Glacial Meltdown or Catastrophe Averted?

March 19, 2006 – Vol.10 No.52

GLACIAL MELTDOWN OR CATASTROPHE AVERTED?

If scientists are correct, grandchildren of today’s toddlers might have the daunting task of moving millions of people away from low lying coastlines around the globe. Cities like Miami, Tampa, New Orleans, New York, London even the U.S. Capitol, will begin to flood as the result of melting glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica. Sea water could eventually rise more than two stories. The timing of all this is critical to actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions today. There might be a 3-foot rise by 2100. There could be 20 feet if emissions really get out of control.

Scientists say we have perhaps ten years - at best - to avert this catastrophe. There’ll still be some meltdown of Greenland and Antarctica even if dramatic cuts are made soon, but much of the worst could possibly be avoided, they say. As the world’s richest nation - the currently the leader in greenhouse gas emissions - it’s the U.S. that many hope will eventually take the lead on reductions.

There’s a bright side to the dire scenarios. The technology is available today to make the 50, 60 percent or higher emission cuts. Some industries might suffer, but those that adapt could profit nicely.

Here’s a short list of technologies available now - or soon to be - to the key U.S. market to hopefully slow the tide of climate change:

--- Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). With a large battery pack and ability to recharge from the grid (especially at night when power plants are underutilized) PHEVs can get better than 100 miles of travel from a gallon of gasoline. Further, with minor tweaking these cars could run on greenhouse gas neutral biofuels. Ethanol is here. Bioethanol is on the way with one formula already available in Canada. Visit Plug-in Partners campaign at http://www.pluginpartners.org/ , the California Cars Initiative at http://www.calcars.org/ , Iogen at http://www.iogen.ca/ .

--- Biodiesel. Diesel fuel made from everything from soybeans to left over bacon grease offers a 78-percent reduction in greenhouse gases in its pure form compared with fossil diesel. Think biodiesel for trucks, trains, water craft, even home heating oil. New refineries are being built on a regular basis. Midwestern farmers in the U.S. love the stuff. Visit the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) at http://www.biodiesel.org/ .

--- Small cars in general. Rising gas prices are causing the rebirth of the small car. This time around they’re fitted with a plethora a safety equipment - airbags all over the place. Mileage is near hybrid levels but cars cost thousands less. New models from Honda, Toyota and Nissan are soon out. Honda may expand its hybrid line to its new-to-America Fit. Kia and Hyundai might offer super-high mileage hybrid versions of their Rio and Accent subcompacts by next year. Zap now has its official fuel economy numbers - 40 miles per gallon - for its U.S. spec. Smart cars. And, around the world there’s a large variety of cars that get better than 40 miles per gallon that aren’t allowed into the U.S. for collision and emissions regulations, but could be adapted.) Visit Zap at http://www.zapworld.com/ , Edmund’s Inside line on the what’s going on with cars being sold in the U.S. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/ and the Global Auto Index for links to the world’s auto manufacturers http://www.globalautoindex.com/ .

--- Pure electric cars. Where speeds are posted at 35 miles per hour or less, street legal Neighborhood Electric Vehicles can be used and more frequently are. Global Electric Motorcars (of DaimlerChrysler) has sold more than 30,000 of them. Visit http://www.gemcar.com/

--- Non-silicon PV solar. Silicon-based photovoltaic solar power cuts greenhouse gas emissions. Non-silicon does it even better. Less energy - 50 percent less - is needed to manufacture solar cells made with copper, indium, gallium and selenium than cells using silicon. Honda is pursuing non-silicon PV solar. Shell has dropped silicon and is shifting over to non-silicon. Daystar has the technology in limited supplies and is ramping up production. Visit Shell Solar at http://www.shell.com/solar and Daystar at http://www.daystartech.com/ .

--- Thermal solar energy. Using the Sun’s heat to generate power is a proven technology and it’s cheaper than photovoltaics. More thermal solar power has been ordered for the U.S. Southwest as well as for projects in Spain and possibly Israel. Visit Stirling Energy Systems at http://www.stirlingenergy.com/ and Solargenix at http://www.solargenix.com and Solel at http://www.solel.com/ .

--- Utility Grade Wind Energy. America’s heartland is America’s great wind resource. Estimates vary from one-fifth to all of our nation’s energy can come from wind resources in the center of the nation. Farmers like it. They can till the soil beneath while earning profits from the churning turbines above. Visit the American Wind Energy Association at http://www.awea.org/

--- Small Wind. Cities are windy places as are ocean front properties and those in hilly areas or the sweeping plains. Small wind technologies are improving. Zephyr’s Dolphin is a prime example. Visit Zephyr at http://www.zephyreco.co.jp/en/index.htm and learn about small wind at the British Wind Energy Association at http://www.bwea.org/ or the AWEA at http://www.awea.org/

--- Shop the Internet. No wasted time in traffic. No vehicle emissions other than package delivery vans. (And those companies are experimenting with hybrids.) Shop the world with a keyboard and high-speed connection. What major traditional retail outlet doesn’t have an on-line store? Main Street America, with its small independent stores, has moved from walk-in brick and mortar stores to electronic storefronts and the family garage: new businesses that weren’t there before.

All this, and more, is available now. Just the willingness, the effort and leadership is needed to begin making the dramatic greenhouse gas cuts now.