Perpetual Innovation

Category: CO2

  • Better BTU Blog: Global Climate Change Summit Brings Questions of America’s Role in Reversing Carbon Trends

    Better BTU Blog: Global Climate Change Summit Brings Questions of America’s Role in Reversing Carbon Trends:

    Great article on the point that no government is leading on sustainability, at least in terms of those countries that count, namely the US, China and maybe India.

    It is amazing and surprising that conservation and energy efficiency (EE) efforts don’t move forward even without any government assistance or encouragement. A kilowatt or gallon never used is one that never had to be produced, distributed, and consumed. At least up to a point, the costs associated with EE can be very small with a ROI in months, not years. Then those efficiency savings can be realized for years to come… (And oh, by the way, it helps out the environment as well, now and in the future.)

    Of course we can do some of this stuff later today or tomorrow. The low-lying fruit would be so easy to start picking at.

    Getting started with or without government help (involvement) seems to be the first order of business. Savings this year that will be realized each year thereafter…

    … This is a (Christmas) gift that keeps on giving…

    Keywords: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 

    ‘via Blog this’

  • Innovation: Social Irresponsibility: Energy, cost of carbon

    Check out the workings for markets in Carbon…


    Cap n trade, tax and trade, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    • Australia does Carbon Tax and shift.
    • Texas sets up a Carbon Exchange.
    • California has a huge lift in the prices of Carbon allocations (CCA) because of the down time of a nuclear power plant.

    Overall, the price per ton of carbon is now at between $8 and $23.


    Anything above free, is probably a very good thing for the true costs of energy.


    SustainZine: Social Irresponsibility: Energy, cost of carbon

    Coming soon to an eBook store near you: Social Responsibility by the www.RefractiveThinker.com. 

  • Social Irresponsibility: Energy and the cost of carbon

    These are all part of a dramatic change in the way that we view carbon emissions.


    There are three things that are prominently in the news about carbon emissions and addressing them in June of 2012. These are all part of a dramatic change in the way that we view carbon emissions.

    1. Australia is opening up a Carbon Tax at $23 per ton. They are adjusting from the mistakes of Europe when they started cap and trade at too low a price. Undermining the whole process.
    2. In the meanwhile, Texas is opening a market for carbon. The Oil capital of the US is also the largest Wind producer of electricity.
    3. California credit allowances jump in price dramatically.
    Generally there are three ways to address the issues associated with externalities caused by carbon emission (and greenhouse gas emissions)

    1. Voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR). Look at Shaklee corporation and Microsoft. Shaklee, a health and nutrition company, is the first company to be certified climate neutral in April 2010. In the meanwhile, Microsoft intends to be carbon neutral by the end of 2013.

    2. Cap and Trade exchanges. Texas and California.

    a.   Texas is opening a market for carbon. “Bad joke, or perhaps an oxymoron”, right?  Nope, it is the Texas Climate & Carbon Exchange. The Oil capital of the US that produces about 1m barrels of oil per year is also the largest Wind producer of electricity (producing about 6.5m GHw/hr in 2010, nearly twice as much as Kansas). This is one of several exchanges, with the most notable one in the us operating in California.
    b.   This headline from Reuters: “California carbon allowances (CCAs) for delivery in 2013 closed at $16.75 per tonne on Thursday, up $1.10 from one week ago on a growing belief that the shutdown of a California nuclear power plant will boost carbon emissions due to higher fossil fuel use.” A 7% jump was followed by $20+ call options that anticipated future CCAs rising aggressively in the future.

    3. Tax Mechanism.
    “The carbon pricing scheme will impose costs on big polluters, which will result in higher end prices for certain products. Treasury estimates that an average family will pay $9.90 more per week in the first year of the scheme’s introduction.” But 9 out of 10 households will get some level of reimbursements “ through personal income tax cuts and increases in pensions and allowances, as well as other measures”. This will already take effect from May-June 2012. Check out the Household Carbon tax estimator for Australia:  

    a.   What is the Carbon Tax? (Australia):  http://www.carbontax.net.au/category/what-is-the-carbon-tax/ A $23 per ton initial tax on heavy polluters.
    c.   Discussion (Australia). Australia is one of the worst (developed countries) for carbon footprint per capita. Unlike Canada (cold) this is partially because of the sprawl of the country and the abundance of fossil fuels. The tax is directly on the producers of carbon (starting with coal) and this tax is applied directly to those impacted. Those households impacted can spend the money any way they want.  The more accurate costs of dirtier energy (coal and oil) will serve to shift prices to cleaner energy.

    So, what does this mean? It means that in lots of places and within lots of organizations (and governments) there is a movement toward addressing carbon emissions. Even the glacial movements in the US are starting gain speed, much like the melting glaciers themselves are.


    A market mechanism like Australia’s seems like an good approach. There is not a massive initial gift of credits to the coal-burning companies. The government doesn’t take all the money and run. The market is given an opportunity to improve the costing to accommodate the externalities of fossil fuels.


    Let’s see how that plays forward? 


    Coming soon to an eBook store near you: Social Responsibility by the www.RefractiveThinker.com. 

  • Marine scientist champions Blue Carbon

    Marine scientist champions Blue Carbon: “Seagrass meadows act as a massive carbon sink, capable of storing as much carbon as forests. There’s only one problem: due to poor watershed management and declining water quality near shorelines, seagrasses are disappearing at alarming rates.” [Italics added.]

    Great! We can get sea grass to function as a massive sink for CO2. There’s lots of ocean with lots of room for seagrass.

    The only one, small, tiny problem: we’re killing off the seagrass.

    Ooops. That’s a little inconvenient, don’t you know.

    But, that said, this is good to know. Maybe water quality and water management will escalate in importance to help save the reefs and the grasses.

    ‘via Blog this’

  • EIA – Press Room – 3.9% increase in CO2 in US for 2010

    EIA – Press Room – Press Releases

    Ouch. This is an ugly increase of about 4% in energy-related CO2 from the USA in 2010.
    We had a 12% reduction during the heat of the recession in 2009, but we’re coming back with a vengeance.
    And, of course, China is out doing us now and growing by leaps and bounds.
    Double ouch!
    Count India into that,
    Triple ouch!:-(