Is your estuary "Climate Ready"?

I call shenanigans. Today I got my EPA "Water Headlines" email and it contained information about water and climate change, saying "interim milestones and schedules have been accomplished and work is on schedule"! Um, let's not sound like we are on top of this, OK? Or we might have another Chesapeake Bay moment, where most of what we have accomplished is bureaucracy:

Progress Report on Climate Change and Water Released
The EPA Office of Water has released a report describing activities implemented in 2008 to respond to the challenges posed by a changing climate. The report is divided into three major sections:

1. a description of activities to implement the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change, including the 44 key actions in the Strategy;
2. a review of water-related climate change activities in EPA Regions; and
3. a summary of EPA climate and water-related activities not specifically addressed in the Strategy.

During 2008 the Office of Water made substantial progress implementing the Strategy. Work on all but three of the 44 key actions has been initiated. For most of these actions, interim milestones and schedules have been accomplished and work is on schedule. Some highlights of successful implementation efforts include:

• publication of proposed regulations designed to assure that geologic sequestration of carbon does not pose a threat to underground sources of drinking water;
• development of the "Climate Ready Estuaries Program;" and
• establishment of a Federal Interagency Workgroup on climate change and water matters.
  More information about the Strategy is available on the Office of Water Climate Change Website at: www.epa.gov/water/climatechange.

Obama approves California emissions waiver

In a move that was completely expected but nonetheless exciting, President Obama has overruled the Bush andministration and is pursuing the "California Emissions Waiver." I have discussed the waiver here several times. The jist: EPA denied a waiver to California that would allow it to set emissions limits for new vehicles. California is the only state allowed to propose limits in the clean air act. Other states are allowed to use either California or Federal standards. Maryland was planning to use California's standards pending approval of the waiver. According to the Frederick News-Post on December 27:

Frederick County's three elected federal officials oppose a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruling to block Maryland and 16 other states from having emissions regulations stricter than federal limits. In contrast, many of the county's state representatives support the federal government's move...

State delegate Rick Weldon, a Republican representing Frederick and Washington counties, said he agreed with the EPA decision and does not want to proceed to court. He did not support the Clean Cars Act last session..."I don't think it's appropriate for 50 states to set 50 different criteria for greenhouse gas emissions from cars," Weldon said.

I did talk to Delegate Weldon about this issue as he is a very reasonable person. I didn't change his mind but I did explain to him that since only California is able to set its own more stringent standards, states can adopt either the federal standards or California standards. The California standards were officially adopted by 17 states including Maryland, representing about 50% of the US population. The "patchwork" argument is nonexistent and is basically political jockeying on behalf of the auto industry. Yet I heard this argument again on the radio this morning.

Thanks, Prez.

Talk on Climate Change and the ESA

J.B. Ruhl FSU School of Law “Climate Change and the Endangered Species Act” Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the National Conservation Training Center

The NCTC invites prominent conservationists, writers, historians, scientists, musicians, and educators to discuss their work to a broad and interested public. No tickets or reservations are required, the public is encouraged to attend. If you would like more information on the speaker series contact: Mark Madison, (304) 876-7276, mark_madison@fws.gov or visit the web site at: http://training.fws.gov/history/publiclectures.html. NCTC is located on Shepherd Grade Road, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. All programs are in the Byrd Auditorium.

Retool America

I mentioned recently that I was putting together an art show and would be light on posting. That show was this past Saturday and it was awesome. It was originally slated to be at Heineman Myers Contemporary Art for just one evening but the gallery owner has decided to leave the show up through the inauguration. I just found out yesterday that my design, "Retool America" is one of the winners of the Manifest Hope art show in the "Green Economy" category and will be on show from January 17-19 at 3333 M St NW in Georgetown. I admired the original Manifest Hope show in Denver from afar and collected prints of many of the artists who were in that show; my gallery reception this past Saturday featured a number of these artists plus myself and a few other artists like Mike Murphy and Robert Strasser whose works I admire. To be in Manifest Hope: DC is a total dream; it's exciting to be able to combine what I do here with ideas with graphic design. One of the judges of the art was Van Jones, someone I have talked about here as a person I admire.

So the words "Manifest Hope" have special meaning to me.

Here's to hoping that the next President can retool America.

Cool Capital Inaugural Ball

COOL INAUGURAL BALL

LIVE BAND!

Dancing!

Drinks!

Food!

Don't miss out on the Coolest Inaugural Ball in honor of President Barack Obama. Come eat, drink and be merry with your local grassroots volunteer environmental organizations. Tickets will be available soon!

Celebrate as Cool Capital Challenge and the Washington DC Chapter of the Sierra Club join forces to help stop the climate crisis right here in the nation's capital. Rock out with us as we grove to Northeast Corridor, the band that help put this president into office with their "Sing for Obama - Karaoke We Can Believe In” Fundraisers. And, with an extra donation you can take a turn as lead singer of the band!

So, where will all this fabulously cool fun be happening? At the historic and swank Josephine Butler Park Center in Columbia Heights! The dress code is "Cool" so don't be square, and we'll see you there!

More Cool information on how to purchase tickets to be forthcoming shortly!

All proceeds benefit Cool Capital Challenge and the Sierra Club!

COOL Inaugural Ball

Saturday, January 17^th, 2009

8:00pm – 12:00pm
Tickets

$75 in advance

$100 at the door

Josephine Butler Parks Center

2437 15^th Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

(Closest Metro: Columbia Heights on the Green Line)

DIY windpower?

A new trend with windpower is horizontal installations in big city centers on the tops of buildings. According to the New York Times, these installations "supply power directly to homes without first sending it through a utility company’s lines" but rely on unpredictable wind sources. Costs and benefits: "The turbines, which collectively cost $100,000, could halve the annual utility bill for the common spaces, to $9,000 from $18,000, Mr. Bluestone said." Usually these projections are optimistic and I would like to see what the real payback is. At any rate it is along the order of a capital investment. If you are thinking about doing this yourself, note that the technology continues to improve, and that "roof-mounted turbines, which can be heavy and produce steady vibrations, might perform poorly on rickety buildings." However, incentives are available now: "the wind industry received a boost in October when a provision in the Troubled Assets Relief Program bailout bill created a one-time 30 percent tax credit for the installation costs for homeowners. No credit had existed since 1985...but the new credit is capped at $4,000."

Solar hot water heating is more efficient and should be one of the first things you consider for your home after simple conservation, and insulating and crack sealing. Wind power, unless you just want the cool factor, should be further down on your list.