Solar Energy and PV Systems

Another article on the Energy Department's website described a project known as the SunShot Initiative; the intention being to make solar energy competitive with other leading forms of energy without subsidy by 2020.  Under the Initiative, the Energy Department recently invested $29,000,000 into four different projects that will reduce the cost of solar energy benefitting both U.S. businesses and families.  Secretary Chu commented "The price of solar panels has fallen dramatically in recent years, but we also need to reduce the cost and time required to actually install them in homes and businesses... Projects like these can help reduce the cost of solar power and make it easier for American families and businesses to access clean, affordable energy."  I think this quote is fantastic because it shows that someone is actively trying to make a public shift from the wasteful, dirty energy we consume en masse today.  The article also discussed plug-and-play photovoltaic (PV) systems, which make buying and installing solar panels much easier.  I personally hope that these PV systems are the first steps in making personal solar panels a commonality across the United States.

Links:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/daily.cfm/hp_news_id=371

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/us-to-invest-up-to-25-million-in-plug-and-play-pv-systems_100006541/#axzz2ErqoHTtj

http://www.granitetransformations.com/blog/1871/the-benefits-of-using-solar-panels-at-home/

http://eddiewilliams2.wordpress.com/

U.S. Department of Energy: Fuel Efficiency

I discovered an intriguing article on the USDE's website about government programs that prioritize fuel efficient vehicles and improve America's transportation system, making it more sustainable.  The Energy Department recently announced 20 new projects to improve accessibility to the training and tools needed to produce more fuel efficient vehicles.  U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu comments that these programs will "...give American families, businesses, and communities more options and reduce fueling costs. At the same time, these projects will help lead the way to further reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and protecting our nation's air and water."  These programs improve the country's sustainability through the Energy Department's Clean Cities Initiative, a group of coalitions that aim to make certain major US cities and certain private companies more energy efficient and clean. The city of Austin, Texas was recently awarded half a million dollars to assist companies that make a lot of deliveries to make their fleet of trucks more energy efficient, while offering training seminars on electric vehicles.  Additionally, Kansas City, Missouri will be given roughly $815,000 that will establish a Green Fleet Technical Assistance and Certification program to encourage companies to asess their fuel consumption and emission levels.

Link: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/index.html

Civic Center in Frisco

The article I read on San Francisco led me to search for examples of their sustainability.  One of the first articles that caught my attention was about an eco-friendly Civic Center that mayor Gavin Newsom announced in September of 2008.  The idea was to restructure the existing center into a "sustainable resource district."  The project uses solar panels, wind turbines, and living roofs to reduce the city's carbon footprint by 2,225 tons.  The panels and turbines reduce the district's energy consumption by almost a third, while water efficient fixtures and water reclamation programs conserve 80% of water used.  When construction plans were released, Mayor Newsom stated, "...our Civic Center will stand as a global model for how we achieve a more sustainable future."

Here's a concept photo of the Civic Center:

And here's a photo of the completed Civic Center:

Links:

http://inhabitat.com/san-francisco-sustainable-civic-center/

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2011/09/30/omg-this-morning-in-civic-center-its-civic-response-2011-a-fire-drill-with-a-cast-of-thousands/

Sustainability and San Francisco

I discovered an article on the Siemens corporation's website regarding San Francisco and the fact that it's the most environmentally sustainable city in the United States.  It was closely followed by New York, Seattle, Denver and Boston as the top five.  These cities were compared out of 27 total by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The study, known as the Green City Index was commissioned by Siemens.  To determine the most sustainable city, they looked at 9 environmental categories: CO2 emissions, energy, land use, buildings, transport, water, waste, air quality, and environmental governance.  Eric Spiegel, the president of the Siemens corporation identified these cities as "the driving force behind the nation's sustainability efforts."  He goes on to say, "Despite the fact that we don't have a federal climate policy... 21 of the 27 cities have already set their own carbon reduction targets.  Cities are creating comprehensive sustainability plans, utilizing current technology, and proving everyday that we don't have to wait to create a more sustainable future."  I was excited to read this quote because I completely agree that NOW is the time to create sustainable cities, and I'm glad that such a powerful, influential man shares my viewpoint.  The cities that performed the best on the survey were found to have plans that covered every category of sustainability (CO2 emissions, water, land use, etc.)  The Green City Index seems to be a very precise means of determining the most sustainable areas in our country, so we can follow their example across all of the United States.

Link: http://www.siemens.com/press/en/pressrelease/?press=/en/pressrelease/2011/corporate_communication/axx20110673.htm

Day 1- Investigation Continued

I then found another article about building a framework of sustainability into the Environmental Protection Agency's decision making process.  After request from the EPA, The National Research Council proposed this framework with the general betterment of the environment in mind.  I love this article because I really agree with it, and I think sustainability is the future of environmentalism in America and hopefully the rest of the word.  The 1969 National Environment Policy Act identified sustainability "to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations."  The report recommended this sustainable approach by highlighting three key pillars: environmental, social, and economic impact.  For example, human health would fall under the social category in order to keep it organized and therefore easier to solve problems that arise.  The curent approach that the EPA takes towards sustainability identifies and attempts to manage environmental risks in order to preserve its quality.  However, this new framework addresses more complex problems, such as depletion of resources (which could be solved with renewable energy, hence sustainability), climate change, and a loss of biodiversity.  The report also suggests a rigorous "sustainability screening" in which the EPA can verify whether or not a product, process, or policy could be considered sustainable.  I think it's fantastic that the EPA plans on adopting this framework, and it should be a major improvement to the health of our environment as well as the stability of our economy and the well being of US citizens in general.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110802125554.htm

WMO Headquarters

Here's a photo of the World Meteorological Organization headquarters in Geneva.

Link: http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization.shtml#.ULaBmTGe4tt

Day 1- Investigation

Today I started my research by visiting sciencedaily.com and reading through their articles.  The first article that immediately caught my attention was about the rising sea level and how it's rising 60% faster than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had predicted.  (At this point I googled the IPCC and discovered that they're a scientific body that analyzes data collected on climate change throughout the world.  They were created by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization in 1988.) The IPCC predicted that the sea level was rising at a rate of 2 mm per year, but researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Tempo Analytics and Laboratoire d'Etudes en Geophysique et Oceanographie Spatiales have found evidence that the sea level is actually rising at 3.2 mm per year.

Links: 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121128093911.htm

http://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization.shtml#.ULaAYzGe4tt