Comments GreenOx has made

  • Another option to consider...

    I enjoyed your application of solar technology and home design to Seattle, and I think it highlights an important underlying point: we need to better utilize our natural environment to power our lifestyles and decrease the impact that results. This comes through understanding that same natural environment.

    In my home state of Kansas, we get over 200 days a year of sun. While the use of solar technologies would be a very beneficial option for heating and powering our homes, there is another (and often underappreciated) way: passive solar. By designing our homes to increase light/heat flow in the winter and decreasing those inputs in the summer, we can significantly decrease the demand for heating and cooling systems. Solar and PV on a home's roof provides very little positive benefit if that home is inefficient and requires far more than it could truly need - it would be like putting a band-aid on a severed limb. But, if solar and PV are utilized in conjunction with smaller homes that harness passive solar design - especially in sunny places like Kansas - we could make a much bigger impact on our emissions.

    -GreenOx
    www.greenox.blogspot.com

    -GreenOx www.greenox.blogspot.com

    On An alternative housing concept posted 1 year, 10 months ago 16 Responses

  • Policy option for marginal lands?

    Enjoyed the post, but want to open a discussion about policy options related to use of marginal lands.

    The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a wildly popular financial incentive from the USDA that pays agricultural producers to take marginal and degraded land out of production. For as long as I can remember, I have known farmers in my home state of Kansas who have planted on marginal lands either because commodity prices were low and they needed to make ends meet, or because prices were high and they wanted to reap as much profit as possible. But, with the introduction of the CRP, those same farmers were able (and willing) to stop harvesting crops on degraded and marginal land, instead turning it into native prairie grass and creating habitat for animals.

    I think CRP funding should not only be increased, but should also allow farmers to grow harvestable biomass on it that can then be used for biofuels. This seems like a win-win situation for me:

    1. Farmers get paid to plant appropriate crops on marginal land that doesn't lead to erosion, overuse of herbicides and pesticides, and decreased animal habitat.

    2. Biofuel producers get low-cost biomass to use in their plants.

    3. Americans use these much more efficient and less-impactful biofuels in higher-mileage vehicles.

    Let's make it happen.

    -GreenOx
    www.greenox.blogspot.com

    -GreenOx www.greenox.blogspot.com

    On Where will biofuels and biomass feedstocks come from? posted 1 year, 10 months ago 16 Responses

  • Kansas and Global Warmin'

    I got a huge crack out of your post, Joseph, but it doesn't surprise me one bit...

    I am from Kansas but currently studying climate change at Oxford for a masters degree, and I am constantly amazed at the idiocy of the vast majority of our legislators in my home state. While I love it dearly, quotes like the following from Melvin Neufeld, the Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives don't give me much confidence in that body's ability to address the issue: "They tell us that if you jog two miles you emit more carbon dioxide than if you drive two miles."

    Are you serious?! I mean, I know Melvin is a bit old, but COME ON!

    Luckily, Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson just GET IT. As you mentioned, they took a huge step in denying permits to Sunflower Electric to built two 700-MW coal-fired plants near Holcomb last fall, and are taking HUGE steps toward making Kansas a world leader in wind energy. I think you will continue to see great things from those two leaders - and they are truly leaders - in the current legislative session and throughout the rest of their term.

    And, you're right, Joseph - I don't think anyone in the scientific community takes Fred Singer seriously. Let's hope the Kansas Legislature refuses to take him seriously, as well!

    -GreenOx
    www.greenox.blogspot.com

    -GreenOx www.greenox.blogspot.com

    On Climate denier contradicts self, facts, remains famous posted 1 year, 10 months ago 23 Responses

  • Two Different Subjects...

    JMG, you are referring to two separate - but interrelated - issues.

    The first is American overconsumption ("McMansions and Hummers"). The second is the potential for decoupling economic and transportation growth.

    In reference to the first issue, there are ways for Americans to grow economically without decreasing economic growth. The easiest way to do this is with demand-side reductions. Problems of leakage aside, decreasing energy use (both in power production through improved thermal envelopes in homes, etc. and the transport sector via greater fuel economy and/or use of hybrids and biofuels) increases bottom lines. By saving energy, Americans can save money. And saving money will be important as our economy continues to hover in dark waters.

    As for the second issue, I don't think it is appropriate for the developed world to stop someone in India from owning a car because of its emissions. We created this mess, and - you're right, JMG - it is more important to most (if not all) in the developing world to not be poor than to not emit. Technologically (and hypothetically), it would be possible to create a cheaper car with greater fuel economy; however, it still will not be as cheap as something that relies on traditional internal combustion engines running on petroleum. Until the hydrogen economy comes (if it ever does), I think the best things we can do for the transportation sector in the developing world is help create effective and affordable mass transit systems and reduce our consumption in the developed world.

    I know there are studies out there that have examined decoupling economic growth in the developing world from growth in car ownership, but I won't have those reports until tomorrow (I'm in a group researching this on the periphery of a major project at the moment, and we meet tomorrow morning). So, I know they exist - it's just a matter of doing some searches for them. Check the Tranport Studies Unit at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment - I know they've done a couple.

    -GreenOx
    www.greenox.blogspot.com

    -GreenOx www.greenox.blogspot.com

    On The privileged attitude of the motorhead posted 1 year, 10 months ago 28 Responses

  • Green Wins This Weekend

    Looks like environmentalists won this weekend, with Hillary, McCain and Romney winning Nevada and South Carolina. Hillary and McCain's positions on environmental issues are generally positive, and I would argue so are Romney's.

    His complex positions on cap-and-trade legislation and arbitrary assignment of renewable energy production are more realistic and helpful, I think, than blanket "support" for both. On the former, it is important to include India, China and the rest of the world in a global carbon market - but on different terms than the U.S. Since American business won't suffer significantly from increased carbon costs if China and India don't participate (see report highlighted here: www.greenox.blogspot.com), we cannot use that as an excuse for inaction on establishing cap-and-trade.

    On the second issue, requiring a mandatory portfolio of renewables is the most expensive way to get that result. Incentivizing alternative energy via tax breaks and subsidies will produce the desired result while not significantly increasing transaction costs for companies (who then pass those relatively higher costs onto consumers). Biofuel production would, I think, make up a large portion of renewable energy requirements, and the last thing we want to do is have a blanket biofuels requirement because of some types' questionable energy and emissions balances and affect on global food prices.

    So, overall, I think environmentalists should be happy for this weekend's results - especially on the Republican side - should they factor significantly into choosing the parties' candidates.

    -GreenOx
    www.greenox.blogspot.com

    -GreenOx www.greenox.blogspot.com

    On Your weekend in caucuses posted 1 year, 10 months ago 5 Responses