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June 2005

Corn-Based Plastic cheaper than oil

I think this is important, as non-petroleum based and other renewable products start passing non-renewables then suddenly the demand starts to rise, which kicks in economies of scale that make the price difference even higher. This article is one of the first I've seen with that potential.

From the LA times via Ezra Klein, via Sustainablog news that Cargill's corn-based plastic has dropped in price:

When Cargill launched its factory in 2002, its pellets were far more expensive than equivalent material made from oil. Wild Oats Markets, an early customer, paid 50% more for takeout containers made from the bio-plastic.

But over the last two years, the Cargill plant has gotten more efficient — and oil prices have soared.

The result: The "corn-tainers" in the deli now cost Wild Oats 5% less than traditional plastic, Wild Oats spokeswoman Sonja Tuitele said.

The discussion developing on this is interesting, too. Yes, the process is not oil-free, as the fertilizer used to grow the corn is still petroleum-based. But there's considerably less oil that goes into this process vs. traditional plastics. I think commenter Allen K. brings up an interesting parallel as he compares this to biodiesel (and he doesn't seem impressed by either), but not necessarily in the sense he means. I have to wonder if these kinds of products will only build the myth that we can farm our way out of the consequences of peak oil. Not likely, and not without starving a lot of people. I don't see why, though, the waste biomass from corn farming and other forms of agriculture couldn't be devoted to these kinds of developments.

I'd be interested in hearing about any other examples of renewables coming out cheaper than non-renewables even without counting the externalities

Posted by at 11:15 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Recommended actions related to Peak Oil and Climate change (esp. Byron Shire)

Global Warming is real, its coming and its likely to hit us a lot harder than is being let on.

Be careful about the reports, scientists are not certain what exactly is going to happen but what they almost all agree is the increase in uncertainty. In other words, we are participating in a global experiment, where the complex interactions of oceans, winds, sun, atmosphere etc lead to changes to our shire that are hard to predict. As a result we have to plan and act based on a reduction in our knowledge of what will happen.

Take for example rainfall, the average annual rainfall might stay very similar, but if its distribution is uncertain then I personally have to plan on the likelihood of being flooded in longer & more often by bigger storms, and have to install larger raintanks to last through longer droughts.

I'm what is called a "techno-optimist" but unfortunately, while there are solutions to Global Warming, the chance of either our national or state governments paying more than lip service to it is low, and the chance of the US doing so soon enough to set a good example to China and India is vanishingly small. So we have to figure out how to deal with the pretty drastic consequences.

When (not if) the antarctic ice-cap melts, sea-level is likely to rise around 5 meters, add another 7 meters when the Greenland glaciers melt. 12 meters of sea-level rise puts most of Byron, all of Brunswick and much of Open Shores under water (check the excellent topographical maps at your newsagents), check the estuaries as well, Mullumbimby is below the 10m contour. Also, its not just the contour line, since these refer to average high water mark, not the level that storm surges will raise it to. While predictions currently put the sea-level rise from Greenland could take several hundred years, these predictions are revised closer each year. And the Antarctic seems to be melting faster than anyone predicted with now a 1 in 20 chance of a complete melt in the next 200 years.

Over the same time period, we are running out of oil, and prices will probably rise dramatically (2 or 3 times) in the next few years. This will not just impact personal transport, but boost the price of anything that has to move a long distance.

So what can we do about it. I've grouped my answer into actions you can take to prevent it, what you should do if you agree with me that its almost inevitable, and what you should be asking politicians (including our council) to do.

Personal actions to reduce your contribution to global warming

The time for personal action is now. The longer we delay these actions, the worse will global warming will be.

• Switch from coal to clean energy. for your home or business. You can do this at www.climatefriendly.com
  or with green power.
• Drive a smaller car, for less miles, car-share etc. Switch to a diesel car and run it on biodiesel - it will be available soon from North Coast Biodiesels. This will help reduce the impact of peak oil related price rises as well.
• Buy as much as possible locally, especially food from the Organic Farmers market.
• If you own land, look into turning some of it into carbon-sequestering forest. There are likely to be opportunities to get paid to do this.
• Install solar hot-water, and consider solar-electricity (its currently more expensive, but that could change).
• Offset the remainder of your emissions, i.e. pay someone else to turn CO2 into carbon. Local business Climate Friendly is leading the way.
• At every opportunity, encourage your politicians to take it seriously - council, government departments, state and national politicians. Write letters, sign petitions, let them know that you care about this issue and will be voting Green if they don't pay attention. The federal government in particular needs to break ranks with their masters in Washington and ratify Kyoto. NSW Labor in particular needs to be upgrading railways not roads.

Businesses too have responsibilities and options

• Take the same actions as individuals, i.e. reduce transport, and offset emissions.
• Reduce your dependence on products from longer distances, and find local outlets for your products.

Personal actions to deal with the consequences.

Unless the politicians and industry get their act together - which is unlikely, you are going to have to deal with the consequences. Luckily many of the options for helping reduce your personal impact, are also good options for coping with price rises from peak-oil. Especially smaller, diesel cars and generating your own power.

• Seriuosly consider selling any property below 10m contour line, don't forget, you have to sell not just before the sea-level rises, but before the fear of it depresses prices.
• Buy a diesel car - and run it on biodiesel.
• Buy a water tank - Rous Water isn't taking global warming seriously and planning for the range of possible rainfalls, so expect shortages if the rainfall turns out on the low side.

And lastly what you could be asking our local council to do.

Apart from encouraging the council to take all the actions recommended for businesses and individuals, and letting them know you support paying more rates if it costs more. I would suggest a couple of political actions be recommended.

• Take all the actions a business is recommended to do above (buy local, offset carbon, use biodiesel).
• Require realtors to notify people of the potential risk of substantial coastline changes, and require such notification before any property sale. Make it clear to state and federal governments that this is prudent "full-disclosure" given their failure to act.
• Copy the trend of mayors in the US, another country with a head-in-the-sand government. In the US local mayors started coming together to support meeting Kyoto targets locally, the trend spread and recently the US Conference of Mayors unanimously passed a resolution requiring their cities to try and meet Kyoto targets.

Posted by at 11:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Downshifting Downunder - Conference July 23

I'm co-convenor of a new Australian organisation "Downshifting Downunder".

In the last decade at least 20% of the Australian population have downshifted, that is, they have voluntarily decided to change their lives in ways that mean they earn less and consume less.

However, most downshifters think they are the only ones. The organisation's role is to help catalyse and co-ordinate a movement among Australian downshifters, and to share information that shows consumption is not the only way to happiness.

We are organising a conference on July 23rd in Sydney. With a number of interesting speakers including Clive Hamilton, Richard Eckersley, Stuart Hill, Richard & Maria MagGuire, and Byron Shire locals Kali Wendorf and Ruth Ostrow. Early registration ends July 12th.

Check out Downshifting Downunder's website for more information including a series on the theme from political Cartoonist Sean Leahey.

Posted by at 11:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Slash greenhouse emissions yourself - the DIY answer to global warming

(Disclaimer: Climate Friendly used to be clients of mine, and are participants in the Byron Sustainable Ventures Network that I founded)

What do corporate banking giant HSBC, the world’s largest carpet
manufacturer Interface and leading mobile phone company O2 have in common?
They’re leading the business world in environmental responsibility by
neutralising the damage their operations do to the climate.

Now other companies can do the same, with the help of a new Australian
company, climate friendly.

“We all know that carbon dioxide emissions from our homes, businesses, flying
cars are slowly raising the world’s temperature,” says climate friendly
director Madeleine Lyons. “That global warming has led to more floods,
droughts and other extreme weather events, and the endangering of species including
polar bears, coral reefs and butterflies.”

“A lot of companies say they care about climate change, but they don’t know
what to do about it. Instead of waiting for governments to cut Australia’s
growing greenhouse emissions, they can take the matter into their own
hands.”

Using calculators designed by former CSIRO scientist Joel Fleming, climate
friendly measures how much greenhouse gas a business emits every year and
invests in clean energy projects on their behalf. The green investments –
including wind farms and shower head exchange programs – save as much
greenhouse gas as the sponsor company is emitting, effectively neutralising
any overall damage to the climate.

Continue reading "Slash greenhouse emissions yourself - the DIY answer to global warming"

Posted by at 6:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Organic Expo - Sydney - July 29-31

The Organic Expo is Australia’s first major expo, created for both the public and trade, highlighting the excellent certified organic and environmentally friendly products and services (collectively known as eco-ganics) now available.

I'm looking forward to it, as it is time for a national show that highlights the range of products available here, rather than mixing them into shows with less-eco products.

I'll be there, with Nature's Child Wholesale in our first public outing, come by our stand.

Posted by at 9:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The Governator vows to cut emissions 80% by 2050

Lets hope Gov. Schwarzenegger can back this pledge up with actions.

SAN FRANCISCO — Vowing to lead the world's response to global warming, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday announced a series of ambitious targets for cutting California's greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% over the next half-century, but provided few details on how the state could achieve such dramatic reductions.

In a speech before hundreds of business and environmental leaders at the United Nations World Environment Day conference in San Francisco, Schwarzenegger signed an executive order that outlined bold goals for slashing industrial releases of carbon dioxide and the other heat-trapping gases that climate scientists now link to rising temperatures and sea levels.

"As of today, California is going to be the leader in the fight against global warming," Schwarzenegger said, adding, "I say the debate is over. We know the science, we see the threat, and the time for action is now."

Under the executive order, by 2010 California would reduce its greenhouse gases to 2000 levels, or about 11% less than they would be without taking action. By 2020, California would reduce the emissions to 1990 levels, or about 25%. By 2050, the state would reduce the emissions to 80% below 1990 levels.

Continue reading "The Governator vows to cut emissions 80% by 2050"

Posted by at 11:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Visualizing Peak Oil

I picked this image up on Treehugger, who got it from the Oil Drum website devoted to peak oil. I think it really helps us envision what it means for the oil to be running out.

Here is a picture the Abqaiq oilfield in Saudi Arabia. It's a transversal slice obtained from an instrument that measures fluid densities. The blue area is water that has been injected into the field to push the oil back to the top, the red area is the gas cap of the field... and the green zone is the actual oil.

Posted by at 10:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Regional Climate Change preparation , are we willing to take the hard steps?

Along with about 120 others, I attended the regional climate change forum today (3rd June), at Southern Cross University.

Most of the presentations were great, but not new - i.e. repeats of the significant impact of climate change in terms of temperature and rainfall, presented with some quite detailed models and figures. And predictions that with pessimistic scenarios show up to 5-6 degrees rise by 2050.

However some of the presentations - by Rous Water, and DIPNR left me worried at the preparedness and planning of our government officials.

Unfortunately, like the Peak Oil and David Suzuki talks recently, the day concluded only with a sense of urgency and importance and with very little discussion of solutions and actions, both in order to reduce the change, and in order to reduce the impact of the change.

Personally I'm a techno optimist, which means that I believe there are technical and administrative solutions that would allow us to reduce our emissions by the 50% or more needed. However I'm a politico-pessimist, which means that I think it highly unlikely that the powers-that-be in Washington, Sydney and Canberra will take actions on the scale needed.

Hopefully here in Byron we can start a conversation on what we can do to reduce our impact on climate and set a good example. We have a council that could potentially back such actions, although the reaction by so-called environmentalists to recent proposals for a wind turbine in the area do not bode well for a willingness to take action ourselves.

See the full report for me detail on the presentations and my worries generated by them.

(p.s. if any of the presenters are reading this, please email me the presentations or their URL's, and I'll post them for people to draw their own conclusions.)

Continue reading "Regional Climate Change preparation , are we willing to take the hard steps?"

Posted by at 3:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)