Obama's Climate Change Policy

On June 25, 2013, President Obama outlined his climate change plan, it will not only increase clean energy supplies, reduce gases causing global warming, and increase energy efficiency but it will also call for the reduction of carbon emissions from all existing coal plants.  What does this mean for these companies and coal investors?  According to USA Today, during the past five months shares for Peabody Energy and Walter Energy have plummeted 49% and 79% respectively.  These numbers are staggering considering that Peabody Energy hit a 52-week high in mid November of last year.  The regulations and actions proposed by the President have and will continue to severely affect the profits of these coal companies and their investors.  Whether the country likes it or not the process of phasing out coal is in full motion. President Obama's plan is not the first hit to the coal industry.  According to the Green Energy Collective, over the past 5 years coal use has decreased by 12%,  this is partly due to the decreased price of natural gas as well as the significant increase in availability of solar and wind power.  Since 2007, solar and wind energy has increased by 300% and 600% respectively.

Opponents argue that these regulations will not only affect the coal companies, but the consumers and our economy as well.  Coal is a major part of all of our lives and the economy; however this country needs to be pushed in the direction of renewable energy, this just might be the push that this country drastically needs.  Renewable sources like wind, solar, and even nuclear energy can fill in the gaps left by the coal industry if given the time and resources to grow and reach their full potentials.  This road will not be easy but we all must realize that our country and the world will be be much better off if we stop relying on non-renewable energy sources now and not 50 years into the future.

--NP

Power to the Sun

Finding sustainable energy sources to replace the shrinking amount of oil has become a major concern and priority for many nations.  While countries continue to import and export millions of barrels of oil every year there is still an increase in demand for alternative energy sources.  A very popular choice is solar power, due to its regular availability and reliability.  According to statisticbrain.com, 75 million barrels of oil are saved and 35 million tons of carbon dioxide is not inserted into the air due to all of the solar power users worldwide.  The country with the most solar power in megawatts (MW) as of 2012 is Germany with 9,785 MW; the United States is in fourth with 1,650 MW.  We have not even begun to tap all of the solar power potential that is available across the globe and many more countries are starting to commit to building and supplying more solar power.  In a recent article published by Green Prophet http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/07/algeria-wind-solar-plants/, four countries in Northern Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia are planning to build solar plants.  Algeria however is making the biggest contribution out of all of these countries, hoping to produce 650 MW of solar power by 2015.  This amount of energy would place Algeria in sixth place out of all of the countries in the world who are producing solar power.  However their plans do not stop here, they have stated that they want to be producing 22,000 MW by 2030.  This is a staggering amount of solar energy! More than twice the amount that Germany is producing right now.  Algeria should serve as an inspiration for other nations because even with a precarious government they are still committing to an immense project that will have a significant impact on the solar power world.   

We are not going to be able to switch from oil to alternative sources of energy in a few years; our society is too dependent and it is going to decades.  How often do you think about the gas you are using when you are driving?  It is so ingrained in our society that many people do not give any thought to how much gas they use and the emissions they are producing. Even though I try and be very conscious about the environment I still find myself taking unnecessary trips in the car.  Little things such as riding a bike or carpooling will go so far in helping wean our country and world off of oil.  Imagine if gas prices were $12 a gallon, how motivated would you be to take public transit, carpool, or buy an energy efficient car?  Start small, take one day a week and try to drive and use less gas.  It sounds insignificant, like it won’t do anything, however change starts at the bottom.  One of my favorite quotes by St. Francis of Assisi is very applicable in this situation,

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”  

-NP 

Pollution Stinks

Air pollution is a worldwide concern for environmentalists and health professionals alike.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2 million people die prematurely each year from the bad air quality in their cities.  If we are not motivated to reduce air pollution for the good of the planet, this staggering number should shock us into action.  The air is shared by everyone in the world; country and state borders do not apply.  If one area of the world increases their air pollution, the wind currents carry the pollution around the world, consequently affecting other nations.  WHO has been trying since 2006, when they presented the Air Quality Guidelines, to get nations to take immediate action and decrease particulate pollution from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic metre.  They predicted a decrease in deaths caused by pollution worldwide by 15% if these guidelines were followed, however findings from 2011 show that the number of deaths per year has increased and only a few cities meet the guidelines.  What is it going to take for countries to start regulating air pollution at safe levels?  Even with the increasing amount of premature deaths, countries are still hesitant to take action reducing the pollution contributed by motor transport, burning of biomass and coal, and small- scale manufactures.

Is there any hope?  There does seem to be an increased interest from the public in China, evident in this article by Olivia Solon entitled Pollution- detecting kites to monitor Beijing’s air quality. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-07/23/float-pollution-kites-beijing.  While the government in China is hesitant to publish data on the country’s air quality, there is an effort by citizens to get concrete information and facts published.  Change will only occur if there is support at the lowest levels, if enough people in China and around the world demand better air quality standards in their cities and countries then governments will be more inclined to take action.  Just as with all other environmental issues, we are arriving at the ‘point of no return’, meaning that in the near future there will be a permanent layer of pollution around the earth that cannot be removed.  It starts with us, taking action at a small level that will eventually work its way up to the top.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

-NP               

Goodbye Glaciers

This recent article describes the iceberg that broke off from the Petermann Glacier in Greenland; this is just another horrifying example of the increasing rate of melting glaciers worldwide: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/19/greenland-glacier-iceberg.

This is the second time in two years that part of the Petermann Glacier in Greenland has broken off into the sea.  A crack in this glacier was first seen in 2001, and it has continued to increase in size each year.  Many critics do not see an cause for alarm, however they are not be further from the truth.  The Petermann glacier is moving closer to the sea each year and this split will most likely increase this trend.  There will be no immediate effects if this glacier enters the sea, similar to how the water level in a glass of water stays the same when the ice melts.  However in order for the glacier to melt the temperatures in the area have increased.  After some time if temperatures do not return to normal, the sea temperature will increase, causing the water to expand which will raise the sea level.  

This is only one of the many examples showing the adverse effects of climate change.  All over the world there are glaciers and snow caps that continue to melt at alarmingly fast rates.  While it is normal for ice to melt and glaciers to disappear each year, the current rate is far above the norm.  According to Daniel Glick from National Geographic, "sea levels have risen and fallen substantially over Earth's 4.6 billion- year history.  But the recent rate of global sea level rise has departed from the average rate of the past two to three thousand years... Driving around Louisiana's Gulf Coast, [one] can see the future... [the] coasts are literally sinking by about three feet (a meter) a century."  

Changes need to occur in the immediate future, unless we want all of Earth's glaciers to disappear bringing about consequences that we are not equipped to handle.  Unfortunately I do not have the answer to stop climate change and the melting glaciers.  However the first step is to increase the awareness and participation of people worldwide so we can work together to find a solution.  

-NP 

Rio +20

I recently read an article discussing the 2012 UN Conference and the Rio +20 higher education initiative.   

In 1992, a Rio Declaration on Environment and Development was announced, this aimed to increase sustainable development in the present to benefit the future.   This declaration played a key role in the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development and their focus on gaining support for sustainable development from higher education institutions worldwide.  The link is the full article: http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?page=view&nr=341&type=12&men....   Along with the information on the conference here is a link listing all of the universities worldwide who have signed a commitment form: http://rio20.euromed-management.com/roll-of-commitments-2/.  

Will these efforts be successful in increasing sustainable development?  It is a step in the right direction, colleges and universities around the world educate and prepare young adults to become the next generation of world leaders.  If change is to occur these are the places to start.  However the universities who choose to commit to this initiative have to be prepared to act on and implement the declaration they sign.  As of July 10, 2012 there were 30 colleges in the United States and 719 worldwide that signed the Rio +20 declaration.  This is a start, however how many of the students know/knew about their school's commitment to Rio +20?  The Presidents and Deans of these schools are taking it upon themselves to sign the declaration; it is great that they want to involve their respective universities however student involvement needs to become a bigger priority.  Having support from the student body will make the transition in implementing the changes demanded by the declaration easier.  

In conclusion, increasing student involvement in the Rio +20 initiative will dramatically increase the success of the movement.  I plan on helping the Environmental Action Committee persuade my university to sign and commit to further increasing sustainable development.

I welcome any comments.  

- NP  

Introduction

My name is Noel and I am a student studying environmental science.  I was introduced to environmental science my senior year in high school and have been in love ever since.  I am trying to get more involved in the environmental community at school and through the internet hence this blog.  I am using this blog as a space to share and write about interesting environmental articles I come across.  Please do not hesitate to comment or message me about any of the articles, I welcome any discussion.  

- NP