Brad Wall and His Republican Buddies

From the Globe and Mail:

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Lindsey Graham is not your typical South Carolina senator. He thinks global warming is real – hardly a unanimous stand among Republicans – and he wants Canada to join him in his efforts to put in place a North American green economic strategy.

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Sounds good so far, right?

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Regardless, Mr. Graham's position thrills Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, whose province is not only (for now) the world's biggest miner of uranium used in nuclear reactors, but is also seeking $100-million (U.S.) from Washington to fund a $280-million cross-border carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) pilot project.

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Ok, so Wall wants some money. I guess he would given this:

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A proposed $270-million Saskatchewan-Montana carbon capture project could become solely a provincial venture if funding from the United States government doesn't come through, Premier Brad Wall said Tuesday on the eve of a trip to Washington, D.C.

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But what do Wall and Graham want?

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“The bill I'm trying to craft will be very pro-nuclear,” Mr. Graham offered. “We also have to utilize the coal we have and make it clean coal. I'm trying to combine energy independence with the renaissance of nuclear energy and controlling carbon.”

Some environmentalists are skeptical of Mr. Graham's support and note that he has accepted large donations from Scana Corp., which owns several coal-fired plants in South Carolina and is seeking to build two nuclear reactors in the state.

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So a pro-nuclear, pro clean coal agenda. Starting to sound familiar? But I guess it makes sense that these two guys would find each other. I mean, they agree on issues so why shouldn't they work together. It's not as if there is anything wrong with that, right? It's not like taxpayers are paying to get the two of them together...

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Mr. Graham and Mr. Wall have struck up a working relationship in recent weeks, thanks to the intermediation of former U.S. ambassador to Canada David Wilkins. Saskatchewan has retained Mr. Wilkins's law firm to represent it in the U.S. capital. Mr. Wall insists the $400,000 (U.S.) one-year contract is taxpayers' money well spent, and it's hard to argue with him, considering the access it has bought him on Capitol Hill

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I guess we will see if that $400,000 is well spent. No one in their right mind could argue it is well spent on the meeting themselves, but rather how it benefits Saskatchewan.

So I guess if we get the $100 million for the carbon project we can talk about the $400 k being acceptable or not.

If we don't then Brad has some 'spaining to do...

Brad Wall on Climate Change

So Brad Wall says that his government is taking climate change seriously? But what is telling Washington?

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Wall, unlike Inhofe, is no flat-earther. He accepts the science and recognizes a climate law of some kind is inevitable.But he's here to tell Washington "we need to rag the puck a bit" so that "cap-and-trade doesn't end up taking a pipe wrench to the parts of our economy that are still comparatively strong ..."

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So he admits that there is a problem on the climate change front, but he doen't think we should do anything about it.

SaskParty and Saskatchewan's Energy Future

So Buckdog thinks:

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It is becoming very clear that in spite of what they say publicly, Brad Wall and his Saskatchewan Party government have rejected all other possible alternate energy options in favour of nuclear power generation for the province's future energy needs.

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And the Jurist concurs:

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when it comes to evaluating the full range of energy options which will drive Saskatchewan's economy for the next 60 years, they claim the province should settle for Nine. Freaking. Days. With no public input.

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How much surface area do you need to power the world using solar?

Here's an Idea, don't film your crimes and put them on Youtube

Idiots:

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Three young Saskatchewan men were arrested Saturday in connection with a recent YouTube video that showed three males using rifles to shoot ducks on a prairie pond, footage that has caused widespread public outrage.
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Brian Petrar, operations manager for Environment Canada's wildlife division, said while charges haven't yet been formally laid, officials will likely charge the individuals with offences under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Act.
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But Petrar did say that information from tipsters and the fact there was a sign in the video and images of a blooming canola field in the background also helped officials track down the suspects.
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The overwhelming number of tips in this case shows that the public understands the value of the wildlife resources in Canada and isn't willing to put up with animals being slaughtered, he said.
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The video sparked widespread public anger and prompted the Toronto-based Humane Society of Canada to post a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of those shown in the Internet posting.

Society executive director Michael O'Sullivan said the organization also got calls from people who wanted to help and they were directed to tip lines in both western provinces. O'Sullivan said he is pleased to hear of the arrests.

"I would like to commend all the members of the public who provided information. Canadians take cruelty to animals very seriously and they want to help out as best as they can," he said.

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Priorities

Saharan Sun Enough To Power Europe

The creation of solar farms in the Sahara desert could produce enough energy to meet all of Europe’s energy needs. Power could be generated either through photovoltaic cells or by using the sun’s heat to boil water and power turbines.

Scientists at the ESOF 2008 are also proposing a ’supergrid’ that could transmit electricity along high voltage direct current cables and potentially allow countries to export their wind energy during periods of surplus, as well as import energy from other sources. The grid proposal, with its ability to transmit power from different sources, eliminates the criticism of the instability of renewable energy. If there is no wind or sun in Europe, there certainly will be in the Sahara and the grid could potentially be able to transmit that energy to where it is needed.

A Modest Proposal

Currently (no pun intended) about 5% of the energy being generated by SaskEnery is wind power. This may not seem like a lot, but it enough to power 7,000 homes.

What about solar?

I have talked about this before, but more and more projects are starting to be designed and proposed that make this a serious alternative.

the latest?

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The technology is ready. On the following pages we present a grand plan that could provide 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy (which includes transportation) with solar power by 2050. We project that this energy could be sold to consumers at rates equivalent to today’s rates for conventional power sources, about five cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). If wind, biomass and geothermal sources were also developed, renewable energy could provide 100 percent of the nation’s electricity and 90 percent of its energy by 2100.

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Yes, there would need to be a substantial investment by SaskEnergy, and that would come at the expense of dividends turned over to the province, but really, the NDP left a massive surplus for the Sask Party government to deal with.

And surly this is a better use of money than nuclear. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not in the norm in my party in that I am not philosophically opposed to a nuclear option, but for the same (or lower) investment that was made in wind power for the last 5 years, if SaskEnergy could just set a target of 10% solar-generated electricity, say in 7-10 years, then combined with wind we would have 15% renewable resources.

Add in co-generation, poly-generation and biomass projects and soon we could be looking at 1 in 4 MW being "green"

Now that is a modest proposal

Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade

So the federal Conservatives are rejecting the recommendation for a carbon tax:

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The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, a panel of Canadian experts from environmental groups and the business world, concluded that Canada could achieve a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by acting as soon as possible with measures that would put a price on activities that result in the release of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
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Although the Harper government asked the round table for its advice in 2006, Environment Minister John Baird quickly dismissed the carbon tax proposal as a "Liberal idea," explaining that he had already addressed the concerns raised in the report by introducing a new federal green plan that sets a price on carbon emissions.

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They (the cons) are now proposing a Cap and Trade system:

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Baird has rejected all criticism of his government's plan from independent research groups, economists and environmentalists, insisting he would stick with a plan to limit the growth of pollution from large industries instead of forcing them to make absolute reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions.
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The government has not finalized regulations for industry, but it has pledged to deliver them in 2008 to start up a new domestic cap and trade system, along with a technology fund.

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I actually don't think the NDP should be critical of this, I think they should be supportive. After all, it is what they have called for:

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Give fair notice to large emitters that, starting in 2008, permissible emissions will be capped and the cap will be annually reduced with an eventual goal of a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.

Introduce a market-based auction for available emission credits in 2009, with credits divided among sectors. At the outset, the auction will cover less than 10 per cent of available credits, with a goal of all emission credits sold by auction by 2030. Proceeds from the sale of emission credits will go to sustainability projects.

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Note the date of June 20th, 2006. The NDP was ahead of this bandwagon and should be congratulating the conservatives on having seen the light and having come on side.


BTW, I happen to think a cap and trade system makes a lot of sense, both environmentaly and economically, So do the union of concerned scientists, read more here.

A refrigerator that runs without electricity?

This is just in the experimental stage obviously, but if this can be developed as a working product, think of the reduction in power consumption!

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First, the technology is potentially more energy-efficient than the alternatives. It only really uses energy to move the magnetic field to and from the magnetic material. The model currently under development produces the magnetic field through a system of powerful blocks of magnets similar to those we use on our refrigerator doors, only stronger. These do not get worn out, and thus do not need replacing, which is very good for the environment.

This leads to the second major benefit, namely the fluid, which could turn out to be just plain water. Consequently, there would not be the same environmental impact as with today’s compressor-based refrigerators. The third great potential difference is the noise level. Bahl expects their demonstration model, which should be ready in 2010, to be practically silent. The opportunities are obvious.

“It is probably not realistic to think that magnetic cooling technology will be used in consumers’ homes right away. Manufacturers have spent too many years streamlining the prices of the existing refrigerators. Initially, it will be about implementation in various types of niche applications – large-scale refrigerating plants, soda machines or places where a noise-free environment is important,” says Bahl, adding, however, that he believes it will ultimately spread to the rest of society.

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Wind Power is awesome!

This is what me mean when we talk about a Green and Propserous Economy

Original Story

Investment capital flowing into renewable energies such as wind power climbed from $80 billion in 2005 to a record $100 billion in 2006, according to a new report from the UN Environment Programme, UNEP. The trend analysis cites climate change concerns, increasing government support, and high oil prices as reasons for the boom.

The trend continues in 2007 with experts predicting investments of $85 billion this year. "The renewable energy sector’s growth "although still volatile ... is showing no sign of abating," the report states.

[snip]

Renewables now compete head-on with coal and gas in terms of new installed generating capacity, says the report, adding that "the portion of world energy produced from renewable sources is sure to rise substantially as the tens of billions of new investment dollars bear fruit."

Google Solar Panels generate almost 10Mw

Google is going green:

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This installation is projected to produce enough electricity for approximately 1,000 California homes

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Water as a Fuel Source - this could be BIG

If this works out, then it could be a fantastic source of clean energy.

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"You could take plain salt water out of the sea, put it in containers and produce a violent flame that could heat generators that make electricity, or provide other forms of energy," Kanzius said.He said engineers are currently experimenting with him in Erie, Pa. in an attempt to harness the energy. They've built an engine that, when placed on top of the flame, chugged along for two minutes, Kanzius told WPBF.

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Back in WWII they had environmental propaganda

Peak Oil Information

I spent the better part of Sunday reading a good chunk of the information on this site about the issue of peak oil (I know, I'm a geek)

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Peak Oil is not a theory. It is a fact. Only the timing, magnitude, and implications are open to interpretation. How we interpret them should be a top priority for us individually and collectively.

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This site is a remarkable resource for people who want to know more about the issue and the argument being presented on both sides.

Given that even the most optimistic prediction is that we will reach PO in about 25 years, this is something that is going to have start being addressed by governments around the world.

Again, this is why there needs to be public investment in developing new energy technologies - a topic that I have blogged about many times

$60 Gadget Could Reduce Greenhouse Gas by 2 million tonnes a year

If this is true then the government should offer a tax break to the stores and manufactures to get the price of this thing down as low as possible to get people to buy them.

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The £25 gadget significantly reduces the amount of energy used by fridges and freezers, which are estimated to consume about a fifth of all domestic electricity in the UK. If one was fitted to each of the 87 million refrigeration units in Britain, carbon dioxide emissions would fall by more than 2 million tonnes a year.

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£25 = about $60 Canadian but the cheaper the better

Let's do this thing!

Some Teenager can get nuclear fusion but the government can't?

So here is the story:

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In 2006 Thiago Olson joined the extremely sparse ranks of amateurs worldwide who have achieved nuclear fusion with a home apparatus. In other words, he built the business end of a hydrogen bomb in his basement. The plasma "star in a jar"—shown at the left—demonstrated his success.

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Are you telling me this kid (who had to take time off to play high school sports) can get some sort of fusion deal working in his basement and the government can't fund the research to make this stuff happen?

Come on.

Imagine for a second if the provincial and federal governments put 1/2 as much money into research for alternative energy as they did into conventional energy sources.

For example, imagine if the University of Regina and the Provincial Government had gotten together and made an alternative energy research center instead of a petroleum research center

Think about it - Regina would be a world leader in wind, solar or something else, instead of wasting valuable public funding on a resource that will not only run out, but is polluting the atmosphere.

That would be progressive

Is it warm in here - or is it just the UN?

I bet this doesn't get a whole lot of coverage on blogging torries

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It is now beyond doubt that the Earth's climate is warming and it is "very likely" that most of the increase since the mid-20th century is the result of mankind's activities, a panel of UN scientists reported today.

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But it gets even better (or worse, depending on how you look at it)

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Achim Steiner, director general of the UN Environment Programme, said the report was a "critical milestone" and Feb 2 2007 would be remembered as "the day the question mark was removed" from the question of whether mankind was warming the planet.

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If the environment wasn't on Canadians' minds before, reports like this will put it there

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Why would the City of Regina get in the way of wind power?

According to this article:

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City officials say the wind generators are not authorized in residential areas because of issues related to noise, safety and visual impact on the neighbourhood.

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Shouldn't we be doing everything we can to promote and encourage wind power?

Why yes, yes we should.