ARPA-E Should Not Ever Be Shutdown Period.

Source: Department of Energy

The Trump Administration has waged war to close the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Program (of division) over the last two and a half years.  Why?  In large part because President Obama created ARPA-E which immediately sets the organization into the crosshairs of the Congressional budget committee each year.  The behavior of the President is strange given that both Republicans and Democrats feel that funding for ARPA-E as an organization is critical to meet the energy needs of the future of the United States.



To understand the motivation further of the Trump Administration, let's take a look at the Wikipedia page description of the Agency:

Legislative history 

The concept of ARPA-E was initially conceived by a report by the National Academies entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. The report recognized a U.S. need to stimulate innovation and develop clean, affordable, and reliable energy.[1] ARPA-E was officially created by the America COMPETES Act , authored by Congressman Bart Gordon,[2] within the United States Department of Energy (DOE) in 2007, though without a budget. The initial budget of about $400 million was a part of the economic stimulus bill of February 2009.[3] Then in early January 2011, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 made additional changes to ARPA-E’s structure; this structure is codified in Title 42, Chapter 149, Subchapter XVII, § 16538 of the United States Code.

Among its main provisions, Section 16538 provides that ARPA-E shall achieve its goals through energy technology projects by doing the following:

(1)Identifying and promoting revolutionary advances in fundamental and applied sciences;

(2)Translating scientific discoveries and cutting-edge inventions into technological innovations; and

(3)Accelerating transformational technological advances in areas that industry by itself is not likely to undertake because of technical and financial uncertainty. 

Mission 

Like DARPA does for military technology, ARPA-E is intended to fund high-risk, high-reward research that might not otherwise be pursued because there is a relatively high risk of failure.[4] Like DARPA, it is intended to fund projects involving government labs, private industry, and universities. ARPA-E has four objectives:

(1)To bring a freshness, excitement, and sense of mission to energy research that will attract the U.S.'s best and brightest minds;

(2)To focus on creative, transformation energy research that the industry cannot, or will not support due to its high risk, but that has high reward potential;

(3)To utilize an ARPA-like organization that is flat, nimble, and sparse, capable of sustaining for long periods of time those projects whose promise remains real, while phasing out programs that do not prove to be as promising as anticipated; and

(4)To create a new tool to bridge the gap between basic energy research and development/industrial innovation.[4] 

Launch 

President Barack Obama announced the launch of the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) on April 27, 2009 as part of an announcement about federal investment in research and development and science education. Soon after its launch, ARPA-E released its first Funding Opportunity Announcement for the new agency, offering $151 million in total with individual awards ranging from $500,000 to $9 million. Applicants submitted eight-page "concept papers" that outlined the technical concept; some were invited to submit full applications.[5]

Arun Majumdar, former deputy director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was appointed the first director of ARPA-E in September 2009, over six months after the organization was first funded.[6] U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu presided over the inaugural "ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit" on March 1–3, 2010 in Washington, D.C..[7]

After reading the above excerpt, who would not want to provide funds for the research initiatives conducted by ARPA-E.  With that being said, the only real reason which I can find for shutting down the program (aside from Obama's vision) is that the funding is for renewable/clean energy for the future of the United States.  ARPA-E is a spin-off from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).



DARPA projects are specifically aimed at the military.  Years ago in graduate school, I had a research project which was funded by DARPA.  The research project was centered around the understanding of limits of quantum computation (quantum information processing) using Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (SSNMR).  Members of the public might think that there is no connection between the SSNMR spectroscopy and the military.



Although, the progress made on the project would indirectly improve the measurement known as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the hospital setting.  Funding for DARPA projects is usually aimed to fund projects which are high risk with large pay-offs along with high failure rates.  The range and scope of projects which are supported by DARPA are large.  Which is partly why a specific agency was created -- aimed explicitly at renewable energy research.



Additionally, the need to fund renewable energy projects which pose a large pay-off with a high risk of failure is essential.  As I emphasized earlier, the need to have a broad portfolio of diverse research projects is critical.  Casting as wide of a net as possible ensures a diverse range of technologies which result from the initial plans.  Therefore, keeping the funding source open and increasing the level of funding annually, ensures a healthy nation which keeps up with the pace of developing (and researching) new technologies.



In light of the obvious, universities and private organizations have banded together to show support for the continuation of ARPA-E funding into the future.  Here is the letter of support from many organizations (corporations and universities) for the extension in arpa-e financing (and program):

Dear Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Feinstein, Chairwoman Kaptur and Ranking Member Simpson,

As diverse organizations interested in the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) program, we thank you for the significant funding for this vital program in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019. ARPA-E plays a unique and critical role in maintaining America’s global leadership in energy technologies. As you begin drafting the Fiscal Year 2020 Energy and Water Appropriations bills, the undersigned organizations, companies and institutions urge you to enhance our competitiveness and energy security by supporting robust funding for ARPA-E in the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations bill.  We support funding ARPA-E at least at $400 million in Fiscal Year 2020. This is roughly $35 million higher than in Fiscal Year 2019 and would allow for one additional program solicitation to pioneer advances in a high-impact energy technology area.

ARPA-E is a highly innovative and effective program which enjoys strong bipartisan congressional support. Since its inception, ARPA-E has successfully sponsored a dynamic range of research, including technologies with potentially profound benefits for the nation’s future energy security. Modeled after the highly successful Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), ARPA-E supports “high-risk, high-reward” research which has the potential to drastically alter how we make and use energy in the future. The program utilizes a unique organizational structure and highly successful selection process to identify innovative technologies, pushes them to meet aggressive milestones and helps them to cross the valley of death so the private sector can then commercialize them.

Despite being just ten years old, ARPA-E is already fostering technological breakthroughs in energy storage, transportation fuels, and industrial efficiency. To date, 136 of more than 340 completed projects supported by ARPA-E have attracted over $2.6 billion in private sector follow-on funding, and 71 projects have gone on to form new companies. The enthusiasm for ARPA-E’s vision and quality of work is evidenced by its ability to repeatedly draw more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, state and federal government officials, state and federal agencies and large numbers of investors to its annual Energy Innovation Summit.

The importance of U.S. leadership in energy technologies to our economic and energy security makes ARPA-E a tremendous competitive advantage for our nation. Stable and sustained funding growth is necessary to ensure this successful program continues to enhance America’s ability to pioneer the energy technologies of tomorrow. 

and the signers were from the following organizations:

American Chemical Society

American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF)

American Geophysical Union

American Society of Agronomy

Association of American Universities

Association of Public and Land-grant

Universities

BASF Corporation

Bettergy Corp.

BPC Action

Brayton Energy

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

Clean Energy Business Network

Clean Energy Trust

Cleantech Alliance

ClearPath Action

Copper Development Association

Crop Science Society of America

Dioxide Materials

Duke University

E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)

Elemental Excelerator, Inc.

Energy Technology Savings, Inc.

Environmental Defense Fund

Fearless Fund

Flash Steelworks, Inc

Florida State University

General Electric

Georgia Institute of Technology

Gnosys, Inc.

Greentown Labs

Industrial Microbes, Inc.

Information Technology and Innovation

Foundation

Intel Corporation

Introspective Systems

Ionic Materials, Inc.

LEEDCo

Malta Inc

Marine BioEnergy, Inc.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michigan State University

Michigan Technological University

National Audubon Society

National Venture Capital Association

National Wildlife Federation

Natron Energy, Inc.

Natural Resources Defense Council

Newton Energy Group LLC

Nuclear Energy Institute

Onboard Dynamics, Inc.

Otherlab

Pajarito Powder, LLC.

Penn State University

Powerhouse

Princeton University

Prospect Silicon Valley

RedWave Energy, Inc.

SAFCell

SixPoint Materials, Inc.

Soil Science Society of America

Solar Energy Industries Association

Spruce Capital Partners

SSTI

Starfire Energy

Stony Brook University

Swift Coat, Inc.

TechNet

Tenley Consulting

The Nature Conservancy

The State University of New York System

The Texas A&M University System

Third Way

United Technologies Corporation

University of California System

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Merced

University of California, San Diego

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Houston System

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois System

University of Maryland, College Park

University of North Carolina System

University of Oregon

University of Rochester

Urban Future Lab/ ACRE Incubator

US Chamber of Commerce

Vanderbilt University

The above signatures (organizations) represent a massive research consortium.  From industry to academia, there is full support for ARPA-E.  Especially, since investment in energy projects will undoubtedly return dollars to the market in one form or another (either directly or indirectly).  Congressional leaders realize the importance of funding a diverse portfolio of projects both aimed at improving the military side of the nation along with projects aimed at society in general.  More often than not, investment in either pays off in some manner.



Investing money into research might seem pointless at times.  Although, if we look back into history and see the numerous advances which have come out of research spending, funding projects into the future would not ever be questioned.  That is not to say we (as a nation) should throw money at any given research project being proposed.



To close the loop on this conversation, check out this short video about ARPA-E which introduces a few of the concepts which drive research at the organization:

A nation with a diverse and appropriate funding scheme which supports a wide range of projects stands to gain the most.  The United States spends most of GDP on research compared to other nations.  Although, the United States also benefits the most from their investments.  The correlation is obvious.  Spend more and get more.  But spend smart too.



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President Trump Tries To Open Up Arctic For Oil Drilling, Judge Says No

Photo by:  Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

Breaking news -- not really.  Read all about it...President Trump tries to open up the Arctic Ocean for oil drilling and is met in court with a response of 'No':

 In a major legal blow to President Trump’s push to expand offshore oil and gas development, a federal judge ruled that an executive order by Mr. Trump that lifted an Obama-era ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean was unlawful.

The decision, by Judge Sharon L. Gleason of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, concluded late Friday that President Barack Obama’s 2015 and 2016 withdrawal of about 1120 million acres of Arctic Ocean from drilling “will remain in full force and effect unless and until revoked by Congress.” She wrote that an April 2017 executive order by Mr. Trump revoking the drilling ban “is unlawful, as it exceeded the president’s authority.”

The decision, which is expected to be appealed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, immediately reinstates the drilling ban on most of the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska, a pristine region home to endangered species including polar bears and bowhead whales where oil companies have long sought to drill. It also has broader implications for Mr. Trump’s effort to push drilling across the American coastline and on public lands.

Specifically, the Arctic Ocean drilling case could give legal ammunition to opponents of Mr. Trump’s efforts to roll back protections for two million acres of national monuments created by Mr. Obama and President Bill Clinton.

With each passing day, the news is filled with updates on the success of the transition toward a renewable energy future.  Some may detail certain obstacles while others break the news regarding either a private entity or government moving (or making a commitment) toward achieving a non-zero percentage of their energy economy on clean (renewable) energy.  This reality is not new.



Neither is President Trump's inability to realize that 'rolling back' environmental laws put in place by the Obama Administration takes skill (and reason/logic) to reverse.  Congress will have to act at the very least.  Within that act will have to be a good reason to repeal the law put into place.  I have previously stated on this blog site the fact that if a rule is to be changed, the replacement has to be better than the previous law.



Which is to say that the law needs to be even more environmentally friendly than the previous proposal to be passed.  Otherwise, the existing law stays in place and is continuously challenged in courts -- as has been the case for the Trump Administration over the last two years.   I try hard to explain that rule to everyone with whom I meet and discuss the 'rollbacks' that supposedly have been accomplished by the Trump Administration.



The reality is stated in the article above that the Trump Administration has failed miserably on at least 40 accounts to persuade courts to reverse or 'rollback' a given environmental rule put in place by the Trump Administration.  These decisions have been in line with the current standards set in place by Congress.  Which should surprise no one including the President of the United States.  We will next have to see what Congress says about the issue at hand.



So far Congress has been willing to hold bipartisan hearings this year on the critical issue of climate change.  Furthermore, Congress recently wrote a letter to the Director of the Department of the Interior, asking him to not drill for oil off the coast of Florida.  That should be a significant indicator to President Trump that his attempts to 'rollback' any Obama Administration's environmental regulations (at least the majority of them) is not an accessible route to go down.



Of course, we are dealing with a non-traditional President of the United States currently.  The newspapers should keep up the great work at reporting on such failures.  Otherwise, a person might be led to think that a 'rollback' is possible without Congress.  The reality is that even Congress is batting for a renewable energy future.  Although the timeline might be debatable.  Nonetheless, a clean, renewable energy future is coming.  Stay tuned.



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CERA Interviews What Appears To Be A New DOE Secretary Rick Perry - Wow!

Source: Fstoppers

Over the last few years, Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been on an educational journey into the variety of ways which the United States will meet the energy demands of the future.  At the start of his tenure as Secretary of Energy, the major opinion of his knowledge was less than stellar  -- especially on the contribution which renewable/clean energy will play on the world table in the future.  With that being said, Secretary Rick Perry has since started to shy away from our dependence on coal (fossil fuel) based dependence and shifted toward Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).  I must commend him on changing his view over time through educating himself.



Recently, the annual conference on energy was held in the heartland of energy -- Texas -- named CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) with the following mission:

In 1983, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Daniel Yergin and James Rosenfield. The energy research and consulting firm quickly became known for its critical knowledge and independent analysis on energy markets, geopolitics, industry trends, technology and strategy. Each year, CERA clients gathered for a few days in Houston, Texas to attend the executive conference where they gained insight into the energy future while connecting with their peers. Over time, the program was expanded to five days of informative sessions and networking opportunities—and named CERAWeek. More than three decades later, CERAWeek by IHS Markit has become the world’s premier energy event. The conference is distinctive in the extraordinary depth and breadth of its content and the quality of the dialogue among participants. 

The top minds of energy development along with the customers to the policy makers gather to discuss the future of energy.  A wide range of topics are covered including some which might at first sight seem unrelated to the global discussion of energy.  Some of these will be discussed in the video below and are worth considering as part of the larger picture of energy demand as the United States along with other nations move into the future of energy.  Let's listen to what Secretary Perry has in mind for the future in a brief interview below.



The video below is taken from the conference series CERA which is an interview between Carlos and DOE Secretary Rick Perry (which is 10 minutes in length):


Note: Click lower right hand side of the video screen to 'fullscreen' the video.

The future is exciting to say the least.  Energy transition encompasses more than meets the eye when the average American considers the wide range of technologies which energy support (namely nearly all).  Without energy, the world does not operate.  We do not operate on a daily basis.  How energy transition takes into account the changing global conditions such as climate change are the present topics to discuss and incorporate solutions into tomorrow's policy making decisions.  Secretary Perry shows the growth needed as a high ranking government official to entertain the parameters needed to make the energy transition a reality.  We should commend him on his growth through education.



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Canada Comes Up With Energy Savings List For K-12 School Buildings

Source:CBE UC Berkeley

Do you know how much energy is lost through the average building?  What do I mean by lost energy through a building?  Think about the home improvement shows which have grown in popularity in recent years.  One major restriction on these types of shows which is commonly unknown -- there is a limit on how many windows which can be installed in a house renovation project.  The reason is due to the amount of energy which can be lost through the window during the cold season.  Not to mention the ability to 'cool' the house during the summer season -- depending on the geographical region.



A tremendous amount of energy is lost through the windows, walls, and attics -- along with every other crease, crack, joint inside buildings.  A building is quite 'porous' - meaning the energy is easily - very easily lost through the structure.  Which results in an increased energy consumption.  Therefore, in any transition toward clean (sustainable) energy, a major part must be concerned with the improvement of building materials and construction to reduce energy usage/consumption.



In addition to the lost energy through poor energy construction, there are other factors which are impacted by the construction of a building.  Ambiance is typically noted as a dominant factors such as ventilation, lighting, air flow, along with overall feeling inside the room/building.  Recently, Canada came up with benchmarks for K-12 schools to aim for to reduce energy consumption.  Here is the announcement shown below:

Energy benchmarking for K-12 schools

Improve learning outcomes with energy benchmarking

Studies have shown that physical environment contributes to learning and productivity. Schools that are well lit, well ventilated, and in good repair create a healthy, comfortable learning and teaching environment, which leads to better performance and achievement.

In 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that a typical school district spends more on energy than on any other expense except salaries. Energy costs are higher than the total for computers and texbooks combined. Furthermore, one third of the energy is often wasted due to poorly functioning equipment, poor insulation and outdated technology. Energy benchmarking can help shrink the waste and reduce the costs, especially if students are actively engaged in monitoring and finding ways to reduce energy use. Benefits that can arise from regular energy benchmarking include the following:

-- Schools can use savings from improved energy performance to help pay for building improvements and other upgrades that enhance the learning environment.

-- Energy improvements can help free up resources so they can be redirected towards educational materials.

-- A more energy efficient structure will simultaneously help pay for those investments through cost savings over time.

-- Improving the energy efficiency of the school can serve as a key learning tool for students in terms of science, math, the environment, and social and fiscal responsibility.

-- By being more energy efficient, schools across Canada can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Collect the data you need to benchmark your school

The ENERGY STAR® Score for K-12 Schools in Canada applies to a building or campus of buildings used as a school for Kindergarten through Grade 12. It does not apply to CEGEP, college or university classroom facilities and laboratories, or vocational, technical, trade schools or daycare facilities. These schools will still benefit from energy benchmarking and can obtain an energy use intensity (EUI) value to identify energy-saving priorities.

To obtain a 1-100 ENERGY STAR score, in addition to your school’s basic tombstone information, you need the following building data:

-- Gross floor area for each building

-- Gross floor area of gymnasium

-- Student seating capacity

-- Number of employees

-- Percent of each building that is cooled

-- Percent of each building that is heated

-- High school (yes/no)

-- Energy Use

Specific energy billing information for each building for all purchased energy. You will need to begin with at least 12 consecutive months for each energy source and update regularly with monthly usage data.

Note that the above information is not required to start benchmarking. You can start using the tool to track your energy performance no matter how much data you have. However, in order to obtain the 1-100 score or an energy use intensity value, you need the details above.

Apply for certification

If your school earns a score of 75 or higher and meets certain other criteria, it could be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. Learn more about certification and how you can apply.

The plan outlined above might be brief but is a great starting point.  As countries around the world move toward renewable/clean energy, all factors should be considered to improve the overall transition.  Thinking deeply about each energy contribution (and loss) will only result in a greater outcomes (in terms of energy efficiency).  Opponents may argue that more or less needs to be done.  Regardless, a conversation needs to be started on the transition toward a better more efficient building construction.



Getting toward a cleaner energy economy will take both time and energy.  Although, if the conversation does not start now on various paths toward achieving greater energy efficiency, no progress will be made in years to come.  The European Union has been at the forefront of financing (giving confidence) to various countries who start to make the transition.  Here in the United States, the conversation has begun.  That is good progress given the size and scope of the transition for our nation.



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Source: Pick My Solar

There are two major avenues by which to promote large scale change in societies.  The first is through government action.  While the second is through private sector investment.  At any given moment in time, advances in technology are driven by either one.  One (i.e. government) will drive change followed by the private sector once the confidence in the market has been established.  Or the private sector is driving change which then encourages the government to jump on board through establishing the same bar of confidence in the market.  Does this work for the transition toward renewable energy? Yes.



In the present situation, the government (i.e. Trump Administration) is unwilling to promote renewable energy -- to deal with the growing concern about climate change.  Therefore, the private sector is being charged through consumer demand to transition toward a renewable, more sustainable, society.  This includes the manufacturing/supply chain too.  Amazon announced recently that 50% of all shipments will be made by carbon neutral sources on its blog site:

Amazon has a history of commitment to sustainability, through innovative programs such as Frustration Free Packaging, Ship in Own Container, our network of solar and wind farms, solar on our fulfillment center rooftops, investments in the circular economy with the Closed Loop Fund, and numerous other initiatives happening every day by teams across Amazon. In operations alone, we have over 200 scientists, engineers, and product designers dedicated exclusively to inventing new ways to leverage our scale for the good of customers and the planet.

Amazon has a long-term goal to power our global infrastructure using 100% renewable energy, and we are making solid progress. With improvements in electric vehicles, aviation bio fuels, reusable packaging, and renewable energy, for the first time we can now see a path to net zero carbon delivery of shipments to customers, and we are setting an ambitious goal for ourselves to reach 50% of all Amazon shipments with net zero carbon by 2030. We are calling this project "Shipment Zero” – it won’t be easy to achieve this goal, but it’s worth being focused and stubborn on this vision and we’re committed to seeing it through.

Amazon is in a perfect position to implement this change.  First, Jeff Bezos has built this company up to a fortune (now worth $255 billion).  Second, he started the company out of his garage -- sending off packages in bulk (at the end of every day) to customers.  He has been thinking about sustainability for quite a while.  Also, the public is in a position to demand change on the part of corporations through purchasing power.



Currently, the transition toward renewable (sustainable, clean) energy is being driven by the private sector.  Which is a result of consumer demand.  Consumers are tired of corporations choosing cost-saving measures which potentially damage the environment while boosting their shareholders bottom line.  The time has come where consumers have taken control through social media to demand more environmentally friendly (sustainable) products. 



Here in America, we look toward our European consumers and notice that the same corporations are making changes for the European marketplace based on consumer demand.  Why should we be using unsafe/unhealthy second rate products?  When our European counterparts are forcing companies to make changes?  This revelation is nothing new.  Look at the ingredients which McDonald's uses overseas to replace unhealthy ingredients which are still infused in Americans meals.  More will be written about this later.



The point is that the private sector has the unique opportunity to lead the transition toward a future where renewable energy plays a dominant role in our society (and world).  Government is slowly catching on.  With the recent 3 hearings in Congress over the last month with a bipartisan admission that climate change is not only real but caused by us (humans), the change is on the horizon.  The private sector should be confident in trail-blazing the pathway forward.  Trust me.  Consumers will remember your lead.  Keep up the great work private corporations in not only taking ownership for the pollution, but transitioning toward cleaner - renewable energy. 



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John Dingell: Longest Serving Senator, Environmentalist and Avid Climate Change Supporter Dies At 92

Source: KID 590 News Radio

Imagine that you just joined congress, the year is 1955.  The nation just experienced a landmark court case 'Brown v. Board of Education' -- 'separate but equal'.  Could you predict that over the next 59 years of your service on the nation's capital, you will experience the following events: the creation of the environmental movement, the civil rights movement, the very contested court case 'Roe v. Wade' (abortion rights), destruction of the Berlin Wall, the rise of digital technology, and finally, a bipartisan public acceptance that climate change is not just real but is man-made -- WOW.

Who is John Dingell -- Briefly?

Over the past few days, there have been historical accounts all over the internet describing Senator John Dingell.  One article of interest with a brief but concise historical account of John Dingell recently appeared in 'Politico' titled "You’re Living in the America John Dingell Made" -- which accurately reflects the contributions made to the nation on behalf of the 'Junkyard Dog of Congress' ( a moniker attributed to him by the 'Detroit Free Press').  His love of the nation was unparalleled and reflective in his 59 years of service in congress.   There are two paragraphs out of the article which is worth reading but highlight the enormity of his contributions to the nation:

Modern America is as much a creation of John Dingell’s life work as anyone’s. If you or a parent or grandparent have relied on Medicare or Medicaid; if you’ve seethed about the lack of gun control; if you’ve cheered that segregation of public places is illegal and employment discrimination is banned; if you’re thankful for the continued existence of the U.S. auto industry; if you’ve raged about gas-guzzling cars contributing to climate change; if your health insurance is purchased on the Obamacare exchanges; if you’ve swum in lakes or rivers or oceans free from toxic pollution; if you’ve drunk a glass of or bathed your children in tap water with confidence that it’s free from contamination; then John Dingell played a role in your life.

Then followed later in the article by the second shown below:

 Among the legislation he authored or led the charge in passing: the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Water Quality Act of 1965 and the Clean Air Act of 1990. He worked to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which resulted in a bruising primary fight and the burning of a cross on Dingell’s lawn for the second time in his life (his father had been an anti-Klan activist, and even as an old man, John Jr. remembered being 5 or 6 years old and looking out the front window of his family’s home to see a flaming cross). “Of all the bills I’ve played a part in helping pass into law,” he wrote in his 2018 memoir, The Dean, “that remains the one I’m most proud of.”

The reason why I chose the two paragraphs above were to show the inevitable touch of John Dingell in all of our lives (to some degree) along with his remarkable care for the environment.  As stated, he authored or played a pivotal role in passing the following environmental acts: (1) Clean Water Act of 1972, (2) the Endangered Species Act of 1983, (3) the Water Quality Act of 1965, and the Clean Air Act of 1990.



I was struck to see the legislation (issues) for which he has been fighting for are still in contention to this day.  Modest improvements have been made, but there has been a large struggle for change over the past few decades with regard to saving the environment and the planet for that matter.  He has not always sided with environmentalists either.  Although, in sum total, he has fought vigorously for the environment.  Currently, we are at a cross section where change toward reducing our dependence on fossil fuels while increasing our usage of renewable energy sources is front and center stage.

Green New Deal?

Recently, a new resolution titled "Green New Deal" has been circulating in congress over the last week.  First, the "Green New Deal" is arriving in congress at an unprecedented time in history.  Although, the rise of environmental policy has been emerging over decades in congress with Senator John Dingell pushing forward the addition of new regulations to move the needle of progress a tiny bit further.  Currently, we are living in an unprecedented time in history.  I will come back to this fact shortly, but let's return to the initial reaction of the unveiling of the "Green New Deal."



So far -- Bipartisan (mostly Republican) comments on the "Green New Deal" would have the public think that the world is going to down hill toward destruction in a short amount of time due to the ambiguous wording in the resolution.  Although, the authors Senator Alexamdria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey state that there is bipartisan support for such a deal -- large bipartisan support for a climate deal.  Of course, President Trump is using the "Green New Deal" as a platform issue on which to scare people into thinking the following misconceptions:

"I really don't like their policy of taking away your car, of taking away your airplane rights, of 'let's hop a train to California,' of you're not allowed to own cows anymore!" Trump said at a large rally Monday night in El Paso, Texas.

"It would shut down American energy, which I don't think the people in Texas are going to be happy with," Trump said elsewhere in the speech, eliciting cheers from the audience of more than 5,000. "It would shut down a little thing called air travel. How do you take a train to Europe?"

Trump appears to have seized on a line from an informal page of FAQs about the Green New Deal, released last week by Ocasio-Cortez, one of the resolution's co-sponsors, which specifically referred to cows and airplanes.

The blowback and support for the 'Green New Deal' is reported by Politico Energy' as follows:

A GREEN NEW DAY: The Green New Deal resolution sets out aggressive goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions in a decade, as well as a broad set of other transformative economic changes. Michael Grunwald makes the case that even though enacting would be impossible, the resolution still has two useful purposes for Democrats.

"It's primarily a political manifesto, a messaging device designed to commit the Democratic Party to treating the climate crisis like a real crisis, pressuring its presidential candidates to support radical transformation of the fossil-fueled economy," he writes. "At the same time, the Green New Deal is a policy proposal — or at least a sketch of one, a way to launch a substantive debate over how Democrats will attack the crisis if they do regain the White House." Read more.

THE NEXT STEPS are now in the hands of House Democrats, who only this week began to reckon with climate change at the committee level. Most House Democrats were quick to laud the goals of the resolution, but soon split on whether they'd formally back the measure, as Pro's Eric Wolff, Anthony Adragna and Zack Colman report.

Enter the select panel on climate change: Members of the new House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis say they're aiming to use the resolution as a template — even though the panel doesn't have the power to move legislation. Still, they plan to build public support for aggressive policies, as Anthony reports for Pros.

"What I hope this committee does is develop a very ambitious and very comprehensive road map to decarbonize our economy," said Rep. Jared Huffman, a panel member and Green New Deal co-sponsor.

I show the above excerpts not to lead the reader into a debate over the specific wording of the "Green New Deal" or the way out of 'climate crisis' over the next few decades.  What I am here to show that the fact that there is a "Green New Deal" being discussed in congress at the moment is a testament toward the current status of the nation with regard to climate change.  There is a bipartisan support -- finally -- for change toward a renewable future.  Further, there are public statements emerging from Republicans about the need to move toward combating climate change (along with an admission that climate change is caused by man).  WOW.



Last week, there were three different hearings in congress over the need to take action to combat climate change.  This is unprecedented for both parties to admit publicly that climate change is man made and needs to be dealt with immediately.  Of course, no one needs to show the obvious evidence on display around the world: increased frequency of storms, fires, population extinction, landmass destruction for agriculture, etc. -- to name a few.



The fact that there were three landmark hearings last week (and one this week), is a sign that many are stepping up and voicing their support toward a renewable (sustainable) energy future.   The actual plan may change, but the direction toward a more sustainable future is inevitable and has gained a large amount of support across congress - which is greatly encouraging.



The first occurred on Tuesday morning in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce titled "TIME FOR ACTION: ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE."  For those interested in watching the 3 and a half hour hearing, the video is below:

If you do not listen to any appreciable length of the above testimony, be sure to listen to the opening statements from both democrats and republicans -- which are extremely encouraging.  Climate change impacts everyone.  The time has come to take action.



The second hearing was held by the Natural Resources Committee titled "Climate Change: Impacts and the Need to Act" is shown below:

Again, the opening statements were encouraging regarding the need to act immediately along with the bipartisan support.



The third hearing has been rescheduled for this week (Feb 13th).  The House, Science, Space, and Technology Committee is holding a hearing titled "The State of Climate Science and Why it Matters."  Bipartisan effort shows that finally action is being taken.  Not only taken, but taken seriously and publicly announcing the need to take such action seriously -- which is a marked improvement over the last few decades.



Which brings us to the end and final note.  Senator John Dingell lived until the ripe age of 92.  As stated above, his life was full of great adventure and change.  Congressional change which will has helped and will shape our society for decades to come.  Environmentalists such as Senator Dingell have paved the way forward by laying the difficult initial ground.  Just because there is opposition, the following shows that we (as in the U.S.) is late to the game and implementing action:

JOHN DINGELL DIES AT 92: Former Democratic Rep. John D. Dingell Jr., the longest-serving member of Congress whose tenure stretched from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama, died on Thursday at 92. ME offers condolences to his family, and is reminded of the prescience of his take on how the fight over climate change would unfold.

He warned in 2008 that Congress needed to act on climate change because combating it under the Clean Air Act could be a "glorious mess." (Pros will recall ex-EPA chief Scott Pruitt frequently cited that phrase to help justify his deregulatory agenda.) "It seems to me to be insane that we would be talking about leaving this kind of judgment, which everybody tells us has to be addressed with great immediacy, to a long and complex process of regulatory action, litigation upon litigation, and a lack of any kind of speedy resolution to the concerns we have about the issue of global warming," he said at a hearing that year.

His prognostication proved correct. When cap-and-trade failed to pass Congress, the Obama administration turned to existing CAA authorities to target greenhouse gases. Now — 11 years after he said EPA would be "tarred and feathered" if it tried to tackle climate change on its own — Obama's landmark carbon rules for power plants and autos have been blocked in the courts and are being rolled back by the Trump administration. "Structuring a comprehensive climate change program is a responsibility for the Congress," Dingell said in 2008. He died just hours after congressional Democrats unveiled their Green New Deal.

As I have written before on these pages, change is inevitable considering the forward momentum of the international governments.  The investment capital is present and growing to match the need.  The workforce is present to match the need.  Elevating skilled labor to match the renewable energy sector demand will enable previously back breaking jobs to be changed out with new jobs -- jobs which match the changing technology landscape of the future.  As automation plays a greater role in our society, the skilled labor can continue to educate to do more complicated jobs.  Jobs such as monitoring and troubleshooting robotic teams - as Amazon does currently.



Regardless, the need for new jobs is present and will be matched by the growing demand of the renewable energy sector.  The total overhaul of infrasture in our nation (existing buildings, landscapes, etc.) will require large amounts of labor.  Senator John Dingell has laid down to rest in peace.  Ironically, he did so after learning that his job here on Earth had been accomplished with a bipartisan deal -- "Green New Deal" being unveiled.  He will not be forgotten as his work will play a more vital role as the world moves toward a more sustainable and healthy environment for all humans to live.  Thank you Senator John Dingell.



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Over 600 Environmental Groups write letter to Congress to phase out fossil fuels

Source: Green Party US

Last November, voters came to the polls in America and voted to change the House of Representatives from a republican majority to a democratic majority.  Over the last two years, the erosion of the federal agencies oversight to enforce regulations to protect Americans from harm by corporate entities has ensued without major obstacles.  Which is problematic for important issues such as climate change -- which spans over decades not just one election cycle.  Although, action needs to be continuously optimized by encouraging our elected leaders in Congress to have our best interest in mind and keep steering toward sustainable goals which have a positive effect on our planet looking into the future.



One such plan that has emerged with the change of the majority on Capitol Hill is the Green New Deal.  Over 600 environmental groups have written to express support for the Green New Deal and work toward finding solutions in general by forming committees along with passing legislation.  Negotiations are starting to happen which is encouraging to say the least.  Whenever I read about a large number of organizations sending letter to elected officials, I am alway curious about the content of such letters.  What do elected officials receive in letters in the form of information/persuasion toward their argument?  That is what this short blog post is about - persuasive content.



With that being said, the letter is shown below without the signatures:

January 10, 2019

Re: Legislation to Address the Urgent Threat of Climate Change

Dear Representative:

On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, we are writing today to urge you to consider the following principles as the 116th Congress debates climate change legislation and momentum around the country builds for a Green New Deal. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently warned, if we are to keep global warming below 1.5°C, we must act aggressively and quickly. At a minimum, reaching that target requires visionary and affirmative legislative action in the following areas:

Halt all fossil fuel leasing, phase out all fossil fuel extraction, and end fossil fuel and other dirty energy subsidies.

The science is clear that fossil fuels must be kept in the ground. Pursuing new fossil fuel projects at this moment in history is folly. Most immediately, the federal government must stop selling off or leasing publicly owned lands, water, and mineral rights for development to fossil fuel producers. The government must also stop approving fossil fuel power plants and infrastructure projects. We must reverse recent legislation that ended the 40-year ban on the export of crude oil, end the export of all other fossil fuels, and overhaul relevant statutes that govern fossil fuel extraction in order to pursue a managed decline of fossil fuel production. Further, the federal government must immediately end the massive, irrational subsidies and other financial support that fossil fuel, and other dirty energy companies (such as nuclear, waste incineration and biomass energy) continue to receive both domestically and overseas.

Transition power generation to 100% renewable energy.

As the United States shifts away from fossil fuels, we must simultaneously ramp up energy efficiency and transition to clean, renewable energy to power the nation’s economy where, in addition to excluding fossil fuels, any definition of renewable energy must also exclude all combustion-based power generation, nuclear, biomass energy, large scale hydro and waste-to-energy technologies. To achieve this, the United States must shift to 100 percent renewable power generation by 2035 or earlier. This shift will necessitate upgrading our electricity grid to be smart, efficient, and decentralized, with the ability to incorporate battery storage and distributed energy systems that are democratically governed. In addition, Congress must bring the outdated regulation of electricity into the twenty-first century, encouraging public and community ownership over power infrastructure and electricity choice, as well as permitting distributed energy sources, including rooftop and community solar programs to supply the grid.

Expand public transportation and phase out fossil fuel vehicles.

As the transition away from fossil fuels occurs, our transportation system must also undergo 100 percent decarbonization. To accomplish a fossil-fuel-free reality, Congress must require and fund greater investment in renewable-energy-powered public transportation that serves the people who need it most. The United States must also phase out the sale of automobiles and trucks with internal fossil fuel combustion engines as quickly as possible and phase out all existing fossil fuel mobile sources by 2040 or earlier. Federal credits for electric vehicles must be expanded.

Harness the full power of the Clean Air Act.

The Clean Air Act provides powerful tools that have proven successful in protecting the air we breathe and reducing greenhouse pollution. It can also serve as an important backstop to ensure climate targets are met. Congress should harness the full power of the statute by setting strict deadlines and providing adequate funding for EPA to carry out all its duties under all applicable sections of the Act, including implementing greenhouse pollution reduction requirements for cars, trucks, aircraft, ships, smokestacks and other sources, as well as a science-based national pollution cap. The Act has successfully reduced many air pollutants and can do the same for greenhouse pollution.

Ensure a Just Transition led by impacted communities and workers.

In effectuating this energy transformation, it is critical to prioritize support for communities who have historically been harmed first and most by the dirty energy economy and workers in the energy sector and related industries. We support a comprehensive economic plan to drive job growth and invest in a new green economy that is designed, built and governed by communities and workers. Building new energy, waste, transportation and housing infrastructure, designed to serve climate resilience and human needs; retrofitting millions of buildings to conserve energy and other resources; and, actively restoring natural ecosystems to protect communities from climate change, are but a few ways to build a sustainable, low carbon economy where no one is left behind during this change.

Uphold Indigenous Rights

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) must be upheld and implemented, along with treaties, instruments and decisions of international law that recognize that Indigenous Peoples have the right to give or withhold “free, prior and informed consent” to legislation and development of their lands, territories and/or natural resources, cultural properties and heritage, and other interests, and to receive remedies of losses and damages of property taken without consent. 

Further, we will vigorously oppose any legislation that: (1) rolls back existing environmental, health, and other protections, (2) protects fossil fuel and other dirty energy polluters from liability, or (3) promotes corporate schemes that place profits over community burdens and benefits, including market-based mechanisms and technology options such as carbon and emissions trading and offsets, carbon capture and storage, nuclear power, waste-to-energy and biomass energy. Fossil fuel companies should pay their fair share for damages caused by climate change, rather than shifting those costs to taxpayers.

We look forward to working with you to address the gravest environmental crisis humanity has ever faced, to protect all present and future generations around the world, while centering the rights of those communities and workers most impacted.

Sincerely,

The above letter was signed by over 600 environmental groups.  The names of which can be found at the end of the letter hyperlinked -- here.   There is no question that if various elected officials on both sides consider climate change to be a threat to our national security (to our planet on a much larger scale), then negotiation needs to start happening soon if change is going to follow in the future.



There are people who do not think that climate change is real or a major threat.  As a scientist, I can just defer to a non-scientist's reasoning.  Recently, I was listening to a podcast titled "Mike Drop" which was an interview between two former Navy Seals about all aspects of life.  Mike Ritland interviews Andy Stumpf about all aspects of life spanning from gun control to climate change.  When the topic of climate change came up, here is what was agreed upon (at 3:02:16 into podcast):

". . . I'm trying to close the loop on that yeah ... I mean I would say I'm probably similarly ignorant to it other than the fact that to me common sense would tell you you know basically what you said but then also just ... just take automobiles as an example is that you know if you can shut your garage door, turn your car on and be dead in a matter of minutes like chances are with (Andy Stumpf breaks in with "you know I think you need a hose for that too") ... but you know ... ya I got your fucking hose ... yeah you know chances are that having ... you know hundreds of millions of vehicles billions you know driving ... or if you know is probably not that great for us you know and that's one example"

That was a great example offered up from interviewer Mike Ritland.  Common sense would tell you that if you can close the door of your garage with the car still running, eventually, the fumes will kill you.  Therefore, having billions of tons of CO, CO2 spewing into your environment are probably not that good.



With that being said, the new change to the House of Representatives seems to be on the right track with the emerging Green New Deal in discussion.  A discussion is where change starts to happen.  And as has been highlighted in the last couple of years, changes are greatly needed in the direction toward sustainable energy while steering us clear of our dependence on fossil fuels.  Keep asking your elected officials to consider clean energy along with the environment when a vote is under consideration on capitol hill.



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Source: Governor Jerry Brown

President Trump vowed to pull the United States out the the Paris Climate Agreement as then 'candidate Trump' - then followed his with the words 6 months into his presidency.  The only problem as I have noted in a previous blog is that there is no way (technically) to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement.  As the Paris Climate Agreement stands of right now, every few years, each country (nation) will evaluate the goals which are self imposed and self-regulated to serve as a check point to see where their respective nation is headed into the next few years.



With the shocking news of President Trump's attempt to convince the United States of his intention to withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, came news (in the form of tweets and press releases - written about here) from various states that they would remain committed to sticking with the Paris Climate Agreement.  Specifically, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding' with China stating that California would remain committed to the Paris Climate Agreement.  Furthermore, Governor Brown committed to hosting a 'Climate Convention' in California less than two years later.  That date has arrived and the convention is convening in San Francisco (California, United States of America).

Great News From California Early!

Right before -- as of Monday -- the conference (summit) was to begin, Governor Brown announced and signed into law SB100 -- to transition California to 100% renewable energy by 2045 as shown below:

With the following excerpts regarding SB100 and Governor Brown's intentions for sustainable energy and California provided by authors of 'Politico California Playbook' via e-mail as shown below:

Via POLITICO'S Jeremy B. White in Sacramento: "California's Brown signs renewable energy bill in another rebuke to Trump" -- "California will aim to derive all its retail electricity from renewable sources by 2045 under a bill Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law on Monday, with backers framing the measure as the state’s latest rebuke to environmental backsliding by the Trump administration.

-- "The bill 'is sending a message to California and the world that we are going to meet the Paris agreement and we are going to continue down that path to transition our economy,' Brown said, referencing the climate accord from which President Donald Trump withdrew the United States last year."

-- "Trump has made himself an outlaw on the matter of climate change," Brown said in a follow-up interview with POLITICO’s David Siders on Monday. "And since climate change is [an] existential threat, I would say that doing what he’s doing to undermine efforts that will save lives and prevent catastrophe for California, for America and the world, is about as reprehensible as any act that any American president has ever been guilty of.”

MORE BROWN: “The clash has intensified because Trump, more than anybody else in the whole world in terms of national leaders, is going in the opposite direction. He’s trying to subsidize coal, undermine vehicle emission standards, sabotage clean electricity, make it harder to buy electric vehicles and on and on. So, yes, we’re going on a certain course.”

More celebratory tweets such as those shown below are contagious with wonderful news from Governor Brown on the eve of the Climate Summit in San Francisco.  And as one observer notes in a tweet video that every place around the world should have California politicians who are super ambitious for a change toward renewable energy to better the environment:

I am here in #California where Governor @JerryBrownGov has just signed a bill to have the Golden State 100% green powered by 2045. This is ambitious, courageous and feasible. There should be more politicians like him around the world. #ActOnClimate #SB100 #GCAS2018 pic.twitter.com/VTD6As8MpG

— Bertrand PICCARD (@bertrandpiccard) September 11, 2018

Source: Brendan Pierpont

For the energy transition to happen, the challenge is much more psychological than technological. The goal is to get rid of old beliefs that keep us prisoners of the past and prevents us from seeing better solutions. #1000solutions #GCAS2018 pic.twitter.com/ubb1NoZH4q

— Bertrand PICCARD (@bertrandpiccard) September 11, 2018

The news on Monday was a good start to the beginning of the Climate Summit in San Francisco with a warm welcome to Mayors by Mayor London Breed of San Francisco as shown below:

Source: SF Environment

In her tweet, a thread is shown with a few exciting statistics which display the reality that a city (or region) can invest in renewable energy (i.e. implement environmental policy) and have a thriving economy:

Which Mayor London Breed closed the thread with the following message on behalf of all Mayors present in San Francisco for the Climate Summit shown below:

Signaling that there is a large amount of support for the Climate Summit.  Further, that there is a large support for the United States to stay with the Paris Climate Agreement.  This should be no surprise to those who follow this blog and read newspapers regularly.  The world is shifting continuously and dynamically (reshaping the investment landscape) to move away from fossil fuels and invest in renewable (sustainable) energy.  Remember the list of corporations along with the tremendous amount of capital (money) available for renewable energy last year?  Read here.



For those readers interested in the full press release, I have provided the release below from Governor Brown's web site:

Governor Brown Signs 100 Percent Clean Electricity Bill, Issues Order Setting New Carbon Neutrality Goal

Published: Sep 10, 2018

SACRAMENTO – Reaffirming California’s global climate leadership, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed Senate Bill 100, authored by Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Kevin de León, setting a 100 percent clean electricity goal for the state, and issued an executive order establishing a new target to achieve carbon neutrality – both by 2045.

“This bill and the executive order put California on a path to meet the goals of Paris and beyond. It will not be easy. It will not be immediate. But it must be done,” said Governor Brown.

“In California, Democrats and Republicans know climate change is real, it’s affecting our lives right now, and unless we take action immediately – it may become irreversible,” said Senator de León. “Today, with Governor Brown’s support, California sent a message to the rest of the world that we are taking the future into our own hands; refusing to be the victims of its uncertainty. Transitioning to an entirely carbon-free energy grid will create good-paying jobs, ensure our children breathe cleaner air and mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change on our communities and economy.”

SB 100 advances the state’s existing Renewables Portfolio Standard, which establishes how much of the electricity system should be powered from renewable energy resources, to 50 percent by 2025 and 60 percent by 2030. It also puts California on the bold path to implement a zero-carbon electricity grid by 2045.

“California is committed to doing whatever is necessary to meet the existential threat of climate change,” said Governor Brown in his SB 100 signing message. “This bill, and others I will sign this week, help us go in that direction. But have no illusions, California and the rest of the world have miles to go before we achieve zero-carbon emissions.”

To further ensure California is combatting global warming beyond the electric sector, which represents 16 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, the Governor issued an executive order directing the state to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and net negative greenhouse gas emissions after that. This will ensure California removes as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it emits – the first step to reversing the potentially disastrous impacts of climate change.

The state will reach its goals with continued significant reductions of carbon pollution and increased carbon sequestration in forests, soils and other natural landscapes and programs focused on improving air quality and public health, especially in California’s most impacted communities.

With Governor Brown’s order, California establishes the most ambitious carbon neutrality commitment of any major economic jurisdiction in the world – of more than 20 countries and at least 40 cities, states and provinces planning to go carbon neutral by mid-century or sooner.

This action comes days before grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and international leaders convene in San Francisco for the express purpose of mobilizing climate action at the Global Climate Action Summit. Late last week, Governor Brown also signed legislation to block new federal offshore oil drilling along California’s coast and announced the state’s opposition to the federal government’s plan to expand oil drilling on public lands in California. The entirety of the state’s coast has been off-limits to new oil and gas leases for more than 30 years, and the state has not issued a lease for offshore oil or gas production since 1968.

The Governor’s signing message for SB 100 can be found here.

The text of the executive order can be found here.

California’s Leadership on Climate Change

California continues to lead the world in adopting innovative policies to fight climate change. Last week, the Governor issued an executive order to safeguard California’s unique plants, animals and ecosystems that are threatened by climate change. Last month, the state also issued its Fourth Climate Change Assessment, which details new science on the devastating impacts of irreversible climate change in California and provides planning tools to support the state’s response.

Earlier this year Governor Brown issued executive orders to improve the health of the state’s forests and help mitigate the threat and impacts of deadly and destructive wildfires, and get 5 million zero-emission vehicles onto California’s roads by 2030. Last year, the Governor signed landmark legislation to extend and strengthen the state’s cap-and-trade program and create a groundbreaking program to measure and combat air pollution at the neighborhood level.

Under Governor Brown, California has established the most ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in North America; set the nation’s toughest restrictions on destructive super pollutants; and will reduce fossil fuel consumption up to 50 percent  and double the rate of energy efficiency savings in buildings by 2030.

The state has met its 2020 target four years early, reducing emissions 13 percent while growing the economy 26 percent. From 2015 to 2016 alone, emissions reductions were roughly equal to taking 2.4 million cars off the road, saving 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel.

In addition, Governor Brown has helped establish and expand coalitions of partners across the nation and globe committed to curbing carbon pollution. The Under2 Coalition, which originated from a partnership between California and the German state of Baden-Württemberg, now includes 206 jurisdictions on 6 continents that collectively represent 1.3 billion people and $30 trillion in GDP – equivalent to 17 percent of the global population and 40 percent of the global economy. Members of the coalition make a number of key commitments, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels or to less than 2 annual metric tons per capita by 2050.

Last year, California joined Washington and New York to form the U.S. Climate Alliance, which now includes 17 U.S. states – led by both Democrats and Republicans representing 40 percent of the U.S. population – committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and meeting or exceeding the targets of the federal Clean Power Plan. Governor Brown also partnered with Michael Bloomberg to launch America’s Pledge on climate change, an initiative to compile and quantify the actions of U.S. states, cities and businesses to drive down their greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Earlier this year, California and 17 other states collectively representing more than 40 percent of the U.S. car market sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to preserve the nation’s uniform vehicle emission standards that save drivers money at the pump, cut oil consumption, reduce air pollution and curb greenhouse gases.

Who can argue with the need for cleaner air (i.e. less air pollution)?  How about environmental justice?  How about jobs?  Who does not want to create more jobs?  The renewable energy sector has been growing tremendously over the last two years.  Just ask Google about the growth of renewable energy jobs and see if I am wrong.  The investment into a sustainable future makes sense on multiple fronts.  As a nation, we will not be traveling back in time.  Governor Brown correctly points out that President Trump is an isolationist and stands alone in regards to bringing back the coal industry to power the nation.  Whether we (as a nation) like the change or not, the transition is becoming a reality to keep in line with other developing nations towards a cleaner future.  A more prosperous future.

Skeptics Weigh In...

All is not sunny with the emerging news of ambitious targets set for California.  One major reason is that skeptics are concerned that California will not be able to meet the targets even with all other sources reduced dramatically.  According to an article in the Los Angeles Times titled "Until California curbs its oil refineries, it won't meet its climate goals" - the state has obstacles (refineries) which are paramount:

Concentrated in Los Angeles’ South Bay and the San Francisco Bay Area, the state’s 17 refineries comprise the largest oil processing center in western North America. Unless emissions from those refineries are curbed, the state has no chance of meeting its long-range climate change goals.

The cumulative greenhouse gas output from these 17 refineries will overshadow the tremendous progress made over the next 27 years. I will disagree with this notion.  Tell anyone that refineries will be going out of business in the new few years and undoubtedly, the response will involve the word "cars" and "California" and "dependent" and "Oil and Gas".  Although, to mitigate the continuous use of oil and gas, the transition toward cleaner energy will lead naturally to less demand for oil.

Conclusion...

Therefore, skeptics may weigh in and laugh at the thought of refineries shutting down over the next few decades.  But the reality is that as demand for oil and gas continues to decline over the next few decades with a corresponding rise in use of renewable energy, the refineries will be looking to close their doors.  Of course, large refineries are owned by gigantic corporations such as Shell Oil Company.  Which has already started transitioning (and investing) in renewable energy.  That path puts them at an advantage rather than an expected disadvantage.  I expect others will follow -- that is, if their respective corporations have not already entertained the transition (in discussion) already.



Regardless, the news that has been breaking regarding emission reduction along with increase investments in renewable energy is very exciting.  I am excited to hear about more exciting news coming out of the Climate Summit this week in San Francisco.  I will write more as more develops.



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