onairlive-blog

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Jamie Sweeting, former Chief Environmental Officer for Royal Caribbean, has a brilliant, simple metaphor for the conveying the importance of sustainable tourism.

Filmed during "Tourism in a Changing Climate," a panel discussion held at George Washington University on Monday, Sept. 23.

#sustainability #climate change #tourism #cruise #flowers #world tourism day

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A quick primer on some of the major environmental issues China is(n't) dealing with. For more in-depth coverage of China's energy and water challenges, tune in to our livestream of this event on Sept 19 at 6:30 p.m. EST: 

Clean Energy In The United States And China: Successes, Challenges, And Implications

In Pulitzer Center grantee Sean Gallagher’s latest post for National Geographic, he debunks five myths about China and the environment.

#climate #china #water #energy #clean energy #upcoming

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With the violence in Syria gaining renewed attention this week, it's important to explore the causes that led to the uprising over two years ago. While no one factor can be pinpointed as a main cause, Duke professor Erika Weinthal explains how a variety of environmental stressors, including the 2008 drought and increased food prices, contributed to instability in the region.

This clip was recorded during a discussion at the Stimson Center entitled, "Environmental Stress and Middle East Instability." Full video of this event can be viewed here.

For further information on the 2008 drought and it's impacts on Syrian wheat production, we recommend this insightful USDA analysis.

#food #drought #instability #syria #middle east #natural disaster

[onairlive-blog]

Abbey Ende, a 12-year-old student from Asheville, N.C., drew inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech when she delivered her own message in front of the White House during the Rally for Independence from Fossil Fuels on July 27, 2013. 

#climate change #washington dc #mlkdream50 #MarchOnWash #mlk #mow50 #youth #solar #dream

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Monday morning got you dragging? Cheer up with this humorous -- and insightful -- analogy from the current director of the US Navy's Task Force Climate Change program. Video recorded at EnviroRun DC on August 22, 2013.

#climate change #humor #navy #envirorun #military #sustainability

[onairlive-blog]

Andy Revkin, the man behind the New York Times Dot Earth blog, finished his keynote at the 2013 ScienceOnline Climate Conference with a live performance of his song, "Liberated Carbon."

Tune in next week for more videos from ScioClimate!

#carbon #climate change #energy #scioclimate

[onairlive-blog]

The World Bank recently published a series of reports titled “Turn Down The Heat,” examining the impacts of severe climate change scenarios of up to 4ºC rise by 2100. On Wednesday, August 7, Jane Ebinger highlighted the World Bank’s findings for the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and South Asia, all areas that will be greatly affected by severe heat events, crop productivity losses, and sea level rise as the world warms. In today’s video, Ms. Ebinger discusses how even a 2ºC increase in temperature will have significant negative impacts on the agricultural productivity and livelihood security in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to double by 2050.

Ms. Ebinger’s full presentation, delivered as part of the monthly EPC Forum series at  John Hopkins University, can be viewed here.

The World Bank plans to continue the Turn Down The Heat series with a report examining poverty and social impacts from climate change in the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia.

#agriculture #climate change #africa

[onairlive-blog]

More on the study that he quotes from, with an interactive map, here: http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/31/4574558/more-than-1400-cities-could-be-underwater-by-centurys-end

The "Safe Climate Caucus" comprises 27 congressman and women. They vow to bring state-by-state climate issues to House floor in one-minute speeches. Here is Cal. Rep. Alan Lowenthal speaking on the impacts to coastal California and over 6 million people, July 31, 2013.

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Do you want to have meaningful discussions about climate change with industry? Best to avoid that term, and discuss "resiliency" instead -- at least, that what Thomas King, Executive Director and President of National Grid US, has experience. At a report launch hosted by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, King joined Jeffery Serba, President and CEO of American Water, to discuss how their respective industries are adapting to increasing costs and damages from climate change and natural disasters.

While the tone was occasional cynical -- Serba described the overall water industry as "three decades behind" on necessary improvements in infrastructure -- both panelists pointed out the tremendous amounts of capital investments underway right now, as utilities are realizing up to three-fold return on value for efficiency upgrades. In today's 321 video, the pair discuss some of these investments, obstacles that remain in the way, and how the government can play a role in increasing the effectiveness of climate change adaptations -- or should we say, "resiliency."

#energy #efficiency #321 #water #resilience #panel #electricity

[onairlive-blog]

Can fighter planes run on veggies? The U.S. Department of Defense certainly thinks so, having invested millions in funding for the research and development of advanced biofuels ranging from canola oil to algae. The Navy and Air Force seek to replace half their use of petroleum-based fuels with alternatives by 2020, a laudable effort that nonetheless raises many questions about its feasibility and impact.

Dr. Joel Yudken, Principal and Founder of the economic policy research organization High Road Strategies, sought to address these questions. On July 12 he discussed the findings of his study, “The Economic Benefits of Military Biofuels,” during a luncheon sponsored by the Nation’s Capital Area Chapter of the U.S. American for Energy Economics (NCAC USAEE.) Dr. Yudken’s study focused on the economic and regional impacts of the military’s commitment towards integrating alternative fuel sources over the coming decade, and the potential of so-called “drop-in” biofuels that can be used in modern military vehicles and hardware.

Today’s 321 video explores the potential reach of biofuels in the U.S. Air Force, and how their development may have implications for the commercial airlines industry. The full discussion, which examines the most promising biofuels under research, the U.S. Navy’s clean fuel initiatives, and the major challenges facing the biofuels industry, can be viewed here

A .pdf of the slides accompanying Dr. Yudken’s presentation is available online at the NCAC-USAEE website.

#energy #biofuel #military #321

[onairlive-blog]

Though he left his director's post in 1995, former CIA director and ambassador R. James Woolsey remains very much in tune with the current problems — and potential solutions — that exist in the global energy market. In a recent discussion hosted by Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, Woolsey explored some of these issues and how they affect U.S. energy production and national security.

His most prominent argument: When it comes to reducing dependence on foreign oil, we've been focusing on the wrong solutions. "The location [of imported oil] isn't the main point. The main point is the price," Woolsey noted, emphasizing that the global market limits the impact the United States has when it decides from which countries it will purchase oil. For example, if the United States buys more oil from Canada and less from Venezuela, other countries will respond by buying less oil from Canada and more from Venezuela.

The key to reducing the political and economic clout of questionable fuel-vending nations is to reduce overall demand — and, thus, the market price and profits — for oil. While we can't take millions of conventional-fuel vehicles out of the U.S. fleet overnight, there may be cheap and effective ways to accelerate the use of alternative fuels and increase energy independence.

In particular, Woolsey believes in the potential for a market for ethanol and methanol derived from U.S. natural gas. With the current price of natural gas sitting around one-fifth that of oil, developing methanol-based fuels to add them as a choice at the pump could potentially take enough demand away from oil to drive prices down to $60 per barrel or less. With current prices hovering at more than $100 per barrel, those actions wouldn't just increase the energy independence and national security of the United States, but also would put quite a bit of money back into Americans' wallets.

The full discussion with Ambassador Woolsey can be viewed here.

#energy #oil #methanol #alternative fuels #keystone xl

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What do you imagine when you hear the term “Smart Grid”? You might think of the transmission lines connecting wind farms to your home, or electronic meters that display your power consumption and electricity bill in real time. But to Laurence Daniels, the most important part of the Smart Grid is not any machinery, but the relationship between the utility and its customers. As a director at the D.C. Office of the People’s Counsel, Mr. Daniels has paid keen attention to how smart grid technology and services are implemented around the U.S., and on Tuesday, June 26 he joined in a public forum to discuss why the transition from the traditional electric grid to a Smart Grid is important.

Hosted by the D.C. chapter of the Sierra Club, this forum sought to educate what is meant by the term “Smart Grid,” and what benefits can consumers expect as these technologies and dynamics move forward.

Eric Lightner, Director of the Federal Smart Grid Task Force at the Department of Energy, detailed the staggering size of the current grid – with 3,200 utility companies managing over six million miles of electrical lines – and discussed federal efforts to educate consumers with programs such as the Green Button initiative.

Dan Delurey, Executive Director of the Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid, gave an entertaining overview, punctuated by flashcards, of why the current grid is failing modern customers and how new technologies will optimize how electricity is generated and distributed across the U.S.

Mr. Daniels explained how the relationship between utilities and consumers is changing into a partnership, where both sides cooperate to achieve the cheapest and most efficient electrical generation.

Last, Bill Gausman, Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Planning at the utility Pepco Holdings, Inc., explained how newly implemented technologies are helping the utility handle everything from power outages to increased demand from charging electric vehicles.

The full event can be viewed here.

#energy #electricity #smart grid #sustainability

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On Friday, June 21, just days before President Obama was to unveil his Climate Action Plan, the International Environmental Agency (IEA) premiered a special report entitled Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Dr. Fatih Birol, chief economist at the IEA, discussed the current trends in global energy use and CO2 emissions, and presented the IEA’s “4-for-2°C” program that showcases four policy measures adoptable by all nations to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 without adversely affecting economic growth. These measures include:

Improving energy efficiency

Limiting inefficient coal use in power

Reducing upstream methane emissions in fossil fuel production

Phasing-out fossil fuel subsidies.

By fully implementing these measures, the IEA predicts the global economy will be able to keep GHG emissions within 2% of agreed targets by 2020 and pave the way for effective use of advanced technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage.

In addition to Dr. Birol’s presentation, the event included discussions with Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary of Energy, Polly Trottenburg, Under Secretary for Policy, and Andrew Steer, president and CEO of World Resources Institute. The complete broadcast of this event can be viewed at the Climate Nexus Livestream page.

#climate #energy #321