Talking Green

UNEP Definition of Green Jobs..

Yesterday, I posted my question about "what is a green job?", since there's no clear cut definition out there on the subject. So, treat this as my obsession to find a simple yet meaningful definition of green jobs, in addition to the one I heard at a conference.

Green jobs by definition, via UNEP's (United Nations Environment Program): 

We define green jobs as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.

[via report on Green Jobs: Towards decent work in a sustainable, low-carbon world]

Garbage @ Work

World Carbon Emissions (since 1902)

A picture worth a thousand words, via Thomson Reuters (subscription).

click on image to enlarge..

Just by looking at the graphic above, the U.S. and China basically competing for the big two polluters place in the world, which is not a good place to be.

Exxon CEO a Carbon Tax Convert?

Now this is interesting. Exxon CEO is in Al Gore camp? According to WSJ the CEO, Rex Tillerson, backs emission (carbon) tax as oppose to cap-and-trade, a policy supported by other oil cos. like ConocoPhillips, US division of BP, and Shell.

Exxon CEO speak may redux le resistance on taxing carbon, from WSJ.

In a speech in Washington, Rex Tillerson said that a tax was a "more direct, a more transparent and a more effective approach" to curtailing greenhouse gases than other plans popular in Congress and with the incoming Obama administration.

Contrast that to this statement from Exxon on global warming in 2007, via Guardian.

The world's biggest non-state-owned oil group said its position on global warming had been repeatedly misunderstood and it had come to accept there should be a US federal - and preferably global - carbon tax through a cap-and-trade system.
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Exxon "leaned" towards a cap-and-trade system for the US that would license "upstream" power providers like itself rather than "downstream" power users as in Europe because that would place the cost of carbon on most active parts of the economy rather than just a few players.

Carbon tax or cap-and-trade?.. which one is better. Uhm. Think we shouldn't worry about it (at least for now), because Environmental Capital is saying that Congress may not get around to cap-and-trade this year.

RGGI Regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard

Good! This should be a model for other states, whether or not part of a regional low carbon initiative. From ENS.

Pennsylvania has signed a letter of agreement with 10 other eastern states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and other sources by developing a regional low carbon fuel standard.

Vehicles using low carbon transport fuels include cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells; electric cars such as plug-in hybrids; cars fueled with ethanol, especially cellulosic ethanol made from non-food plant materials; and cars fueled with biodiesel.

"This partnership will work closely on a standard for the entire region," said Governor Ed Rendell on Monday, announcing the agreement. "In conjunction with Pennsylvania's energy policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase clean energy development, this work done by this partnership will ultimately grow our economy and protect our planet by fostering a cleaner environment."

Largest Solar Project Coming to Prince Georges

It's labeled as one of Maryland's largest solar projects with 150-kilowatt coming online from 9,000 s.f. of solar panels covering the HQ of a business outfit, John Kelley & Sons, in Prince Georges county. The project is a 20-year PPA (purchase-power-agreement) with Washington Gas Energy (and not PEPCO?).

Via SolarBuzz.

Three Washington, D.C. area companies are to construct one of Maryland’s largest solar power systems at the headquarters of John E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction in Prince George’s County. Nearly 9,000 square feet of solar panels will cover the building’s roof, generating enough electricity to meet more than half the needs of the 20,000 square foot office/warehouse facility.

This PPA agreement in a nutshell. WGE owns the system with John Kelley buys the electricity from them and another company - Standard Solar - takes care of the rest, i.e. developing, design, construct, operate and maintain the system.

The PPA concept is good for business, especially in this economy, because it saves the up-front costs of installing, maintaining the solar system that typically exists in buy outright.

The Money Quote..

...it's right-on-the money quote on energy efficiency.

The energy efficiency improvements we identified would require additional annual investments of 170 billion US dollars over the next 13 years. But those investments would generate a return of more than 900 billion US dollars annually by 2020, thanks to reduced energy use. That’s an average annual rate of return of 17 percent based on a long-term oil price of 50 US dollars per barrel – the returns would be even greater with higher oil prices.

- from Economic opportunities in a low-carbon world

Va. Panel Recommends Aggressive GHG Cuts?

The recent recommendation by Virginia panel on climate change asked for more greenhouse gas emissions aggressive cuts than what Gov. Kaine proposed, according to Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

...the Commission on Climate Change recommended that the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020, and by 80 percent by 2050 — well beyond the 30 percent reductions Kaine called for by 2025, according to the AP story.

The recommendation for the cuts however, needs more powwah. Because the language for "no-more-coal-plant until CCS technology has been perfected," has been removed. This two should be one package, if Virginia seriously wanted to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

The mindset that no-alternative-to-coal (one local politician says that..) has got to change! We just have to look at what the sources of emissions and the consequences if we do nothing...via Roanoke Times.

...greenhouse gas emissions from Virginia and the Carolinas are equivalent to industrialized South Korea's emissions.

Just to give you an idea of how bad So. Korea's GHG emission is...via IHT.

South Korea released 591 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in 2005. That level is believed to be the world's 10th-largest in emissions, and it is almost double the country's 1990 output of 310 million tons.

There's got to be more than enough energy alternatives to coal for Virginia that's available out there. If Maryland can do it, why can't Virginia do it? Yes, we can. Provided that the political will is strong enough to overcome the coal industry lobbying. 

And that seems to be what's lacking over here...

World Bank Raises $300 Mil from Green Bonds

This is good. Despite global financial crisis the World Bank in partnership with SEB and several Scandinavian institutional investors, was still able to raise $300 million in Swedish krona-denominated six-years green bonds. Funds raised will be directly invested into climate change related products. Via Environmental Finance.

The money raised will be invested exclusively in technologies that reduce greenhouse gases, energy efficiency projects, reforestation or avoided deforestation projects, or to help developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change.

The pool of buyers for these kind of bonds: insurance companies (2/3), pension funds and socially responsible investment portfolio (SRI). The triple-A rated bonds will pay 0.25 percent above Swedish government bonds.

Marylanders Gets $16M for Carbon Auctions

Maryland gets $16M from RGGI share of its first carbon auction, which is by far the largest recipient among participants. The earned income goes directly to Maryland's Strategic Energy Investment fund for redistribution, via Hometown Annapolis.

Maryland funds will be divided among programs that range from residential electricity rate relief and energy assistance for low-income residents, to energy-efficiency and climate-change programs.

With auction money coming down the pipeline expect to see significant amount available to fund Maryland's energy efficiency programs.