Green Options » 2008

Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions Trends — 1990, 2000, 2008

Zachary Shahan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:21:18 +0000

Overall, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels increased 29% between 2000 and 2008 and 41% from 1990-2008, and the current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is now at its highest in at least 2 million years, according to a new study in the journal Nature Geoscience.

The new report published this week by an international team of researchers who are part of the “Global Carbon Project” shows emissions trends through 2008 (including changes in emissions causes and in the amount of emissions remaining in the atmosphere) and brings up some major questions for the future as well.

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Year in Review: Top 10 Eco Child’s Play Posts of 2008

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:03:56 +0000

Happy New Year! From greenwashing to controversy over flu shots, we’ve covered a lot of green parenting topics over the year. The following is a summary of the top ten posts in terms of traffic written on Eco Child’s Play during 2008.

Doctor Recommends Avoiding Flu Shot, Taking Vitamin D Instead:

A cardiac surgeon and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington recommends avoiding the flu shot and taking vitamin D instead. Donald Miller, MD, says “Seventy percent of doctors do not get a flu shot.”

The Ultimate Greenwashing: Barbie Goes Green:

“Barbie is always a reflection of current cultural trends and issues, and girls are increasingly aware of making a green statement,” said Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Media and Entertainment, Worldwide, Mattel Brands. That’s right, Barbie is reflecting the trend of going green. Mattel realizes it wants a piece of the eco-friendly toy pie, but this ploy screams of greenwashing, especially considering the line will only be sold at Toys R Us.

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9 Most Discussed Posts of 2008 at Red, Green, and Blue

Timothy B. Hurst — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:04:11 +0000

There was no shortage of fodder for thoughtful political discussion in 2008. Not surprisingly, the bulk of the comments were directly related to the presidential election. Here we’ve compiled the nine most-discussed posts of 2008 so you can take a little walk down memory lane at Red, Green, and Blue.

9. McCain’s Colorado River Gaffe Might Cost Him Key Western States by Timothy B. Hurst

“John McCain has again said something to cause his fellow western-state Republicans to wince at his political inexpedience and apparent naivete for the issue at hand. And even though the Senator has now recanted and begun damage control, Democrats are hoping that this one will cost him. Some even argue that the gaffe was so severe, he may have just lost Colorado.”

8. Imagine a $700 Billion Bailout for the Environment by Jennifer Lance

One of the biggest stories of 2008 (and likely again in 2009) was the economic collapse and the ensuing expanding role of the U.S. Government in backing large corporations. On October 1st, Jennifer Lance considered what that kind of money could do for the environment: “I can’t help but wonder what a $700 billion bailout would do for the environment. What if the US government had responded to the twenty years of dire warnings by James Hansen in the same manner as the current economic crisis? Such an aggressive response may have stopped climate change and saved our economy through green jobs and technology.”

7. Schwarzenegger Jumps on Obama’s Proper Tire Inflation Bandwagon by Timothy B. Hurst

Separating himself from his party’s leadership (again), California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger backed the launch of EcoDriving USA, a new web portal aimed at sharing gas-saving tips. About the Republican misstep that gave such rich context to this launch, I wrote: “GOP strategists saw an opportunity to pounce on this bold claim by Senator Obama. And they, along with their friend Rush Limbaugh, lampooned and ridiculed Obama’s tire pressure assertion as a joke. The McCain campaign even went so far as handing out tire gauges branded with the slogan “Obama’s Energy Plan” to reporters traveling with Senator Obama. Let me just say this, whomever was in charge of that “brilliant” move at McCain HQ should be canned.”

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2008….Cause For Inspiration? The Economic Year In Review

Reenita Malhotra — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:28:25 +0000

Hope-Despair, a painting by Feroza Unvala

2008 - what a year! As we get ready to draw the curtains on one of the most unsettling economic years in history, we the writers of the Inspired Economist are still wondering… was this year one that has left our battered economy begging for inspiration? Or have the sustainable events of 2008 spearheaded the initiation of what we believe is truly an Inspired Economy?

2008 was about the $700 billion bailout. Foreclosures. The plummeting stock market. As the year came to a close, the nation’s economic turmoil battled with the presidential election. But it was also a time when new businesses were born into what appears to be an unprecedented sustainability boom. When energy, economy and environment have taken on a new and inter-dependent definition.

As we position our economy to take off on this inspiring eve of the Obama generation, let’s reflect on the change that has come into play this year……

The First Quarter

The first quarter of the year saw the idea of social entrepreneuring take flight beyond the borders of America.

Cover of Jeffery Sach’s book Common Wealth

It was also the time when the Center for Resource Solutions launched the Environmental Tracking Network of North America – North America’s first network organization for renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions tracking systems and registries.

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12 Health Warnings for Parents and Kids in 2008

Derek Markham — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:28:16 +0000

In keeping with the rest of the media at this time of the year, I came up with a Top 10 list for 2008. But… to be a little different, I made it a Top 12 list. (You know, 12 days of Christmas and all…)

In 2008, parents and children were hit with a number of warnings for toxic products and toxic lifestyle, and we got a couple of wake-up calls from both the environmental and health sectors. There were a number of studies released this year with disturbing conclusions, so read up and make sure you’re making the healthiest decisions for you and your family.

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The Twelve Days of sustainablog: Dumpster Diving, Online Shopping and Hand Towels

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:02:50 +0000

With several new GO blogs launching in March, a few of sustainablog’s regulars moved on to other posting assignments. We were fortunate that a number of friends, such as the folks at Life Goggles, Environmental Defense Fund, and Eco-Libris, did admirable jobs in filling the gap. Additionally, we were pleased to republish several posts from the University of Kansas’ “Media and the Environment” course blog.

The original content we did publish was great stuff, of course. Take a look below, and see a few of the goodies from March (and not a single post on green beer!).

March 2008

Maria Surma Manka took a look at the Saudi’s interest in solar power.
Victoria Everman reviewed online shopping guide thepurplebook’s green edition.
Kyle Weatherholtz examined issues with wind power in Texas.
Carol McClelland profiled some intriguing green companies.

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The Twelve Days of sustainablog: Cleantech, Evangelicals, and Anniversaries

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:39:55 +0000

February was a big month for GO Media — we celebrated our first anniversary in business! Of course, there were also the usual celebrations: Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, and Groundhog Day (hey, that’s celebrated…!).

Here at sustainablog, we were keeping an eye on broad developments related to sustainability (as always). From business to religion to the presidential primary season, we found many great stories to share… here are a few of them.

February 2008

Chad Crawford dug into the green evangelical movement.
Carol McClelland shared an overview of cleantech trends and opportunities presented at Cleantech Forum XVI.
I took a look at “low hanging fruit” approaches to sustainability, and their potential to oversimplify our environmental impact.

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California Expected to Pass Most Radical Global Warming Plan in US, Possibly the World

Andrew Williams — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:25:40 +0000

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is today expected to adopt the most radical global warming plan in the U.S., and possibly the world. If passed, it will force individuals, as well as the state’s utilities, refineries and large factories to fundamentally change the way they do business, and slash greenhouse gas emissions.

The plan will outline for the first time how people and businesses will be required to meet the state’s 2006 ‘Global Warming Solutions Act’ and transform California into a global leader in the fight against climate change.

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EPA says that US Companies Will Pay a Record $11.8 Billion on Pollution Control in 2008

Andrew Williams — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:35:25 +0000

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that, as a result of its enforcement actions, U.S. companies will spend a record-breaking $11.8 billion on pollution control and projects to clean up the environment this year.

The EPA calculates that the moves will result in a best ever reduction in pollution of 3.9 billion pounds per year, nearly four times the reduction achieved during 2007.

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Four Easy Steps to a 30-Fold Increase in US Solar Power by 2016

Andrew Williams — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:35:31 +0000

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has outlined four easy steps to a thirty fold increase in the size of the US solar power industry between 2009 and 2016, leading to over $230 billion worth of investment and the creation of 440,000 permanent jobs.

The influential industry group laid out the plans at this week’s Solar Power International conference in San Diego. The four key recommendations to achieve this goal are as follows:

1. Utility Ownership of Solar Power Projects

“The utility and solar industries must collaborate to find program structures, such as utility ownership of distributed photovoltaics, that provide a winning scenario for both industries, as well as for customers at large. The solar industry can utilize this new market segment as a buffer until home and small business owners are back on more solid economic footing.”

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Ten (More) Ways to Change the World Through Social Media

Max Gladwell — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:27:54 +0000

Blogging, social news, peer-to-peer philanthropy, microblogging, social networking, wikis, video sharing, and more. These are the new agents of change.

Back in May, we penned the original 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media. Though most of those first 10 are still relevant, the pace of innovation and advancement on the social web means many more have emerged in the past five months that deserve attention. These are the tools and resources that individuals, corporations, and nonprofits alike can use to communicate, create, and connect on the social web…for social change.

1. Blog It Out: When the die is cast on social media and final judgments are made, blogging will reign supreme as the single greatest force in Web 2.0. Whereas social networking is broad and shallow, blogging is deep and focused. That’s the power behind Blog Action Day, which takes place this Wednesday, October 15th, 2008. It’s a day when bloggers the world over draw attention to a single issue and (hopefully) inspire action. This year’s topic is poverty. And given the current financial crisis, it would seem many bloggers have gotten a head start.

2. Twitter Green Events: In the first 10 Ways, we wrote about the Twitter greenstream, a tagging mechanism that organizes and aggregates Twitter messages (Tweets) about doing green things. What’s evolved since then is the widespread use of unique Twitter tags at events. Most recently, we covered West Coast Green by tagging our Tweets with #wcg08. This helps people at the event to find and meet up with fellow Twitter folk. It also enables those who aren’t attending the event to follow what’s going on and what’s being said in real time. There are a couple ways to do this. One is to follow through Twitter Search (formerly Summize), where you can track keywords and tags. Another is to send a Tweet as follows: “track word: [insert keyword]“. And then you’ll start receiving all Tweets with that tag or keyword directly into your feed.

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South Africa Sees Its First Solar Car Race

Dave Harcourt — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:43:16 +0000

This is a guest post by Dave Harcourt of Pretoria, who is active in information transfer for agricultural processing in Africa, mainly via the DIGIVU Blog.

South Africa, recently dogged by electricity shortages at the state-run generator (Eskom), is innovating strongly in the energy sector. I will be discussing examples of this innovation in future posts, but now for the first of several reports on newsworthy energy related events in South Africa.

South African Solar Challenge 2008

South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) was one of the supporters of the South African Solar Challenge 2008 solar car race, which ended at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria this week. Solar car races are by no means new, but this is the first time one has been run in South Africa. The race, which was noted in a recent post on solar cars, was organized by the Advanced Energy Foundation.

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NASA Reveals Record-Breaking Loss of Arctic Sea Ice

Gavin Hudson — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:52:10 +0000

August saw the fastest retreat of arctic sea ice on record, according to new NASA data. During that month, sea ice melted at a rate of 32,700 square miles per day, compared with 24,400 square miles per day in 2007. The rate of decline is even more dramatic when compared with the 30-year average rate of decline, 19,700 miles per day.

The accelerated seasonal retreat of sea ice surprised NASA scientists, who expected a more moderate retreat on the tail of a la Niña year. Moreover, the data show that one cold year, when sea ice levels are able return to normal, is not enough to counter the long-term melting of the arctic.

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Minimum Ice Record Unlikely for 2008

Joshua S Hill — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:21:53 +0000

Over the past 12 months there has been one big fear lingering over the environmental community. It was a year ago that we were watching the Arctic ice disappearing at a tremendous rate, and saw it slip to its lowest levels in recorded history. Subsequently, we also saw the complete opening of the Northwest Passage for the first time in recorded history.

With the dawn of 2008’s northern summer, fears were that that minimum level of ice would once again be broken. However according to experts, no new records will be broken this year.

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Tangled Up In Green: Faster, Higher, Stronger, Greener

Adam Bowman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:53:37 +0000

There has been talk recently of boycotting the 2008 Beijing Olympics for any number of valid reasons. Whether it is for the freedom of Tibet, the atrocities in Darfur, or China’s environmental policies.

However, what would be achieved by boycotting the Olympics? Is China going to step back and say, “Whoa… the United States is right. We are all messed up and need to change.” Probably not.

And who are we to tell another country that they aren’t perfect? If the Olympics were here, who would be boycotting our games?

As a child I was led to believe that the Olympics were a coming together of different cultures and nations for the sake of sport and international cooperation. And in fact that WAS part of the basis for reinventing the Olympics in the first place. As the father of modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin once said,

“May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure.”

Of course, I grew up and found that most of my dreams and fantasies taught to me by society were pure poppycock. But do all of our childhood misconceptions about the world have to be disproved? I mean, Santa Claus is a given, but what about the concept of peace on earth and goodwill towards man?

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2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predictions

Joshua S Hill — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:41:07 +0000

Each year researchers at North Carolina State University predict the oncoming hurricane season. With summer just around the corner for the Northern Hemisphere, their latest report is out, and it’s billing an active year for the Atlantic.

However, thankfully for those coastal cities on the Atlantic, the number of storms making landfall will stick close to the average.

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Is Kyoto All for Naught?

Joshua S Hill — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:10:32 +0000

The life of someone looking to support the environment is a tough one, especially with news like this. The Kyoto Protocol was supposed to be Earth’s savior; or at least a benefit concert. But new information provided by the Chinese government has shown that by 2010 Chinese greenhouse gas emissions will have managed to eclipse the reductions achieved by all the countries underneath the Kyoto protocol.

Researchers at the University of California worked with the data and calculated that China’s emissions by 2010 will equate to at least 600 million metric tons greater than the countries was in 2000. Note the ‘at least’ in there, because according to the majority of the computer models, their emissions will actually be twice that figure.

Even hoping for the best possible scenario, the smallest figure calculated is five times as large as the 115.90 million metric tons in reductions that the US Energy Information Agency estimates will have been achieved by the Kyoto protocol members.

“The emissions growth rate is surpassing our worst expectations, and that means the goal of stabilizing atmospheric CO2 is going to be much, much harder to achieve,” says Maximillian Auffhammer of the University of California, Berkeley.

Prior to now, estimates have been focusing only on national data of pollution. However Auffhammer, and Richard Carson from the University of California, San Diego, used national data on pollution produced by Chinese provinces. The increased detail in the data has allowed them to make a more precise and horrifying calculation.

China, a country that is deemed a developing country under the United Nations, is thus not required to reduce its emissions under the Kyoto protocol. Of course it can agree too, and in the wake of the upcoming Olympic Games there has been some move to do so, but as of yet they have set no firm targets. As such, the UoC pair estimate that CO₂ emissions will rise by 11% per year over the next two years. Previous estimates ranged between 2.5% and 5%.

This most recent finding concerning China’s emissions comes only days after the world’s marathon record holder, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, declared he was an unlikely entrant in the 2008 Olympic marathon. “The pollution in China is a threat to my health and it would be difficult for me to run 42 kilometres in my current condition,” says Gebrselassie.

And while this only forced the Chinese government to reiterate that they pledge to have clean air for the summer games, it brings to mind a question: what are the Chinese sacrificing so that Games’ venues are clean?

New Scientist - China emissions to swamp Kyoto reductions by 2010

Photo Courtesy of fortes via Flickr

5. Presidential Debate: John McCain vs. Barack Obama - Who Won? by Jerrry James Stone

On October 1st, Jerry James Stone asked readers to chime-in on the presidential debate: “John McCain and Barack Obama squared off in the second of three Presidential Debates this election season. Tell us who won and why.”

4. Sarah Palin vs. Joe Biden - Who Won? by Jerry James Stone

On October 1st, Jerry James Stone kicked off another popular debate-based post. In this one he asked, “Sen. Joe Biden from Delaware and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska square off in the Vice Presidential Debate, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Join us after the debate to tell us who won and why.”

3. Palin Ignored Chance to Promote Energy Independence by Alex Felsinger

On October 12th, Alex Felsinger dug up a story about Sarah Palin’s preference to sell natural gas to Japan where it sells for substantially more than in the lower 48. Alex wrote, “The idea that Palin is an energy expert was laughable already, but this decision showed a brash disregard for American energy independence, a cause which she champions nearly every day on the campaign trail.”

2. Who Won Wednesday Night’s Presidential Debate? by Timothy B. Hurst

Not surprisingly another post about the presidential debate was well-discussed, both in the post itself and polldaddy, where I set up another reader poll. On October 15th I wrote: “With full knowledge that a simple poll question cannot adequately capture your nuanced position on the presidential debates, you are encouraged to leave a comment below. If you’re happier with a simple poll, just follow the link - no strings attached.”

1. 700 California Wildfires: Why Don’t We Have Enough Resources? by Jennifer Lance

At the top spot of the most discussed post of the year is a June post by Jennifer Lance who wrote, “As someone personally surrounded by over 80 fires in a 10 mile radius of my home, I am pissed, frightened, anxious, and depressed.”

The 5 Best Presidential Candidates to Address Climate Change

Gavin Hudson — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:19:45 +0000

With all respect (and perhaps some thanks) to Mr. Gore, taking action on climate change is now a major political issue as well as a moral issue. This is particularly true for U.S. voters this year, who are trying to decide on their nation’s next president.

The successful presidential candidate will be responsible for leading his/her nation in reducing its carbon emissions, increasing its fuel efficiency standards, and developing its nascent clean energy industry. The president will also be charged with responding to parts of the country hit hard by climate change conditions, like droughts, fires, and storms.

Fortunately, voters won’t have to make their decision in the dark. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), a non-partisan organization that describes itself as "the independent political voice for the environment," has compiled a reference chart to show voters where candidates stand on climate change.

The following are the top five presidential candidates of 2008, based on the issue of climate change. In order to assess how serious candidates truly are about the issue of global warming, they are organized below according to how well they scored out of 100 on an overall evaluation of their environmental policies, starting with the highest scorer. (And no, Steven Colbert didn’t make the list, no matter how much natural gas he provides.)

Barack Obama (96) supports:

80% reductions of CO2 production by 2050.
50 mpg fleet-wide automotive standard by 2025.
25% renewable electrical energy standard by 2025.
50% reduction in energy intensity by 2030.
Investing in liquid coal if it reduces carbon pollution by 10%; will consider standards that ban new conventional coal plants.

Dennis Kucinich (92) supports:

80% reductions of CO2 production by 2050.
40 mpg automotive standards; supported 33 mpg automotive standard in 2005.
20% renewable electrical energy standard by 2010.
General energy efficiency, although he has no target specified.
[Has no articulated position on new coal plants and liquid coal.]

Hillary Clinton (90) supports:

80% reductions of CO2 production by 2050.
35 mpg fleet-wide automotive standard by 2017.
20% renewable electrical energy standard by 2020.
10% reduction in energy consumption by 2020.
Investing in liquid coal if it reduces carbon pollution by 20%.

Joe Biden (84) supports:

80% reductions of CO2 production by 2050.
40 mpg fleet-wide automotive standard by 2017.
20% renewable electrical energy standard by 2020.
10% reduction in energy consumption by 2020.
Rejecting investment in liquid coal.

Bill Richardson (82) supports:

80% reductions of CO2 production by 2050.
50 mpg fleet-wide automotive standard.
30% renewable electrical energy standard by 2020 and 50% by 2050.
20% increase in energy productivity.
A ban on new coal plants unless they capture and store emissions; he opposes liquid coal.

Readers may note that all of the preceding five leaders on environmental stewardship are members of the Democratic Party. They will be competing against one another to win their party’s nomination over the course of the primary elections, which will run from January to September of 2008. Make sure to register to vote several weeks prior to your state’s primary elections in order to vote to nominate your choice of presidential candidate.

Readers who align more closely with the Republican Party may also be interested to know which Republican presidential candidates are offering solutions to climate change. Most ‘08 Republican candidates have as strong a record of opposing environmental protection legislation and/or have no stated positions about the country’s energy goals and issues related to climate change. However, some Republican candidates are looking to support legislation that would benefit the climate. John McCain and Mike Huckabee lead their party on legislative forsight to address climate change. Even still, Mr. McCain has opposed fuel efficiency legislation and neither candidate has a stated position on coal. The only other candidate from this party to offer some hint of beneficial legislative promises on climate change is Mitt Romney, although he opposes fuel efficiency standards "as a stand alone measure," has no position on renewable energy, and supports liquid coal.

For more information on the positions of the 2008 presidential candidates on the environment, the energy industry, and climate change, see the resources listed below or visit the LCV reference chart for presidential candidates on climate change.

References and Resources:

Where the Candidates Currently Stand | League of Conservation Voters, Heatison.org

’08: On The Record | League of Conservation Voters

Presidential Candidates weigh in on Energy Policy | Solarnation

The Candidates | League of Conservation Voters, Heatison.org

Mike Garofalo’s Blog on the presidential candidates | GO

Photo Source:

White House Back | US Government