Top Stories
Details of new Senate climate bill emerge.—reliability
high.
"Besides bringing down emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases
blamed for global warming, it would expand offshore oil drilling and
nuclear-power production in a move to appeal to a broader number of
senators. Here are highlights of the bill, called the "American Power
Act," according to a summary of the legislation being circulated to
senators and obtained by Reuters" At CNET News
from Reuters.
U.S. Senate climate bill sees big cut in oil
imports.—reliability high.
"A climate change bill being unveiled in the U.S. Senate envisions a
reduction in U.S. imports of foreign oil of 40 percent by 2030 as
vehicles are forced to become more energy-efficient and oil refiners
would face new federal requirements, Senate aides said on Wednesday."
From Reuters.
The American Power Act: 'First Read' of the
Kerry-Lieberman Climate and Energy Legislation.—reliability
medium.
"Here is NRDC’s 'first read' of the American Power Act discussion
draft, compiled with the assistance of our staff experts in each of the
areas that the legislation addresses." See NRDC
blog.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Light bulb war? New LEDs by GE, Home Depot
compete.—reliability high.
"Competition for the U.S. light bulb market intensified Monday as Home
Depot said it's begun selling a "breakthrough" LED, only a month after
General Electric and Cree announced similar products. ... Home Depot
says the new 9-watt, $20 ECOSMART LED bulb, made in the United States,
uses about 80% less energy than a 40 watt incandescent and contains no
mercury as do most CFLs. It's also recyclable and dimmable." See USA
Today.
Cornell Researchers Develop Standard
Measurement of Expenses for Energy, Supplies.—reliability
high.
"A team of three researchers has developed a standard measurement of
expenses for energy and supplies that can be used as a sustainability
gauge for the hotel industry." From Green
Lodging News. Access the report at this Cornell
site.
Electric motorcycles kick gas at Minimoto SX
Energy Crisiscross.—reliability medium.
Gas and electric dirt bikes competed at the 2010 Minimoto SX Energy
Crisiscross. E-bikes dominated. "It wasn't just the successful
hole-shot to checkered flag performance of the Swiss-built bike that
makes the case though. For that we turn to exhibit B: a pack of five
Zeros in hot pursuit filling the remaining spots on the podium as well
as 4th, 5th and 6th place. A rather convincing finish to the first
AMA-sanctioned 'electric vs. gas-powered' race, we think." See Autoblog
Green. [If
they win races, everyone will want e-bikes.]
Walmart's green goals will impact chemical
supply chain.—reliability high.
"Walmart's sustainability goals might mean an added cost burden all
the way up to the chemical supply chain. But so far, the chemical
industry as a whole is giving its approval to the US retailing giant's
various green initiatives. On top of the US-based hypermarket chain's
Packaging Scorecard program, which started in early 2008, and its
Sustainability Product Index, which started on July 2009, Walmart
announced on February 25 its goal of eliminating 20m tonnes of
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain by the end
of 2015." From ICIS.
Government and
Regulation
Patent Pending: The Fast Track.—reliability
medium.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office "struggles with a major backlog.
But inventors of green technology may have a leg up. Under a program
that started in December, they can request that their patents be put
through an accelerated queue. The purpose of the program is to help
them raise money, start up businesses and bring products to the market
more rapidly." From New
York Times Green blog. [An innovative
kind of government subsidy that costs taxpayers nothing and might
improve competitiveness.]
Science and
Economics
U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2009: A
Retrospective Review.—reliability high.
"In 2009, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States
saw their largest absolute and percentage decline (405 million metric
tons or 7.0 percent) since the start of EIA’s comprehensive record of
annual energy data that begins in 1949, more than 60 years ago. ...
even with the reduction in economic growth since 2000, emissions would
nonetheless have grown by 0.6 to 0.7 percent annually had the
proportional relationship between economic and emissions growth
remained the same as during the 1990s. ... The downturn of the economy
caused per capita GDP to fall (3.3 percent) resulting in a total GDP
decline of 2.4 percent. Energy intensity and the carbon intensity
of the energy supply also both fell more than 2 percent. These
three factors (GDP, energy intensity, and carbon intensity) combined in
roughly equal proportions to cause emissions to fall by 7.0 percent."
More analysis and details at EIA
site. [Economic
recession accounted for only one-third of the steep decline in
emissions in 2009.]
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
