In this tough economy people are forced to cut expenses to the very basics of lifestyle choices. It’s gone beyond eating out less and not going to the cinema.
More time is now spent deciding on how to curb our drive time to save gas. Turning off lights when not needed - and sometimes even when we normally would think we need them on - can be an obsession.
Gas and electric bills are closely monitored so that maybe we’ll put on a sweater or open the windows rather than spending the extra dollars on our utility bills.
To save the cost of water, we wash more dishes by hand, or maybe we take less and shorter showers.
We opt to use natural substances we already have in our house, such as vinegar and baking soda, in lieu of buying the more expensive household chemical cleaners. This is an obvious green choice both for household health and planetary health.
Shopping for our clothes in consignment has become a reality for many folks who wouldn’t have dreamed of doing this before. This is one of the best examples of reuse that we have.
Reducing consumption is arguably the first thing we need to do to go green. Now that people are forced to live more simply, we can see that we really don’t need as much as we were consuming during the good times.
A very positive effect from a seemingly dire situation is the reduction of carbon emissions, around the world from factories closing down.
It is true that funding for clean tech ventures has gone down due to the economy, but at a personal and grass roots level, there is a deeper understanding of what we need versus what we want and how this has an impact on the environment.
It is also true that many of us don’t have the extra money to buy organic and go for the cheaper, conventional option instead to save money.
In this case, we need to get creative and look at other ways to save and continue (or even start) to buy organic and sustainable foods. We need to continue to send the message to conventional growers and producers that what we put on our tables is worth the extra cost even in hard times.
We can use this bad lemon called the economy to make lemonade for our planet, as well as for our individual and collective selves. Sometimes it may require creativity, but in many instances it happens organically from the need for thrift.
This past Earth Day Vice President Biden announced $300 million of the Recovery Funds Act to be applied to the Clean Cities Program - a program that brings sustainable vehicles and their infrastructure to cities across the country. “…We’re going put Recovery Act dollars to work deploying cleaner, greener vehicles in cities and towns across the nation that will cut costs, reduce pollution and create the jobs that will drive our economic recovery,” said Vice President Biden.
These programs are expected to bolster the country’s infrastructure, reduce our dependence on oil - foreign and domestic - and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are a great cause of global warming.
In addition, these new programs will help boost the economy and bring job growth in local economies and the country as a whole.
Maryland governor, Martin O’Malley, projects job growth of an estimated 17,000 jobs and hopes to a 40% transition of state vehicles to run on alternative fuel or be hybrid by 2010.
Clean Cities is part of the U.S. Department Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program, and was founded as a sort of grass-roots program to support and advance U.S.economic and energy growth by working at the local level of government fleet vehicles.
Multiple projects are eligible for funding in the Clean Cities Program including hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid, hydraulic hybrid, electric, fuel cell, and natural gas for both light and heavy-duty vehicles for local governments.
Infrastructure to support this shift, public awareness campaigns and training programs are all also eligible programs for this funding.
Clean Cities also has a network of around 90 localized volunteer coalitions that develop and promote education, training and interest in alternative vehicles and fuels.
Coalitions can be formed at the community level by following the criteria spelled out by the Clean Cities program and are usually found in major metropolitan cities and areas.
Surprisingly, Clean Cities was founded in 1993 and has replaced over 2 billion gallons of fossil fuel and represents 229 million U.S. citizens through the work of the volunteer coalition.
Clean Cities has stated the following three goals to be its primary mission:
Now with $300 million in funding from the federal government, coupled with new awareness brought about by the green movement, major cities in the U.S. will finally be running cleaner and more efficiently.
There are an abundance of events in my local town of Madison, Wi to celebrate Earth Day throughout this week and coming weekend. As with previous Earth Day events in town, Madisonians show a lot of interest in these events.
Many events are focused on environmental awareness with activities at area nature preserves and conservation sites. The UW Arboretum will feature a luncheon lecture on Native American rock and cave art in Wisconsin. The Arboretum will also host nature and wildflower walks for Earth Day.
Friends of the Lakeshore Marsh will feature a meeting on the Class of 1918 Marsh that is centered on area birds, insects, plants, and plankton and will discuss effects of watershed land use on the marsh.
And the Madison Environmental Group will hold an Earth Day Open House to highlight water conservation and offer helpful tips for taking action and learn more about sustainability.
There are community events like the Earth Day Potluck and outdoor movies showing the Dr. Seuss classic, the Lorax, and the dystopian eco film, Soylent Green.
Our local Whole Foods will hold classes and green information while offering free samples of some of their yummy, organic foods.
And many people will be involved in the cleanup of the natural landscape and nature trails in the area.
The main Earth Day event in Madison happens this weekend and is our annual Green Day event. This event was started and is hosted by the local free weekly paper, the Isthmus, and will feature area chefs and foodie activists giving cooking demonstrations and showing us how to eat locally and sustainably on a tight budget. Free food samples will be included.
The theme of this year’s Green Day will focus on being green in tough economic times with other event attractions that will feature talks by experts on how to start a green business and living sustainably and green in a down economy.
People biking to the event will get in free.
In Milwaukee the Earth Day Event will focus on green vehicles and will feature a presentation by Sonya Newenhouse, founder and president of Community Car, a car sharing service in Madison. Also featured will be a car show of alternative vehicles including new and next-generation vehicles as the hybrid Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight, and Zenn and E-Ride neighborhood electric vehicles.
Most communities throughout the country will hold similar events and activities to involve the community in saving the planet and bring awareness to global sustainability issues. Find the right one for you and go out and get involved.
It’s easy to find local nature preserves or community parks that will offer education and cleanup events. These things help foster an appreciation for your community, local indigenous plant and wildlife species, and the planet at large in both adults and children alike.
It’s important to carry these activities beyond Earth Day, so let these events provide insights and suggestions for ways to get involved in celebrating and helping Earth everyday that matter most to you and your family.
Apartment dwellers and other renters may wish to take advantage of such renewable energy sources as solar and wind to power their homes, but feel unable to do so since they can’t make permanent changes to their homes.
What they may not know is that many utility companies across the country allow subscribers to purchase renewable power through their existing electric service.
These programs allow household customers to purchase alternative energy for an extra fee added to their monthly utility bill. Businesses may also purchase renewable energy for an additional monthly fee.
These fees are not at all prohibitive and can be purchased in increments of 25%, 50%, or 100% of energy coming from renewable sources with fees starting as low as $3 per month.
This monthly contribution covers the added expense of harvesting renewable energy. And of course you won’t have to buy any special equipment or make any lifestyle changes by enrolling in one of these programs.
And is this extra cost tax deductible as it currently is for homeowners to solarize their homes? Sadly, no. This contribution is considered a more expensive product and service and not an actual donation.
While you won’t be able to say that your home runs entirely on renewable energy, enrolling in one these programs creates demand for renewable energy and this is definitely a benefit. We’re using more renewable resources and creating more jobs in the renewable energy sector.
When you enroll in a renewable energy program, utilities use your contribution and estimate how much power is used by the community, how many of these households contribute to the renewable energy sources, and then they add more power from the wind and solar sources to the pool of electricity they use depending on how many users have contributed to the program.
If more people subscribe to the renewable energy programs, the utilities will purchase more of the power they use from renewable energy sources.
Eventually renewable energy won’t be a more expensive option. It will be cleaner and cheaper to access than it does to make and use conventional energy sources. And it will always be available for use.
So check your local energy companies for alternative energy programs and enroll in one for Earth Day!
Big agribusiness was shaken a little over the Obama administration’s proposed cuts to farm subsidies.
The plan was to end direct payments to farms with more than $500,000 in gross sales. The cuts would save over $9 billion over a decade, and therefore is part of the administration’s overall budget plan.
The potential problem with this cut is that the $500,000 in sales may not take into account the amount that farms may actually spend to grow their yields, nor how much they make in profits.
Nor does it consider how much the farm may have lost due to poor crops or weather conditions for the growing season.
This means that medium-sized family farms could be hurt by subsidy cuts, and in a time when the country is looking to smaller, local farms to supply their food, the cuts have the potential to be devastating to this food revolution.
But the proposed legislation has met stiff opposition from the senate. Big agribusiness hold a lot of political purse strings, and many farm state representatives don’t want to aggravate their constituents. Therefore the proposal was defeated in the Senate last week.
Another major concern by agribusiness is the far-reaching cap and trade policies President Obama is trying to pass. Big farms create a lot of greenhouse gases and they may find themselves facing stiff fines, as well as subsidy cuts, if they are found in violation of emission limits.
There are concerns from both sides of the aisle on these cuts and for now these cuts have been defeated. The administration may come back with better defined numbers for profits and income, as well as emission caps.
As for the greenhouse gas emissions created by big farms, maybe they should be using those biogas digesters or some other form of gas emission reduction practices.
We definitely need some sort of change to the current subsidies going to big agribusiness growing acres and acres of corn or soybeans that really go to the feedlots or to make fertilizers.
But, in conjunction, we also need more help going to the smaller farms that create crops for smaller communities and grow more diverse food stuffs.
And of course, by going organic big farms won’t use nitrogen fertilizers that emit greenhouse gases, not to mention, making our food a lot safer and better tasting.
The Renewable Energy Summit was held in Milwaukee the last week in March. It was nice to see a mix of people that included students, business owners, and of course, out-of-work professionals interested in network and exploring the green industry possibilities.
Everyone was interested in learning what hot renewable energy innovations and technologies are out there today.
Attendees learned that solar energy provides the latest in innovation, with wind far behind when it comes to private and residential services. It’s just too costly for an individual homeowner to have a wind turbine by their home, not to mention zoning and neighbor issues.
But here in the Midwest, people are very excited about biofuels. With large dairy farms in abundance in Wisconsin, there is a lot of research and innovation going into using cow manure to produce energy.
Farms, no matter the size, can get all of their energy – even energy for private use in homes - by using biogas digesters that sit right on the farm and convert cow manure to energy.
Biogas digesters convert manure or other organic matter into biogas by using bacteria that decompose the organic waste to produce biogas which is composed of methane and carbon dioxide.
Research is currently in the works on cleaning biogas so that it can be used as a natural gas.
Digesters not only produce energy for the farm, but they also eliminate the smell and the mess cattle produce, and if you live in the dairy state, you can really appreciate this. The odor can be quite strong at times.
Farmers may also sell the excess energy created from the biogas digester back to the grid.
Various organizations, including the USDA and the Department of Energy, offer grants to farmers for the biogas digester and its implementation. Wisconsin, being the leader in biogas digester use, has many programs and initiatives to help farmers.
Using biogas digesters on farms to create energy for that farm, and potentially for the surrounding community, is yet another example of creative ways to produce energy from a very problematic source.
We’re not only eliminating the greenhouse gases made from the methane of cow manure, we’re using hat gas for the power we need.
There is a lot of excitement about the prospect of new green jobs, and rightfully so. President Obama has made it a priority in his administration and even hired Van Jones as Green Job Advisor to help make it happen.
But under the radar, and in response to all of the excitement about green jobs, there is some negative chatter concerning the “myths” of these jobs.
Recently, a collaborative report was written by law and economics professors at the University of Illinois arguing that the proposal of green job creation has many myths attached to it.
The paper postulates that these jobs will not really help the economy, and that they’ll also cause great harm and detriment to our society and to the industry’s growth and potential.
So how can new jobs be bad for the economy?
Upon reading, you find the authors of this report are convinced that the intent of creating green jobs is to “remake” our society into a socialist regime. They rely on fear mongering, pandering to the sensibilities of big corporations.
The paper compares government aid for green industry growth to a Ponzi scheme. Here is one of their myths:
“Myth: Green jobs promote employment growth.”
Here is their “reality:”
“Reality: By promoting more jobs instead of more productivity, the green jobs described in the literature encourage low-paying jobs in less desirable conditions. Economic growth cannot be ordered by Congress or by the United Nations. Government interference –such as restricting successful technologies in favor of speculative technologies favored by special interests – will generate stagnation.”¹
This “reality” described by the authors has recently been proven untrue.
The government just forked over $535 million to Solyndra, a solar start-up that is currently providing great, high-paying, very technical jobs to grow their innovations in solar cell design.
Solar Richmond in California is providing people with advanced training and internships, sponsored by local government entities and some very good local solar companies that have real jobs to give.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is yet another example of this. With help from NGOs and others, they are providing technical training and resources to individuals and companies alike, all while promoting innovation and growth in renewable energy technology.
Recently, it was announced that the federal government is providing $1.2 billion in funding for renewable energy research and development, and President Obama has expressed his administration’s commitment to promoting the innovation needed to grow both the renewable industry and the economy.
So really, where is the harm in job creation and training supported by the government (large and local), small businesses, large corporations, and non-profits?
In light of this, the statement quoted above, “By promoting more jobs instead of more productivity, the green jobs described in the literature encourage low-paying jobs in less desirable conditions,” just doesn’t make much sense.
Also, increasing productivity requires jobs at every level and in every sector – including green collar jobs and less technical positions within low-income communities. Everybody needs a job, not just rich white-collar folks from upper middle-class neighborhoods.
It must be said, however, that a standard is needed for these jobs to keep employees safe in the workplace and to provide a pleasant work environment. The authors complain that there is no standard for green jobs, but then decry regulation on business – a blatant contradiction. Who else but the government can create such a standard?
They seem to have the mistaken notion that the government wants to control all business, impose harsh regulations that limit innovation and growth, and hamper the process with bureaucracy.
This notion really comes from the belief that government could restrict corporations from making big money at the detriment of the environment, their employees, and of society at large.
The real truth here is that the federal government’s goal is to coordinate with businesses, non-profits, and local government, providing a stimulus to the industry to help create jobs, innovation and growth.
It’s clear that the current financial crisis leaves many businesses without the resources to grow and innovate on their own. The question is: who but the federal government is in a position to help?
We have lived for far too long with only very limited regulation and standards for business, and this has gotten us where we are today. Let’s not ever be fooled again by fear-inducing tactics like talk of socialism and the government wanting to dictate to businesses. This kind of talk misrepresents the government’s goals and sets the real limit on economic growth for all.
[1] MORRISS, ANDREW P., BOGART, WILLIAM T., DORCHAK, ANDREW, MEINERS, ROGER E. (2009). GREEN JOBS MYTHS. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LAW AND ECONOMICS RESEARCH PAPER SERIES NO. LE09-001.
Google has teamed up with GE to bring us up-close and personal to the smart grid. They’re developing a personal energy information application called the Google PowerMeter that will show us our energy consumption in near real-time.
We will know how much energy we’re using, which appliance is using more energy, and find out once-and-for-all just how much energy and money we save by unplugging all of those appliances not in use.
A leader in the Silicon Valley internet technology industry starting from modest beginnings with a well-designed search engine, Google is betting we’ll better understand our energy usage by the information we receive from the PowerMeter than what we currently find on our utility bills.
Google is using GE’s smart meter to create the application. Thanks to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Plan, over 40 million homes will have a smart meter in place over the next few years.
Google’s interest comes from the belief that consumers need access to personal energy usage to make informed decisions about consumption and saving. Google has brought on Edward Lu – a former NASA astronaut and an electrical engineer and Ph.D. in applied physics to head their energy program tools for consumers. They’re really serious about this.
Not only is Google creating tools for the individual consumer, they are investing in energy technology as well as lobbying for policies that give the smart grid a push. Always future-forward, Google intends to bring our outdated energy grid into the modern, digital era.
This technology not only helps consumers save money by tweaking their energy use, it reduces CO2 emissions to the projected equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road.
Google has used the analogy of getting a grocery bill at the end of the month to the monthly electric bill. How can consumers control their spending and how can they budget for something that is not broken down by usage and not even calculated until after it is used? It is currently very problematic, but something everybody is used to.
The Google PowerMeter will be free of cost and will allow consumers access to energy usage information over time to see peak periods of use. We will be able to compare usage from one day to the next, or to see trends over longer periods of time. People will be able to access this information from personal computers or cell phones.
The PowerMeter is not yet available to the general public but is now being tested by Google employees.
Google may be reinventing itself as one of the next energy giants in smart grid innovation. This is shrewd business acumen that stems from a commitment to new energy systems as well as a strong interest in the cool technology funneled directly to the consumer through personal computing and wireless networks.
Google has been at the forefront of innovation in technology, so it is only fitting that they want to play a big role in new energy schemes for the consumer. Google - an industry giant, and a gentle one at that.
A group in Cincinnati has converted an old, vacant building to create a green tech lab for green construction and design projects.
The Ford training center in the Twin Cities has plans to close its doors by 2011 and will lay off hundreds of employees in the process. A few area groups have decided to use this manufacturing site as a green jobs training program for wind turbine manufacturing and installation, and light rail car production.
Here are a couple of examples of how greening our defunct manufacturing and industry plants in this country can help create jobs well within reach of those laid off factory workers, as well as help the U.S. to once again make products, all while helping the environment and hard-hit communities.
Not only will new jobs be created in this process, necessary training will also take place.
Green collar jobs allow people from impoverished neighborhoods and communities that have been hit hard by lay-offs and plant closings a chance to go back to work and do something for the environment, the growth of our economy, and help bring our defunct manufacturing and industry back to life for better products and a cleaner planet.
More importantly, workers who used to work in environmentally unsafe conditions can now breather easier when they go to work and live a happier, healthier life at home within a community that no longer lives alongside factories that emit toxic waste.
Out of work auto plant workers can go back to work in their old factories, only now they’re working on cars that help this country move away from oil dependence, and aid in the race against climate change.
America can start anew to make innovative products and employ green collar workers to return this country to the global marketplace where it once stood and where we can make a positive impact.
We have heard there will be hundreds of thousands of jobs created from initiatives contained in the economic stimulus plan. But let us be concerned with the job creation within the green or cleantech sector of business and industry.
Obama laid out plans to rebuild our energy grid and has a focus on increasing U.S. dependence on renewable energy (RE) sources for our energy use over the next few years.
This means that there will be an increase in jobs within the RE sector. Jobs in RE are fast becoming a focus of interest for jobseekers. Many who have no previous experience in energy want to be a part of the RE fields and they want it bad!
Main areas of RE job creation are currently coming from:
Solar is one the broadest of the RE categories in terms of career specialties.
Wind energy is fast growing and there are many opportunities to be had in this sector of RE.
This is heavily science-based and includes research in not only corn-based ethanol, which is a highly contested form of energy extraction, but also in photosynthesis-types of energy creation by studying algae and other microbes.
This is an exciting and innovative arena and research mostly comes from small research firms focusing on biofuels or university research. There is high-need for microbiologists in these fields.
Other areas of RE include geothermal energy and ocean energy (tapping the energy from waves which is pretty cool), but currently not creating a lot jobs but definitely worth watching.
Interestingly, big oil companies like Exxon have the capacity for tapping geothermal sources for energy and they will probably be the ones taking advantage of big growth in this industry.
While geology degrees are especially useful, most jobs in geothermal are for project engineers who may or may not need experience in geothermal energy.
Another big area for job creation is in clean IT. Cleantech IT is a darling for VC funding and these jobs are basically the same as any IT position one would find in any high tech company.
For those seeking to move into a green career, the key is focus and research. Focus on the career track you want to take, and research the best avenues to get there. This may mean taking entry-level positions for mid-level individuals.
Taking an internship or getting certification within a specific field. Or, you may even need to go back to school for an advanced degree or for that degree you never got around to getting in the first place.
The jobs will be coming, so let’s get prepared for them.
There is a heated debate at the moment concerning the smart grid. Should there be a smart grid? Will it be effective?
And just what is a smart grid?
The smart grid will connect consumers to the power companies and give users more control over energy usage. This allows the power companies to better predict the amount of power needed by generators throughout any given day. Not only does this save in power usage, but saves the consumer, and the overall economy, lots of money.
The smart grid will also be able to distribute power from locations in other parts of the country to places with higher need. For example, folks in Madison, WI can get solar power from Las Vegas, NV.
But why the debate?
There are a few reasons why some people think the smart grid will not actually be very smart. Most notably – It won’t save as much energy as predicted.
Reasons include:
Yet, there are those on the other site of the argument who think the smart grid is very smart indeed. These are people from companies that include industry giants like GE and Google, as well as from our own government.
What are the arguments for a smart grid?
Looking at points from both sides of the debate, it’s hard to tell why some people are so opposed to the smart grid. Opposition seems to mostly come from those who either want our energy from nuclear power, or from those who feel power use will be controlled by the utilities, or worse, the government.
Looking at both arguments, it’s apparent that we really need a smart grid. President Obama wants renewable energy sources like the sun and wind to provide 10% of our power by 2012 (we’re currently at about 1%). We need an updated grid system to achieve this. Our current grid doesn’t have capacity to utilize renewable energy sources.
Without rebuilding our grid, we won’t be able to move forward with any new power initiatives and that would not be smart at all.
A lot has been reported this past week about the growth in cleantech jobs in California over the latter part of 2008. Cleantech seems to be providing a small bit of relief to California’s economy at the moment.
While job loss in Silicon Valley has risen in the last year, capital invested into cleantech companies and green technology research has boomed at the same time.
The term cleantech covers a range of industries in the green sector some of which include renewable energy (solar, wind, biofuels, etc.), electronic and computing innovations, environmental safety (household cleaning products, for example), automotive engineering, LEED construction, and creating a smart grid.
Silicon Valley receives the most funding for cleantech with a whopping 94 percent growth in venture capital funding over the previous year. And while job loss in the valley has taken a severe downturn the last part of 2008, green job growth has enjoyed a steady rise over the last eight years.
Innovative companies like Silver Spring Networks help give a more positive outlook on California’s economy after a recent deal made with PG&E to supply the utility company with a “smart meter” - an energy reader that tells the consumer and the utility company important information on power usage and therefore helps eliminate areas of waste as well as lower utility bills.
PG&E is spending billions to replace old energy meters with the new smart meter from Silver Spring.
At Silicon Valley’s ‘State of the Valley’ conference on February 20, cleantech growth was a major topic, as was its future in the valley’s economic growth. There was talk there of plans to train those who lost their jobs with energy and technology companies, and shift them into areas of green technology and renewable energy.
But Orange County’s contributions to the California economy with green innovations and job growth in cleantech can not be ignored – just last year VC funding went over $320 million to the area for green technology.
With companies like Broadcom and Ingram Micro advancing green IT, and UC Irvine conducting research focused on the environment and energy, Southern California is not only providing cleantech advances, but also helping its economy.
VC investors began funding green and clean technologies after the high tech bubble burst in the early part of the century, turning to new and innovative technologies that, lucky for everyone, not only help our environment but are now helping our economy to get back on track.
While cleantech job growth in the OC and Silicon Valley are a relief to California’s economy, this will hopefully spread to the rest of the country. Combined with the current administration’s economic stimulus bill that offers funding for green technology initiatives, California’s cleantech growth brings a sunnier view of our economic future.
More jobs created, cutting-edge technology and innovation, a cleaner, more efficient planet – all so needed after the recent real estate catastrophe, high unemployment rate (getting higher by the minute), and multiple bank bailouts.
The rest of the country might do well to look to Silicon Valley as an example of a social and economic rescue plan that will not hurt but offer relief to the taxpayer, and also bring us better and more opportunities and a hopeful promise of a brighter future.
After becoming a nation of low producers and high consumers, and falling way behind in global innovation and industry, there appears to be hope for us yet!
