Maurgood - Sustainability Consulting & Strategy

EPA Looks to Amend GHG Reporting

rpeyser — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:33:06 +0000

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed modifications to its current greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting rule. The modifications aim to correct technical errors, clarify certain provisions, and address questions pertaining to promulgation. In addition the proposal will allow greater flexibility and simplified calculation methods for certain sources in a facility. It will also amend data reporting requirements to provide clarity on when various GHG emissions need to be calculated reported. It is believed that these changes come as result of challenges to the current rule by the American Petroleum Institute and other industry trade groups.

Sen. Kerry Introduces Clean Energy Tax Bill

rpeyser — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:35:19 +0000

Despite the recent failures by congress to pass comprehensive climate legislation, Sen. John Kerry has introduced a new clean energy tax bill. Kerry’s Clean Energy Technology Leadership Act of 2010 is not intended to be a substitute for significant climate legislation. It is however viewed a piece of the larger climate puzzle. The focus of this new bill is to provide tax credits for solar energy, fuel cell power plants, advanced energy storage systems, energy efficient appliance manufacturing, domestic energy production from alternative energy technologies, energy efficient home construction and modification, natural gas fueled vehicles, production of vehicles fueled by compressed or liquefied natural gas, biodiesel and renewable diesel storage, and qualified energy R & D. It will also allow for a clean renewable energy bond issuance of $3.5 billion. The hope of this bill is to make headway where there is foreseeable agreement rather than congressional divide.

EPA Study shows Health Benefits Related to Montreal Protocol

rpeyser — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:36:25 +0000

The EPA has released a study that shows significant health benefits resulting from the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol is an environmental treaty signed by 196 countries in 1987 and amended in 1990. This policy is geared toward the reduction of ozone depleting compounds. The eventual goal is to recover ozone to pre-1980 levels by 2065. The study has shown evidence that there will be 22 million cases of cataracts prevented and a dramatic reduction in number skin cancer cases.

You can view the study here.

US Senate Drops Climate Change Legislation

rpeyser — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:36:40 +0000

The U.S. Senate has decided to no longer pursue a comprehensive climate change bill. It has been stated the reasons for dropping the proposed legislation were a lack of support from senate Republicans and the previous passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Democrats are still seeking to create scaled back version of the climate bill that will contain offshore drilling regulation, incentives for natural gas, and bolstered home energy efficiency programs.

Jeff Grabham- Analyst

rpeyser — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:16:55 +0000

Jeff lives in Colorado and is a passionate advocate for a variety of ecosystems. He has worked within the ski industry for the past 8 years. Prior to moving to Colorado, Jeff was an environmental educator in Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. His work with Maurgood focuses on the development of social media and web outlets. He will also use his extensive education background to develop training programs for the Maurgood clientele.

Jeff has a B.A. Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management from Northern Michigan University and is currently pursuing Graduate School opportunities.

Global Carbon Market to rise 33 percent

msater — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:30:50 +0000

A new report from Point Carbon, a market analysis firm, has forecasted a 33 percent increase from 2009 levels for the global carbon market. The increase will be driven mostly by higher prices in Europe, with the global worth of carbon trading to total $170. The report expects a growth in the promising United States carbon market, though much uncertainty still remains. There is still no official trading mechanism set in America or internationally, nor has there been anything more than lip service to mandatory carbon reduction goals.

Still, the carbon markets have been growing in the last several years, with the market totaling $58 billion in 2007, then more than doubling in 2008 to $133 billion, and reaching $136 billion in the economically depressed 2009.

The total volume of carbon being traded is expected to increase by only 5 percent, which will bring the total to 8.4 billion metric tons of CO2. The largest growth in carbon trade is expected to come from the United States Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap and trade system, which covers 10 Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states power sectors.

Sustainable Patents to be Shared Through GreenXchange

msater — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:29:11 +0000

Ten top organizations joined forces at the World Economic Forum to launch GreenXchange(GX), an online marketplace where companies and non-profits can share their intellectual property (IP) and collaborate on new uses for greener patents. The IP owners have full control of what licensing paths they are comfortable with as well as their own fee structures.

The exchange’s founding members are Nike, Ideo, Best Buy, Yahoo, nGenera, 2degrees, salesforce.com, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Creative Commons and Outdoor Industry Association. Some members will help with the execution of deals while others will be providing their patents. Nike will share more than 400 of its patents on GX, with the intention of allowing companies to license its technology in other non-competitive industries.

Eventually, GX would like to create a map of patents and R&D so companies can collaborate on work instead of doing the same work twice. This way, resources are not wasted and time can be maximized across the board.

GM sailing in uncharted waters

msater — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:58:39 +0000

Robert A. Lutz, vice chairman at GM, thinks a gradual increase in gas taxes would be a positive step for GM. Speaking at the Detroit Auto Show, Lutz said that ”If the rise in gasoline prices is gradual, I think that all of us in the industry would frankly welcome that, because there is nothing more illogical than forcing fuel-saving technology when gasoline is extremely cheap.” While his comments were personal ones, the business veteran wouldn’t make such a statement unless others at GM shared his views.

The great significance of Lutz’s current stance is that it comes from a man who thought global warming was a “crock of shit” and from an industry that had been at the forefront of resisting change. Staunch enemies of the sustainable movement are finally realizing that status quo will sink your ship.

Taking a Stand on Solid Waste

msater — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:56:12 +0000

The Minnesota Environmental Initiative has submitted a report to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency that outlines 38 ways the state could significantly reduce the states pollution. If all of the options are pursued Minnesota would eliminate 52.5 million metric tons of CO2 over 20 years. The report contains 22 consensus and 16 majority recommendations from a group of stakeholders.

Consensus recommendations ranged from extending the life of personal computers by at least a year to eliminating the mandatory delivery of white page phone directories. The more controversial recommendations included requiring retailers to provide recycling services for plastic bags and suggesting the state enact a state beverage container deposit or recycling refund law. The report from the nonprofit will be used as a basis for legislative greenhouse gas and solid waste reduction proposals for both this year and next.

California joins Arizona, Florida and Hawaii as the only states to offer solar hot water incentive programs.

msater — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:53:17 +0000

A $350 million program to subsidize the installation of solar water heaters has been approved by California regulators. The program’s goal is to replace hot water heaters powered by electricity, which has $100 million allocated for that purpose, and natural gas, with the remaining $250 million. With only 10 percent of the current systems in California being powered by electricity, the state is favoring the replacement of these systems. This makes sense when the ultimate purpose of the program is to reduce GhG emissions since electric heating systems are far less efficient than gas.

The initiative hopes to replace 150 megawatts of electricity and 585 therms of natural gas by 2017. The incentives also favor early birds as incentives decrease over the eight-year life of the program. Installers hope it will revive a once booming solar hot water industry. Federal subsidies were offered 30 years ago after the oil embargoes of the 1970s and the nation responded by installing systems but stopped once the subsidies ended.