Image: epa.gov

As a new climate and energy bill winds its way through the U.S. Senate, opponents and watchdog groups are voicing concerns that the proposed legislation could strip power away from the Environmental Protection Agency and individual states.

According to multiple reports, a draft in progress from Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) would call for greenhouse gas curbs across multiple economic sectors, with a target of reducing emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. Power plant emissions would be regulated in 2012, with other major industrial sources phased in starting in 2016.

The three met with industry leaders on March 17 to discuss features of the bill. Among the potentially controversial items: Restricting the EPA’s powers to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act and curbing states’ climate laws and regulations.

“It wasn’t in our earlier bills, but in terms of getting this energy independence, job-creating carbon pollution bill going, this gives the business community the predictability that they need. It’s very important to them,” Lieberman said.

Industries generally are eager to consolidate new climate rules under one federal program rather than deal with regulation on a case-by-case or state-by-state basis. Any weakening of the Clean Air Act, however, is likely to encounter stiff resistance from environmental groups.

Center for Biological Diversity Executive Director Kieran Suckling was quick to go on the attack.

“If correctly reported, the Kerry, Lieberman, Graham approach is unacceptable. It won’t stop global warming, and by attacking the Clean Air Act, it will remove the only tool we currently have that can do so,” he said in a statement released by the organization.

“Kerry, Lieberman, and Graham appear to be taking Congress to a new low in its long-term failure to rise to the challenge of stopping global warming.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the subcommittee that oversees the EPA budget, also voiced skepticism about the proposed changes.

“I don’t think it should pre-empt EPA from anything,” she said.

Bill Becker, executive director of National Association of Clean Air Agencies (which represents state and local air pollution control agencies) added his concerns.

“Climate change is such a monumental problem that action at all levels — local, state and federal — is essential if we are serious about achieving our ultimate goals,” he said. “Future climate legislation should build upon this successful partnership, not supplant it, and preserve the rights of state and local governments to take more stringent actions where needed.”

Kerry later told reporters that a full draft should be ready by next week, but was unsure when it might be released.

With prices down and incentives still available, more and more individuals and businesses are looking into solar panels as a way to cut down energy costs and protect the environment. According to a poll released this week, support also is growing for solar on the utility scale.

A utility-scale solar plant in Blythe, Calif. Image: First Solar

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) unveiled statistics gathered by Gotham Research Group that show 75 percent of those surveyed advocate the development of solar energy plans on public lands. The survey also determined that solar was the first choice as best use of public land (38 percent).

Asked which energy sources the government should prioritize, respondents picked solar farms and wind (22 percent each), natural gas and nuclear (16 percent each), oil (11 percent) and coal (4 percent). Findings were based on polling conducted February 24-26, involving a sample of 500 American adults 18 years of age or older. The margin of error on the total sample of 500 is +/- 4.4 percent.

“When Americans talk about solar energy, they usually envision rooftop systems, which are great. But it’s important to also realize the significant role that utility-scale solar has to play,” said Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who joined a conference call to announce the results.

“Large solar installations use economies of scale to achieve significant cost savings and help Americans to get the most solar ‘bang for the buck.’ It’s great to confirm that the rest of America is just as excited about utility solar as we are.”

According to the SEIA, five new pilot plants came on line in 2009 and more than 100 utility-scale solar projects are under development. The group estimates that projects represent more than 17 gigawatts of capacity, enough to provide clean power to 3.4 million households and to create more than 100,000 jobs.

Image: Susanne Miller, USFWS

From Green Right Now Reports

An initiative to put an end to international trophy hunting and commercial trade in polar bear parts was defeated in a vote at the United Nations’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar. The same group also voted down a proposal to ban the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna, a fish used extensively in sushi and sashimi.

The proposal to protect the polar bear was sponsored by the United States and supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) among other groups. NRDC lawyers and conservation experts have asserted that the bears suffer unsustainably high harvest levels in the face of trophy hunters and a market for pelts, paws, teeth and other parts.

“While there has been a lot of positive momentum in polar bear conservation recently, this is a real setback,” said Andrew Wetzler, Director of NRDC’s Wildlife Conservation Project. “It keeps some of the most important populations of polar bears squarely in the crosshairs. We will continue work to find a new way to protect polar bears from this unsustainable hunt.”

A 2007 report by the U.S. Geological Survey offered a “conservative” estimate that the total population of polar bears would decline by over 70 percent in the next 45 years as global warming literally melts their habitat. A year later, the U.S. listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The proposal before CITES sought to “uplist” the species to the more highly protected class 1 status under international treaty. It was defeated by a vote of 62-48 with 11 abstentions.

Image: NOAA

Meanwhile, only the United States, Norway and Kenya offered outright support for the Atlantic bluefin ban, while the European Union asked that any action be delayed until May 2011 to provide more time to respond to claims of overfishing.

Japan, which imports 80 percent of Atlantic bluefin, conceded that stocks were in trouble but echoed a growing theme that CITES should have no role in regulating tuna and other marine species.

Japan expressed willingness to accept lower quotas for bluefin tuna but wanted those to come from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which currently regulates the trade.

Windspire turbines. Image: Mariah Power

From Green Right Now Reports

Adobe Systems, Incorporated has completed installation of 20 Windspire wind turbines at its San Jose, Calif., headquarters.

“With the installation of the Windspires, we’re adding renewable energy to a long list of green measures Adobe has taken to lessen our environmental impact,” said Randall H. Knox, III, senior director, Global Workplace Solutions, Adobe. “We’ll continue to seek innovative green technology solutions to reduce our energy dependence and inspire others to go green.”

Urban Windspire installation. Image: Mariah Power

Each tower is 30 feet tall, 4 feet wide and weighs 650 pounds. The propeller-free, vertical-axis wind turbine is designed to harness wind power in urban, suburban and rural locations.

The new towers are located on Adobe’s sixth–floor patio, which doubles as a rooftop garden and recreational area above an office parking garage. Adobe’s three office towers create a wind tunnel effect from sustained winds off the Pacific Ocean.

Adobe’s green building efforts have earned the company the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest honors for green practices. Adobe is the first commercial office building to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED®-EB Platinum certification for its San Jose headquarters and is the world’s first commercial enterprise to achieve a total of four Platinum certifications under the LEED program.

Since 2001, Adobe estimates it has saved approximately $6.7 million as a result of its energy and sustainability efforts. Those initiatives include energy-efficient lighting, real-time water meters for landscaping and an intelligent control system to help monitor building efficiencies.

Image: AUG

We’d all like to know a little more about what we’re buying at the grocery store. How old is that vegetable? Where was it grown? How did it make its way to this shelf or bin? What kind of track record does the farmer have?

Not content to simply ponder these weighty questions, John Healy decided to help provide some useful answers.

“It all stemmed from the movie Food, Inc.,” said Healy, a May 2009 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga. “It’s a really great documentary about food production and how much we really know about what we eat.

“We were also looking at applications that are out there, and how they fell a little short as far as how much information you could gather yourself.”

The result: The Augmented Living Goods Program (AUG), an innovative concept designed to connect producer to consumer by way of the retailer. Working with fellow SCAD graduates Shane Blomberg, Seth Laupus and Andrew Reeves, Healy produced an application that works with SmartPhones to allow shoppers to get more concrete information on those potential purchases. The project was the big winner at February’s Greener Gadgets competition in New York City.

With verifiable input from producers, the program allows shoppers to scan a bar code to access information such as the location of the farm, farming methods (organic?), specialty items (all turnips, all the time) and more. The grocer would introduce a bar code directory and add a SmartPhone-friendly bar code sticker on the front of each local farmer’s container to allow customers to make more informed choices about vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry, and dairy products.

Sounds good, certainly, but what’s in it for the farmer? Responsible food producers will have an outlet to tout the quality of their work and a chance to develop a bond with the end-line consumer. And the store? As buyers become more savvy (and demanding) about the sources of their sustenance, a reputation for being a “local farmer-friendly retailer” can be a big asset, boosting consumer confidence and loyalty.

As the depth of the data improves, customers might be able to access historical pricing, find out what others had to say about the product, input their own feedback on satisfaction, and get a refresher on their own buying history. A rewards system could be added to provide incentives for everyone in the loop.

“We’re currently figuring out parts of the business model,” Healy said. “We’re actually working with a company. We’re also working on signing up producers and things of that nature.”

So far, so good.

“We haven’t run into any really big issues yet,” he added. “One problem is that I’m just a student and I don’t really know anything about business or law. I come from a design background, so all of this is new to me and for the group. It’s just trying to start a business. It’s a process.”

The process started innocently enough as Healy and friends decided they wanted to develop an entry for Greener Gadgets, an annual conference produced by the Consumer Electronics Association that spotlights green designs and innovations in consumer technology. (Themes this year included sustainable product design, green technology in the home, and environmental issues.)

Once the idea took shape, Healy, Blomberg, Laupus and Reeves needed only about a week to flesh out some of the details and develop the application. Before they knew it, they were claiming the top prize.

“The core ideas were mine, but in any design situation, you have to bounce it around from person to person,” Healy said. “Everyone has their own little thing. But everyone’s still involved. It’s fun.”

Now, that concept could be in the early stages of creating a career – or, at the very least, a job – for the point man, who is cautiously optimistic about what the future might bring.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Healy said. “There are so many people who are interested in the idea, as far as actually being able to buy the application. If it turns into a career, it does. That would be awesome. I would love to do it. I’m very passionate about the idea. I just don’t know where it’s going to lead.”

Meanwhile, Healy is hedging his bets. Recently relocated from Atlanta to New York, he is looking for a job in The Big Apple, just in case.

“I’m going to do both for a while and see how this develops,” he said.

Still, he holds hope that he might be on the verge of a nice convergence of green thinking and real-world marketability.

“It’s definitely feeling that way,” he said. “The company we might work with is pretty pumped about it. It could turn into something big.”

With 3D movies popping up faster than the Cheshire cat, a bioplastic company has seen the opportunity in making bioplastic 3D glasses.

Cereplast Inc., a maker of bioplastic derived from plant materials based in the Los Angeles area, announced that it will be working with Oculus3D to debut the world’s first biodegradable/compostable 3D glasses.

Occulus 3D glasses made of PLA plastic

The eco-friendly glasses are expected to be available for distribution this summer, according to ShoWest, the motion picture distribution and exhibition industry’s annual expo.

The glasses come too late for the main runs of green blockbuster Avatar and potential blockbuster Alice in Wonderland, which together have required the use of some 10 million pairs of 3D glasses made with traditional fossil fuel-based plastic.

While those glasses were collected at movie theaters and reused – they eventually end up scratched. Many will end up in landfills, where the plastic they’re made of persists in the environment for many years.

By contrast, the Cereplast 3D specs can be expected to degrade or be composted in a landfill, depending on conditions, in about six months. The glasses will be made with Ingeo® Poly-lactic acid, otherwise known as PLA plastic. PLA plastic not only biodegrades, it generates less carbon pollution than plastics made with petroleum during production.

“By using Cereplast’s resins in our 3D biodegradable and compostable glasses we can now help the entertainment industry reduce its carbon footprint and provide movie theaters with smarter choices for both affordable 3D systems and compatible 3D eyewear,” said Marty Shindler, Co-founder and CEO of Las Vegas-based Oculus3, in a statement.

Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc., said the collaboration will offer Hollywood  “meaningful ‘green’ benefits requiring little effort and providing large impact.”

Image: Pike Research

With Americans focusing more and more on streamlining their energy consumption and reducing costs, microgrids may become an increasing part of the solution. Smart integration that can allow communities, companies or institutions to operate “off the grid” is not only attractive, but is rapidly becoming a genuine alternative.

Microgrids are “islanded” power generation and distribution zones that operate autonomously from the larger electrical grid. A new report from Pike Research predicts that more than 3 GW of new microgrid capacity will be come online globally by 2015 at a total investment of $7.8 billion. The firm expects more than 2,000 sites to be operational worldwide by 2015, up from fewer than 100 in 2010.

Pike sees North America as the biggest player, accounting for 74 percent of industry capacity. Researchers anticipate that most of that will come in the form of institutional microgrids, followed by commercial/industrial and community grids.

In Europe and Asia Pacific, community microgrids are forecast as the largest categories.

As the current top-down system becomes increasingly unreliable and insecure and isn’t always friendly to renewable power generation, microgrids may gain appeal, with the potential to be part of a larger effort to create a Smart Grid that can add intelligence and automation while giving customers greater control over consumption.

“The distinguishing feature of a microgrid is the ability to separate and isolate itself from the utility’s distribution system during brownouts and blackouts,” says Pike Research managing director Clint Wheelock. “This degree of localized control is compelling for many microgrid proponents during this time of increasing concern over grid reliability.”

United Natural Foods, Inc. today announced plans to adopt hydrogen fuel cell technology to power the lift truck fleet at its Sarasota, Fla., distribution center. The company said it expects to employ 65 GenDrive fuel cell powered lift trucks by June. The company will add 29 new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to its fleet, and retrofit 36 others.

As part of the Sarasota initiative to replace lead acid batteries and their associated charging equipment with hydrogen fuel cells, United Natural Foods said it has partnered with a number of companies to implement the roll-out, including Plug Power Inc., Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Abel Womack, Inc.

Hydrogen fuel cell produces energy by combining hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical reaction that yields electricity, heat and water. Hydrogen is non-toxic, non-poisonous, the lightest of all gases and the most abundant element in the universe. By converting its Sarasota lift truck fleet to hydrogen fuel cells, the company said it expects carbon emissions will be reduced by approximately 132 metric tons annually, an amount equivalent to the annual emissions of 35 automobiles.

“We consider environmental stewardship an essential component in every facet of our business. This hydrogen fuel cell project is further proof of UNFI’s leadership as an environmentally-conscious organization by advancing the use and development of alternative-fuel technologies,” Steve Spinner, UNFI’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

The 352,000 square-foot Sarasota facility, which employs approximately 160 workers, serves as a regional distribution hub for customers in the Southeastern United States.

The electric car is almost here. Hybrids abound. Diesel has cleaned up its act. Even conventional internal combustion engines can be tweaked to do a bit less harm to the environment.

A brighter, cleaner future is a mantra at the auto shows this year. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and a different sort of impression emerges: Change may be coming to the automobile industry, but progress is slow — even grudging — and the message can be murky.

Chevy Volt. Photo: Green Right Now

Chevy has been hyping the much-discussed Volt, for example. The manufacturer’s new electric car – due later this year – can go up to 40 miles on a single charge before a gasoline engine kicks in to keep passengers from becoming stranded.

A breakthrough? Sort of. The price? Not certain just yet, but reps allow that it will be in the $40,000 range, at least initially, making The Volt more eco-friendly, than wallet-friendly.

Nissan has been touting its new LEAF, an all-electric vehicle expected to get about 100 miles on a full charge. Intriguing, or so it would seem. Unfortunately, the LEAF was a no-show at the recent Dallas Auto Show, even though the vehicles have been touring the country as proof of their worth as “real world” transportation. A representative suggested that Nissan hoped to have the LEAF at the New York International Auto Show in early April.

Mitsubishi brought its new all-electric  iMiEV, which already is on the road in Japan. Interestingly enough, the car was not prominently displayed among the manufacturer’s offerings at the Dallas show, and featured a decidedly U.S.-unfriendly right side steering wheel. When asked about the vehicle’s range, a Mitsubishi rep had to check with a superior to answer a seemingly obvious question. (The eventual answer: About 80 miles to a full charge.)

Meanwhile, the manufacturers continue to trot out a fleet of muscle cars, big trucks and big SUVs, some of which are only marginal upgrades on the status quo. One hybrid SUV touted a whopping 21 miles per gallon on the highway. Sure, that’s better than 17, but…

Bottom line: If you’re looking for real advances in fuel efficiency and environmental consciousness, you can find them. But you’ll have to look closely, and don’t expect too much just yet

Still looking for a greener ride? Here’s are some to consider:

2011 Chevy Volt

Is 40 miles on full charge enough to get America excited? The manufacturer argues that this should be enough for the average owner to make the average commute, using government statistics that claim more than 75 percent of all commuters travel 40 miles or less. If your one-way commute is 41 miles, fear not, since that gasoline engine will pick up the slack. Still, for a round trip exceeding 40 miles, you’ll have to find a place to charge up if you are going to get home without burning any fuel. (Interestingly enough, the gasoline engine doesn’t drive the wheels; it instead powers a generator that sustains the battery charge for up to 300 more miles.) A full recharge takes about 6.5 hours at 110V, around three hours at 220V. Will buyers pony up $40,000 or more for a relatively small car with such limited range? A $7,500 tax credit on the first 250,000 sold might help.

Clean energy and Fortune 500 executives arrived in Washington D.C. today for the fifth and final leg of the “Race for American Jobs: Clean Energy Leadership,” a coast-to-coast virtual race to drive home the economic and job-creation benefits of national climate and energy legislation.

Sponsored by We Can Lead, a coalition of business leaders from 30 states who are pushing for new  energy and climate policies in the United States, the  the four-week campaign included events in Oregon, Colorado, Ohio and New Hampshire, before moving to Washington.

A “race” baton, calling for swift passage of comprehensive climate legislation, was delivered at Congressional today on Capitol Hill. The baton was signed by executives from Best Buy, Nike, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, Jones Lang LaSalle and Stonyfield, and others from clean energy companies, union leadership, and investor and youth groups.

The group believes that comprehensive climate and energy policies such as those that passed in the House could create up to 1.9 million jobs nationally from 2010 to 2020, including up to 26,000 jobs in Oregon and 61,000 jobs in Ohio, according to a recent study by the University of California.

“The time to act is now,” Sarah Severn, director of stakeholder mobilization for Nike Inc., which hosted the first leg of the cross-country race Feb. 16 at its Oregon headquarters, said in a statement. “The U.S. needs legislation that gives clean energy entrepreneurs an even playing field to compete globally for innovation and job creation.”

Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact at Starbucks, said “the sooner we develop national climate policies, the better equipped we’ll be to compete in the global race for clean energy and create new jobs here at home.”

When Ric Richards recently acquired an aging McDonalds in Cary, N.C., he knew the place needed an overhaul.  The 25-year-old store was fraying at the edges.

LED lighting at Cary McDonalds

Richards decided to give these particular golden arches a green touch.

Once he’d decided that the building needed replacing, the decision to go eco-friendly was not difficult. Richards knew it made sense from a business standpoint – it would cut energy costs dramatically – and he figured it would resonate with the educated customers living in the Research Triangle region, especially those interested in lower-carbon living.

“I felt it was the right thing to do,’’ said the owner-operator whose green restaurant celebrated its grand opening this winter. “We all need to be more geared for sustainability as we move into the future. We need to build buildings or live at home using fewer resources.”

Creating the third green-credentialed restaurant in the nation proved just a little easier in the Raleigh-Durham area, because the leading LED manufacturer Cree Lighting is just down the road.

Cree representatives, Richards and architect Logan Luzadr of LMHT Architects collaborated to light the restaurant’s public spaces completely with LEDs, which use less than 20 percent of the energy consumed by comparable incandescent lighting and only about half the energy used by CFL lights.

Virtually all of the restaurant’s lights are LEDs, making the LEED (for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) Gold-rated building a showcase of state-of-the art lighting.

Not only are the LEDs more efficient than other types of lighting, they don’t contain any mercury, which has been a downside of CFLs.

“If you didn’t know the lighting in McDonald’s was LED, you probably wouldn’t notice, but that’s the point. The Cree LED lights in the Cary McDonald’s give off the same beautiful light you would expect from an incandescent but consume just a fraction of the energy,” said Cree executive Gary Trott. “This allows the store to layer in accent lighting for a more pleasing environment while still meeting LEED-certification standards.”

Lighting doesn’t just come from a socket, however, and Luzadr’s design assured that day times at the McD’s would be naturally lit. The building was constructed with 360-degrees of windows in a cupola above the eating area with 19 Solatubes – tunnels that carry sky light – spread across the restaurant.

“Aesthetically the restaurant looks terrific,” said Richards, who explained that lighting was a key focus of the rebuild because it does double duty, saving energy and improving the feel of the cafe.

The other aspect of green building that Richards wanted to be sure to get right was the heating and cooling system. His “green team” of Luzadr, operations manager Tony Myers, green site designer Brian Stoltz of Commercial Site Design in Raleigh and green advisor Skanska USA, came up with an enclosed Hydronic Water Boiler System (available in residential versions)  that cuts energy use, in part, by using humidity to keep the restaurant at an even temperature.

The technologically advanced system gives the restaurant a different tactile feel, Richards says.

“I own seven restaurants and I can tell the difference. I just built another one (with the) same style and design, very aesthetic…and it’s energy efficient, but it feels different.’’

Richards estimates his return on the green energy investments will be just five years. Figuring the ROI on the other green changes will not be an easy mathematical formula, but the improved aesthetics and environmentally sensitive changes are tangible but immeasurable rewards.

Among the other features in the LEED-certified builiding:

• All the seating and cabinets and other décor elements were glued together with lower VOC adhesives

• Table tops are made of wheatboard and sunflower seeds (recovered from food processing) or bamboo, a renewable source.

• Countertops are Vetrazzo, which uses recycled concrete and glass.

Speaking of concrete, the concrete from the demolition of the predecessor store was sent out for recycling. The concrete that was installed in the parking lot is recycled stock. While the green team was pondering the heat island effects of being encircled by concrete, an inevitable outcome of being a drive-through restaurant, they added areas for vegetation to curb runoff and mitigate heat effects.

One day someone on the team muttered that they should think about putting in a couple places for electric vehicles to plug-in. Heads snapped. Of course they should. So they did, partnering with NovaCharge in Florida to install two charging stations, which have already been used.

Inside, energy and water savings continue with low-flow faucets and toilets that use 1/10^th of a gallon to flush, a vast savings over even the going green standard of a 1.6 gallon flush.

Topping it all off are placards throughout the restaurant that explain the changes, as well as an electronic presentation of how the building was constructed.

Now, as for that McDonald’s food…it’s being prepared with EnergyStar appliances. But it bears acknowledging that, in all honesty, a big burger is not the poster food for the green movement.

However, a recent  sustainability report by the fast-food giant shows that McDonald’s is well aware of changing tastes, as well as pressures on the food supply. The report noted that 98 percent of the whitefish used in Filet-O-Fish sandwiches came from fisheries with “favorable sustainability ratings” and that healthy sides for Happy Meals are offered in the top McD markets. Those sides include fruit bags, cherry tomatoes, corn cups and “Apple Dippers.” And there are those salads and parfaits. So those who eschew burgers, can at least chew something else.

The report also said that 80 percent of the cooking oil used in McDonald’s in Europe is converted into biodiesel. The EU has a stronger biodiesel network than the U.S. But more and more U.S. restaurants are recycling their cooking oil, including the Cary McDonald’s.

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