Congressman Ron Paul (R - TX)
by Konrad Imielinski, energy.seekingalpha.com
Ron Paul has the least favorable position on alternative energy. He believes the American economy will continue to depend on oil in the foreseeable future. He is putting alternative energy on the back burner, and instead focusing on increasing the number of domestic refineries. Just recently, he voted Yes for the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act.
Paul has opposed every bill supporting alternative energy investment:
• Voted NO for the Clean Energy Act of 2007 - To reduce our Nation's dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewable Reserve to invest in alternative energy (01/18/2007)
• Voted NO for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 – To develop an energy policy that addresses tax incentives, conservation strategies, regulatory standards, research and development programs, energy efficiency, and alternative sources of energy (07/28/2005)
• Voted NO for the Energy Omnibus bill - To enhance energy conservation and research and development, to provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people (06/15/2004)
• Voted NO for the Securing America's Future Energy [SAFE] Act of 2001 - To enhance energy conservation, research and development and to provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people (08/02/2001)
The problem is that Ron Paul has a tendency to vote against proposals for government spending, initiatives, and/or taxes. Could any progress be made in the alternative energy field without any of the three?
It would be extremely difficult for such a candidate to lead us towards energy independence if he is unwilling to invest in a cleaner future.
Anyone disagree?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Chinese Solar Energy Stocks May Carry Euphoria Risk
Chinese Solar Power May Cool Down
2007-07-16 - Sam Hopkins, Orbus Investor
They're both hot sectors: China and solar energy. Especially as China's energy appetite soars up, up, and away from what its traditional coal resources can provide alone, and the government encourages the development of clean energy, Chinese solar companies should be a bull's dream.
But my colleague Jeff Siegel, editor of Green Chip Stocks, urges caution. The traditional solar power technology he sees in China these days is ho-hum stuff at best. Even with the explosion of IPOs like Trina Solar and Yingli Solar in recent months, can Chinese solar tech truly go global? Volatility in stock prices of listed Chinese solar companies shows a rumbling of discontent among those in the know.
Jeff's on top of the international renewable energy market, and his Green Chip Stocks trading services are crushing market averages based on his painstaking research and honest appraisal. Check him out at www.greenchipstocks.com , and stay tuned for more from Orbus Investor on the ins and outs of international renewable energy.
Regards,
Sam Hopkins
Background on China's Booming Stock Markets; Is the Plateau a Forebear of a Slide?
China Bull Market Hesitates as Pork Prices Soar
2007-07-17 - Sam Hopkins, Orbus Intel
In China's big cities, maids are going back to work and casting their day-trading dreams to the wind. The number of new accounts for trading Chinese A-shares (the most basic stock available to retail traders in the Middle Kingdom) is dropping far from recent record highs.
Despite all the Wall Street hubbub about the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting 14,000, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and its progress so far this year absolutely dwarfs the Dow and the more representative S&P 500 index:
But these exchange movements do not take place in a vacuum. The tension between economic growth and price fluctuation is being felt all over the world these days in a big way. Perhaps nowhere more than China, where a lack of elasticity in the local currency is putting pressure on local consumers as US legislators gripe for different reasons.
Legislators from both the Democratic and Republican parties contend that manipulation of the yuan, or renminbi ("people's currency") has assisted the loss of over three million American manufacturing jobs to China since 2001.
But from their offices on Capitol Hill they cannot feel the impact of China's rampant growth-it has consistently risen more than 11% per year-on the average consumer. While we complain about soaring fuel prices, China has caps on gasoline prices. Pork, however, is a different matter.
The wholesale price of pork rose by nearly 75% in June over the year before, the Ministry of Agriculture announced this Monday. That means that the majority of Chinese who not drive and do not use commoditized goods like metals and fuel are still getting thrown into the fire of sharp market movements.
Last year, record low prices led to increased slaughtering of young piglets and sows in order to depress supply. Then a contagion called blue-ear pig disease spread throughout the rural Yangtze River Valley this year, killing 27.5% of the swine that contracted it.
Such food price surges have resulted in corn tortilla riots in Mexico, where biofuel competes with bellies for the power kernels can provide. In China, the survivors of Mao's disastrous Great Leap Forward and other periods of famine are surely terrified to go back to such scarcity, and a generation raised on KFC and internet bars just won't accept state-mandated "sacrifice."
The Beijing government's National Development and Reform Commission fears China's own potential for food riots, urging local authorities this Monday to ban the establishment of new corn processing facilities to ease demand. Rice, wheat, and corn prices have all gone up by about 8% so far this year over 2006 levels.
As 300,000 new trading accounts were opened per day this spring during the peak of the neophyte frenzy, China's staggering 40% household savings rate continued to tick downward (though hopefully not all the way to the American nadir of -1%).
It is important to get China's new export-fueled wealth circulating, but the market is not for the faint-hearted. Take another look at the Shanghai Stock Exchange, this time by itself:
Notice that the market has wobbled since late May. This probably has the most significant impact on new account openings, since the strong springtime trend is what lured so many into their first share purchases. What this tells us is that the Chinese retail shareholder is fickle.
The lesson for us foreigners scoping out the Shanghai scene from afar is that China's barnyard is complicated. Bulls abound but they don't always feel like charging. Since China lacks a sophisticated derivatives market, investors either bet long or not at all.
Are you after smart money or just fast money? I would bet that few Chinese investors would be able to answer that question quickly, if they can even differentiate. In a land where a generation is often the difference between an oxcart and an Audi, more wild swings can be expected, but Chinese investors have certainly developed a taste for the market's meat.
Regards,
Sam Hopkins
2007-07-16 - Sam Hopkins, Orbus Investor
They're both hot sectors: China and solar energy. Especially as China's energy appetite soars up, up, and away from what its traditional coal resources can provide alone, and the government encourages the development of clean energy, Chinese solar companies should be a bull's dream.
But my colleague Jeff Siegel, editor of Green Chip Stocks, urges caution. The traditional solar power technology he sees in China these days is ho-hum stuff at best. Even with the explosion of IPOs like Trina Solar and Yingli Solar in recent months, can Chinese solar tech truly go global? Volatility in stock prices of listed Chinese solar companies shows a rumbling of discontent among those in the know.
Jeff's on top of the international renewable energy market, and his Green Chip Stocks trading services are crushing market averages based on his painstaking research and honest appraisal. Check him out at www.greenchipstocks.com , and stay tuned for more from Orbus Investor on the ins and outs of international renewable energy.
Regards,
Sam Hopkins
Background on China's Booming Stock Markets; Is the Plateau a Forebear of a Slide?
China Bull Market Hesitates as Pork Prices Soar
2007-07-17 - Sam Hopkins, Orbus Intel
In China's big cities, maids are going back to work and casting their day-trading dreams to the wind. The number of new accounts for trading Chinese A-shares (the most basic stock available to retail traders in the Middle Kingdom) is dropping far from recent record highs.
Despite all the Wall Street hubbub about the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting 14,000, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and its progress so far this year absolutely dwarfs the Dow and the more representative S&P 500 index:
But these exchange movements do not take place in a vacuum. The tension between economic growth and price fluctuation is being felt all over the world these days in a big way. Perhaps nowhere more than China, where a lack of elasticity in the local currency is putting pressure on local consumers as US legislators gripe for different reasons.
Legislators from both the Democratic and Republican parties contend that manipulation of the yuan, or renminbi ("people's currency") has assisted the loss of over three million American manufacturing jobs to China since 2001.
But from their offices on Capitol Hill they cannot feel the impact of China's rampant growth-it has consistently risen more than 11% per year-on the average consumer. While we complain about soaring fuel prices, China has caps on gasoline prices. Pork, however, is a different matter.
The wholesale price of pork rose by nearly 75% in June over the year before, the Ministry of Agriculture announced this Monday. That means that the majority of Chinese who not drive and do not use commoditized goods like metals and fuel are still getting thrown into the fire of sharp market movements.
Last year, record low prices led to increased slaughtering of young piglets and sows in order to depress supply. Then a contagion called blue-ear pig disease spread throughout the rural Yangtze River Valley this year, killing 27.5% of the swine that contracted it.
Such food price surges have resulted in corn tortilla riots in Mexico, where biofuel competes with bellies for the power kernels can provide. In China, the survivors of Mao's disastrous Great Leap Forward and other periods of famine are surely terrified to go back to such scarcity, and a generation raised on KFC and internet bars just won't accept state-mandated "sacrifice."
The Beijing government's National Development and Reform Commission fears China's own potential for food riots, urging local authorities this Monday to ban the establishment of new corn processing facilities to ease demand. Rice, wheat, and corn prices have all gone up by about 8% so far this year over 2006 levels.
As 300,000 new trading accounts were opened per day this spring during the peak of the neophyte frenzy, China's staggering 40% household savings rate continued to tick downward (though hopefully not all the way to the American nadir of -1%).
It is important to get China's new export-fueled wealth circulating, but the market is not for the faint-hearted. Take another look at the Shanghai Stock Exchange, this time by itself:
Notice that the market has wobbled since late May. This probably has the most significant impact on new account openings, since the strong springtime trend is what lured so many into their first share purchases. What this tells us is that the Chinese retail shareholder is fickle.
The lesson for us foreigners scoping out the Shanghai scene from afar is that China's barnyard is complicated. Bulls abound but they don't always feel like charging. Since China lacks a sophisticated derivatives market, investors either bet long or not at all.
Are you after smart money or just fast money? I would bet that few Chinese investors would be able to answer that question quickly, if they can even differentiate. In a land where a generation is often the difference between an oxcart and an Audi, more wild swings can be expected, but Chinese investors have certainly developed a taste for the market's meat.
Regards,
Sam Hopkins
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Texas governor backs research into non-food crops for biofuel
Corn isn't central to Texas' bioenergy strategy, Perry says
To protect cattle industry, Perry says, food crops won't be used
12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 10, 2007
From Wire Reports The Associated Press
HOUSTON – Texas will focus on developing alternative fuel from woody grasses and other plants rather than food crops like corn so that the effort doesn't conflict with the state's cattle industry, Gov. Rick Perry said Monday.
Governor Perry said that Texas will work on creating alternative fuel from woody grasses and other plants.Biofuels, such as ethanol, are made from corn and other agricultural products. But the state's ranchers use these to feed their cattle.
"Feed lots ... are not happy campers when they see corn going to fuel production. So finding the balance is what this is really all about," Mr. Perry said during a news conference detailing the state's bioenergy strategy. "We don't want to be put in the place of having to decide whether we are going to feed cattle or fuel vehicles."
Texas has more cattle on feed lots than any other state, he said.
Mr. Perry said Texas will focus on creating biofuels through switchgrass, a hardy prairie grass, and wood chips and corn stems all plants that contain cellulose but aren't used as cattle food.
Biofuels are seen as a way to reduce harmful emissions and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Biofuels are a small percentage of the market, but President Bush wants to increase production.
Mr. Perry said Texas A&M University and Chevron Corp. are partnering on research efforts to find ways to speed up harvesting of cellulose crops and turning them into biofuels.
"It's a four-year project and shows tremendous progress," he said.
The governor announced a $5 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to Texas A&M University so it can recruit faculty members to market the school's biofuel technologies and renewable energy research.
Mr. Perry also announced the creation of the Texas Bioproducts Industry Council. The group will work with other agencies and businesses to create a strategy for bioproducts use.
Alternative fuel projects under way include:
• Studying mesquite to see whether it can be economically harvested for biofuel.
• Improving the yield on current biofuel production.
• Exploring whether biodiesel can be used to help produce electricity for impoverished areas along the Texas-Mexico border.
Kathy Fredriksen of the Energy Department said the federal government applauds efforts by Texas and other states to create alternative fuels.
"All of this is working. Last year over 6 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in the U.S. And an additional 5.5 billion gallons of refining capacity is under construction," she said. "This translates into 500 million fewer barrels of oil imported into this country."
The Associated Press
To protect cattle industry, Perry says, food crops won't be used
12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 10, 2007
From Wire Reports The Associated Press
HOUSTON – Texas will focus on developing alternative fuel from woody grasses and other plants rather than food crops like corn so that the effort doesn't conflict with the state's cattle industry, Gov. Rick Perry said Monday.
Governor Perry said that Texas will work on creating alternative fuel from woody grasses and other plants.Biofuels, such as ethanol, are made from corn and other agricultural products. But the state's ranchers use these to feed their cattle.
"Feed lots ... are not happy campers when they see corn going to fuel production. So finding the balance is what this is really all about," Mr. Perry said during a news conference detailing the state's bioenergy strategy. "We don't want to be put in the place of having to decide whether we are going to feed cattle or fuel vehicles."
Texas has more cattle on feed lots than any other state, he said.
Mr. Perry said Texas will focus on creating biofuels through switchgrass, a hardy prairie grass, and wood chips and corn stems all plants that contain cellulose but aren't used as cattle food.
Biofuels are seen as a way to reduce harmful emissions and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Biofuels are a small percentage of the market, but President Bush wants to increase production.
Mr. Perry said Texas A&M University and Chevron Corp. are partnering on research efforts to find ways to speed up harvesting of cellulose crops and turning them into biofuels.
"It's a four-year project and shows tremendous progress," he said.
The governor announced a $5 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to Texas A&M University so it can recruit faculty members to market the school's biofuel technologies and renewable energy research.
Mr. Perry also announced the creation of the Texas Bioproducts Industry Council. The group will work with other agencies and businesses to create a strategy for bioproducts use.
Alternative fuel projects under way include:
• Studying mesquite to see whether it can be economically harvested for biofuel.
• Improving the yield on current biofuel production.
• Exploring whether biodiesel can be used to help produce electricity for impoverished areas along the Texas-Mexico border.
Kathy Fredriksen of the Energy Department said the federal government applauds efforts by Texas and other states to create alternative fuels.
"All of this is working. Last year over 6 billion gallons of ethanol were produced in the U.S. And an additional 5.5 billion gallons of refining capacity is under construction," she said. "This translates into 500 million fewer barrels of oil imported into this country."
The Associated Press
Clean Energy Funds the core of Socially Responsible Investing / Ethical Investments
Stocks With Scruples
By S.J. Caplan July 12, 2007
from:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/07/12/stocks-with-scruples.aspx
Recommendation
If you're already familiar with the basics of socially responsible investing, feel free to skip down to the latest updates. If you're just learning about the world of SRI, read on!
Socially responsible investing -- SRI for short -- isn't about being social, or responsible, in your investing (although a little responsibility never hurt anyone). Instead, SRI involves approaching your financial decisions with an eye toward their impact on society. This notion is jam-packed with personal value judgments, and not without a certain moral attitude -- but then, so are most of our daily activities.
SRI can take various strategic forms. Some investors use screens to avoid what they perceive as "sin" stocks, while others may use their shareholder power to challenge management on its current practices. This should all be no surprise to you -- the Fool's covered this topic thoroughly in the past, including a Dueling Fools debate on the subject.
Why should I care?
Please don't take this too personally: It really doesn't matter how you feel about SRI. Like it or not, it's already made itself known in the press and in the boardroom, on campus and in congregations, and through a larger number of tailored securities products, increased shareholder activism, and greater corporate acknowledgement.
According to the Social Investment Forum's fifth biennial report on investment trends, released in January, since 1995 SRI investment assets have grown faster than all other managed assets in this country -- more than 258%. The Forum's report documents an 18.5% increase in SRI mutual funds and a 16% rise in social and corporate governance resolutions over the past two calendar years.
Saving the world while you make money sure sounds great. But SRI comes with a whole host of doubts and questions. Can capitalism's inherent rapaciousness really be directed toward the greater good, or are well-meaning investors getting suckered in by companies' slick, reputation-polishing PR? You can judge socially responsible investing's impact for yourself through Foolish monthly reports like this one.
How to measure a company's merit
Who says you can't put a price on virtue? Many general indexes in socially responsible investing use a blend of exclusionary factors to bar companies involved in businesses such as alcohol, tobacco, firearms, gambling, and military contracting. Then they further evaluate candidates on issues including product and workplace safety, environmental impact, diversity, and community relations. Here are a few performance yardsticks:
The KLD Broad Market Social Index consists of all companies of the Russell 3000 index that meet research firm KLD Research & Analytics' criteria.
The Calvert Social Index consists of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies, which are then screened by Calvert, an asset management firm.
The Domini 400 Social Index includes about 250 S&P 500 companies, 100 additional companies providing industry representation, and another 50 companies with strong characteristics selected by KLD Research & Analytics. This index, established in May 1990, is the premiere benchmark for measuring the impact of SRI on financial returns, because it was the first to subject portfolios to multiple screens.
Story continues at Stocks With Scruples, Fool.com
By S.J. Caplan July 12, 2007
from:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/07/12/stocks-with-scruples.aspx
Recommendation
If you're already familiar with the basics of socially responsible investing, feel free to skip down to the latest updates. If you're just learning about the world of SRI, read on!
Socially responsible investing -- SRI for short -- isn't about being social, or responsible, in your investing (although a little responsibility never hurt anyone). Instead, SRI involves approaching your financial decisions with an eye toward their impact on society. This notion is jam-packed with personal value judgments, and not without a certain moral attitude -- but then, so are most of our daily activities.
SRI can take various strategic forms. Some investors use screens to avoid what they perceive as "sin" stocks, while others may use their shareholder power to challenge management on its current practices. This should all be no surprise to you -- the Fool's covered this topic thoroughly in the past, including a Dueling Fools debate on the subject.
Why should I care?
Please don't take this too personally: It really doesn't matter how you feel about SRI. Like it or not, it's already made itself known in the press and in the boardroom, on campus and in congregations, and through a larger number of tailored securities products, increased shareholder activism, and greater corporate acknowledgement.
According to the Social Investment Forum's fifth biennial report on investment trends, released in January, since 1995 SRI investment assets have grown faster than all other managed assets in this country -- more than 258%. The Forum's report documents an 18.5% increase in SRI mutual funds and a 16% rise in social and corporate governance resolutions over the past two calendar years.
Saving the world while you make money sure sounds great. But SRI comes with a whole host of doubts and questions. Can capitalism's inherent rapaciousness really be directed toward the greater good, or are well-meaning investors getting suckered in by companies' slick, reputation-polishing PR? You can judge socially responsible investing's impact for yourself through Foolish monthly reports like this one.
How to measure a company's merit
Who says you can't put a price on virtue? Many general indexes in socially responsible investing use a blend of exclusionary factors to bar companies involved in businesses such as alcohol, tobacco, firearms, gambling, and military contracting. Then they further evaluate candidates on issues including product and workplace safety, environmental impact, diversity, and community relations. Here are a few performance yardsticks:
The KLD Broad Market Social Index consists of all companies of the Russell 3000 index that meet research firm KLD Research & Analytics' criteria.
The Calvert Social Index consists of the 1,000 largest U.S. companies, which are then screened by Calvert, an asset management firm.
The Domini 400 Social Index includes about 250 S&P 500 companies, 100 additional companies providing industry representation, and another 50 companies with strong characteristics selected by KLD Research & Analytics. This index, established in May 1990, is the premiere benchmark for measuring the impact of SRI on financial returns, because it was the first to subject portfolios to multiple screens.
Story continues at Stocks With Scruples, Fool.com
Large Scale Renewable Energy Projects benefit from USA State Clean Power Funds
The Impact of State Clean Energy Fund Support for Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
from http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/cases/LBNL-56422.pdf
Mark Bolinger and Ryan Wiser
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Introduction
At least fourteen states across the U.S. have established funds to promote the development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies. Most often financed by a small surcharge on retail electricity rates, these funds currently collect more than $500 million per year in aggregate in support of renewables. At this funding level, state clean energy funds are positioned to be a major driver of renewable energy development.
Though state clean energy funds have pursued a variety of approaches in the use of their funds, support for the deployment of utility-scale renewable energy projects – such as commercial wind, biomass, and geothermal projects – has been a principal target of most funds. This case study, and the database it describes, summarizes the support that clean energy funds have provided to utility-scale renewable energy projects in recent years, detailing – among other things – the amount of funds obligated and the number, capacity, and resource type of projects supported.
This case study focuses on projects supported by funds that are members of the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). CESA (Specifically, CESA consists of 18 funds in 14 states. More information is available at www.cleanenergystates.org)is a non-profit, membership-based, multi-state coalition consisting of most of the clean energy funds throughout the United States.1 CESA provides information and technical assistance to its member funds, and works with them to develop and promote clean energy technologies and to create and expand the markets for these technologies.
The database on which this summary is based will be updated periodically to provide a running summary of state activity and influence. The Excel database contains information on all non-photovoltaic, utility-scale (defined here as 1 MW or larger in nameplate capacity), new renewable energy projects (whether currently on line or not) that have received (or been obligated) construction- or production-related financial support from CESA-member clean energy funds. The database does not include projects that have received only pre-development support; nor does it cover R&D or other non-deployment activities. In addition, several clean energy funds, including those in California and New York, now provide direct financial assistance to projects participating in each state’s renewables portfolio standard (RPS) – the database does not include such RPS-related support.
The database includes both project and incentive information, to the extent readily available. Project information includes: project location, resource type (e.g., wind, geothermal, etc.), nameplate capacity, project participants (e.g., developer/owner), project status (i.e., online, pending, or canceled), online date (if applicable), and power purchase agreement (PPA) counterparty (if applicable). Incentive information includes: supporting clean energy fund, incentive type (e.g., grant vs. production incentive vs. loan), original and revised incentive amount, date of incentive award, solicitation name (if any), and treatment of the project’s tradable renewable certificates (TRCs – i.e., whether the fund places any restrictions on the sale of TRCs from the project). Finally, in addition to reporting the incentive as it is actually structured, we also normalize all incentives to their equivalent 5-year production incentive value in order to facilitate broad comparisons across projects, technologies, and clean energy funds.
The remainder of this report provides summary information compiled from the database as of March 2006. For more detailed information on individual states or projects, see the actual database itself, which can be accessed at http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/cases/Large_Renewables_Database.xls.
Key Findings
1. State clean energy fund support for utility-scale renewable energy projects is significant.
Of the fourteen states with CESA-member clean energy funds, eight have provided construction or operational support to utility-scale renewable energy projects. As shown in Figure 1 and Table 1, since 1998, clean energy funds in these eight states have set aside or obligated more than $475 million in construction or operational support for 250 renewable energy projects totaling 2,642 MW. After accounting for cancellations – 16 projects totaling 393 MW have had their incentives canceled to date2 – and penalties due to missed milestones, the total amount of funding currently obligated stands at nearly $400 million. So far, 178 projects totaling 1,116 MW have been built, while 56 projects totaling 1,133 MW are still in the development pipeline.
Four wind projects in New York account for 267 MW of the 393 MW that have had incentives canceled to date. These four projects agreed to forfeit their incentives, as required, in order to participate in New York’s RPS. One of these four projects has since received support from NYSERDA under the state’s RPS (in the form of a 10-year TRC purchase). As noted earlier, though, our database does not include this RPS-related support.
2. California has been the biggest player historically, but other states have been more active recently.
Among the states listed in Table 1 (see http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/cases/LBNL-56422.pdf), California clearly dominates, accounting for roughly half of total dollars obligated, as well as capacity obligated and online. This not only reflects the sheer size of California’s renewable energy program, but also its early initiative: California’s first auction of production incentives to utility-scale renewable energy projects occurred in June 1998, roughly two years prior to similar activity in other states. By the same token, however, California has not encumbered new funding for such projects since 2001,3 and has also experienced difficulty in bringing funded projects online – 66% of all pending capacity is in California. Meanwhile, much of the activity in other states has been more recent.
This lapse is due in large part to the creation of the California RPS, under which the role of California’s program that formerly targeted new utility-scale projects has changed to providing supplemental energy payments (SEPs) intended to cover the above-market cost of RPS contracts. Though no RPS contracts approved to date have required SEPs, such support would not be included in our database regardless, since it is RPS-related.
The amount of renewable generating capacity supported by state funds continues to increase, though the growth rate has slowed markedly. As shown in Figure 2, with the exception of 1999 and 2004, the amount of renewable generating capacity being supported by these eight states has risen each year. Likewise, the amount of obligated capacity that has come online has also risen, with proportionally larger increases in 2001, 2003, and 2005 – all years in which the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power was scheduled to expire, thereby encouraging completion of wind projects prior to year’s end (see Figure 3 for a clearer, wind-specific view of this phenomenon). Even so, the rapid growth in new obligated capacity in the early years has slowed markedly since 2003, perhaps partly in response to the slower-than-expected pace of development among projects already obligated funding. The transition of California and New York towards supporting such projects through RPS policies has no doubt also played a role in slowing the growth of new obligated capacity.
Utility-scale Alternative Energy Funding study continues at:
Lawrence Berkley Renewable Energy Funding Study
from http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/cases/LBNL-56422.pdf
Mark Bolinger and Ryan Wiser
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Introduction
At least fourteen states across the U.S. have established funds to promote the development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies. Most often financed by a small surcharge on retail electricity rates, these funds currently collect more than $500 million per year in aggregate in support of renewables. At this funding level, state clean energy funds are positioned to be a major driver of renewable energy development.
Though state clean energy funds have pursued a variety of approaches in the use of their funds, support for the deployment of utility-scale renewable energy projects – such as commercial wind, biomass, and geothermal projects – has been a principal target of most funds. This case study, and the database it describes, summarizes the support that clean energy funds have provided to utility-scale renewable energy projects in recent years, detailing – among other things – the amount of funds obligated and the number, capacity, and resource type of projects supported.
This case study focuses on projects supported by funds that are members of the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). CESA (Specifically, CESA consists of 18 funds in 14 states. More information is available at www.cleanenergystates.org)is a non-profit, membership-based, multi-state coalition consisting of most of the clean energy funds throughout the United States.1 CESA provides information and technical assistance to its member funds, and works with them to develop and promote clean energy technologies and to create and expand the markets for these technologies.
The database on which this summary is based will be updated periodically to provide a running summary of state activity and influence. The Excel database contains information on all non-photovoltaic, utility-scale (defined here as 1 MW or larger in nameplate capacity), new renewable energy projects (whether currently on line or not) that have received (or been obligated) construction- or production-related financial support from CESA-member clean energy funds. The database does not include projects that have received only pre-development support; nor does it cover R&D or other non-deployment activities. In addition, several clean energy funds, including those in California and New York, now provide direct financial assistance to projects participating in each state’s renewables portfolio standard (RPS) – the database does not include such RPS-related support.
The database includes both project and incentive information, to the extent readily available. Project information includes: project location, resource type (e.g., wind, geothermal, etc.), nameplate capacity, project participants (e.g., developer/owner), project status (i.e., online, pending, or canceled), online date (if applicable), and power purchase agreement (PPA) counterparty (if applicable). Incentive information includes: supporting clean energy fund, incentive type (e.g., grant vs. production incentive vs. loan), original and revised incentive amount, date of incentive award, solicitation name (if any), and treatment of the project’s tradable renewable certificates (TRCs – i.e., whether the fund places any restrictions on the sale of TRCs from the project). Finally, in addition to reporting the incentive as it is actually structured, we also normalize all incentives to their equivalent 5-year production incentive value in order to facilitate broad comparisons across projects, technologies, and clean energy funds.
The remainder of this report provides summary information compiled from the database as of March 2006. For more detailed information on individual states or projects, see the actual database itself, which can be accessed at http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/cases/Large_Renewables_Database.xls.
Key Findings
1. State clean energy fund support for utility-scale renewable energy projects is significant.
Of the fourteen states with CESA-member clean energy funds, eight have provided construction or operational support to utility-scale renewable energy projects. As shown in Figure 1 and Table 1, since 1998, clean energy funds in these eight states have set aside or obligated more than $475 million in construction or operational support for 250 renewable energy projects totaling 2,642 MW. After accounting for cancellations – 16 projects totaling 393 MW have had their incentives canceled to date2 – and penalties due to missed milestones, the total amount of funding currently obligated stands at nearly $400 million. So far, 178 projects totaling 1,116 MW have been built, while 56 projects totaling 1,133 MW are still in the development pipeline.
Four wind projects in New York account for 267 MW of the 393 MW that have had incentives canceled to date. These four projects agreed to forfeit their incentives, as required, in order to participate in New York’s RPS. One of these four projects has since received support from NYSERDA under the state’s RPS (in the form of a 10-year TRC purchase). As noted earlier, though, our database does not include this RPS-related support.
2. California has been the biggest player historically, but other states have been more active recently.
Among the states listed in Table 1 (see http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/cases/LBNL-56422.pdf), California clearly dominates, accounting for roughly half of total dollars obligated, as well as capacity obligated and online. This not only reflects the sheer size of California’s renewable energy program, but also its early initiative: California’s first auction of production incentives to utility-scale renewable energy projects occurred in June 1998, roughly two years prior to similar activity in other states. By the same token, however, California has not encumbered new funding for such projects since 2001,3 and has also experienced difficulty in bringing funded projects online – 66% of all pending capacity is in California. Meanwhile, much of the activity in other states has been more recent.
This lapse is due in large part to the creation of the California RPS, under which the role of California’s program that formerly targeted new utility-scale projects has changed to providing supplemental energy payments (SEPs) intended to cover the above-market cost of RPS contracts. Though no RPS contracts approved to date have required SEPs, such support would not be included in our database regardless, since it is RPS-related.
The amount of renewable generating capacity supported by state funds continues to increase, though the growth rate has slowed markedly. As shown in Figure 2, with the exception of 1999 and 2004, the amount of renewable generating capacity being supported by these eight states has risen each year. Likewise, the amount of obligated capacity that has come online has also risen, with proportionally larger increases in 2001, 2003, and 2005 – all years in which the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power was scheduled to expire, thereby encouraging completion of wind projects prior to year’s end (see Figure 3 for a clearer, wind-specific view of this phenomenon). Even so, the rapid growth in new obligated capacity in the early years has slowed markedly since 2003, perhaps partly in response to the slower-than-expected pace of development among projects already obligated funding. The transition of California and New York towards supporting such projects through RPS policies has no doubt also played a role in slowing the growth of new obligated capacity.
Utility-scale Alternative Energy Funding study continues at:
Lawrence Berkley Renewable Energy Funding Study
Monday, July 16, 2007
Boston MA offers tourist boat cruise to see renewable energy projects
A clean energy cruise patrol; Tour highlights wind power
By Robert Knox, Globe Correspondent | July 15, 2007
The annual Clean Energy Cruise is riding a fresh wind of interest in renewable energy sources.
Drawing environmentalists, consumers who want to promote alternatives to fossil fuels, and community leaders thinking about wind power in their own towns, the charter boat cruise to the Hull wind turbine at the Hull Gut is filling up fast.
The cruise will leave Thursday morning and take passengers past clean energy projects in the Boston Harbor neighborhood, including a solar photovoltaic (solar panel) project at the Boston Coast Guard station, a similar solar panel installation at the Spectacle Island recreational center, the wind turbine owned by electrical workers Local 103 by the Dorchester gas tank , and a methane gas producing biomass project on Deer Island in Winthrop, before arriving at Hull.
Passengers will disembark for an up-close look at the turbine known as Hull 1, and John MacLeod of the Hull Light Department will speak on the town's plans to expand on its successes.
The growth in the number of folks looking to support wind power is "stunning," said Larry Chretien, head of the nonprofit Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance, which organizes the cruise.
"It's just what the doctor ordered in terms of raising people's awareness and excitement over wind power," Chretien said.
For industry pros, it's a chance to exchange information and network. And it's an opportunity for representatives of public and private organizations interested in the clean energy movement -- such as Shannon O'Brien, the former gubernatorial candidate who now heads the Girl Scouts Patriot Trails Council.
The council's eight-person staff, and possibly the boss herself (depending on scheduling), will take the cruise to learn how to assimilate wind power and clean energy to programs involving Patriot Trails' 23,000 girls. Her organization is developing new science patch programs for Girl Scouts with the goal of "understanding the whole energy issue and then getting them involved in practical ways to support conservation and the use of clean energy sources," O'Brien said.
The cruise is also an opportunity for the state agency in charge of promoting clean energy to make a pitch for the cause.
"I would encourage anyone who's skeptical about wind power or concerned about the noise or the visibility impacts to come visit the turbine," said Jon Abe, project manager for Mass. Technology Collaborative's Large Onsite Renewables Initiative, which awards grants for feasibility studies and for design and construction.
Abe, who will be on the cruise, pointed to renewable energy initiatives such as Brockton's Brightfields, a solar installation built on a brownfields site, and a Milton Boy Scout troop's feasibility study for a wind power turbine on a scout camp site.
Other regional initiatives include wind measurement towers in Quincy and Hanover, some small wind and solar power projects in Plymouth, and a solar energy project by Extrusion Technology in Randolph.
The Technology Collaborative's Alyssa Rosen will also be on board to explain Clean Energy Choice, a program that rewards consumers' cash contributions to renewable energy by giving grants to their city or town.
Mass. Energy, which purchases energy from renewable sources for the 10,000 households it serves, seeks to encourage projects similar to the Hull I wind turbine, a 660-kilowatt turbine built six years ago, and Hull 2, the larger 1.8 megawatt turbine built last year.
Hull's municipal light department is considering building the nation's first offshore wind power project, to consist of four turbines in state administered coastal waters, Chretien said.
Hull is still way ahead of its neighbors in wind power generation, and no similar turbines are scheduled to be built in the state this year. Said Chretien, "We're not seeing them go up fast enough."
By Robert Knox, Globe Correspondent | July 15, 2007
The annual Clean Energy Cruise is riding a fresh wind of interest in renewable energy sources.
Drawing environmentalists, consumers who want to promote alternatives to fossil fuels, and community leaders thinking about wind power in their own towns, the charter boat cruise to the Hull wind turbine at the Hull Gut is filling up fast.
The cruise will leave Thursday morning and take passengers past clean energy projects in the Boston Harbor neighborhood, including a solar photovoltaic (solar panel) project at the Boston Coast Guard station, a similar solar panel installation at the Spectacle Island recreational center, the wind turbine owned by electrical workers Local 103 by the Dorchester gas tank , and a methane gas producing biomass project on Deer Island in Winthrop, before arriving at Hull.
Passengers will disembark for an up-close look at the turbine known as Hull 1, and John MacLeod of the Hull Light Department will speak on the town's plans to expand on its successes.
The growth in the number of folks looking to support wind power is "stunning," said Larry Chretien, head of the nonprofit Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance, which organizes the cruise.
"It's just what the doctor ordered in terms of raising people's awareness and excitement over wind power," Chretien said.
For industry pros, it's a chance to exchange information and network. And it's an opportunity for representatives of public and private organizations interested in the clean energy movement -- such as Shannon O'Brien, the former gubernatorial candidate who now heads the Girl Scouts Patriot Trails Council.
The council's eight-person staff, and possibly the boss herself (depending on scheduling), will take the cruise to learn how to assimilate wind power and clean energy to programs involving Patriot Trails' 23,000 girls. Her organization is developing new science patch programs for Girl Scouts with the goal of "understanding the whole energy issue and then getting them involved in practical ways to support conservation and the use of clean energy sources," O'Brien said.
The cruise is also an opportunity for the state agency in charge of promoting clean energy to make a pitch for the cause.
"I would encourage anyone who's skeptical about wind power or concerned about the noise or the visibility impacts to come visit the turbine," said Jon Abe, project manager for Mass. Technology Collaborative's Large Onsite Renewables Initiative, which awards grants for feasibility studies and for design and construction.
Abe, who will be on the cruise, pointed to renewable energy initiatives such as Brockton's Brightfields, a solar installation built on a brownfields site, and a Milton Boy Scout troop's feasibility study for a wind power turbine on a scout camp site.
Other regional initiatives include wind measurement towers in Quincy and Hanover, some small wind and solar power projects in Plymouth, and a solar energy project by Extrusion Technology in Randolph.
The Technology Collaborative's Alyssa Rosen will also be on board to explain Clean Energy Choice, a program that rewards consumers' cash contributions to renewable energy by giving grants to their city or town.
Mass. Energy, which purchases energy from renewable sources for the 10,000 households it serves, seeks to encourage projects similar to the Hull I wind turbine, a 660-kilowatt turbine built six years ago, and Hull 2, the larger 1.8 megawatt turbine built last year.
Hull's municipal light department is considering building the nation's first offshore wind power project, to consist of four turbines in state administered coastal waters, Chretien said.
Hull is still way ahead of its neighbors in wind power generation, and no similar turbines are scheduled to be built in the state this year. Said Chretien, "We're not seeing them go up fast enough."
Gabby Gifford suports renewable energy in Arizona USA
from Gabby's website:
http://giffords.house.gov/legislation/appropriations/index.shtml
Appropriations Requests, FY2008
I went to Washington to change the way Congress does business. As one of the few Members of Congress to fully disclose the list of funding requests for my district, I believe that our government must be accessible to all Americans. In past years, the public did not know which federal projects had been championed by their U.S. Representative because requests were made anonymously behind closed doors.
The voters in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District elected me to fight for reform. In the first hours of this new Congress, I was proud to support legislation that created more openness and transparency in our federal government. For more information about this legislation, click here.
In a continued effort to make necessary changes, I have gone beyond the new requirements and disclosed all funding requests that I submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2008. They are listed below. I was very selective in deciding which district projects or programs to support and closely evaluated each one based on whether or not it would effectively address the concerns and needs of Southern Arizona.
The majority of these requests will not be approved due to a drastic reduction in funds, but I thought that they were important to bring to the attention to Congress because they assist our community in areas of public health, homeland security, economic development and technology innovation.
Ultimately, these are your taxpayer dollars and I believe that it is import for you to know what I requested and why. Please review the list and I look forward to hearing back from you as to your priorities for Southern Arizona.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agricultural Research Service Southwest Watershed Research Center$750,000 was requested to allow the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Southwest Watershed Research Center of Tucson, Arizona to participate in the Upper San Pedro Partnership. The Partnership was formed as a public-private initiative to protect the San Pedro River after years of drought and increased growth in surrounding areas threatened the survival of the river.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Interoperable Communications: Pima County Wireless Integrated Network$2,000,000 was requested to purchase new radios and other interoperable communications equipment for the first responders in Pima County, which will allow the different agencies to communicate during an emergency.
Tucson Finger Imaging System Upgrade $1,500,000 was requested to pay for equipment for Arizona's Automated Finger Imaging System (AFIS), providing law enforcement with rapid access to an electronic, statewide fingerprint database, and the ability to implement rapid identification programs in the field.
Tucson Methamphetamine Education Program $750,000 was requested to support efforts of the Counter Narcotics Alliance (CNA), a coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, to combat a serious and growing Methamphetamine problem in Tucson and the surrounding areas.
Defense
AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Supports the Department of Defense’s request for the purchase of AMRAAM missiles for the U.S. Navy. The AMRAAM missile is the primary air-to-air missile used by the U.S. Navy.
Asymmetric Threat Response and Analysis Project (ATRAP)$5,000,000 was requested for a University of Arizona research project, in conjunction with Fort Huachuca, to develop computerized tools to predict insurgent activity for Army intelligence troops.
High Specific Energy Rechargeable Battery$3,450,000 was requested for a Department of Defense research project on lightweight battery technology to reduce weight and increase battery life of batteries carried by soldiers.
Javelin Missile $187,200,000 was requested for the Javelin missile which is being used regularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. This request came from the Army’s official unfunded requirements list which contains the projects the Army would spend money on if it had addition resources, and in which order. This was one of the Army’s highest priorities.
Miniature Air-Launched DecoySupports the Department of Defense request for Air Force development and procurement of the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy system, which is dropped from a jet and mimics the radar signature of real aircraft, confusing and jamming enemy radar and anti-aircraft systems.
Silver Fox and Manta Unmaned Ariel Systems (UAS)$5,000,000 was requested for an Army research project, in conjunction with Fort Huachuca, to develop high-tech sensors for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Silver Fox Unmaned Ariel Systems (UAS)$10,000,000 was requested for a Navy demonstration project of small UAVs, which have already been tested and approved by Marines in Iraq but need further evaluation before they are widely adopted.
Standard Missile-2 Service Life Extension Project$15,000,000 was requested for the Standard Missile-2. The Standard Missile-2 is the Navy’s premier ship defense missile, designed to shoot down incoming missile threats. The missile was recently upgraded, and the Life Extension Project saves money by converting older missiles to the new variation instead of having to purchase all new ones. Training requirements cause the Navy to expend and replace these missiles regularly.
Energy and Water Development
Canoa Ranch, Pima County AZ – Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration$250,000 was requested to re-establish the Canoa Spring site recreating wetlands and aquatic habitat. This project is located along the Santa Cruz River in southeastern Pima County, Arizona, and will also attract native amphibians, semi-aquatic reptiles, and bird species.
Feasibility study on Flood Control and Restoration - Santa Cruz River, Grant to Fort Lowell Road, Pima$800,000 was requested to complete a study initiated in 2003 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The area along this stretch of the Santa Cruz River is subject to extensive lateral bank erosion.
Flood Control, Habitat Preservation and Mitigation: Tanque Verde Creek Project $3,600,000 was requested to build flood mitigation and habitat preservation along the Tanque Verde Creek between Sabino Canyon Road and Craycroft Road. Flooding in 1994 along the Tanque Verde Creek resulted in significant damage to the Craycroft Road Bridge, a major sewer interceptor line, and private property.
Sierra Vista/San Pedro Sub-watershed Study$200,000 was requested that will be used to assist in the development of a water resource management plan that will balance water use by the City of Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca against the needs of the San Pedro River. It will provide a feasibility study to identify one or more alternatives for project implementation and construction and include a detailed analysis of viable alternatives under the National Environmental Policy Act process. The continued existence of the Army's Fort Huachuca, which includes the Army Intelligence Center, is contingent upon the river's survival.
Solar Energy Research – University of Arizona$1,050,000 was requested to build and test new solar array technology. The University of Arizona Mirror Lab has developed a new approach to photovoltaic energy in which the primary sunlight collection is accomplished using sheets of glass formed into lens arrays. This approach replaces large expensive solar arrays with low-cost and durable architectural glass. The project aims to overcome the primary difficulty in harvesting free sunlight energy: the construction and operation of a large area of solar collectors.
Town of Marana, Wastewater Treatment and Distribution Infrastructure$5,250,000 was requested to expand the existing Marana Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Pima County Wastewater Management Department is the designated regional wastewater treatment provider for all of Pima County, including the Town of Marana. The northern portion of the Town of Marana is currently served by a modest sanitary sewer conveyance and treatment facility, which was designed and installed to support a predominantly rural area. Due to major growth, enhancements to this infrastructure are necessary to provide an environmentally safe means of sewage collection and treatment.
Tucson Convention Center Solar Energy Project $1,000,000 was requested that will be used to help install a photovoltaic solar panel array on the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) complex. This project will offset traditional electricity usage, saving $65,000 annually, and is the first phase of a project intended to eventually offset 100% of the Convention Center's Energy Usage.
Tucson Drainage Area (Arroyo Chico)$20,000,000 was requested to pay for a flood control and mitigation process for the Tucson Drainage Area (Arroyo Chico). This is a major urban flood control project that extends through central and downtown Tucson, and was authorized for construction by the Water Resources Development Act of 1999. It will help protect the Tucson downtown financial district and Interstate-10. Unfortunately, construction and fuel costs have risen significantly recently, and the total cost of this project is now estimated at $60M.
Financial Services and General Government
Kids Voting: National Student/Parent Mock Election$275,000 was requested that will be used to fund the National Student/Parent Mock Election, the largest kids voting program in the United States. Over 26 years, this non-profit has organized tens of thousands of volunteers to educate and inform voters in all 50 states, Washington, DC and American schools all around the world. Jointly funded between Financial Services and Labor-HHS.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $200,000.
Homeland Security
Douglas International Drainage Ditch Project to handle storm run off and increase safety for border patrol agents$12,364,100 was requested to replace approximately 1.3 miles of unstable earthen ditch with a concrete channel. It is a severe officer safety issue for Border Patrol Agents as subjects use it for cover and concealment. This project will also prevent storm runoff during heavy rains from further eroding an adjacent patrol road and border fence.
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
San Pedro Partnership Monitoring and Reporting - USGS$750,000 was requested to enable the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to monitor the San Pedro River and the Sierra Vista subwatershed. The San Pedro River is the last free-flowing river in the west. The continued existence of Fort Huachuca's Army Intelligence Center is contingent upon the river's survival.
USGS objectively measures the progress towards elimination of overdraft, water mitigation and maintenance in the San Pedro basin.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000.
San Pedro River National Conservation Area – Monitoring and Verification – Bureau of Land Management $252,000 was requested to provide the Bureau of Land Management resources for technical coordination services and assistance in preparing their annual report to Congress.
This report documents riparian and water resource conditions in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro River basin.
Upper San Pedro Partnership$1,000,000 was requested to provide funding for the continuation of activities of the Upper San Pedro Partnership to monitor the San Pedro River and the conditions of the regional aquifer of the Sierra Vista Subwatershed.
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Catholic Community Services of Arizona for Renovation and Construction of Domestic Violence Shelters$1,000,000 was requested to construct and renovate domestic crisis shelters in Sierra Vista and Douglas, Arizona, the sole domestic violence shelters in Cochise County.
Chiricahua Community HealthCenter:Bisbee / Naco Chiricahua Community Health Center $1,500,000 was requested to build a critical new community health center in Bisbee/Naco, Arizona.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000 jointly for the Chiricahua Community Health Center projects in Bisbee/Naco and Douglas.
Chiricahua Community HealthCenter:Renovate Douglas Medical Border Healthcare Clinic$325,000 was requested to renovate and expand an existing community health center in Douglas, Arizona—more than doubling the patient capacity in the facility.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000 jointly for the Chiricahua Community Health Center projects in Bisbee/Naco and Douglas.
Equipping the new Marana Health Center$1,000,000 was requested to purchase major medical equipment for the Department of Radiology for the new Marana Health Center.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $125,000.
Feasibility study for the development and construction of a new hospital in the City of Douglas $80,000 was requested to pay for a feasibility study for the development and construction of a new hospital as a joint venture between the City of Douglas and the Southeastern Arizona Medical Center.
Information and Referral $555,000 was requested to continue service of Southern Arizona's information and referral service, a 24/7 Help on Call that assists Southern Arizona’s most vulnerable populations—seniors, homeless youth and adults, abused individuals, struggling families—in connecting with the appropriate community services for their needs.
Interdisciplinary Diabetes Prevention Management$3,000,000 was requested to support the University of Arizona consortium, whose mission is to prevent and manage diabetes.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $170,000.
Kids Voting: National Student/Parent Mock Election$275,000 was requested that will be used to fund the National Student/Parent Mock Election, the largest kids voting program in the United States. Over 26 years, this non-profit has organized tens of thousands of volunteers to educate and inform voters in all 50 states, Washington, DC and American schools all around the world. Jointly funded between Financial Services and Labor-HHS.
Midwestern University Sierra Vista Postgraduate Program for the Medically Underserved$700,000 was requested to pay for a post-graduate nursing program for the medically underserved in Sierra Vista, Arizona. These funds will help build a partnership between Midwestern University’s Arizona Campus and the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center in Rural Southern Arizona.
University Medical Center Trauma Center Expansion$4,000,000 was requested to help expand the University of Arizona Medical Center trauma center, the only level-1 trauma center in Southern Arizona.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Chapel, Fort Huachuca$5,000,000 was requested for construction of a new chapel at Fort Huachuca. The increased size of the religious facility will accommodate the nearly 5,000 additional soldiers and family members transferred to Fort Huachuca through the Base Realignment and Closure process. During this process, soldiers from other bases were permanently restationed at Fort Huachuca.
Silver Bell Army Heliport Fire Station$1,900,000 was requested to construct a dedicated fire station for the Army National Guard attack helicopter training site and an Arizona Army National Guard Aviation Battalion. There are billions of dollars worth of equipment and buildings at this site, but the Army Heliport does not currently have its own fire station.
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
University of Arizona International Arid Lands Consortium$2,500,000 was requested to support the University of Arizona International Arid Lands Consortium. The consortium conducts educational programming, waste water reuse efforts and arid land management programs to promote sustainable development in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Construction of Marana Regional Airport Air Traffic Control Tower$4,000,000 was requested to construct a new control tower at the Marana Regional Airport.
Houghton Road Corridor Bridge Replacement, Tucson AZ $5,000,000 was requested to design and construct a replacement bridge to accommodate four lanes of traffic and the additions of pedestrian and bicycle facilities along the Houghton Road Corridor, which is the primary route for distributing traffic in one of the fastest growing areas of metropolitan Tucson.
Marana Twin Peaks Corridor Project$5,000,000 was requested to acquire land for the Twin Peaks Corridor Project in Marana, Arizona which consists of a new bridge over the Santa Cruz River, an interchange on I-10 and an overpass of the Union Pacific Rail Road.
Tucson Buses and Bus Maintenance Facility$10,000,000 was requested to purchase cleaner-burning fuel replacement buses and upgrade the bus maintenance facility.
http://giffords.house.gov/legislation/appropriations/index.shtml
Appropriations Requests, FY2008
I went to Washington to change the way Congress does business. As one of the few Members of Congress to fully disclose the list of funding requests for my district, I believe that our government must be accessible to all Americans. In past years, the public did not know which federal projects had been championed by their U.S. Representative because requests were made anonymously behind closed doors.
The voters in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District elected me to fight for reform. In the first hours of this new Congress, I was proud to support legislation that created more openness and transparency in our federal government. For more information about this legislation, click here.
In a continued effort to make necessary changes, I have gone beyond the new requirements and disclosed all funding requests that I submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2008. They are listed below. I was very selective in deciding which district projects or programs to support and closely evaluated each one based on whether or not it would effectively address the concerns and needs of Southern Arizona.
The majority of these requests will not be approved due to a drastic reduction in funds, but I thought that they were important to bring to the attention to Congress because they assist our community in areas of public health, homeland security, economic development and technology innovation.
Ultimately, these are your taxpayer dollars and I believe that it is import for you to know what I requested and why. Please review the list and I look forward to hearing back from you as to your priorities for Southern Arizona.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Agricultural Research Service Southwest Watershed Research Center$750,000 was requested to allow the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Southwest Watershed Research Center of Tucson, Arizona to participate in the Upper San Pedro Partnership. The Partnership was formed as a public-private initiative to protect the San Pedro River after years of drought and increased growth in surrounding areas threatened the survival of the river.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Interoperable Communications: Pima County Wireless Integrated Network$2,000,000 was requested to purchase new radios and other interoperable communications equipment for the first responders in Pima County, which will allow the different agencies to communicate during an emergency.
Tucson Finger Imaging System Upgrade $1,500,000 was requested to pay for equipment for Arizona's Automated Finger Imaging System (AFIS), providing law enforcement with rapid access to an electronic, statewide fingerprint database, and the ability to implement rapid identification programs in the field.
Tucson Methamphetamine Education Program $750,000 was requested to support efforts of the Counter Narcotics Alliance (CNA), a coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, to combat a serious and growing Methamphetamine problem in Tucson and the surrounding areas.
Defense
AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) Supports the Department of Defense’s request for the purchase of AMRAAM missiles for the U.S. Navy. The AMRAAM missile is the primary air-to-air missile used by the U.S. Navy.
Asymmetric Threat Response and Analysis Project (ATRAP)$5,000,000 was requested for a University of Arizona research project, in conjunction with Fort Huachuca, to develop computerized tools to predict insurgent activity for Army intelligence troops.
High Specific Energy Rechargeable Battery$3,450,000 was requested for a Department of Defense research project on lightweight battery technology to reduce weight and increase battery life of batteries carried by soldiers.
Javelin Missile $187,200,000 was requested for the Javelin missile which is being used regularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. This request came from the Army’s official unfunded requirements list which contains the projects the Army would spend money on if it had addition resources, and in which order. This was one of the Army’s highest priorities.
Miniature Air-Launched DecoySupports the Department of Defense request for Air Force development and procurement of the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy system, which is dropped from a jet and mimics the radar signature of real aircraft, confusing and jamming enemy radar and anti-aircraft systems.
Silver Fox and Manta Unmaned Ariel Systems (UAS)$5,000,000 was requested for an Army research project, in conjunction with Fort Huachuca, to develop high-tech sensors for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Silver Fox Unmaned Ariel Systems (UAS)$10,000,000 was requested for a Navy demonstration project of small UAVs, which have already been tested and approved by Marines in Iraq but need further evaluation before they are widely adopted.
Standard Missile-2 Service Life Extension Project$15,000,000 was requested for the Standard Missile-2. The Standard Missile-2 is the Navy’s premier ship defense missile, designed to shoot down incoming missile threats. The missile was recently upgraded, and the Life Extension Project saves money by converting older missiles to the new variation instead of having to purchase all new ones. Training requirements cause the Navy to expend and replace these missiles regularly.
Energy and Water Development
Canoa Ranch, Pima County AZ – Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration$250,000 was requested to re-establish the Canoa Spring site recreating wetlands and aquatic habitat. This project is located along the Santa Cruz River in southeastern Pima County, Arizona, and will also attract native amphibians, semi-aquatic reptiles, and bird species.
Feasibility study on Flood Control and Restoration - Santa Cruz River, Grant to Fort Lowell Road, Pima$800,000 was requested to complete a study initiated in 2003 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The area along this stretch of the Santa Cruz River is subject to extensive lateral bank erosion.
Flood Control, Habitat Preservation and Mitigation: Tanque Verde Creek Project $3,600,000 was requested to build flood mitigation and habitat preservation along the Tanque Verde Creek between Sabino Canyon Road and Craycroft Road. Flooding in 1994 along the Tanque Verde Creek resulted in significant damage to the Craycroft Road Bridge, a major sewer interceptor line, and private property.
Sierra Vista/San Pedro Sub-watershed Study$200,000 was requested that will be used to assist in the development of a water resource management plan that will balance water use by the City of Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca against the needs of the San Pedro River. It will provide a feasibility study to identify one or more alternatives for project implementation and construction and include a detailed analysis of viable alternatives under the National Environmental Policy Act process. The continued existence of the Army's Fort Huachuca, which includes the Army Intelligence Center, is contingent upon the river's survival.
Solar Energy Research – University of Arizona$1,050,000 was requested to build and test new solar array technology. The University of Arizona Mirror Lab has developed a new approach to photovoltaic energy in which the primary sunlight collection is accomplished using sheets of glass formed into lens arrays. This approach replaces large expensive solar arrays with low-cost and durable architectural glass. The project aims to overcome the primary difficulty in harvesting free sunlight energy: the construction and operation of a large area of solar collectors.
Town of Marana, Wastewater Treatment and Distribution Infrastructure$5,250,000 was requested to expand the existing Marana Wastewater Treatment Facility. The Pima County Wastewater Management Department is the designated regional wastewater treatment provider for all of Pima County, including the Town of Marana. The northern portion of the Town of Marana is currently served by a modest sanitary sewer conveyance and treatment facility, which was designed and installed to support a predominantly rural area. Due to major growth, enhancements to this infrastructure are necessary to provide an environmentally safe means of sewage collection and treatment.
Tucson Convention Center Solar Energy Project $1,000,000 was requested that will be used to help install a photovoltaic solar panel array on the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) complex. This project will offset traditional electricity usage, saving $65,000 annually, and is the first phase of a project intended to eventually offset 100% of the Convention Center's Energy Usage.
Tucson Drainage Area (Arroyo Chico)$20,000,000 was requested to pay for a flood control and mitigation process for the Tucson Drainage Area (Arroyo Chico). This is a major urban flood control project that extends through central and downtown Tucson, and was authorized for construction by the Water Resources Development Act of 1999. It will help protect the Tucson downtown financial district and Interstate-10. Unfortunately, construction and fuel costs have risen significantly recently, and the total cost of this project is now estimated at $60M.
Financial Services and General Government
Kids Voting: National Student/Parent Mock Election$275,000 was requested that will be used to fund the National Student/Parent Mock Election, the largest kids voting program in the United States. Over 26 years, this non-profit has organized tens of thousands of volunteers to educate and inform voters in all 50 states, Washington, DC and American schools all around the world. Jointly funded between Financial Services and Labor-HHS.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $200,000.
Homeland Security
Douglas International Drainage Ditch Project to handle storm run off and increase safety for border patrol agents$12,364,100 was requested to replace approximately 1.3 miles of unstable earthen ditch with a concrete channel. It is a severe officer safety issue for Border Patrol Agents as subjects use it for cover and concealment. This project will also prevent storm runoff during heavy rains from further eroding an adjacent patrol road and border fence.
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
San Pedro Partnership Monitoring and Reporting - USGS$750,000 was requested to enable the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to monitor the San Pedro River and the Sierra Vista subwatershed. The San Pedro River is the last free-flowing river in the west. The continued existence of Fort Huachuca's Army Intelligence Center is contingent upon the river's survival.
USGS objectively measures the progress towards elimination of overdraft, water mitigation and maintenance in the San Pedro basin.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000.
San Pedro River National Conservation Area – Monitoring and Verification – Bureau of Land Management $252,000 was requested to provide the Bureau of Land Management resources for technical coordination services and assistance in preparing their annual report to Congress.
This report documents riparian and water resource conditions in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed of the Upper San Pedro River basin.
Upper San Pedro Partnership$1,000,000 was requested to provide funding for the continuation of activities of the Upper San Pedro Partnership to monitor the San Pedro River and the conditions of the regional aquifer of the Sierra Vista Subwatershed.
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Catholic Community Services of Arizona for Renovation and Construction of Domestic Violence Shelters$1,000,000 was requested to construct and renovate domestic crisis shelters in Sierra Vista and Douglas, Arizona, the sole domestic violence shelters in Cochise County.
Chiricahua Community HealthCenter:Bisbee / Naco Chiricahua Community Health Center $1,500,000 was requested to build a critical new community health center in Bisbee/Naco, Arizona.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000 jointly for the Chiricahua Community Health Center projects in Bisbee/Naco and Douglas.
Chiricahua Community HealthCenter:Renovate Douglas Medical Border Healthcare Clinic$325,000 was requested to renovate and expand an existing community health center in Douglas, Arizona—more than doubling the patient capacity in the facility.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000 jointly for the Chiricahua Community Health Center projects in Bisbee/Naco and Douglas.
Equipping the new Marana Health Center$1,000,000 was requested to purchase major medical equipment for the Department of Radiology for the new Marana Health Center.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $125,000.
Feasibility study for the development and construction of a new hospital in the City of Douglas $80,000 was requested to pay for a feasibility study for the development and construction of a new hospital as a joint venture between the City of Douglas and the Southeastern Arizona Medical Center.
Information and Referral $555,000 was requested to continue service of Southern Arizona's information and referral service, a 24/7 Help on Call that assists Southern Arizona’s most vulnerable populations—seniors, homeless youth and adults, abused individuals, struggling families—in connecting with the appropriate community services for their needs.
Interdisciplinary Diabetes Prevention Management$3,000,000 was requested to support the University of Arizona consortium, whose mission is to prevent and manage diabetes.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $170,000.
Kids Voting: National Student/Parent Mock Election$275,000 was requested that will be used to fund the National Student/Parent Mock Election, the largest kids voting program in the United States. Over 26 years, this non-profit has organized tens of thousands of volunteers to educate and inform voters in all 50 states, Washington, DC and American schools all around the world. Jointly funded between Financial Services and Labor-HHS.
Midwestern University Sierra Vista Postgraduate Program for the Medically Underserved$700,000 was requested to pay for a post-graduate nursing program for the medically underserved in Sierra Vista, Arizona. These funds will help build a partnership between Midwestern University’s Arizona Campus and the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center in Rural Southern Arizona.
University Medical Center Trauma Center Expansion$4,000,000 was requested to help expand the University of Arizona Medical Center trauma center, the only level-1 trauma center in Southern Arizona.
House Appropriations Committee Approved $400,000.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Chapel, Fort Huachuca$5,000,000 was requested for construction of a new chapel at Fort Huachuca. The increased size of the religious facility will accommodate the nearly 5,000 additional soldiers and family members transferred to Fort Huachuca through the Base Realignment and Closure process. During this process, soldiers from other bases were permanently restationed at Fort Huachuca.
Silver Bell Army Heliport Fire Station$1,900,000 was requested to construct a dedicated fire station for the Army National Guard attack helicopter training site and an Arizona Army National Guard Aviation Battalion. There are billions of dollars worth of equipment and buildings at this site, but the Army Heliport does not currently have its own fire station.
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
University of Arizona International Arid Lands Consortium$2,500,000 was requested to support the University of Arizona International Arid Lands Consortium. The consortium conducts educational programming, waste water reuse efforts and arid land management programs to promote sustainable development in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Construction of Marana Regional Airport Air Traffic Control Tower$4,000,000 was requested to construct a new control tower at the Marana Regional Airport.
Houghton Road Corridor Bridge Replacement, Tucson AZ $5,000,000 was requested to design and construct a replacement bridge to accommodate four lanes of traffic and the additions of pedestrian and bicycle facilities along the Houghton Road Corridor, which is the primary route for distributing traffic in one of the fastest growing areas of metropolitan Tucson.
Marana Twin Peaks Corridor Project$5,000,000 was requested to acquire land for the Twin Peaks Corridor Project in Marana, Arizona which consists of a new bridge over the Santa Cruz River, an interchange on I-10 and an overpass of the Union Pacific Rail Road.
Tucson Buses and Bus Maintenance Facility$10,000,000 was requested to purchase cleaner-burning fuel replacement buses and upgrade the bus maintenance facility.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Oregon's Energy Trust funds 1,00,000 kwh solar power project in Multnomah County
Ground Broken on Solar Energy Project in Oregon
Multnomah County, Oregon [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
Energy Trust of Oregon is collaborating with Multnomah County officials in Oregon to develop 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year of solar power on County-owned facilities at little to no cost to County taxpayers.
"This will be the biggest solar project we have supported and certainly one of the most visionary. We expect it to be a model that other Oregon counties and cities can follow."
-- Margie Harris, Energy Trust, executive director
The project would more than double the state's current installed solar electricity capacity. The plan calls for the County to purchase the power produced on the rooftops at the same rates citizens are currently paying on electric utilities.
The County, in partnership with Energy Trust of Oregon, will create a virtual power plant mounted on the roofs of select County buildings from which the County will receive at least 20 years of renewable energy.
"Energy Trust is excited to have the opportunity to work with Multnomah County to create a solar power plant that stretches across approximately ten rooftops," said Margie Harris, Energy Trust executive director.
"This will be the biggest solar project we have supported and certainly one of the most visionary. We expect it to be a model that other Oregon counties and cities can follow," she added. Energy Trust of Oregon has been a partner on 452 solar energy projects in Oregon to date.
Multnomah County, Oregon [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
Energy Trust of Oregon is collaborating with Multnomah County officials in Oregon to develop 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year of solar power on County-owned facilities at little to no cost to County taxpayers.
"This will be the biggest solar project we have supported and certainly one of the most visionary. We expect it to be a model that other Oregon counties and cities can follow."
-- Margie Harris, Energy Trust, executive director
The project would more than double the state's current installed solar electricity capacity. The plan calls for the County to purchase the power produced on the rooftops at the same rates citizens are currently paying on electric utilities.
The County, in partnership with Energy Trust of Oregon, will create a virtual power plant mounted on the roofs of select County buildings from which the County will receive at least 20 years of renewable energy.
"Energy Trust is excited to have the opportunity to work with Multnomah County to create a solar power plant that stretches across approximately ten rooftops," said Margie Harris, Energy Trust executive director.
"This will be the biggest solar project we have supported and certainly one of the most visionary. We expect it to be a model that other Oregon counties and cities can follow," she added. Energy Trust of Oregon has been a partner on 452 solar energy projects in Oregon to date.
San Antonio TX to power brewery with solar photovoltaics array
State�s largest solar project to power San Antonio development
— SAN ANTONIO (AP) The redevelopment of San Antonio�s landmark Pearl Brewery will include Texas' largest solar energy project, an installation of panels powering office, retail and residential space, developers said.
Silver Ventures, which is redeveloping the former brewery, announced plans Monday for the $1.35 million effort to install 758 photovoltaic panels atop a former warehouse, which once stored finished beer.
The panels will be capable of generating 200 kilowatts, or about one-fourth of the power needed in the 67,000-square-foot building. The system is the equivalent of 50 solar-powered homes.
CPS Energy, a city-owned utility, is contributing $400,000 to the project. An official said it's an economically viable project that provides a chance to measure the benefits of solar power. The agreement also serves as a model for other commercial uses.
"We've had a goal of testing solar energy technology in a real-world setting," said Paula Miles, CPS Energy director of energy research and technology initiatives. "Public-private partnerships are going to become the way to get things done. And this, for us, is one of our first forays into that brave new world."
Noah Kaye, a spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries Association in Washington, D.C., said a 3- to 4-kilowatt system can power a 2,200-square-foot house that uses 10,000 kilowatt-hours a year.
He said the brewery's 200-kilowatt system is a substantial installation for a midsized to large commercial facility.
The state's existing largest solar project is at Fort Sam Houston, which supplements its energy supply with solar panels. Developers plan to have the Pearl Brewery panels in place by the end of the year.
Bob Sohn, an adviser to Silver Ventures on the Pearl Brewery development, said the project will give visitors a chance to learn about how solar power works. The system will show the amount of energy the rooftop panels are generating, he said.
Bill Barker, executive director of the nonprofit group Solar San Antonio, said the brewery's solar project is likely to attract visitors.
"There will be visitors to the site who'll want to see the largest solar installation in the state," he said.
Information from: San Antonio Express-News, http://www.mysanantonio.com
— SAN ANTONIO (AP) The redevelopment of San Antonio�s landmark Pearl Brewery will include Texas' largest solar energy project, an installation of panels powering office, retail and residential space, developers said.
Silver Ventures, which is redeveloping the former brewery, announced plans Monday for the $1.35 million effort to install 758 photovoltaic panels atop a former warehouse, which once stored finished beer.
The panels will be capable of generating 200 kilowatts, or about one-fourth of the power needed in the 67,000-square-foot building. The system is the equivalent of 50 solar-powered homes.
CPS Energy, a city-owned utility, is contributing $400,000 to the project. An official said it's an economically viable project that provides a chance to measure the benefits of solar power. The agreement also serves as a model for other commercial uses.
"We've had a goal of testing solar energy technology in a real-world setting," said Paula Miles, CPS Energy director of energy research and technology initiatives. "Public-private partnerships are going to become the way to get things done. And this, for us, is one of our first forays into that brave new world."
Noah Kaye, a spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries Association in Washington, D.C., said a 3- to 4-kilowatt system can power a 2,200-square-foot house that uses 10,000 kilowatt-hours a year.
He said the brewery's 200-kilowatt system is a substantial installation for a midsized to large commercial facility.
The state's existing largest solar project is at Fort Sam Houston, which supplements its energy supply with solar panels. Developers plan to have the Pearl Brewery panels in place by the end of the year.
Bob Sohn, an adviser to Silver Ventures on the Pearl Brewery development, said the project will give visitors a chance to learn about how solar power works. The system will show the amount of energy the rooftop panels are generating, he said.
Bill Barker, executive director of the nonprofit group Solar San Antonio, said the brewery's solar project is likely to attract visitors.
"There will be visitors to the site who'll want to see the largest solar installation in the state," he said.
Information from: San Antonio Express-News, http://www.mysanantonio.com
Friday, July 13, 2007
Solar Electricty farms in Africa may save our planet
African solar farms to solve energy crisis?
from Business Green Blog
It appears the UK government is not the only one busy commissioning reports on combating climate change, the German government has now got in on the act with two major new study's on the viability of a leftfield plan that could deliver clean energy to the whole of Europe within the next forty years.
The two reports from the German Aerospace Centre – Concentrating Solar Power for the Mediterranean and Trans-Mediterranean Interconnection for Concentrating Solar Power – investigate how vast new solar farms in the deserts of North Africa could potentially solve Europe's emerging energy crisis and help slash the continent's carbon emissions.
Satellite-based studies cited in the report show that deploying relatively simple concentrated solar power (CSP) systems over just 0.3 percent of the deserts in the Middle East and North Africa would provide enough power to meet current and future demands from the EU, the Middle East and North Africa.
The reports also argue that the technologies to achieve this are already well established and proven. CSP plants work by using mirrors to heat water, thus generating steam capable of powering turbines and generating electricity.
The report claims CSP is considerably more effective than photovoltaic solar panels, which tend to be at the mercy of the weather, and cannot store power effectively. In contrast CSP systems can store unused heat in tanks of molten salt, which can then be used to power the turbines at night. Equally, because the system is turbine based hybrid plants can be set up so that if there is a protracted period of overcast weather - in itself unlikely in North Africa - traditional fuels can be used to heat the water and drive the turbines.
Desalinated sea water can also be produced as a byproduct of the process, providing clean water for irrigation or air conditioning purposes.
The reports argue that with vast swathes of North African desert available for the same price as a London broom cupboard the strategy is economically viable. The technology is also expected to become cheaper as producers of the mirrors used in the CSP plants begin to exploit greater economies of scale and the report estimates that the cost of using CSP plants to produce power equivalent to that gained from one barrel of oil will ultimately fall to just $20 – much less than the current $60 a barrel you pay for oil.
So if a technology that is essentially some giant mirrors and water pipes can all but halt global warming in its tracks why are solar farms not springing up across the Sahara as we speak?
Well, there is one rather large problem. Europe's power grid is currently built on alternating current cables, which are unviable for transmitting electricity all the way from North Africa as too much would be lost on the way. As a result the plan will only work if Europe switches to a High Voltage Direct Current grid whereby only 3 percent of the power is lost per 1,000km. In theory, this means power could be transmitted all the way to the UK with just 10 percent lost along the way, but as you can imagine moving to a completely different power grid doesn’t come cheap.
The German reports estimate that establishing a suitable transmission grid capable of delivering 100GW of solar power would cost €400bn. However, spread up until 2050 this would equate to just €13bn a year and the report argues much of the amount required could be raised through commercial investment with government's being called upon to provide just €10bn.
A scientific body called the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation has also been formed to promote and further investigate the idea and confidence is mounting that while the whole scheme sounds a bit space age it is a technically, economically and environmentally viable replacement for fossil fuels or nuclear power.
Convincing governments and energy firms to plough money into the scheme may take some doing, but as the German government's reports show it is something they are already actively considering.
from Business Green Blog
It appears the UK government is not the only one busy commissioning reports on combating climate change, the German government has now got in on the act with two major new study's on the viability of a leftfield plan that could deliver clean energy to the whole of Europe within the next forty years.
The two reports from the German Aerospace Centre – Concentrating Solar Power for the Mediterranean and Trans-Mediterranean Interconnection for Concentrating Solar Power – investigate how vast new solar farms in the deserts of North Africa could potentially solve Europe's emerging energy crisis and help slash the continent's carbon emissions.
Satellite-based studies cited in the report show that deploying relatively simple concentrated solar power (CSP) systems over just 0.3 percent of the deserts in the Middle East and North Africa would provide enough power to meet current and future demands from the EU, the Middle East and North Africa.
The reports also argue that the technologies to achieve this are already well established and proven. CSP plants work by using mirrors to heat water, thus generating steam capable of powering turbines and generating electricity.
The report claims CSP is considerably more effective than photovoltaic solar panels, which tend to be at the mercy of the weather, and cannot store power effectively. In contrast CSP systems can store unused heat in tanks of molten salt, which can then be used to power the turbines at night. Equally, because the system is turbine based hybrid plants can be set up so that if there is a protracted period of overcast weather - in itself unlikely in North Africa - traditional fuels can be used to heat the water and drive the turbines.
Desalinated sea water can also be produced as a byproduct of the process, providing clean water for irrigation or air conditioning purposes.
The reports argue that with vast swathes of North African desert available for the same price as a London broom cupboard the strategy is economically viable. The technology is also expected to become cheaper as producers of the mirrors used in the CSP plants begin to exploit greater economies of scale and the report estimates that the cost of using CSP plants to produce power equivalent to that gained from one barrel of oil will ultimately fall to just $20 – much less than the current $60 a barrel you pay for oil.
So if a technology that is essentially some giant mirrors and water pipes can all but halt global warming in its tracks why are solar farms not springing up across the Sahara as we speak?
Well, there is one rather large problem. Europe's power grid is currently built on alternating current cables, which are unviable for transmitting electricity all the way from North Africa as too much would be lost on the way. As a result the plan will only work if Europe switches to a High Voltage Direct Current grid whereby only 3 percent of the power is lost per 1,000km. In theory, this means power could be transmitted all the way to the UK with just 10 percent lost along the way, but as you can imagine moving to a completely different power grid doesn’t come cheap.
The German reports estimate that establishing a suitable transmission grid capable of delivering 100GW of solar power would cost €400bn. However, spread up until 2050 this would equate to just €13bn a year and the report argues much of the amount required could be raised through commercial investment with government's being called upon to provide just €10bn.
A scientific body called the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation has also been formed to promote and further investigate the idea and confidence is mounting that while the whole scheme sounds a bit space age it is a technically, economically and environmentally viable replacement for fossil fuels or nuclear power.
Convincing governments and energy firms to plough money into the scheme may take some doing, but as the German government's reports show it is something they are already actively considering.
Solar Energy in Africa Info on Solar4Africa.net
Solar4Africa provides you with information about solar energy in Africa. It aims at being your homepage for all information related to the application of solar photo voltaic and thermal applications.
This site was launched on Monday 12 September 2005 and is still under development. We aim at adding more and more features in the near future, and we therefore encourage you to bookmark the site to facilitate future visits.
Solar4Africa discussion forum
The solar4africa discussion forum is an email and web based forum to discuss all issues related to the application of solarenergy in Africa. All types of solarenergy can be discussed, from solar PV, solar waterheating to solar cookers and passive solar design. Please visit the Solar Energy in Africa discussion forum pages for more information and to join the group
This site was launched on Monday 12 September 2005 and is still under development. We aim at adding more and more features in the near future, and we therefore encourage you to bookmark the site to facilitate future visits.
Solar4Africa discussion forum
The solar4africa discussion forum is an email and web based forum to discuss all issues related to the application of solarenergy in Africa. All types of solarenergy can be discussed, from solar PV, solar waterheating to solar cookers and passive solar design. Please visit the Solar Energy in Africa discussion forum pages for more information and to join the group
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Ethiopia to Celebrate Jesus' 2000th Birthday beginning this September
Ethiopia’s uniquely African millenium
As the country prepares to celebrate its Julian calendar's second millennium, critics say the government is using the year-long festivities to divert attention from its dismal performance.
FRED OLUOCH of NationMedia.com reports
WHILE THE REST OF THE world celebrated the turn of the millennium seven years ago, Ethiopia will mark the year 2000 on September 12. Both the UN and the African Union have recognised the Ethiopian millennium as a unique African occasion, dubbing it an “African Millennium.”
Ethiopia — known for its ancient history and rich heritage — is the only country in the world that has preserved the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox faith-based Julian calendar, which is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar that is commonly used by the rest of the world.
The government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, which is faced with many challenges, ranging from rebel movements to tension with its neighbours to widespread poverty, is looking forward to the turn of the millennium with renewed hope as a basis for opening a new chapter in the country’s history.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya Disasa Dirribsa told The EastAfrican that the millennium is not just about celebrating the unique nature of Ethiopia’s calendar system, it is also a time for Ethiopia to reflect on and try to overcome the diverse socio-economic difficulties facing the country.
“I wish to point out that the turn of the new millennium is in itself an inspiration for Ethiopians to search for new ways of enhancing the country’s ability to sustain the rich cultural heritage as well as our unique position on the African continent,” he said.
“While the heritage is a source of pride and joy to all Ethiopians, it is also our responsibility to use it to eradicate poverty and create favourable conditions for the country’s overall development,” added Mr Dirribsa.
But government critics, especially Ethiopians in the diaspora, are running a campaign to persuade their compatriots to boycott the celebrations on the grounds that the government wants to use the year-long festivities to divert attention from the widespread human-rights abuses and repression that have become routine in Ethiopia since the May 2005 elections.
The celebrations could also be marred by the current tension between Ethiopia and its neighbours and the internal rebel movement.
Apart from intervening in neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia is facing the likelihood of renewed war with Eritrea over the disputed border town of Badme, as well as rebellions by the Oromo Liberation Front in the south and the Ogaden National Liberation Front in the east, where ethnic Somalis are pushing for self-determination.
The anti-celebration groups argue that the government should confront these challenges first, while the funds being spent on the celebrations should be used to fight poverty and disease.
But Ajabe Ligabe Wolde, a counsellor at the Ethiopian embassy in Nairobi, says the celebration is an opportunity for Ethiopians all over the world to reflect on their future, put their political differences aside and see how they can improve the people’s livelihood.
Still, the millennium is unique to Ethiopia, the only African county that did not experience colonialism. With its unique cultural traditions dating back to ancient times, the Ethiopian millennium is one of the traditions that have passed down from generation to generation without interruption.
The organisers of the celebration believe that it will be a chance to change the image of Ethiopia and show that the country has more to offer the world than the images of misery that were splashed across the world following the 1984 famine.
IT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO show the world its rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions — such as the 17th century Fasilidas Castle in Gondar, the famous Obelix of Axum, which was recently returned from Italy, and the rock churches of Lasta Lalibela.
Government officials say Ethiopia has survived many phases — from its ancient civilisation to the present economic and social challenges — with its pride intact.
Ethiopia has culture and traditions that date back more than 3,000 years, and any traveller is transported through breathtaking monuments and ruins that were built centuries ago.
The ancient northern city of Axum remains the country’s oldest urban and religious centre.
The Axumite kingdom was once the most powerful Red Sea state between the eastern Roman empire and Persia. Axum hosts the famous monolithic Obelisk, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Gondar, founded in 1636, is known for its castle-like palaces and was Ethiopia’s capital until the reign of emperor Tewodros II.
Thus, the concluding millennium has seen Ethiopia prosper and decline both politically and economically.
The new millennium, on the other hand, gives Ethiopia a chance to reflect on the past and an incentive to move forward with fresh vigour.
In Kenya, several activities to celebrate the millennium are under way. They include a procession and parade through the streets of Nairobi, sporting activities, an exhibition of Ethiopian and African traditional artefacts, a gala night to showcase traditional foods, songs and dances of Africa, presentations by scholars on Ethiopia-Kenya relations, Ethiopian history and other related topics.
Ethiopia inspired the world as one of the pioneers of civilisation, not to mention its reputation as the cradle of mankind.
Under former Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopia was one of the founder members of the defunct Organisation of African Unity.
But there were times, too, when its eminence hit rock bottom; times when Ethiopia unwillingly developed notoriety for being a land of despondency, especially during the widespread famine of 1984.
But Ethiopians love their unique heritage, including the way they have subdivided the solar cycle into 13 months — a feature used to market Ethiopia as a country with 13 months of sunshine.
This time, it will be an Enkutatash (new year) with a difference, since the millennium comes only once in a thousand years.
The beginning of the new millennium gives Ethiopians an unparalleled opportunity for renewal of their faith in themselves. Ethiopians from all walks of life will be asking tough questions on why their country has declined to the current state.
A recent World Economic Forum report indicates that Ethiopia has slid to the rank of 120th out of 125 countries in 2006 in the Global Competitive Index, down from the 116th place it occupied in 2005.
THERE IS ALSO CONCERN whether Ethiopia will meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Economic analysts point out that the number of Ethiopians living on less than a dollar a day, has nearly tripled since Zenawi took power in 1991.
Still, the Ethiopian Julian calendar remains unique. The calendars of the entire world are based on the work of the old Egyptian astronomers who, 3,000-4,000 years BC, calculated that the solar or sidereal year lasted slightly less than 365 ¼ days.
However, it was left to the astronomers of the Alexandrian school to incorporate this knowledge into some sort of a calendar; it was these astronomers who also came up with the idea of leap years.
Subsequently, the Romans under Julius Caesar borrowed their reformed calendar from Alexandrian science and adopted it for the Western world.
The Coptics later inherited this science as a right and built upon it themselves. In due course, the Coptics handed this calendar, together with their method of computing the date for Easter, on to the Church in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian calendar retains the old Egyptian system, whereby the year was divided into 12 months of thirty days each plus one additional month of five days (six days in leap years).
Ethiopian dates, therefore, fall 7-8 years behind Western dates and have done so since early Christian times. This discrepancy results from differences between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
Each Ethiopian year is dedicated to one of the four evangelists — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The year of St Luke is a leap year and, therefore, always has six days in the 13th month of the Ethiopian calendar.
As the country prepares to celebrate its Julian calendar's second millennium, critics say the government is using the year-long festivities to divert attention from its dismal performance.
FRED OLUOCH of NationMedia.com reports
WHILE THE REST OF THE world celebrated the turn of the millennium seven years ago, Ethiopia will mark the year 2000 on September 12. Both the UN and the African Union have recognised the Ethiopian millennium as a unique African occasion, dubbing it an “African Millennium.”
Ethiopia — known for its ancient history and rich heritage — is the only country in the world that has preserved the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox faith-based Julian calendar, which is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar that is commonly used by the rest of the world.
The government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, which is faced with many challenges, ranging from rebel movements to tension with its neighbours to widespread poverty, is looking forward to the turn of the millennium with renewed hope as a basis for opening a new chapter in the country’s history.
Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya Disasa Dirribsa told The EastAfrican that the millennium is not just about celebrating the unique nature of Ethiopia’s calendar system, it is also a time for Ethiopia to reflect on and try to overcome the diverse socio-economic difficulties facing the country.
“I wish to point out that the turn of the new millennium is in itself an inspiration for Ethiopians to search for new ways of enhancing the country’s ability to sustain the rich cultural heritage as well as our unique position on the African continent,” he said.
“While the heritage is a source of pride and joy to all Ethiopians, it is also our responsibility to use it to eradicate poverty and create favourable conditions for the country’s overall development,” added Mr Dirribsa.
But government critics, especially Ethiopians in the diaspora, are running a campaign to persuade their compatriots to boycott the celebrations on the grounds that the government wants to use the year-long festivities to divert attention from the widespread human-rights abuses and repression that have become routine in Ethiopia since the May 2005 elections.
The celebrations could also be marred by the current tension between Ethiopia and its neighbours and the internal rebel movement.
Apart from intervening in neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia is facing the likelihood of renewed war with Eritrea over the disputed border town of Badme, as well as rebellions by the Oromo Liberation Front in the south and the Ogaden National Liberation Front in the east, where ethnic Somalis are pushing for self-determination.
The anti-celebration groups argue that the government should confront these challenges first, while the funds being spent on the celebrations should be used to fight poverty and disease.
But Ajabe Ligabe Wolde, a counsellor at the Ethiopian embassy in Nairobi, says the celebration is an opportunity for Ethiopians all over the world to reflect on their future, put their political differences aside and see how they can improve the people’s livelihood.
Still, the millennium is unique to Ethiopia, the only African county that did not experience colonialism. With its unique cultural traditions dating back to ancient times, the Ethiopian millennium is one of the traditions that have passed down from generation to generation without interruption.
The organisers of the celebration believe that it will be a chance to change the image of Ethiopia and show that the country has more to offer the world than the images of misery that were splashed across the world following the 1984 famine.
IT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO show the world its rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions — such as the 17th century Fasilidas Castle in Gondar, the famous Obelix of Axum, which was recently returned from Italy, and the rock churches of Lasta Lalibela.
Government officials say Ethiopia has survived many phases — from its ancient civilisation to the present economic and social challenges — with its pride intact.
Ethiopia has culture and traditions that date back more than 3,000 years, and any traveller is transported through breathtaking monuments and ruins that were built centuries ago.
The ancient northern city of Axum remains the country’s oldest urban and religious centre.
The Axumite kingdom was once the most powerful Red Sea state between the eastern Roman empire and Persia. Axum hosts the famous monolithic Obelisk, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Gondar, founded in 1636, is known for its castle-like palaces and was Ethiopia’s capital until the reign of emperor Tewodros II.
Thus, the concluding millennium has seen Ethiopia prosper and decline both politically and economically.
The new millennium, on the other hand, gives Ethiopia a chance to reflect on the past and an incentive to move forward with fresh vigour.
In Kenya, several activities to celebrate the millennium are under way. They include a procession and parade through the streets of Nairobi, sporting activities, an exhibition of Ethiopian and African traditional artefacts, a gala night to showcase traditional foods, songs and dances of Africa, presentations by scholars on Ethiopia-Kenya relations, Ethiopian history and other related topics.
Ethiopia inspired the world as one of the pioneers of civilisation, not to mention its reputation as the cradle of mankind.
Under former Emperor Haile Selassie, Ethiopia was one of the founder members of the defunct Organisation of African Unity.
But there were times, too, when its eminence hit rock bottom; times when Ethiopia unwillingly developed notoriety for being a land of despondency, especially during the widespread famine of 1984.
But Ethiopians love their unique heritage, including the way they have subdivided the solar cycle into 13 months — a feature used to market Ethiopia as a country with 13 months of sunshine.
This time, it will be an Enkutatash (new year) with a difference, since the millennium comes only once in a thousand years.
The beginning of the new millennium gives Ethiopians an unparalleled opportunity for renewal of their faith in themselves. Ethiopians from all walks of life will be asking tough questions on why their country has declined to the current state.
A recent World Economic Forum report indicates that Ethiopia has slid to the rank of 120th out of 125 countries in 2006 in the Global Competitive Index, down from the 116th place it occupied in 2005.
THERE IS ALSO CONCERN whether Ethiopia will meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Economic analysts point out that the number of Ethiopians living on less than a dollar a day, has nearly tripled since Zenawi took power in 1991.
Still, the Ethiopian Julian calendar remains unique. The calendars of the entire world are based on the work of the old Egyptian astronomers who, 3,000-4,000 years BC, calculated that the solar or sidereal year lasted slightly less than 365 ¼ days.
However, it was left to the astronomers of the Alexandrian school to incorporate this knowledge into some sort of a calendar; it was these astronomers who also came up with the idea of leap years.
Subsequently, the Romans under Julius Caesar borrowed their reformed calendar from Alexandrian science and adopted it for the Western world.
The Coptics later inherited this science as a right and built upon it themselves. In due course, the Coptics handed this calendar, together with their method of computing the date for Easter, on to the Church in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian calendar retains the old Egyptian system, whereby the year was divided into 12 months of thirty days each plus one additional month of five days (six days in leap years).
Ethiopian dates, therefore, fall 7-8 years behind Western dates and have done so since early Christian times. This discrepancy results from differences between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
Each Ethiopian year is dedicated to one of the four evangelists — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The year of St Luke is a leap year and, therefore, always has six days in the 13th month of the Ethiopian calendar.
3 Phases and Silicon Valley Power harness solar to reduce carbon emissions
Local Solar Project Adds to Santa Clara’s Green Power Program
Santa Clara, Calif. – November 9, 2005 – Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, announces a new solar project, which will provide a portion of the solar power supply for Santa Clara Green Power, SVP’s renewable energy program. This new installation coincides with Santa Clara Green Power’s one-year anniversary and will contribute to the clean, pollution-free energy supported by program participants.
Rooftop solar panels, directly connected to the Santa Clara power system, have been installed at STG Machine, an industrial machinery company, by Borrego Solar Systems. The 224 solar panels are manufactured by Sharp and represent Santa Clara’s first business-owned installation supplying Santa Clara Green Power.
Since the program’s launch, Santa Clara Green Power has reached an impressive 4.35% participation rate with more than 2,100 customers enrolled–far exceeding the national average of 1.2%. SVP’s efforts demonstrate to utilities across the country that renewable energy is viable and attractive to consumers.
“There’s no better way to celebrate Santa Clara Green Power’s first anniversary than with the addition of a new solar project right here in Santa Clara,” said Junona Jonas, Utility Director at Silicon Valley Power. “It shows the impact that individuals can have in creating real change in our energy production.”
The new solar system will produce 55,600 kilowatt-hours per year, enough to power nine average Santa Clara homes, and will prevent 55,600 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering into the atmosphere each year–the environmental equivalent of taking about five cars off the road or planting more than 3,700 trees each year.
Through enrollment in Santa Clara Green Power, residents and businesses purchase 100% renewable energy credits from wind and solar energy for their monthly usage for an additional 1.5¢/kWh. A portion of the premium helps to finance new solar installations within the Santa Clara community.
Santa Clara utility customers can enroll in Santa Clara Green Power at www.siliconvalleypower.com; by sending an email with your name, address, account number and phone number to green@siliconvalleypower.com; or by calling (408) 244-SAVE (7283).
Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power is the trademark adopted for use by the century-old Electric Department of the City of Santa Clara, California. Silicon Valley Power provides power for more than 50,000 customers, including Intel, Applied Materials and National Semiconductor. It also is an active participant in the wholesale energy markets in the Western U.S. Visit www.siliconvalleypower.com for more information.
3 Phases Energy Services
Founded in 1994, 3 Phases Energy is a national renewable energy marketing and development company providing green pricing support services for utilities, retail and wholesale sales of Green Certificates, onsite solar photovoltaic and efficiency installation services and renewable electricity direct access services. It supports SVP in its green power offering. Visit www.3phases.com for more information.
Santa Clara, Calif. – November 9, 2005 – Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, announces a new solar project, which will provide a portion of the solar power supply for Santa Clara Green Power, SVP’s renewable energy program. This new installation coincides with Santa Clara Green Power’s one-year anniversary and will contribute to the clean, pollution-free energy supported by program participants.
Rooftop solar panels, directly connected to the Santa Clara power system, have been installed at STG Machine, an industrial machinery company, by Borrego Solar Systems. The 224 solar panels are manufactured by Sharp and represent Santa Clara’s first business-owned installation supplying Santa Clara Green Power.
Since the program’s launch, Santa Clara Green Power has reached an impressive 4.35% participation rate with more than 2,100 customers enrolled–far exceeding the national average of 1.2%. SVP’s efforts demonstrate to utilities across the country that renewable energy is viable and attractive to consumers.
“There’s no better way to celebrate Santa Clara Green Power’s first anniversary than with the addition of a new solar project right here in Santa Clara,” said Junona Jonas, Utility Director at Silicon Valley Power. “It shows the impact that individuals can have in creating real change in our energy production.”
The new solar system will produce 55,600 kilowatt-hours per year, enough to power nine average Santa Clara homes, and will prevent 55,600 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering into the atmosphere each year–the environmental equivalent of taking about five cars off the road or planting more than 3,700 trees each year.
Through enrollment in Santa Clara Green Power, residents and businesses purchase 100% renewable energy credits from wind and solar energy for their monthly usage for an additional 1.5¢/kWh. A portion of the premium helps to finance new solar installations within the Santa Clara community.
Santa Clara utility customers can enroll in Santa Clara Green Power at www.siliconvalleypower.com; by sending an email with your name, address, account number and phone number to green@siliconvalleypower.com; or by calling (408) 244-SAVE (7283).
Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power is the trademark adopted for use by the century-old Electric Department of the City of Santa Clara, California. Silicon Valley Power provides power for more than 50,000 customers, including Intel, Applied Materials and National Semiconductor. It also is an active participant in the wholesale energy markets in the Western U.S. Visit www.siliconvalleypower.com for more information.
3 Phases Energy Services
Founded in 1994, 3 Phases Energy is a national renewable energy marketing and development company providing green pricing support services for utilities, retail and wholesale sales of Green Certificates, onsite solar photovoltaic and efficiency installation services and renewable electricity direct access services. It supports SVP in its green power offering. Visit www.3phases.com for more information.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
YoureWorthIt.org helps women in Central Africa
For the full website of YoureWorthIt.org, please visit this WORTH: Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing link!
The Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing's (W.O.R.T.H.) mission is to help women and children who are victims of rape in the Democratic Republic of The Congo to obtain proper medical care for both their physical and emotional wounds. W.O.R.T.H. is dedicated to the enhancement of the emotional well-being and self resiliency of the many that have suffered and are continuing to suffer in the Congo. It is the goal of W.O.R.T.H to provide assistance that will offer these women and children hope and allow them to transition into a better life.
ABOUT W.O.R.T.H.
The Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing is a nonprofit organization in the process of earning 501(c)(3) Status. W.O.R.T.H. recognizes the dire need to address human rights violations against women and children in Central and Eastern Africa, predominantly The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our organization seeks to address and raise international awareness surrounding issues such as personal safety, sexual violence, displacement, access to health care, food and shelter, detention, and gender discrimination.
W.O.R.T.H. was established in 2006 as a passionate vision of hope by founder, Aria Maddox. In doing her own research into the violent rape crimes in Central Africa, Aria was shocked to find that very few organizations around the world were set up to directly help these women and children in the Congo. Even more appalling is the fact that the international community as a whole is paying little to no attention to the millions who have already lost their lives to the Congo war and the hundreds of thousands of others who are currently displaced and living in refugee camps. At these camps, they are without access to proper medical attention, adequate food and water, and shelter from the intense heat and torrential downpours; rains so devastating that they often completely wipe out the only roadways that lead to these camps, preventing clean water, food and medical supplies from reaching those who need it most. Aria’s vision for the Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing is to raise awareness, raise funds and eventually build a holistic transition house in the Congo that will serve to keep women and children safe while working to empower them in every aspect of their lives.
To help realize this ambitious goal and help bring her vision to life, Aria Maddox called on friend and philanthropist, Joy Plaza who she knew shared the same passion and dedication for social justice and human rights. Their shared commitment to this fight is the backbone of what lies ahead in W.O.R.T.H.'s future. But they do not stand alone. They stand alongside a group of strong and dedicated women and are also blessed with the voices of countless others who have stepped up and said the four simple words necessary to create change "How can I help?"
The Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing is poised to, not only reach the hearts and minds of those wanting to join our fight, but to put pressure on world leaders to take a stand against sexual violence as a weapon of war. It is a necessity that the G8 leaders and the United Nations play an integral role in intervening and putting an end to human right violations in the Congo as well as other war torn countries. One of our missions, with your help and through partnerships with other organizations who share our vision of hope, is to put pressure on world leaders and the international community to step up and fight for humanity.
The Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing's (W.O.R.T.H.) mission is to help women and children who are victims of rape in the Democratic Republic of The Congo to obtain proper medical care for both their physical and emotional wounds. W.O.R.T.H. is dedicated to the enhancement of the emotional well-being and self resiliency of the many that have suffered and are continuing to suffer in the Congo. It is the goal of W.O.R.T.H to provide assistance that will offer these women and children hope and allow them to transition into a better life.
ABOUT W.O.R.T.H.
The Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing is a nonprofit organization in the process of earning 501(c)(3) Status. W.O.R.T.H. recognizes the dire need to address human rights violations against women and children in Central and Eastern Africa, predominantly The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our organization seeks to address and raise international awareness surrounding issues such as personal safety, sexual violence, displacement, access to health care, food and shelter, detention, and gender discrimination.
W.O.R.T.H. was established in 2006 as a passionate vision of hope by founder, Aria Maddox. In doing her own research into the violent rape crimes in Central Africa, Aria was shocked to find that very few organizations around the world were set up to directly help these women and children in the Congo. Even more appalling is the fact that the international community as a whole is paying little to no attention to the millions who have already lost their lives to the Congo war and the hundreds of thousands of others who are currently displaced and living in refugee camps. At these camps, they are without access to proper medical attention, adequate food and water, and shelter from the intense heat and torrential downpours; rains so devastating that they often completely wipe out the only roadways that lead to these camps, preventing clean water, food and medical supplies from reaching those who need it most. Aria’s vision for the Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing is to raise awareness, raise funds and eventually build a holistic transition house in the Congo that will serve to keep women and children safe while working to empower them in every aspect of their lives.
To help realize this ambitious goal and help bring her vision to life, Aria Maddox called on friend and philanthropist, Joy Plaza who she knew shared the same passion and dedication for social justice and human rights. Their shared commitment to this fight is the backbone of what lies ahead in W.O.R.T.H.'s future. But they do not stand alone. They stand alongside a group of strong and dedicated women and are also blessed with the voices of countless others who have stepped up and said the four simple words necessary to create change "How can I help?"
The Women's Organization of Rebirth Through Healing is poised to, not only reach the hearts and minds of those wanting to join our fight, but to put pressure on world leaders to take a stand against sexual violence as a weapon of war. It is a necessity that the G8 leaders and the United Nations play an integral role in intervening and putting an end to human right violations in the Congo as well as other war torn countries. One of our missions, with your help and through partnerships with other organizations who share our vision of hope, is to put pressure on world leaders and the international community to step up and fight for humanity.
Solar Cookers provide dignity and sustenance in Darfur refugee camp
Story from Wikia.com, full URL:
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Touloum_refugee_camp
The Touloum refugee camp houses more than 20,000 Darfur refugees, mainly women and children. The area is devoid of vegetation, yet there is abundant sun with rainfall of between 3” and 5” (7.5 - 12.5 cm) yearly.
After setting up a large solar cooking project in the Iridimi refugee camp in Chad for Darfur refugees, the KoZon Foundation and Jewish World Watch began construction of a manufacturing plant and store room in the Touloum refugee camp in March of 2007 with a scheduled completion date of May 2007. Solar cooker training is scheduled to begin in Touloum in June of 2007.
The benefits of solar cooking for the refugees in this camp:
Solar cooking can reduce the need for frequent firewood collection reducing the risk of violence towards women and girls.
Two solar cookers can save one ton of wood each year.
There is no need to tend a fire so women are free to do other tasks.
The production of the solar cookers provides income generation opportunities for female refugees.
What you can do:
Help us provide the Iridimi and Touloum camps with solar cookers by raising awareness and raising money.
Host an event with an engaging Jewish World Watch speaker at your home, work, Parent Association, library, synagogue or church to learn more about the genocide in Darfur.
Organize a fundraiser to help bring solar cookers to these women. Ideas: BBQ, bake sale, car wash, dinner or theatre party.
Make a donation: A $30 donation supports one family by providing two solar cookers, training and two pot holders. A $150 donation supports five families by providing ten solar cookers, training and ten pot holders and so on.
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Touloum_refugee_camp
The Touloum refugee camp houses more than 20,000 Darfur refugees, mainly women and children. The area is devoid of vegetation, yet there is abundant sun with rainfall of between 3” and 5” (7.5 - 12.5 cm) yearly.
After setting up a large solar cooking project in the Iridimi refugee camp in Chad for Darfur refugees, the KoZon Foundation and Jewish World Watch began construction of a manufacturing plant and store room in the Touloum refugee camp in March of 2007 with a scheduled completion date of May 2007. Solar cooker training is scheduled to begin in Touloum in June of 2007.
The benefits of solar cooking for the refugees in this camp:
Solar cooking can reduce the need for frequent firewood collection reducing the risk of violence towards women and girls.
Two solar cookers can save one ton of wood each year.
There is no need to tend a fire so women are free to do other tasks.
The production of the solar cookers provides income generation opportunities for female refugees.
What you can do:
Help us provide the Iridimi and Touloum camps with solar cookers by raising awareness and raising money.
Host an event with an engaging Jewish World Watch speaker at your home, work, Parent Association, library, synagogue or church to learn more about the genocide in Darfur.
Organize a fundraiser to help bring solar cookers to these women. Ideas: BBQ, bake sale, car wash, dinner or theatre party.
Make a donation: A $30 donation supports one family by providing two solar cookers, training and two pot holders. A $150 donation supports five families by providing ten solar cookers, training and ten pot holders and so on.
Calvert Alternative Energy Fund accesses the future
CGAEX Vows To Bring New Opportunities
Written by Subhasis Chatterjee, WallStreetActivist.com
It has come to the knowledge that the Premiere funding organization Calvert Socially Responsible Investing has launched the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund or the CGAEX in the recent days with the sole intention of providing its prime investors with the prospect of helping to take the edge off climate change at the time when they prefer to investment, regarded by many close quarters as a rapidly increasing sector which is comprised of a great deal of financial potential for a bright and stable future.
But what has been the essence of the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund? From a close discussion and a series of interviews with the topmost echelon of the organization it is revealed that the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund chiefly relies and does invest in the devices that are regarded as the viable providers of alternative energy that include solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, hydrogen, and biomass. To be very precise, these are definite technologies that are not only renowned but also make these sources possible so as to be tapped, and the services or technologies that conserve or enable more efficient use of energy. The concerned officials speaking on behalf of the Company has confirmed that the Fund shall be utilized in the best manner to invest no less than a lion' share or 80% of its net assets in the companies that comprised both the U.S. and non-U.S. it is also to be noted in this respect that these are the prime companies whose main business happens to be the alternative energy or to denote in a better manner, which are involved in a noteworthy approach in the alternative energy sector.
No doubt, that the readers or the viewers of the present age are quite apt and happen to be thoroughly conscious about the latest happenings or the modifications in the Industrial and Business climate in the international arena. But to any sensible person a question occurs about the basic reason behind these recent developments. It is however learnt, that with the rapidly changing political and business climate in the international context the oil prices are getting higher and along with the immense growth of the international demand or aspiration for energy the conventional carbon-based energy resources are getting strained by and large. On the contrary, with the innovative methodologies and successful discoveries, the saga of the need and gradual emergence of the alternative energy has caught the attention of the public, media, and political attention as a potential solution to the pressing issue of climate change vehemently.
Written by Subhasis Chatterjee, WallStreetActivist.com
It has come to the knowledge that the Premiere funding organization Calvert Socially Responsible Investing has launched the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund or the CGAEX in the recent days with the sole intention of providing its prime investors with the prospect of helping to take the edge off climate change at the time when they prefer to investment, regarded by many close quarters as a rapidly increasing sector which is comprised of a great deal of financial potential for a bright and stable future.
But what has been the essence of the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund? From a close discussion and a series of interviews with the topmost echelon of the organization it is revealed that the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund chiefly relies and does invest in the devices that are regarded as the viable providers of alternative energy that include solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, hydrogen, and biomass. To be very precise, these are definite technologies that are not only renowned but also make these sources possible so as to be tapped, and the services or technologies that conserve or enable more efficient use of energy. The concerned officials speaking on behalf of the Company has confirmed that the Fund shall be utilized in the best manner to invest no less than a lion' share or 80% of its net assets in the companies that comprised both the U.S. and non-U.S. it is also to be noted in this respect that these are the prime companies whose main business happens to be the alternative energy or to denote in a better manner, which are involved in a noteworthy approach in the alternative energy sector.
No doubt, that the readers or the viewers of the present age are quite apt and happen to be thoroughly conscious about the latest happenings or the modifications in the Industrial and Business climate in the international arena. But to any sensible person a question occurs about the basic reason behind these recent developments. It is however learnt, that with the rapidly changing political and business climate in the international context the oil prices are getting higher and along with the immense growth of the international demand or aspiration for energy the conventional carbon-based energy resources are getting strained by and large. On the contrary, with the innovative methodologies and successful discoveries, the saga of the need and gradual emergence of the alternative energy has caught the attention of the public, media, and political attention as a potential solution to the pressing issue of climate change vehemently.
Clean Power investing driven by new mutual funds
Alternative Energy Revolution Fueled by New Fund Launches Despite Sector Downturn
by Bill Baue, SocialFunds.com
The launch of the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund testifies to optimism about the sub-sector echoed by the launch of the first renewable energy hedge fund by Ardsley Partners.
SocialFunds.com -- Even as alternative energy stocks are on a three-month downward slide, alternative energy investing continues to gain momentum with the launch of new funds, such as the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund (ticker: GAAEX) that debuted on March 31. Ironically, the fund's benchmark--the WilderHill Clean Energy Index (ECO)--had been on fire since its August 16, 2004 inception at $126.59 until May 8, when it had doubled to $254.40. Since then ECO has been on downward slide to bottom out at $176.17 this Monday--and the Guinness Atkinson fund is down 10.80 percent from inception through July 31. However, the index has been creeping back and closed at $188.44 yesterday.
Interestingly, portfolio manager Tim Guinness has been running funds in the energy space since 1998 and therefore kept a left eye on alternative energy stocks, but tended not to invest in the emerging sub-sector as there was much better value available in conventional energy companies.
"We missed the 80 percent bounce in alternative energy from depressed levels in 2003 and 2004 but didn't worry overmuch as our conventional energy stocks were up 85 percent over the same period," Mr. Guinness told SocialFunds.com.
Size was also a constraint--its main energy funds maintain a $1 billion market capitalization threshold.
"This excluded most of the companies in the alternative energy space, and yet we could see that there was significant potential in many of these smaller stocks," says Mr. Guinness. "With oil at more than $50 a barrel and dwindling fossil fuel resources, we know that there will have to be a shift towards alternative energy sources."
"The prospects of many alternative energy companies are transformed if oil settles at $85 a barrel and we have begun to see that as an increasingly likely scenario," he adds. "We decided therefore that we should offer a fund that could practically invest in alternative energy stocks and enable our investors to have a way to potentially benefit from the improved economics of and structural shift towards these companies that will result if this happens."
Guinness Atkinson has lowered its market cap threshold to $50 million for companies in its alternative energy fund. It also takes a pure play approach to screening its universe.
"Stocks must have more than 50 percent of their revenue from businesses that are related to alternative energy sources," says Mr. Guinness. "We note that other funds in the space also have investments in several larger companies where a much smaller percentage of revenues is derived from alternative energy."
"The effect of this is to reduce the downside risk, but also to cap the potential upside," he points out.
Guinness Atkinson reduces risk by diversifying it across a portfolio of 40 to 60 US and international holdings. This international exposure differentiates it from its benchmark, as ECO is comprised of US companies. The top five holdings of the fund are Germany-based wind turbine producer Nordex (NRDXF.PK), Australian Ethanol (ASTUF.PK), and UK-based Clipper Windpower (CWP.L), ethanol producer Renova Energy (RVA.L), and fuel cell company Ceres Power Holdings (CWR.L).
Interestingly, US-based Evergreen Solar (ESLR) fell off the top ten holdings list (from position four as of June 30), as the company's share price has nearly halved from $16.00 on April 19 to a low of $8.22 this Monday. This timing may not be a coincidence.
"The recent downturn in alternative energy stocks is related to a number of factors--principally, the Nasdaq Index has fallen by 12 percent since April 19," Mr. Guinness says. "The sector is still in its infancy, so a number of the companies are technology companies with products at early stages in the lifecycle, and so they have been negatively impacted by the market move.
"Prior to the correction, as oil moved above $70 there was a marked increase in general enthusiasm for investing in the sector and valuations moved up to high levels with the stocks as money flowed in, but we now feel that much of this hype has been deflated," he continues. "To address this, we maintained a cash balance as the market declined, and have increased our holdings in stocks that we believe have seen an overreaction--we think that this downtown is providing us with a number of opportunities to get into stocks at attractive valuations."
The downturn has not overly dampened the enthusiasm for other forms of alternative energy investing as well. For example, the Ardsley Partners Renewable Energy Fund launched in early July as one of the first hedge fund focusing exclusively on alternative energy companies (both public and private). As with Guinness Atkinson, Ardsley Partners is not dipping its toes into the sub-sector for the very first time--it has been incrementally building a renewable energy position in its flagship fund for the past two years to the point that it now represents 15 to 17 percent of that fund.
While Ardsley is now one of the larger public equity players in alternative energy, the space is driven even more aggressively by private equity. More than $360 million of private equity and venture capital has filtered into clean energy companies this summer alone, according to statistics from VCDeal.com. Just yesterday, for example, biodiesel company Renewable Energy Group announced a $100 million deal.
"The alternative energy revolution has only just begun," states Mr. Guinness in the March 2006 special report on the sector.
©2007 SRI World Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints | Send it to a friend | Print it | Save it
by Bill Baue, SocialFunds.com
The launch of the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund testifies to optimism about the sub-sector echoed by the launch of the first renewable energy hedge fund by Ardsley Partners.
SocialFunds.com -- Even as alternative energy stocks are on a three-month downward slide, alternative energy investing continues to gain momentum with the launch of new funds, such as the Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund (ticker: GAAEX) that debuted on March 31. Ironically, the fund's benchmark--the WilderHill Clean Energy Index (ECO)--had been on fire since its August 16, 2004 inception at $126.59 until May 8, when it had doubled to $254.40. Since then ECO has been on downward slide to bottom out at $176.17 this Monday--and the Guinness Atkinson fund is down 10.80 percent from inception through July 31. However, the index has been creeping back and closed at $188.44 yesterday.
Interestingly, portfolio manager Tim Guinness has been running funds in the energy space since 1998 and therefore kept a left eye on alternative energy stocks, but tended not to invest in the emerging sub-sector as there was much better value available in conventional energy companies.
"We missed the 80 percent bounce in alternative energy from depressed levels in 2003 and 2004 but didn't worry overmuch as our conventional energy stocks were up 85 percent over the same period," Mr. Guinness told SocialFunds.com.
Size was also a constraint--its main energy funds maintain a $1 billion market capitalization threshold.
"This excluded most of the companies in the alternative energy space, and yet we could see that there was significant potential in many of these smaller stocks," says Mr. Guinness. "With oil at more than $50 a barrel and dwindling fossil fuel resources, we know that there will have to be a shift towards alternative energy sources."
"The prospects of many alternative energy companies are transformed if oil settles at $85 a barrel and we have begun to see that as an increasingly likely scenario," he adds. "We decided therefore that we should offer a fund that could practically invest in alternative energy stocks and enable our investors to have a way to potentially benefit from the improved economics of and structural shift towards these companies that will result if this happens."
Guinness Atkinson has lowered its market cap threshold to $50 million for companies in its alternative energy fund. It also takes a pure play approach to screening its universe.
"Stocks must have more than 50 percent of their revenue from businesses that are related to alternative energy sources," says Mr. Guinness. "We note that other funds in the space also have investments in several larger companies where a much smaller percentage of revenues is derived from alternative energy."
"The effect of this is to reduce the downside risk, but also to cap the potential upside," he points out.
Guinness Atkinson reduces risk by diversifying it across a portfolio of 40 to 60 US and international holdings. This international exposure differentiates it from its benchmark, as ECO is comprised of US companies. The top five holdings of the fund are Germany-based wind turbine producer Nordex (NRDXF.PK), Australian Ethanol (ASTUF.PK), and UK-based Clipper Windpower (CWP.L), ethanol producer Renova Energy (RVA.L), and fuel cell company Ceres Power Holdings (CWR.L).
Interestingly, US-based Evergreen Solar (ESLR) fell off the top ten holdings list (from position four as of June 30), as the company's share price has nearly halved from $16.00 on April 19 to a low of $8.22 this Monday. This timing may not be a coincidence.
"The recent downturn in alternative energy stocks is related to a number of factors--principally, the Nasdaq Index has fallen by 12 percent since April 19," Mr. Guinness says. "The sector is still in its infancy, so a number of the companies are technology companies with products at early stages in the lifecycle, and so they have been negatively impacted by the market move.
"Prior to the correction, as oil moved above $70 there was a marked increase in general enthusiasm for investing in the sector and valuations moved up to high levels with the stocks as money flowed in, but we now feel that much of this hype has been deflated," he continues. "To address this, we maintained a cash balance as the market declined, and have increased our holdings in stocks that we believe have seen an overreaction--we think that this downtown is providing us with a number of opportunities to get into stocks at attractive valuations."
The downturn has not overly dampened the enthusiasm for other forms of alternative energy investing as well. For example, the Ardsley Partners Renewable Energy Fund launched in early July as one of the first hedge fund focusing exclusively on alternative energy companies (both public and private). As with Guinness Atkinson, Ardsley Partners is not dipping its toes into the sub-sector for the very first time--it has been incrementally building a renewable energy position in its flagship fund for the past two years to the point that it now represents 15 to 17 percent of that fund.
While Ardsley is now one of the larger public equity players in alternative energy, the space is driven even more aggressively by private equity. More than $360 million of private equity and venture capital has filtered into clean energy companies this summer alone, according to statistics from VCDeal.com. Just yesterday, for example, biodiesel company Renewable Energy Group announced a $100 million deal.
"The alternative energy revolution has only just begun," states Mr. Guinness in the March 2006 special report on the sector.
©2007 SRI World Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints | Send it to a friend | Print it | Save it
80 Megawatt Solar Electricity Farm slated for California
World’s biggest solar farm planned in California
Bernie Woodall, July 6, 2007 (Reuters)
posted to NewEnergyNews.com
WHO
Cleantech America LLC, Bill Barnes, CEO
WHAT
Cleantech America is behind Kings River Conservation District Community Choice Solar Farm, a 640 acre, 80-megawatt solar energy project, 7 times as large as the world’s biggest installation and twice as big as the biggest planned farm.
WHEN
The solar farm in scheduled to be completed in 2011.
Cleantech America is 2 years old.
WHERE
- Cleantech America is based in San Francisco.
- The installation will be in the San Joaquin Valley near Fresno, CA.
- Cleantech expects California, with this project, to displace Germany as the world “hub” in solar.
it doesn't get any better for solar than California (click to enlarge)
WHY
- Presently both the world’s biggest solar installation and the world’s biggest planned solar installation are in Germany. Fresno will be 17 times the size of the biggest US installation.
- Servicing 21,000 homes in Kings River Conservation District, 12 cities/2 counties in California's Central Valley.
- Cost not announced. Remaining: acreage purchase, transmission line hookup, panel manufacture contract.
- The Community Choice farm requires only approval by the California Energy Commission as a non-emitting self-generator project and local permits.
This is Cleantech’s 2nd announced project. 1st: 40 acres, 5 megawatts, near San Joaquin Valley’s Mendota, California. There will be more, also in the 80 megawatt size range.
- Cleantech partner: California Construction Authority
QUOTES
Barnes: "We're pretty confident that solar farms on this scale are going to have an industry-changing impact…We think it's the wave of the future. This scale of project, I think, creates a tipping point for renewable energy…We think the impact for it will be similar to the impact of the computer chip…So too will economies of scale like the Community Choice farm drive down the cost of solar…"
Bernie Woodall, July 6, 2007 (Reuters)
posted to NewEnergyNews.com
WHO
Cleantech America LLC, Bill Barnes, CEO
WHAT
Cleantech America is behind Kings River Conservation District Community Choice Solar Farm, a 640 acre, 80-megawatt solar energy project, 7 times as large as the world’s biggest installation and twice as big as the biggest planned farm.
WHEN
The solar farm in scheduled to be completed in 2011.
Cleantech America is 2 years old.
WHERE
- Cleantech America is based in San Francisco.
- The installation will be in the San Joaquin Valley near Fresno, CA.
- Cleantech expects California, with this project, to displace Germany as the world “hub” in solar.
it doesn't get any better for solar than California (click to enlarge)
WHY
- Presently both the world’s biggest solar installation and the world’s biggest planned solar installation are in Germany. Fresno will be 17 times the size of the biggest US installation.
- Servicing 21,000 homes in Kings River Conservation District, 12 cities/2 counties in California's Central Valley.
- Cost not announced. Remaining: acreage purchase, transmission line hookup, panel manufacture contract.
- The Community Choice farm requires only approval by the California Energy Commission as a non-emitting self-generator project and local permits.
This is Cleantech’s 2nd announced project. 1st: 40 acres, 5 megawatts, near San Joaquin Valley’s Mendota, California. There will be more, also in the 80 megawatt size range.
- Cleantech partner: California Construction Authority
QUOTES
Barnes: "We're pretty confident that solar farms on this scale are going to have an industry-changing impact…We think it's the wave of the future. This scale of project, I think, creates a tipping point for renewable energy…We think the impact for it will be similar to the impact of the computer chip…So too will economies of scale like the Community Choice farm drive down the cost of solar…"
Alternative Energy Investing returning big dividends
Investments In Clean Technology Already Starting To Pay Off
from the the-double-bottom-line dept @ techdirt.com
While record amounts are being invested in new clean (or green) tech ventures, some companies are already seeing big returns in this area. Industrial conglomerate General Electric says that it's built up a $50 billion backlog for its environmentally friendly products like wind turbines and fluorescent light bulbs. According to the company, it's pitching its products as both good for the environment and its customers' profits, which is the right way to be thinking of these technologies. Meanwhile, Jeff Nolan points to the surprising news that in the US, carbon dioxide emissions actually fell in the last year, despite a strong economic expansion. Regardless of where one falls on the issue of global warming, carbon dioxide emissions serve as a good proxy for measuring energy use and efficiency. The fact that emissions are falling is a pretty good sign that the broad interest in new technology and energy efficiency are paying off.
from the the-double-bottom-line dept @ techdirt.com
While record amounts are being invested in new clean (or green) tech ventures, some companies are already seeing big returns in this area. Industrial conglomerate General Electric says that it's built up a $50 billion backlog for its environmentally friendly products like wind turbines and fluorescent light bulbs. According to the company, it's pitching its products as both good for the environment and its customers' profits, which is the right way to be thinking of these technologies. Meanwhile, Jeff Nolan points to the surprising news that in the US, carbon dioxide emissions actually fell in the last year, despite a strong economic expansion. Regardless of where one falls on the issue of global warming, carbon dioxide emissions serve as a good proxy for measuring energy use and efficiency. The fact that emissions are falling is a pretty good sign that the broad interest in new technology and energy efficiency are paying off.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Albert Gore III caught doing 160 kmh in a ... Prius???
Gore kid's arrest could help save planet
July 09, 2007
by Linwood Barclay, TheStar.com
Not for a minute do I believe Al Gore put his son up to driving 160 kilometres per hour in a Toyota Prius, thereby causing the lad to be arrested by police, who discovered marijuana and narcotics in the car. But if you're looking for a novel way of boosting the cause of environmentalism, you could do a lot worse.
When I heard Gore's 24-year-old son, Albert Gore III, had been pulled over driving at such a high rate of speed, and that police had allegedly found drugs in the vehicle, I'll bet I had the same reaction you did.
Gore's kid was doing 160 kilometres per hour in a hybrid?
This bit of news may do more good for the environmental movement than anything Al Gore has done to date. Sure, there was that global warming movie he made, and the companion book he wrote, and the Oscar, and he's been touring the planet warning us that the polar ice caps are going to melt and that if you live in Kansas you're soon going to have waterfront property.
And even if you think there's a lot of truth to the message, as I do, you can't help but think that doing the right thing as an individual isn't going to be very much fun. I'm all for making sacrifices, especially if I'm not the one who has to make them (which, by the way, is the Republican motto).
Switching over to a hybrid car is one of those right things, but, unfairly or not, it still has a reputation among car enthusiasts as something you have to pedal really fast when you're on the ramp merging into traffic on the 401.
That's all likely to change after news of this arrest.
I like cars. I like cars a lot. Not the big, stupid Hummer-like things that look like they're going to fall over when then they turn a corner, or which, when you end up parked between two of them, make it impossible to back out without putting your faith in a much higher power. But regular cars, cars that look like cars are supposed to look, I'm very big on, especially when they have a bit of zip to them.
So while I'm taken with the idea of a car that's great on gas and doesn't do nearly as much harm to the ozone layer, it's hard to get very excited about it. (Not that a clean planet isn't, at some level, something to be excited about.) You think, if I buy those light bulbs with the curly tails, turn back the thermostat and get a new, energy-efficient fridge, can I keep my six-speed manual and optimized close gear ratio?
But to hear that the Prius was doing 160 kilometres per hour, you have to wonder, was there a tailwind? Were the police clocking the young Gore while he was driving downhill? There's nothing to indicate this was the case. Based on what we know, that's just how fast the car was going.
Now, I don't want to drive 160 kilometres per hour. Those street racers? Crush their cars, I don't care. But for a car enthusiast, it's nice to know your ride has untapped potential. And if your car can do 160 kilometres per hour, it's not a stretch to think you can handle the ramp to the 401 with the best of them.
It's a bit early to know whether Toyota will be running the news reports of Gore's arrest in its advertising, but if I were a Prius salesman, I'd take customers aside and whisper to them, "This is the one Gore's kid got arrested in doing 160 clicks, you know." That ought to close a lot of sales.
July 09, 2007
by Linwood Barclay, TheStar.com
Not for a minute do I believe Al Gore put his son up to driving 160 kilometres per hour in a Toyota Prius, thereby causing the lad to be arrested by police, who discovered marijuana and narcotics in the car. But if you're looking for a novel way of boosting the cause of environmentalism, you could do a lot worse.
When I heard Gore's 24-year-old son, Albert Gore III, had been pulled over driving at such a high rate of speed, and that police had allegedly found drugs in the vehicle, I'll bet I had the same reaction you did.
Gore's kid was doing 160 kilometres per hour in a hybrid?
This bit of news may do more good for the environmental movement than anything Al Gore has done to date. Sure, there was that global warming movie he made, and the companion book he wrote, and the Oscar, and he's been touring the planet warning us that the polar ice caps are going to melt and that if you live in Kansas you're soon going to have waterfront property.
And even if you think there's a lot of truth to the message, as I do, you can't help but think that doing the right thing as an individual isn't going to be very much fun. I'm all for making sacrifices, especially if I'm not the one who has to make them (which, by the way, is the Republican motto).
Switching over to a hybrid car is one of those right things, but, unfairly or not, it still has a reputation among car enthusiasts as something you have to pedal really fast when you're on the ramp merging into traffic on the 401.
That's all likely to change after news of this arrest.
I like cars. I like cars a lot. Not the big, stupid Hummer-like things that look like they're going to fall over when then they turn a corner, or which, when you end up parked between two of them, make it impossible to back out without putting your faith in a much higher power. But regular cars, cars that look like cars are supposed to look, I'm very big on, especially when they have a bit of zip to them.
So while I'm taken with the idea of a car that's great on gas and doesn't do nearly as much harm to the ozone layer, it's hard to get very excited about it. (Not that a clean planet isn't, at some level, something to be excited about.) You think, if I buy those light bulbs with the curly tails, turn back the thermostat and get a new, energy-efficient fridge, can I keep my six-speed manual and optimized close gear ratio?
But to hear that the Prius was doing 160 kilometres per hour, you have to wonder, was there a tailwind? Were the police clocking the young Gore while he was driving downhill? There's nothing to indicate this was the case. Based on what we know, that's just how fast the car was going.
Now, I don't want to drive 160 kilometres per hour. Those street racers? Crush their cars, I don't care. But for a car enthusiast, it's nice to know your ride has untapped potential. And if your car can do 160 kilometres per hour, it's not a stretch to think you can handle the ramp to the 401 with the best of them.
It's a bit early to know whether Toyota will be running the news reports of Gore's arrest in its advertising, but if I were a Prius salesman, I'd take customers aside and whisper to them, "This is the one Gore's kid got arrested in doing 160 clicks, you know." That ought to close a lot of sales.
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