°F some 120 days a year — and that isn’t the worst case, it’s business as usual!”).

But for the first time, “A hellish vision of a world warmed by 4C within a lifetime has been set out by an international team of scientists,” as the UK’s Guardian describes it:

A 4C rise in the planet’s temperature would see severe droughts across the world and millions of migrants seeking refuge as their food supplies collapse.

These papers began as conference presentations, one of which I discussed last year (see UK Met Office: Catastrophic climate change, 13-18°F over most of U.S. and 27°F in the Arctic, could happen in 50 years, but “we do have time to stop it if we cut greenhouse gas emissions soon”).

Dr Richard Betts, Head of Climate Impacts at the Met Office Hadley Centre, laid out the “plausible worst case scenario,” in a terrific and terrifying talk. What is worst-case is not the temperature rise, which is all but inevitable this century if we don’t take action.

What is “worst-case” is that if we stay on the high emissions pathway and the carbon cycle feedbacks turn out to be strong (as observations and paleoclimate data suggest they will be) then it could happen by the 2060s...

In a must-read paper that is the source of the top figure, “When could global warming reach 4°C?” Betts et al. drop this bombshell:

Using these GCM projections along with simple climate-model projections, including uncertainties in carbon-cycle feedbacks, and also comparing against other model projections from the IPCC, our best estimate is that the A1FI emissions scenario would lead to a warming of 4°C relative to pre-industrial during the 2070s. If carbon-cycle feedbacks are stronger, which appears less likely but still credible, then 4°C warming could be reached by the early 2060s in projections that are consistent with the IPCC’s ‘likely range’.

On the one hand, the A1FI is quite a high emissions scenario, and I suspect that humanity will turn off of it by 2030. On the other hand, even a much lower emissions like A2 is only a few tenths of a degree centigrade cooler. Also, while Betts et al. does a better job of incorporating carbon-cycle feedbacks into their modeling than virtually anyone else, I do not believe that they incorporate any feedback of methane emissions from the tundra or methane hydrates — and that is certainly the most worrisome of all of the carbon-cycle feedbacks (see Science: Vast East Siberian Arctic Shelf methane stores destabilizing and venting: NSF issues world a wake-up call: “Release of even a fraction of the methane stored in the shelf could trigger abrupt climate warming”).

Another important Royal Society article is the concluding piece, “The role of interactions in a world implementing adaptation and mitigation solutions to climate change,” by Rachel Warren. She makes a crucial point that is all too neglected in most discussions of adaptation — it is the interaction of impacts that is likely to overwhelm, particularly when you consider the very real risk of eco-system collapse over large parts of the Earth:

… a 4°C world would be facing enormous adaptation challenges in the agricultural sector, with large areas of cropland becoming unsuitable for cultivation, and declining agricultural yields. This world would also rapidly be losing its ecosystem services, owing to large losses in biodiversity, forests, coastal wetlands, mangroves and saltmarshes, and terrestrial carbon stores, supported by an acidified and potentially dysfunctional marine ecosystem. Drought and desertification would be widespread, with large numbers of people experiencing increased water stress, and others experiencing changes in seasonality of water supply. There would be a need to shift agricultural cropping to new areas, impinging on unmanaged ecosystems and decreasing their resilience; and large-scale adaptation to sea-level rise would be necessary. Human and natural systems would be subject to increasing levels of agricultural pests and diseases, and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

In such a 4°C world, the limits for human adaptation are likely to be exceeded in many parts of the world, while the limits for adaptation for natural systems would largely be exceeded throughout the world. Hence, the ecosystem services upon which human livelihoods depend would not be preserved. Even though some studies have suggested that adaptation in some areas might still be feasible for human systems, such assessments have generally not taken into account lost ecosystem services.

Precisely.

Right now, even the worst-case analyses for adaptation ignore the potential impact of ecosystem collapse (see Scientists find “net present value of climate change impacts” of $1240 TRILLION on current emissions path, making mitigation to under 450 ppm a must).

Warren also notes another area often ignored in adaptation analyses:

In the coming decades, one of the most serious impacts of climate change is projected to be the consequences of the projected increases in extreme weather events. For example, climate change-induced changes in precipitation patterns and changes in climate variability would increase the area of the globe experiencing drought at any one time from today’s 1 per cent to a future 30 per cent by the end of the twenty-first century…

Few studies examine the potential consequences of these increases in extreme weather upon individual sectors and/or regions, but these could be significant. Only a few days of high temperatures near flowering in wheat, groundnut and soybean can drastically reduce yield, while maize losses could potentially double owing to floods in the USA; and the AVOID study estimated that, in a 4°C world, 50 per cent of fluvial flood-prone people would be exposed to increased flood risk compared with approximately 25 per cent in a 2°C world.

Unfortunately, this issue was not published in time to take into account the Must-read NCAR analysis that warns we risk multiple, devastating global droughts even on moderate emissions path. And the sea level rise article adds little to the many recent scientific and media articles on the subject — see Coastal studies experts: “For coastal management purposes, a [sea level] rise of 7 feet (2 meters) should be utilized for planning major infrastructure.” Also, I would have liked to have seen an ocean acidification article that looked at what we face on the high-emissions, moderate carbon-cycle feedbacks scenario.

But there are several important articles, like “Agriculture and food systems in sub-Saharan Africa [SSA] in a 4°C+ world,” which concludes:

The prognosis for agriculture and food security in SSA in a 4°C+ world is bleak. Already today, the number of people at risk from hunger has never been higher: it increased from 300 million in 1990 to 700 million in 2007, and it is estimated that it may exceed 1 billion in 2010 . The cost of achieving the food security Millennium Development Goal in a +2°C world is around $40–60 billion per year, and without this investment, serious damage from climate change will not be avoided. Currently, the prospects for such levels of sustained investment are not that bright. Croppers and livestock keepers in SSA have in the past shown themselves to be highly adaptable to short- and long-term variations in climate, but the kind of changes that would occur in a 4°C+ world would be way beyond anything experienced in recent times. There are many options that could be effective in helping farmers adapt even to medium levels of warming, given substantial investments in technologies, institution building and infrastructural development, for example, but it is not difficult to envisage a situation where the adaptive capacity and resilience of hundreds of millions of people in SSA could simply be overwhelmed by events.

The article “Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change: emission scenarios for a new world” concludes:

The analysis within this paper offers a stark and unremitting assessment of the climate change challenge facing the global community. There is now little to no chance of maintaining the rise in global mean surface temperature at below 2°C, despite repeated high-level statements to the contrary. Moreover, the impacts associated with 2°C have been revised upwards, sufficiently so that 2°C now more appropriately represents the threshold between dangerous and extremely dangerous climate change. Consequently, and with tentative signs of global emissions returning to their earlier levels of growth, 2010 represents a political tipping point. The science of climate change allied with emission pathways for Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 nations suggests a profound departure in the scale and scope of the mitigation and adaption challenge from that detailed in many other analyses, particularly those directly informing policy.

However, this paper is not intended as a message of futility, but rather a bare and perhaps brutal assessment of where our ‘rose-tinted’ and well intentioned (though ultimately ineffective) approach to climate change has brought us. Real hope and opportunity, if it is to arise at all, will do so from a raw and dispassionate assessment of the scale of the challenge faced by the global community. This paper is intended as a small contribution to such a vision and future of hope.

The Preface to the issue makes a similarly crucial point about why to have as realistic an assessment of the science as is possible:

Second, responses that might be most appropriate for a 2°C world may be maladaptive in a +4°C world; this is, particularly, an issue for decisions with a long lifetime, which have to be made before there is greater clarity on the amount of climate change that will be experienced. For example, a reservoir built to help communities adapt to moderate temperature increases may become dry if they continue to increase, or coastal protection designed for 2°C may be overcome at 4°C. This will require systems that are flexible and robust to a range of possible futures. Third, for some of the more vulnerable regions, a +4°C world may require a complete transformation in many aspects of society, rather than adaptation of existing activities, for example, high crop failure frequency in southern Africa may require shifts to entirely new crops and farming methods, or SLR may require the relocation of cities.

In short, even those who favor adaptation need to get real about what we are facing — or else we will waste a lot of time and money maladapting. But in a 4C/7F world, the word ‘adaptation’ should probably be replaced by “misery and triage” (see Real adaptation is as politically tough as real mitigation, but much more expensive and not as effective in reducing future misery).

Finally, it must always be repeated that for far, far less than the cost of so-called adaptation, we could dramatically reduce the likelihood of the worst of these impacts with technologies are available today or in the process of being commercialized.

Indeed, while one paper cited above asserts, “There is now little to no chance of maintaining the rise in global mean surface temperature at below 2°C,” that is only true in the political sense that the human race is choosing not to act, choosing not to stay below 2°C. We almost certainly have it within our scientific and technological power to do so — see How the world can stabilize at 350 to 450 ppm: The full global warming solution.

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A stunning year in climate science reveals that human civilization is on the precipice
The analysis within this paper offers a stark and unremitting assessment of the climate change challenge facing the global community. There is now little to no chance of maintaining the rise in global mean surface temperature at below 2°C, despite repeated high-level statements to the contrary. Moreover, the impacts associated with 2°C have been revised upwards, sufficiently so that 2°C now more appropriately represents the threshold between dangerous and extremely dangerous climate change. Consequently, and with tentative signs of global emissions returning to their earlier levels of growth, 2010 represents a political tipping point. The science of climate change allied with emission pathways for Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 nations suggests a profound departure in the scale and scope of the mitigation and adaption challenge from that detailed in many other analyses, particularly those directly informing policy.

However, this paper is not intended as a message of futility, but rather a bare and perhaps brutal assessment of where our ‘rose-tinted’ and well intentioned (though ultimately ineffective) approach to climate change has brought us. Real hope and opportunity, if it is to arise at all, will do so from a raw and dispassionate assessment of the scale of the challenge faced by the global community. This paper is intended as a small contribution to such a vision and future of hope.

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- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Chu: China Clean Tech Is New Sputnik

2010-11-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

Source: Playbook/Politico

"ENERGY SECRETARY STEVEN CHU will say during a 1 p.m. speech at the National Press Club that the success of China and other countries in clean energy industries represents a new "Sputnik Moment" for the U.S., and requires a similar mobilization of America's innovation machine: Developing and deploying the next generation of clean energy technologies will create jobs and is crucial to America's competitiveness. The speech will highlight several of the Department's highly promising research efforts, including a Recovery-Act-funded-project [Carney! You reading?] that's developing a lightweight, cost-competitive electric vehicle battery with a range of 500 miles on a single charge. Coverage details http://bit.ly/e14VHK"

Methane Venting in Siberia: NSF Wake-up Call

2010-11-15T12:11:00.001-08:00

Source: Climate Progress

"Vast East Siberian Arctic Shelf methane stores destabilizing and venting: NSF issues world a wake-up call: “Release of even a fraction of the methane stored in the shelf could trigger abrupt climate warming.”

Methane release from the not-so-perma-frost is the most dangerous amplifying feedback in the entire carbon cycle. This research finds a key “lid” on “the large sub-sea permafrost carbon reservoir” near Eastern Siberia “is clearly perforated, and sedimentary CH4 [methane] is escaping to the atmosphere.”

The permafrost permamelt contains a staggering “1.5 trillion tons of frozen carbon, about twice as much carbon as contained in the atmosphere,” much of which would be released as methane. Methane is is 25 times as potent a heat-trapping gas as CO2 over a 100 year time horizon, but 72 times as potent over 20 years!

The carbon is locked in a freezer in the part of the planet warming up the fastest (see “Tundra 4: Permafrost loss linked to Arctic sea ice loss“). Half the land-based permafrost would vanish by mid-century on our current emissions path... No climate model currently incorporates the amplifying feedback from methane released by a defrosting tundra."

- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

Climate Scientists Unite To Fight Skeptics

2010-11-09T13:53:00.001-08:00

Source: LA Times

" Faced with rising political attacks, hundreds of climate scientists are joining a broad campaign to push back against congressional conservatives who have threatened prominent researchers with investigations and vowed to kill regulations to rein in man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

The still-evolving efforts reveal a shift among climate scientists, many of whom have traditionally stayed out of politics and avoided the news media. Many now say they are willing to go toe-to-toe with their critics, some of whom gained new power after the Republicans won control of the House in Tuesday's election."
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- Kathleen Connell, M.A.

MissionToHumanity.com

California Green Economy Doubled Performance of Total Economy in Recession

Next Week, January 31: San Diego Green Policy Leaders Present Green Economy, Green Jobs and Careers Outlook for 2012

Join us and grow your knowledge, career, network, business, organization, the Green community, and mitigate climate change! Location: Venue Sponsor, Cricket Communications, Inc. (Corporate Headquarters), 5887 Copley Drive, Training Room, 1st Floor, San Diego, 92111

Citizens Climate Lobby will report on their 2011 visits to Congress, and discuss their climate policy objectives, and the impact on the Green Economy and Green Jobs. Founded in the San Diego region, CCL is a national group to watch on the climate policy front.

Green Experts Academy, San Diego, Jan.31, 2012: Public Policy, Green Jobs & The Green Economy: National, State, Local Issues and Opportunities in the Era of Climate Change

Climate Ethics Campaign: Morality and Human Suffering in Spotlight on Capitol Hill

Green Experts Academy, San Diego: Top Green Leaders Brief On Green Jobs, Business Start-Up Success Strategies. November 16, 2011

Green Experts Academy, San Diego: Top Green Leaders Brief On Green Jobs, Business Start-Up Success Strategies. November 16, 2011

More Information

Green Experts Academy, San Diego November 16: New! More Leaders To Brief on Success in the Green Economy

California Rewards Environmental and Societal Corporations with New Benefits Corp

Ex-Wife's Attorney Saw 'No Indication' Scott Dekraai Was Violent

Amtrak train crash in California slightly injures 18

Defense drops propofol claim in Jackson trial

A Minute With: New "Footloose" star Kenny Wormald

Looking for a good film? Head to the museum

Carbon Nation Returns to San Diego

Review: "Paint Your Career Green" by James Geddes

The Green Jobs Transition by Kathleen Connell. San Diego Union Tribune (Sept 18, 2011)

CLEANTECH AND GREEN ECONOMY SECTOR LEADERS TO SHARE LATEST INFO ON GREEN JOBS & GREEN ECONOMY SEPT. 15 AT SAN DIEGO SEMINAR

Press Release: San Diego CleanTech Beach: Register Now To Get Your Seat: Sept 15

CleanTech and Green Economy Sector Leaders to Share Latest Information on Green Jobs and Green Economy at San Diego Seminar, September 15, 2011

Register for Sept 15: "San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding The Green Jobs and Economy Wave"

September 15, 2011 5:30pm-7:30pm

Who should attend this event

Benefits for You

Learn. From local and state Green Job creation leaders and visionaries

Engage. Grow your community, contacts and opportunities

Transform. Your future, San Diego and the planet

San Diego CleanTech Beach: Riding the Green Jobs & Economy Wave

DC Greenwatch: Dems Promise Green Job Focus Going Forward

Californians Show Overwhelming Support for Green Energy

Washington Fiddles While Globe Burns: Mayors Lead Climate Effort

Gore: What Climate Crisis and Debt Ceiling Crisis Have In Common

Cleantech: 2.7M Jobs: The Recovery Is Clean, Green

Societal Alignment and New Green Branding Paradigm

Google: 5 Year Renewable Energy Delay Will Cost Economy Trillions

San Diego Clean Tech Cluster Emerges As National Green Pathfinder & Hub

"Southern Calif. Energy Hub Eyed for Clues to U.S. Green Economy

By ANNE C. MULKERN of Greenwire

Published: June 22, 2011

Celebrate Solar Day, June 18

Putting Social and Environmental Needs Into The Core of Capitalist Value Policy

Carbon Offsets: Balboa Park Funding Source?

UN Publication: The Green Economy and Poverty

UN Challenges US: Climate Change Must Be Global Effort

New Pew Poll: Red and Blue Alike Support Renewable Energy

Will Solar IPO Spark Next Gold Rush?

Mike Matas: A next-generation digital book | Video on TED.com

Seriously Like: Facebook Says Maybe to Greenpeace No Coal Campaign

Obama: End Oil Subsidy, Increase Renewables, Stop Gas Graft

The Good News: Public Shifts on Desire For Climate Action and Clean Tech Investment Up

RIP: Baruch Blumberg, Nobel Prize Winner

NASA Plans Major Solar Installation at Wallops

Prop 23 Coalition Revived To Push for CA Clean Energy Global Leadership

House Repubs Vote Global Warming Does Not Exist

Solar Stock Rally As Japan Crisis Continues

5 Habits of Innovative Thinking

NASA Creates Climate Policy Tool: Finds Transport, Food Drive Global Warming

House Moves to Kill Climate Science At Agencies As Gov Shutdown Looms

Devouring the Seeds of Innovation: House and Administration Cuts

China Cleantech: A Sputnik Moment For US?

NASA Earth Science Budget Increases

San Diego On Cusp Of Clean Tech Boom

Chu Supports Open Source Reseach For Greentech

Virgin Green Fund Lauds Clean Tech Cluster

Climate Progress Reports On Royal Society: Hellish Vision for 2060

Chu: China Clean Tech Is New Sputnik

Methane Venting in Siberia: NSF Wake-up Call

Climate Scientists Unite To Fight Skeptics