Green Celebrities? PLEASE!

So, the new Hydrogen powered Honda FCX Clarity is all the rage at the moment here in LA, and just this morning I witnessed actress Jamie Lee Curtis showing it off to MSNBC. Seeing this reminded me of an article I saw a little while back in the LA times documenting how all the celebrities are hungry to get a hydrogen car, to ”out-green” each other.

“Agents have been working overtime to get their clients driving hydrogen. The BMW has been working its way through Hollywood, with the help of Creative Artists Agency, for about a year and has a two-month waiting list. Honda said 50,000 people had signed up online to lease the Clarity, which rolls out in July. GM uses William Morris Agency to arrange its pairings. Among the most recent recipients were “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.”

All I really wanted to point out this post is, that just as these celebrities’ movie stunts are mostly products of specials effects, so it seems, is their commitment to actually purchasing the most environmentally responsible vehicle. For the  past DECADE, as hollywood “green”ines have been driving their hummers while complaining about how auto-companies won’t build environmentally responsible car’s, Honda has been selling CNG powered Civics which are powered by one of the cleanest combustion engines in the world. Why weren’t their agents calling Honda about reserving any of these CNG Civics?

While, I understand the defense, that it’s not very easy to find a place to fill up on natural gas, this point is null after what I’ve been seeing with this hydrogen craze… considering that there are only 61 hydrogen fueling station in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. Compare this to natural gas, which - in addition to an established local fueling infrastructure - for a few extra bucks, you can fill up your natural gas tank at HOME!

The last defense they might try would be of course, the very cool fact that hydrogen fuel produces ZERO emissions, whereas natural gas vehicles still creates some trace emissions. This would be a valid position, if it weren’t for the fact nearly all of our Hydrogen supply here in the US is produced from natural gas. So, celebrity friends, I appreciate your advocating lifestyles, but I hope you realize that your Hydrogen powered car is really being powered by natural gas… and actually most likely, the amount of energy needed to make that hydrogen your using is more than the energy your actually getting from it as a fuel… so basically, you’re driving an inefficient natural gas vehicle. Why don’t you take a look at the Civic then?

Enviro’s Battle the Strongest Navy in the World, and Win!

The US Navy and Environmental Groups have finally reached an accord on the multi-year dispute revolving around the sonar’s impact on whale behavior and health. LA Times Article. The agreement, restricts the Navy from using the Sonar in areas in the pacific that are documented as whale breeding grounds and key habitat. Here are the terms of the agreement from the NRDC’s (the leading group in this effort) press release:

“Under the agreement, LFA testing and training is limited to defined areas of the North Pacific Ocean, and the Navy must adhere to other protective measures, including seasonal and coastal exclusions that will protect breeding grounds and other important whale habitat. In Hawaii, for example, LFA training cannot occur near the Hawaii Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary or the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, and is limited to waters beyond 50 nautical miles of the main islands, an area known to contain vital habitat for several unique marine mammal populations.”

While I’m excited they reached this deal, I am most curious about the agreements caveats. For example, I would assume this agreement is null during a time of war. If so, what about an elevated threat level? I would love to see what type of teeth this agreement really has.

 

California Adopts New Green Building Requirements

In what is described as the United States’ first statewide “green” building rules, the California Building Standards Commission said the code would help reduce the carbon footprint of every new structure in the state.

The standards cover commercial and residential construction in the public and private sectors as well as schools of all levels, hospitals and other public institutions. The green thresholds include a 50 percent increase in landscape water conservation and a 15 percent reduction in energy use compared to current standards. All the measures if acted upon would at least be comparable to the requirements of a “silver rating” under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), commission representatives said.

Adherence to the California Green Building Standards Code, which takes effect in 180 days, will be voluntary until 2010, when its provisions are expected to become mandatory, commission leaders said.

Critics say the standards are a good step but could be tougher, and that about 75 California cities and counties already have more stringent green standards.

Mercedes-Benz Expanding Line of Natural Gas-Powered Vehicles

Mercedes-Benz announced that it is expanding its ‘centre of competence for emissions-free commercial vehicles’ to focus on the production of natural gas-powered vehicles (NGCs). On July 4, 2008, the centre was officially expanded to become the Mercedes-Benz Production Competence Centre for Natural Gas Drive. With the opening of the new facility, the company can push ahead with its aim of positioning NGVs in all segments. There will be an impressively wide variety of natural gas models produced at the plant in Mannheim, Germany: the E-Class and the Econic are already being fitted with natural gas engines at the plant, and they will be joined by the B-Class and the Sprinter — up to 16 natural gas variants of the Mercedes Sprinter will be available. The advantages of NGVs include a considerable reduction in emissions and noise and substantially lower maintenance costs.

According to the Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVA) there are 120,000 NGVs on U.S. roads today and over 5 million worldwide. There are about 1100 CNG refueling stations in the US, which is about the same number of commercial stations offering E85 ethanol blends, however only half are available for public use. And, on everybody’s mind, natural gas costs, on average, one-third less than conventional gasoline at the pump.

The NGVA also says there are 50 different manufacturers producing 150 models of light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles and engines that run on compressed natural gas. Unfortunately, there’s only one for sale to individuals, Honda’s Civic GX, and it’s only offered in California and New York. California ranks highest in number of CNG refueling stations, but fuel prices offer only a modest discount from standard gasoline at $2.50 per gallon.  No word yet as to whether Mercedes will sell the new non-commercial natural gas cars in California.

Is Carbon Credit Trading Coming to California?

In May, the World Bank reported that the carbon market more than doubled in value last year to $64-billion from $31-billion in 2006. Credits representing some three billion tons of CO{-2} emissions traded hands, mainly involving European Union Allowances (EUAs) or Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). The latter credits are generated by energy projects in some 68 developing countries, and are certified by the United Nations to involve emissions reductions that would not have happened without financing from the credits.

Here in the US, a cap and trade is developing at a slower pace. Nonetheless, the New York Mercantile Exchange’s (NYMEX) recently started its Green Exchange by offering products based on European markets. But it is also developing futures and options that will reflect a regulated, market-based system now being implemented for utilities in the U.S. Northeast by eight states. Of course, the biggest opportunity will come if, as expected, the U.S. federal government passes a national cap-and-trade system.

NYMEX is also planning on developing products based on the Western Climate Initiative - led by California with membership by B.C. and Manitoba. At this point, the Western Climate Initiative, a collaboration by the Governors of seven states and three Canadian provinces, is scheduled to release a proposed design of the carbon trading system by August 2008.

A carbon credit system is an efficient way to buy time before new technologies can be introduced. Supporters argue that a regional system offers more environmental and economic benefits than a California only initiative –- such as the California Air Resources Board’s recently released draft road map for implementing the state’s landmark 2006 global warming law.

Update on California High Speed Rail

Wednesday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority approved the environmental impact report for the route the long-proposed bullet train will take between the Central Valley and the Bay Areas.  The Authority picked a route through the Pacheco Pass, west of Los Banos.  Once over the Coast Range mountains, the trains would trazel north to San Jose, then up the Peninsula along Caltrain’s right-of-way to San Francisco.

The Authority found that the “Pacheco Pass is the fastest and ‘most environmentally responsible option’ for the high-speed train system, minimizing impacts on wetlands as well as the San Francisco Bay and eliminating the need for another San Francisco Bay crossing, bridge or tunnel.”  The other option was a route going through the Altamont Pass further to the north.

The next major hurdle for the rail project is Proposition 1 on the November ballot, which if passed will approve a $9.95 billion bond.  Proposition 1 requires a simple majority vote for approval.

Check out the California High Speed Rail Authority’s 10 minute video on the need for a high speed connection between Southern and Northern California.

Also, for up-to-date coverage on this issue, keep up on the California High Speed Rail Blog.

‘Water Features’ Need To Be Jettisoned Now

[Originally published by the Los Angeles Daily News.  http://www.dailynews.com/editorial/ci_9812232]

By Ruth Galanter

Who can explain why Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the Department of Water and Power keep telling us to use less water and electricity, but the city continues to permit “water features” in new development?

Check out trendy shopping centers, new hotels and office developments, and even the Port of Los Angeles.  Everywhere you go, there’s a pool or a fountain with water evaporating under our famous sunshine.

Yes, I know, “it’s all recycled.” Hogwash. Some of it evaporates, some of it spills and dries up, and the rest is pumped around by - you guessed it - the very electricity we’re supposed to conserve.

There is something wrong with this picture, but there is no good excuse.

Sure the permits go through the Planning Department and the Building and Safety Department, while the water and power issues go through the Department of Water and Power. But isn’t our “environmental” mayor in charge of all of these? Isn’t our commitment to conservation and sustainability a commitment by the city of Los Angeles, not just an isolated department here or there?

The Department of Water and Power itself has open-air pools surrounding its downtown headquarters. I’ve been told for years that those pools are necessary for cooling something, but surely they too could be protected from excess evaporation or at least used for cooling ambient tourists’ sore feet.

What kind of message are we sending when we talk conservation of water and electricity - indeed threaten financial penalties for overuse - but then display running water all over the neighborhoods?

It’s the same kind of doublespeak as when the members of the City Council said they had to have the city supply them with hybrid cars or else they’d have to use their personal SUVs. If they want the rest of us to purchase hybrids instead of SUVs, why can’t they do the same? At their salaries, they can certainly afford to put their personal money where their mouths are.

City zoning and building regulations already include all kinds of requirements, such as height restrictions, side-yard setbacks, and the minimum number of wall sockets in each room of a dwelling unit. I’m particularly proud of the city ordinance that requires low-water-use toilets in all single-family residences, an ordinance that occasioned much snickering when I introduced it, but turns out to save an incredible amount of water and to have revolutionized the manufacture of toilets.

The city has come a long way since that ordinance. So why is it that we still permit outdoor “water features”?

As a practical matter, eliminating this wasteful use of water and power requires that someone from the City Council introduce a proposed ordinance, and in today’s climate that may require that someone from the Mayor’s Office instruct a compliant council member to take the lead. One phone call would probably do it. Maybe two phone calls; one call to a council member requesting that she/he introduce a proposal for such an ordinance and another call to the director of planning requesting cooperation. That’s not so hard.

Wise use of resources is a wonderful and achievable goal, but it does require plugging loopholes and using our collective head. Exhorting city residents and businesses to use less water and power is a useful activity, but wise leadership leads by example as well as exhortation.

It’s time for the city to get with its own program.

Ruth Galanter is a former member and president of the Los Angeles City Council, on which she served for 16 years.

Originally published by the Los Angeles Daily News.  http://www.dailynews.com/editorial/ci_9812232

The Battle Over California’s Tighter Emissions Standards

With the Supreme Court’s decisions on Guantanamo and the DC handgun law, major news sources had little room to discuss a California District Court’s decision rejecting the auto industry’s attempt to block implementation of California’s tighter emissions standards.

The California law calls for a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks between 2009 and 2016.  California is taking the lead on this issue, and is supported by 17 other states which have opted to adopt similar laws.  According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (representing 10 carmakers, including General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.) this reduction will require cars and some light trucks to achieve an average of 42 miles per gallon by 2015.  Current federal mandates call for 35.7 mpg by that date.

This federal court decision explains that the California law is permissible under the federal system allowing states to implement more stringent emission standards than those currently required under federal law, as long as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants the states a waiver.  This waiver process is where this story gets interesting.

In December the EPA denied California’s request for a waiver to implement this law. This was the first time a California waiver application has been denied, in fact California has earned more than 40 waivers in the past 30 years.  Obviously, we are interested in learning more about what prompted the EPA to deny the waiver application in this instance.  Towards that end, California’s Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Henry Waxman have held hearings on the EPA’s decision and have asked for documents concerning the EPA’s decision.  It is clear that the Whitehouse was involved in the EPA’s decision, and when both houses of Congress made their requests to the EPA, the White House asserted executive privilege in this air-quality case and denied the info request.

As Waxman said, the “assertion of executive privilege raises serious questions about [the EPA’s] credibility and the involvement of the president.”

Both presumptive presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, have said they would act to grant the waiver if elected.  Thankfully, our time with the Bush administration and its archaic brand of closed-door policy has run its course. However, we need to ensure that the new would-be leaders follow-through on their pledges to grant the California waiver.

Traffic down, Transit Ridership Up! Great right?… Maybe Not…

Last week, the LA times reported some surprising - although not unexcpected - news that Metrolink ridership is at an all time high, while “traffic on California freeways dropped 1.5% over last year - the equivilant of a billion fewer milles traveled.” The culprit of all this according to the article, seems to be the outrageous gas prices, which “jumped 15.5 cents last week to 4.588 a gallon” in California.

The Bottled Water Story

Last Saturday, June 21, 2008, the KCRW show Good Food interviewed Elizabeth Royte, author of Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It. Ms. Royte discussed drinking water’s commercialization, tap water and the environmental impact of plastic water bottles.

With 50 million plastic water bottles consumed annually and with sales of bottled water continuing to increase, it is important for us to examine the costs associated with our drinking water, including our distribution system and local water supplies. In addition to the tremendous waste associated with bottled water, the amount of water used in the production of bottled water is 3 times the amount sold, and the amount of oil used in bringing bottled water to market is 1 quarter per every liter sold. Bottlemania’s website provides links for information on water testing, filters, and groups fighting to protect municipal water supplies.