I found out about the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) website through a post on Treehugger on the UCS Cartoon Contest: Choose Your Science Idol Today!. UCS was founded at MIT in 1969 to encourage scientific research in the aid of environmental and social issues, conducting technical studies and communicating results with the public, media and policy makers. UCS combines "rigorous scientific analysis with innovative thinking and committed citizen advocacy to build a cleaner, healthier environment and a safer world." UCS has also prepared a list of Ways to Support the Integrity of Science.
By registering on UCS, you are kept abreast of key issues and have an opportunity to make your voice heard. For example, UCS recently raised concerns about plans to 'fast track' approval of genetically engineered (GE) rice that has contaminated non-GE rice crops.
UCS also distributes a number of newsletters. The October Food & Environment digest discussed issues around antibiotic use in cattle, an analysis of the E. coli outbreak linked to spinach, FDA approval of a virus-containing spray that kills food-borne bacteria, demand for organic food, and Kraft's agreement to sell only non-genetically engineered food to China. GREENTIPS looked at options for improving the efficiency heating residential water.
I have found the UCS website a well-balanced and thoughtful source of information, useful regardless of my opinion on the subject. You can even play the Great Green Web Game on consumer choices and the environment.
I had the pleasure of hearing Peter Busby speak at the
September 27th Sustainable
Speaker Series lecture put on by the
and Region Conservation Authority. Peter
topic was Extending Sustainable Design
from Buildings to Communities: Recent Busby Perkins+Will Projects. I arrived just in time to see a chart
showing the continuing per capita growth of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada,
during a time period where Europe has been showing gradual reductions. Although both
and Europe will have challenges meeting their
commitments, Canada’s
task is growing increasingly difficult each year. Contributing factors include weak national energy
codes and a focus on primary producers (such as cement manufacturers) rather
than building design. On the other hand,
municipalities and businesses are increasingly taking a leadership role.
Based on Peter’s experiences in sustainable architecture, the lowest cost initiatives tend to generate the highest return. Examples included form and orientation; recycled content; upgrading existing buildings; harvesting hot or cool air; natural ventilation and light; solar shading and reflection; and using deep pools for ground-source heat pumps. Over the years, Peter’s buildings have show increasing energy efficiency, where recent designs use 60% less energy than ASHRAE energy standards. An example is the 2001 City of White Rock Operations Building project, which reduced energy by 55% over ASHARE 90.1 and dramatically cut site water use.
The business case for sustainable architecture depends on many factors. The cost impact is less on projects involving high energy usage (extreme climates, laboratories), large projects, and situations where the client has the flexibility to work with the architect on energy saving options. Typically, additional costs range from 0 to 5%, with 10% as a worst case. On the plus side, sustainability has marketing potential, reduces health costs, and can prootect against rising energy and water costs. Recently, Wal-Mart approved 32 of the 37 possible sustainability initiatives proposed by Peter’s firm for a new retail store in Vancouver.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) program is gaining momentum in both Canada and the USA. LEED certification ratings have been developed for new and renovated commercial buildings, commercial interiors, ‘core and shell’ development, and home construction. A new project is LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) which will incorporate smart growth and neighborhood design along with green building practices.
Peter emphasized the importance of the people who will be working and living in sustainable buildings on how well buildings perform over time. He has introduced Post Occupancy Evaluations to measure how well the various building systems perform against planning estimates. Based on preliminary results, ongoing education is often required to maximize the benefits of the design.
Peter sees great opportunities in developing ‘green communities’, taking into account the broader systems implications of sustainability as well as indigenous knowledge of what works in a specific locale. The Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) building was designed to be smart (built-in efficiency monitoring), green, healthy, regenerative and almost greenhouse gas neutral. Incorporating natural systems into architectural designs expands on the idea of regeneration, where good design relies on and also restores ecosystems. The Dockside Green project in started with a broad set of economic, social and environmental criteria that were integrated into a “triple bottom line”. The goal is a mixed-use, self-sufficient, closed-loop, sustainable community that will achieve Platinum LEED certification. Features include:
- Greenhouse gas neutral, through biomass energy cogeneration and other renewable energy sources
- Reduced water consumption of 70 million gallons per year, through on-site water treatment and efficiencies
- Irrigation through natural sources and reclaimed water, combined with native species adapted for hardiness
- Alternative transportation systems
- Habitat creation, enhancement and protection through landscaping, green roofs, and integrated pest management systems
Peter emphasized the incremental learning required to successfully design and develop sustainable architecture. Each idea or concept builds upon and integrates
with other concepts – there are no ‘silver bullets’. However, in combination, significant energy savings can be achieved while improving the health and well-being of building occupants.
TVOntario is currently running a series called The Great Warming. The September 19th program had a comment from a Swiss Re (insurance) representative about how a small increase in average temperature can have a dramatic impact on how we perceive weather. In effect, he was trying to relate climate (long term trends) with weather (what we experience on a day-to-day basis).
Over a extended period of time, many observations of natural phenomenon can be represented by a 'normal distribution' graph that matches a specific value against the probability of the value occurring. The most probable values lie near to the average of all values. The 'spread' of the curve is related to the variability of the values (measured in 'standard deviations'), with high variability data resulting in a wider curve. One interesting aspect of normal distributions is that even extreme values can occur, although their probability becomes smaller with distance from the average.
According to Environment Canada data on Toronto for 1971-2000, July was the hottest month with an average
maximum daily temperature of 26.4C (79.5F). The variability is 1.2 standard deviations (calculated based on the daily average temperature). A normal distribution based on these values looks like the curve below (click on the image to enlarge it), with the temperature in Celsius at the bottom, and probability (where 1.00 is certainty) on the left.
Using a normal distribution allows us to make predictions. For example, the area below the curve to the right of a value tells us the likelihood of experiencing days with maximum temperatures exceeding that value. Using the curve, the probability of 30+C (86+F) degree days is quite small at about 0.13% (the area shaded red is barely noticeable). Note that this curve is an approximation of the real temperature data - from personal experience, the actual probability is higher. What we are interested in is the rate of change in the likelihood of having hot days with increasing average temperature.
If the average maximum temperature increases by 1 degree to 27.4C (81.3F) and the variability remains the same, we can shift the curve one degree to the right and again estimate the probability of 30+C degree days. The following graph shows the result, at around 1.5%. This represents more than a 10-fold increase.
Increasing the average temperature by another degree to 28.4C (83.1F) results in the following curve. The probability of 30+C degree days has increased to 9%, a 6-fold increase. Similar increases in probability would be found if we were looking at 33+C or 35+C degree days.
There is evidence to suggest that global warming not only increases average temperatures, but also the variability. Increasing variability by 25% increases the spread of the curve, and results in a probability of 30+C days of 14%. Note that the curve is wider both at the high and low ends - a higher probability of both hotter and cooler days.
Again, these normal distribution curves are an approximation of the real temperature data - considerable research and data modelling is required to estimate actual probabilities of unusually hot days. The intent was to show how even small increases in average temperatures can result in significant changes in our perception of the weather.
The Nature of Things (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) did a two-part program on Cuba called “The Accidental Revolution”. The first episode aired on July 30/2006 described the industrial system of agriculture introduced after the Castro revolution, a system heavily dependent on non-renewable energy for power and agricultural chemicals. With the US embargo and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, energy imports dropped dramatically. The ability to feed the people of Cuba declined significantly, with daily caloric intake dropping by a third (other reports suggest even more severe reductions).
Over the last decade, Cuba has embarked on developing sustainable agriculture that feeds the population while at the same time reducing agricultural energy inputs to 5% of what agriculture in other countries consumes. The broadcast claimed that Canada expends 12 calories of non-renewable energy to produce a single calorie of food energy - the ratio is reversed in Cuba.
The program described the development of city farms, called ‘organoponicos’. These not only reduce the cost of transporting the food to the consumer, but also provide green spaces, shade and improved air quality. The farms produce a large variety of crops, with up to 50 different kinds of vegetables, fruits, coffee and both ornamental and medicinal plants. The diversity of the city farms mimic nature, avoiding the problems of the more common monoculture practice. Through intensive, year-round cultivation, yields of 15-20kg/square metre (28-37 lbs/square yard) are achieved. All plant waste from the farms and neighbouring city are recycled through composting or earthworm humus. Biological pest controls are used, such as lacewings, ladybugs, natural plant extracts, companion plants and specific bacteria.
The last decade has also led to a renaissance in rural farming. The approach is to work with nature, rather than controlling it. Traditional tropical breeds of cattle with natural resistance to disease are highly prized. Imported protein supplements have been replaced by combining grasslands with legumes, or a practice called ‘silvopasture’ that benefits from the 20-30% protein in some tree leaves. As a result, the cost of producing milk has been cut in half. Oxen are used to plough fields, reducing soil compaction. Farmers work with agronomists to identify seeds that are naturally well adapted to local conditions, increasing plant diversity. Seeds are freely traded between farmers, avoiding the cost of having to buy patented seeds. As a result, food production has doubled with fewer chemicals.
The change to sustainable, organic agriculture has had social benefits. ‘Organoponicos’ are designed to be profitable with few state controls – the result is that farmers are paid well. In general, farming is seen as a desirable occupation, with the number of farmers growing. Constraints on petroleum have eased in the past few years – the broadcast ends on a note of optimism that the Cuban commitment to sustainable agriculture will continue and be an example to other countries.
More information can be found in the TreeHugger post Cuba's Organic Revolution, based on an article in The Independent via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Link: Making Electrical Grids More Efficient
A colleague recently pointed to the article "How Blackouts Work" on the 2003 power blackout that hit large areas of north-east North America. The gist of the article is that the electrical grid has no storage capacity - power that is injected into the grid must be consumed, and power drawn from the grid must be generated, all in real-time. This creates a massive planning and control problem, where power plant output needs to be carefully modulated to meet demand. Often, power is generated far from where it is consumed, leading to large flows through the grid. Generating station or transmission line failures can cause major changes in flow patterns, and can lead to blackouts. Even small variations in power demand can result in variations in the frequency of generated power, as load changes cause generators to either slow down or speed up. Instability in the normally 60-cycle power frequency was a contributing factor to the blackout, by forcing 'power islands' to disconnect from the grid.
The question posed was how decentralized power generation (co-generation, small-scale hydro-electric, wind, solar and biomass) would change the situation. The paper Availability of Dispersed Photovoltaic Resource ... argued that even small amounts of distributed solar power generation capability could have prevented the initial triggers of the 2003 blackout, by matching the capacity to generate power with the increased demand from air conditioning. The article did not discuss how this solar power generation would be controlled. On the surface, adding large numbers of power generators would make the process of controlling the grid even more difficult.
Two thoughts come to mind: the electric grid needs 'buffers' that can smooth out small fluctuations in demand vs. supply, and control needs to be decentralized along with the production. The Technology Review article describes a flywheel-based energy storage system being developed by Beacon Power Corporation that in recent tests was able to absorb or deliver 100 KW of power for 15 minutes. Full-scale implementations could range in capacity from 1 to 20 MW. These devices can rapidly respond to power fluctuations based on frequency control signals sent by the Independent System Operators (responsible for maintaining regional power grids).
Shifts in power frequency above or below the 60-cycle used in North America could also be used to make micro-generation systems 'grid aware'. Such an approach on the demand side is described in Making the Power Grid Smarter, where Whirlpool dryers were outfitted with chips that would monitor supply frequency. If the frequency dropped outside of the normal range, the dryer would shut itself off for a short period of time. If excess supply is associated with power frequency exceeding 60-cycles, then micro power providers could automatically regulate themselves, delivering power when needed and backing off when power is plentiful.
I picked up an all-in-one ink-jet printer a while back. Although I have no complaints about the printer or scanner functionality, the printer eats ink, and not just black. It appears that many ink-jet printers mix in color inks even through the printer was expressly told only to print black and white. If even one of the color cartridges run out, the printer will refuse to print anything.
As with razors, the cost of the cartridges quickly exceeds the cost of the printer. Adding insult to injury was the excess packaging, all to deliver a teaspoon of ink. Because of poor success refilling cartridge for my previous printer, I tried one of the commercial refill services with some success. However, the process was a hassle, and multiple cleaning cycles were sometimes required before the print quality was acceptable. Also, there are rumors that the sponges in regular cartridges may break down over time, clogging the works.
In hunting for alternatives, I heard good things about MIS Associates, both in terms of the quality of their cartridges and inks, as well as their customer service. I have successfully switched to their new spongeless cartridges that are specifically designed to be refilled. In many cases, the refilled cartridges will work perfectly after installation. On a few occasions, a single head clean was required to get all the jets firing properly. The folks at MIS Associates are very knowledgeable about their products and have been a pleasure to work with.
According to Treehugger, Nokia is working on a prototype cellphone that can disassemble itself in 2 seconds, compared to 2 minutes using traditional methods. A heat source activates 'shape metal alloy actuators' which basically cause the phone to disintegrate into component parts. WorldChanging has a more detailed description of the process.
In Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough emphasizes the importance of designing products and services for both the biological and technical resource cycles. By ensuring that the two cycles are kept separate, it is possible to keep pollutants out of the environment. More importantly, it allows creation of closed-loop technical cycles that eliminate the concept of waste through re-manufacturing. The current recycling methods typically downgrade the quality of the material such that they often are only suitable for lower-grade products. Eventually, the value of the recycled material is such that it is discarded.
Aside from dramatically reducing the both waste and resource consumption, the concept lends itself to 'product as service', where you no longer buy a cellphone but rather the services provided by that cellphone. If the product no longer works or new features are required, the physical phone could be exchanged for another one.
Technology Review has compiled a series of articles on global warming.
"Readily available energy technologies could be put in use today to forestall global warming. Technology Review examines some of these technologies and argues that they require not further refinement but a considered, long-term deployment strategy."
The articles describe both the causes and potential solutions for global warming. Noticeably absent is a discussion of how we can reduce the rising demand for energy through conservation and efficiency.
A post on Treehugger described responsible cellphone recycling through TerraPass/RIPMobile. Unfortunately, this program is primarily meant for people living in the USA. However, in the process I discovered that Staples Canada is accepting mobile electronics, including cellphones, PDAs, pagers and chargers. Through CollectiveGood, the equipment is either refurbished (proceeds donated to Special Olympics Canada) or recycled in an environmentally appropriate manner.
Staples also recycles ink-jet and toner cartridges through their Recycle for Education program, as well as rechargeable batteries.
