Solutions Spring 2009
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Solutions Vol. 40, No. 2 Spring 2009 The race to reinvent energy Greening PRESSING THE START BUTTON ON AMERICAN INNOVATION the China supply chain 4 Little people spark big changes 10 On the move in a warmer world 14 edwardhoward.com President Obama’s policies present a dramatic opportunity to create jobs and solve global warming. Now Environmental Defense Fund must get Congress to act. Saved! An undersea ess than a year ago, candidate Barack Obama promised an wilderness 16 Labout-face in the nation’s environmental policies. The eco- nomic stimulus bill passed in February, with its intention to slash America’s dependence on fossil fuels, represents the gov- ernment’s biggest commitment to environmental protection in years. But major hurdles still lie ahead. “This is a stunning departure from the and manufacturing to help show Congress past eight years,” says Environmental De- that a cap on global warming pollution fense Fund president Fred Krupp. “Between will create vibrant industries and jobs. the stimulus bill and the climate legislation taking shape in Congress, we’re opening a ADVISING THE new chapter in the fight against global ADMINISTRATION warming.” EDF helped shape the final stim- Shortly after the November election, Krupp ulus package, which includes the following: put our study Manufacturing Climate Solu- tions into the hands of Obama energy advi- • $20 billion investment in energy effi- sor Carol Browner. Her enthusiastic re- The future rainforest ciency for buildings sponse paid a big dividend. Vice Pres ident 7 • $17.7 billion for mass transit Joe Biden named Environmental Defense Rainforests contain half the • Funds for renewable energy research Fund as expert panelist for the opening • Rebates for the purchase of greener meeting of his Task Force on Middle Class Earth’s species and are vital appliances Families, charged with making green jobs a to many life systems. Today, pathway to a strong middle class. they also hold the key to a Now we and our allies must win support The new opportunities are crucial for global climate treaty. from Congress for strong climate action. workers like Samuel Pagan. A former We’ve enlisted strategic partners in labor Continued on p.6 WHERE WE STAND By Fred Krupp, President A new deal for the environment Dealing with economic turmoil and global warming together makes perfect sense: Behind every clean energy tech- nology—from wind turbines and solar ––––– cells to carbon capture and advanced More Americans now work lighting—a parts-and-labor supply chain in the wind industry runs through the heartland of U.S. man- ufacturing. than in coal mining. For example, Indiana-based ––––– SunRise Solar, a maker of solar-pow- ered attic fans, gets plastic and stain- less steel brackets from local plants, motors from Pennsylvania, wire from T. Charles Erickson Illinois and thermostats from California. The fast-growing company ranklin Roosevelt launched the et, it also could save the economy. How? has helped keep many other U.S. com- FNew Deal in 1933 to help lift By creating jobs for people like Mike panies afloat in these rough times. America out of the Great Depression. Gonzer, a plant manager in Michigan Strong cap-and-trade climate legis- Most historians agree, however, that it recently laid off from the auto industry but lation will rapidly create new markets was World War II that really turned now working assembling wind turbines. and millions of new jobs in virtually things around. In a recent meeting at the White every sector of the economy. Rep. Henry Today, we are fighting another glob- House, Lawrence Summers, Obama’s Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House al war—against climate change. chief economic advisor, told me that Energy and Commerce Committee, has President Obama has launched that war the key to economic recovery is to vowed to have a climate bill on the floor in earnest by calling on Congress to remake the energy sector. He likened by Memorial Day. Momentum is also enact a cap on carbon emissions. He has government’s role to that of a pair of building in the Senate. Congress should appointed a strong environmental team, scissors. One blade would be green do all it can to pass a strong bill, and including long-time EDF board member spending in the Recovery and Reinvest- quickly, in order to have maximum Dr. Jane Lubchenco as head of NOAA, ment Act; the second blade would be a leverage for December’s UN climate the primary climate science agency. cap-and-trade program for carbon talks in Copenhagen. Retooling America’s energy infra- dioxide. Together, they can help us cut As the legislation moves forward, structure will not only help save the plan- our way out of the recession. we will stand guard on Capitol Hill to make sure that no last-minute loop- holes are inserted in the dead of night. Creating a clean future The future of the planet is at stake. Technology is on the brink of producing breakthroughs in the fight against global warming. Entrepreneurs are harvesting energy not just from the sun and wind but from ocean waves, grasses and even algae. Solutions That’s the message of the New York Editor: Peter Klebnikov Times bestseller Earth: The Sequel by EDF Environmental Defense Fund, 257 Park Ave. South, president Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn, now New York, NY 10010. Main number 212-505-2100. in paperback from W. W. Norton. The new Membership questions: Call 800-684-3322 or edition updates progress by featured companies and includes vivid email [email protected] illustrations of how cutting-edge technologies like cellulosic ethanol Mailbag: Mail to address above, call 800-927-6464 and wave energy actually work. or email [email protected] ©2009 Environmental Defense Fund. Published “Krupp does what might seem impossible—he delivers a global quarterly in New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566 warming book that leaves you feeling hopeful.” –Time New York • Austin • Bentonville, AR • Boston Boulder • Los Angeles • Raleigh • Sacramento “If you are worried that the world is heading toward climate catas- San Francisco • Washington • Beijing, China trophe, here’s a book to lift your spirits.” –Harvard Business Review Online at edf.org 2 Environmental Defense Fund Solutions Talk back Obama advisor Please correct yourself! significant amount of new wind power to be joins EDF Please look at the pic- developed. Passing a national cap on global ture on the cover of warming pollution will spur even more re- your Sushi Selector. newable energy development, as well as the Sushi is rice mixed transmission infrastructure it requires. with vinegar and However, as you point out, wind sugar. It may have farms can create local environmental prob- tuna rolled inside it, or lems, from leaking oil to serious habitat a number of other fish damage. On the positive side, wind farms products placed on it, create much less local environmental dam- but sushi is not fish. age than coal, natural gas or nuclear power Mark Gibson/Corbis Please correct yourself! plants. And much of the material is recy- Holstein negotiated help for the Klamath. Bets Lawrence, Hawaii clable. In fact, a small cottage industry is already developing around remanufactur- Elgie Holstein remembers the first Our scientist Tim Fitzgerald responds: ing old wind turbines. time he sat down with PacifiCorp to Mr. Lawrence is correct—technically sushi To address these issues, EDF helped negotiate removing the utility’s dams is just vinegared rice, not fish. However, found the American Wind Wildlife Insti- from the Klamath River in California we decided to go with an image and title tute, a consortium of wind developers and and Oregon—the focus of years of recognizable to most U.S. sushi lovers. See environmental organizations. The institute contentious debate among farmers, edf.org/seafood. is working to establish rules and incentives environmentalists and Indian tribes. for wind developers to site, build, operate “PacifiCorp had What about wind pollution? and decommission turbines in an environ- really been beaten up I worked on a maintenance crew servicing mentally conscious manner. in the press,” recalls 259 wind turbines in northwest Iowa. Holstein. “They were While I believe Help us improve Solutions! wary.” Instead of ulti- power produced matums, Holstein of- from wind tur- fered them science. “I bines is a good al- suggested we cooper- Water diplomat Elgie Holstein ternative source, ate on a plan for ex- there are some amining water quality related to the problems: mov- dams,” he says. “They jumped on it.” Shutterstock ing the energy Negotiators reached a tentative produced is not efficient because of inade- agreement last fall to remove the dams quate transmission systems; there can be in what may be the largest river restora- pollutants from operation of the turbines; tion project in U.S. history. Holstein in- and there needs to be recycling or cleanup sists his role was small—he left the pro- after the useful life of the wind turbines. Would you like to influence what EDF cess last year to advise the Obama cam- Roger Skelton, Rembrandt, Iowa writes about in Solutions? Email editor@ paign on energy—but injecting facts edf.org to join our Reader Panel. Please into an emotional debate helped build Our renewable energy specialist Colin include your name and mailing address in trust among the negotiators. Meehan comments: your email, and feel free to mention any Holstein will bring his skills in ne- We currently have enough transmission ca- suggestions when you write. gotiating difficult water issues to EDF pacity in most of the windy states to allow a We want to hear from you! as the head of our Center for Rivers and Deltas.