President Obama at Copenhagen....

Today's post: Wednesday, 12-9-2009

We need an 80% reduction in fossil fuel use by 2050 to avoid the worst global warming effects. And, practically speaking, we need to also double our electricity generation and double the useful work done per unit of electricity & other energy sources as well during that same time to have a decent economy.

At some point, the oil that we’ve been using to power much of our economy will begin to run low enough that our world economy will shrink due to lack of supply or excessive costs or both.

And, once the demand for oil picks up again with the apparent economic recovery or supply begins to plateau or drop, the prices will again go back up. That will cause more hard times economically unless we have enough alternative sources of energy to turn to.

Further, it’s extremely clear that the most supported and economically beneficial solution to add energy that does not use oil nor burn fossil fuels to release more CO2 into air that already has too much is to build massive amounts of new renewable energy production, particularly those that generate electricity & to dramatically increase energy efficiency and reduce the amount of energy that is now wasted.

And, of those the more important long range solution is to build massive amounts of new renewable energy generation.

Today’s post:

Just recently the Union of Concerned Scientists sent out an email which I read.

It asked the readers to email Carol Browner, President Obama’s energy advisor, to request that he do two things.

1. Increase the near term target to reduce CO2 from 17% of what it was in 2005 that was already announced to 20%.

2. Show the other countries that the United States is taking action to reduce destruction of forests and tropical forests and ask that all other countries place a priority on doing likewise.

1. In my email I said this about part 1.

Since what he would like and what the congress will actually deliver may have little in common, I included the idea that he say that but to also say that even though that’s the case, he would at least ASK for the 20%.

But even more importantly I suggested he make a commitment personally to the 20% goal and announce that as long as he is President, he will ask for pieces of specific legislation and regulatory activity and other programs his administration can do on its own to increase energy efficiency, add renewable and other non-carbon energy generation, add begin charging at least part of the most obvious real costs not previously charged to the coal and oil companies for the damage they do other than burning carbon
AND, to do these things well enough that the target of 20% has a real chance of being achieved.

I didn’t say so in that email; but I also think that he has already done many of these things. It would make good sense and add to his credibility to list those actions of this kind he and his administration have already done at least briefly.

I did point out that he could use the occasion as a “bully pulpit” as Theodore Roosevelt liked to do to say that the worst of global warming comes from burning coal and to suggest that the way for the coal industry to respond includes such things as:

Making coal into liquid fuels and natural gas that burn more cleanly to help our oil and natural gas supplies last longer;

& Seeing to it that all existing coal fired plants filter their exhaust through algae that will extract all or most of the CO2 and then use them to make biofuels.

They could also buy liquid biofuels from production by algae on land not now used for forests or farms and combine that with the liquid fuels from coal and the biofuels from the algae fed the CO2 that now goes directly into the atmosphere.

He might also suggest that no new coal fired plants be built. And he might suggest that all new electricity generation should come from renewable sources or nuclear and that sharp increases in energy efficiency and local & onsite renewable energy generation be aggressively pursued to allow for economic growth with fewer new electricity generating plants to allow the new renewable and nuclear sources time to get built and come online.

I also think it might make sense for him to suggest as a goal for the United States and China and all other nations that now burn coal that we begin to focus on setting the goal of economic growth AND releasing less CO2 at the same time. It may be harder to achieve and take longer than just slowing the growth of CO2 release; & we should suggest it rather than demand it of other countries.

But if he commits the United States to that goal and acts accordingly & at least plants the seed of that idea, I think it would be of great value.

2. In my email I agreed that stopping deforestation and his supporting that in the United States and worldwide would be a sound policy.

The email from the Union of Concerned Scientists noted that as much as 15% of global warming is caused by such deforestation.

We’re so far behind where we should be that an area with that much impact deserves attention. We need all the help we can get.

And, in my email I pointed out the forests now in place remove CO2 at no cost and are already in place.

At a time where the funds to help reduce CO2 are far less than needed, I think it imperative to save resources already in place that require no new funds!

Here are some ways to avoid such deforestation.:

By seeing to it that biofuels and liquid fuels to replace oil come from:

sugar cane waste or other agricultural waste from existing farms as Brazil does;

biofuels from algae grown on land not now forested or used as farms;

biofuels from algae fed CO2 from plants now in place that burn coal or natural gas;

& liquid fuels made from coal;

AND making each of these programs a priority, we can help stop the incentives for such deforestation.

Lastly, though it wasn’t in my email, finding out the causes of deforestation now; who is doing it; and what resources for enforcement of existing laws against it countries now experiencing it might need and creating programs to give people incentives or other tools to do the things they now achieve by deforestation and preventing more of it at the same time with more effective enforcement would also make sense. And with the help of his advisors and staff, President Obama could describe and suggest or even launch such programs.

President Obama cannot speak for the congress of the United States and the congress may block some legislation that the coal and gas industries fear. But he CAN do virtually all of what I just described.

He can suggest goals and solutions and commit to those things he CAN do while he is in office.

And, perhaps of most importance, he can show that his administration is working to deliver on his desired goals plus highlight ways other coal producing countries, notably China, can keep economic growth without adding new coal fired plants & to suggest that as a goal for all the countries present.