Some good ideas from The Daily Green. We'll run a couple a day:Have you started to think about positive changes for next year? Please send us your ideas as we work together in 2013 for a better, healthier world:Avoid Waste: RecycleCost: $0For every trash can of waste you put outside for the trash collector, about 70 trash cans of waste are used in order to create that trash. To reduce the amount of waste you produce, buy products in returnable and recyclable containers and recycle as much as you can..
I was very pleased to be one of the speakers at the recent Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit in Milwaukee. The session topic was the Role of Local Governments in Moving Towards Energy Independence with Renewable Energy – and I was honored to appear with a distinguished group of people who are doing just that:
Larry Nelson, Mayor of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Larry talked about the work he and his colleagues are doing to demonstrate that cities can be fiscally and environmentally responsible at the same time. . . .
Jeanne Hoffman, Facilities and Sustainability Manager for the City of Madison, Wisconsin. Jeanne talked about MadiSUN – the city’s solar energy program aimed at doubling installations of solar electric and solar hot water systems by 2001. . . .
Dave Merritt, Dane County, Wisconsin. Dave correctly pointed out that “the key to energy independence and climate change is local.” And he provided an excellent example of how Dane County is doing more than giving that lip service: Cow Power is the County’s program to build two digester systems to turn cow manure from a number of dairy farms in the County into electricity. . . .
And Ann Beier, director of the City of Milwaukee Office of Environmental Sustainability. Ann painted a clear picture of the critical role Milwaukee city government is playing in energy independence by setting the right example, testing new technologies, and developing innovative programs and policies. Ann talked about the progress the city is making in meeting its goal to reduce energy use by 15% by 2012 by installing solar electric and geothermal systems in municipal buildings, and converting city stoplights to high-efficiency LED fixtures – a step the city is also studying for municipal parking garages. . . .
In my mind, the stories told by each one of these speakers demonstrate how we already have the means, the funding mechanisms, the technologies and the expertise to put energy efficiency and renewable energy to work in city halls and county courthouses across America to save money, create jobs and protect the environment.
Waukesha, Madison, Dane County and Milwaukee – they’re all leading the way. A lot more like them need to find the will to join in.
What do you think?
The carbon dioxide catch-and-release experiment in Pleasant Prairie, which started last year, is getting some more attention today.
The We Energies power plant is the site of a project funded in part by the Electric Power Research Institute and the French company Alstom. Alstom has built a system at the state's largest coal-fired power plant that uses chilled ammonia to separate the carbon dioxide that's heads out into the atmosphere.
If all goes well with this test, the utility industry is planning a bigger demonstration of this technology at a coal plant in West Virginia.
Whatever technological change is forced on utilities, it won't come cheap, Wall Street Journal Environment Editor Jeffrey Ball writes in his column today.
"Whatever the truth about 'clean coal,' consumers will be paying for it one way or another," Ball writes.
The test is one way that the utility sector is preparing for regulation of greenhouse gases at some point by Congress. That's significant for Wisconsin given how much we rely on coal for power.
In southeastern Wisconsin, regional cooperation has been a long time coming.
The need for economic development and job creation in our cities has never been more critical. After many years of talking about the benefits of regional cooperation the cities in our region are united in a cause that will address those needs. That cause is regional transportation.
Our organizations are responsible for increasing the economic vitality of the surrounding community, and while each city faces unique challenges, we share a common goal of fostering business development, job creation and capital investment.
None of our cities is unique in its work to support the efficient and continued operation of transit systems at a time when state and federal funds for transit are stagnant. We all agree that frequent, reliable transit is critical to ensuring that all residents can access jobs. Conversely, reliable transit is critical in assuring businesses that they are accessible by employees. Businesses need people to operate, and people need to get to work. With more impending cuts to the bus system, we are at risk of jeopardizing that workflow.
In addition to solving the current financial crisis caused by funding bus transit with local property taxes, we are in agreement that our region will benefit significantly by strengthening its connection to the metropolitan Chicago area. Our neighbors to the south have developed a booming global marketplace, and we have yet to take full advantage of the opportunity to easily access and leverage the workforce, jobs, business expansion and commerce taking place there. For these reasons, we are also united in our belief that the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter rail system and our local train service need to move forward. We are asking the Governor and Legislature to give local leaders the ability to enact a dedicated sales tax of up to one-half percent to fund transit.
As advocates for a diverse business community, we believe that shifting the costs off of the property tax and onto a sales tax is not only a secure option for our businesses, but it’s a progressive step in ensuring the development of a strong, competitive region. We are not alone in this vision. We share support with labor groups, top regional business executives, and minority, civic and environmental organizations. . . .
Timothy Sheehy represents the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Roger Caron represents Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce and Todd Battle is with the Kenosha Area Business Alliance.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle provided the Keynote Address today to an over-flowing, standing-room audience at AWEA's supply chain seminar in Appleton.
Noting that Wisconsin has seen unemployment rise from 4% to 8.8% since last fall, the highest levels since the Great Depression, he noted, "It is a time of enormous pressures and a time of enormous opportunities" for Wisconsin. He also sees it is a time of major transformation. We will emerge with a stronger economy when we recover and , he says, we don't want to go back to the old way of doing business, built on fragile derivatives and other shaky financial instruments, but rather based on strong jobs and strong industries, focused on clean energy as a large sector.
"Wisconsin does not have gas, coal, or oil -- every dollar is being sent out of state for our energy needs. Every dollar we send out of state does not help build our economy. That's why we are so committed to renewable energy," the Governor said. "We need to set very high state renewable electricity standards" while it is being pursued in Washington at a federal level. He said he intends to pursue a goal of 25% by 2025 for both electricity and transportation fuels from renewable sources in this state.
"Investment in wind energy is being driven by states that have an RES in place. As a matter of state policy and national policy, it is important that we move toward a (national) renewable energy standard...We need to make a long-term commitment to renewable energy in this country."
He also stressed the need to foster a climate in the state that favors innovation and research, modeled after the state's efforts in life sciences and health care. "We need to do the same for energy research as well."
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