Fly by night operation provides a detailed map of heat loss in Belgium.

by Tim Varga

The quality of your home’s insulation can be hard to assess without tearing into walls or poking a hole in the roof to see what’s underneath. But a group of municipalities in Belgium have taken a creative approach to helping people learn about their roof insulation: they hired an airplane-mounted thermal imaging camera to photograph neighborhoods over a four-night period in winter.

The resulting map gives a detailed portrait of heat loss through the roofs of Antwerp. Through a website, residents can enter their address, the heating capabilities of their attic space, and even the type of roof they have to get a rough assessment of how effective their roof insulation is.

Coupled with the many energy efficiency and building retrofit grants that Belgium offers, this map provides a great way for local residents to both see where they can make improvements and receive the help they need to realize those upgrades.

I see endeavors like this as evidence that government efforts can be effective and helpful. Measuring the heat loss from your own roof is certainly possible with a thermal gun, but would give poor results and probably cost too much for the hassle. Government, on the other hand, can afford to produce a large-scale heat loss map, and provide that information to the people it represents. By supplying information home owners need to know - without mandating action if the cost is too high - these Belgian municipalities are fulfilling a concrete and useful role to the residents of Antwerp. This map, and the information and grants that link to it, are tangible evidence of what a good government can provide to increase energy efficiency across communities and decrease our individual energy footprints.

Tales from the sad but true.

by Tim Varga

The climate bill is officially dead in the Senate, and I’m still wading through the numerous eulogies to figure out how I feel about that fact.

I’m not surprised, even though we’ve recently used these pages to buffer ourselves with hopes that something could work out. But I am extremely disappointed.

I think Dave Roberts has the best angle when he says the number one reason the climate bill died like it did was because of undemocratic rules that bind the US Senate.

The Senate has considered (in committee) a climate bill in each of the last 4 sessions. This one started out with a lot of - what’s that word again - hope. Although climate bills have had strong bipartisan support in the past, the bill this year failed not so much because there wasn’t a majority of Senators who would vote yes, but because there wasn’t a supermajority willing to stop debate on the bill so a vote could be held. Supporters of a comprehensive energy and climate bill could get to 50, in other words, but not to 60.

The economic effects of enacting a climate bill are distributed regionally across the US, and so the political alliances do not break down strictly along partisan lines. This session’s House bill only passed 219-212, with 44(!) mostly Midwestern and coal-state Democrats voting no. It’s this regional split that has doomed climate bills in the more representative House in the past, and I remember a time when the Senate seemed more likely to pass a climate bill. That was just 3 years ago, when Lieberman-Warner had a good showing on the Senate floor.

Meanwhile, the earth continues to heat up because of greenhouse gases deposited in the atmosphere largely due to human activity. It is still my belief that until those gases are efficiently priced into our economic system, that system will continue to subsidize pollution to the detriment of the global environment. A comprehensive climate and energy bill will not become law this year, but I plan on supporting efforts to enact legislation in the next Congress and the one after that, and on until the problem has abated. Sometimes hope is all I have left.

A climate scientist and communicator will be missed.

by Tim Varga

The world lost an influential and effective communicator and scientist last week when Dr. Stephen Schneider, founder of the scientific journal Climatic Change and Professor of Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies at Stanford died of a heart attack while returning from a conference on climate change.

The list of awards, honors, and academic positions that Prof. Schneider held over his life represent the mark of an expert: a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Plasma Physics from Columbia University, postdocs at both NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, lead author (among other titles) for the IPCC since its inception, a MacArthur “Genius” grant, and a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the IPCC.

As many good obituaries have acknowledged, it was his commitment to painting the whole, deeply shaded picture of the science behind global climate change that drew each presidential administration since Richard Nixon to solicit his advice.

On a personal note, I was fortunate enough to take a class - more like an extended forum - from Prof. Schneider while at Stanford called “Controlling Climate Change in the 21st Century.” More than anything else, I fondly recall Schneider’s ability to hold forth in front of a large group of students with variable levels of knowledge about climate change. His ability to communicate the minutiae of climate science within the context of a regional, national, and international legal framework was astonishing.

My deepest condolences to his wife, Dr. Terry Root, and Prof. Schneider’s family, friends, colleagues, and students. We have a lot to live up to in Steve’s memory.

Gearing up for the annual Mongol Rally.

by Julia Wang

In just 2 weeks, intrepid travelers/adventurists from across the world will embark on the Mongol Rally, a 10,000 mile drive that starts in London, England and ends in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. The rules are simple: raise money for charity and get to the end (however you choose).

One team was adamant about making their adventure as sustainable as possible.

Baatar Hero, a team of 6 from Seattle, will be driving across uncharted territory in 2 small, fuel-efficient vehicles (Fiat Puntos). They’ll be using a ScanGauge II to measure their vehicles’ actual efficiency as part of a daily report, which will be integrated into their website. The carbon footprint from their vehicles (and flights) will be offset from the TerraPass project portfolio.

In addition, Baatar Hero will be installing solar panels, using rechargeable batteries to power their gear, purifying their own water (to reduce plastic bottle waste), and sporting some sustainable hybrid shoes!

The team expects to pass through 19 countries in 6 weeks across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Siberia. Upon arriving in Mongolia, they will be donating their cars and gear. They’ve also raised over $5000 for their selected charity, Mercy Corps.

Bon Voyage to Team Baatar Hero! We look forward to virtually following them on their adventure!

The link between whale feces and global warming.

by Tim Varga

It turns out sperm whales are every bit as good for the atmosphere as they are awesome to look at. Scientists from Australia have calculated that the whales may in fact be responsible for the removal of 200,000 tonnes of carbon every year, approximately the same as taking 40,000 cars off the road.

Large mammals are generally considered to be net emitters of CO2 - breathing out carbon dioxide will do that. But mammals also deposit … other things.

Whale poop, it turns out, is an exceedingly important component of nutrient cycling in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Phytoplankton growth is limited by micronutrients in the open ocean, especially minerals derived from rocks. Some places like the Northern Atlantic and Northern Pacific benefit from dust deposits picked up from neighboring Asian and African continents, respectively. But the Southern Pacific, while receiving tons of nitrogen from the deep-sea “conveyer belt,” doesn’t get enough iron to maximize phytoplankton growth and primary productivity.

Phytoplankton are the trees of the ocean, breathing in carbon dioxide and therefore reducing the concentration of CO2 in the upper ocean and the atmosphere. And so whales that traverse the open ocean, eating krill elsewhere and depositing their iron-rich feces in the Southern Pacific, are in fact a key link in the global carbon cycle.

Whale populations have been decimated, of course. The estimate is that sperm whales alone are one tenth their historic population size - meaning they were once responsible for 2 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon reductions. Saving whales isn’t just about preserving oceanic wildlife, this evidence suggests it’s also about restoring global nutrient cycling.

Zoning laws require parking where there shouldn't be any

by Tim Varga

I get funny looks when the subject of zoning ordinances comes up, mostly because I end up hijacking the conversation to talk about the insanity of our parking laws.

But if other people are talking about it on their blogs, it’s only fair that I get to mention it here:

[D]id you know that American cities usually require off-street parking at bars? To take a random example, the city of Long Beach, CA requires 20 parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area for “taverns.” I don’t know what the city thinks people are doing at these bars, but I assure you it’s drinking.

This is how insane our mentality is. Even bars, businesses whose sole purpose is to sell alcohol for on-site consumption, “need” off-street parking. Even though we know that people drive to them, drink, and drive home. Drink and drive. Yeah, lets make sure these people have plenty of free parking.

Obviously it could be the case that some of those tavern patrons are designated drivers, but I’m opposed to the signal we’re sending here via our zoning laws: that a business which sells alcohol for immediate consumption is required to have a certain number of parking spaces. I don’t know on what planet that made sense to the lawmakers who wrote the code, but here on Earth, we’ve got a serious drunk driving problem and a serious greenhouse gas problem, both of which are exacerbated by these ill-thought-out regulations.

Greenopia selects TerraPass as the top carbon offset company for 2nd year in a row

by TerraPass

We are thrilled to announce that TerraPass has claimed the top spot in Greenopia’s rankings of carbon offset companies for the 2nd straight year. In fact, we are the only provider to receive Greenopia’s coveted four-leaf ranking.

Greenopia’s overall verdict:

TerraPass is head and shoulders above the rest of the industry in terms of transparency, project selection, and usability, and should be commended for its dedication.

Many of the reasons Greenopia cites for our ranking are similar to their conclusions last year. Our high quality projects are, undoubtedly, the core of what we do. We are one of the few offset providers that works directly with projects to ensure our greenhouse gas emission reductions are real, additional, verified, and permanent. And of course we make all of this information public.

Simply put, it’s rewarding to know that our emphasis on transparency and quality has enabled us to stay ahead of the pack.

At a time when personal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions couldn’t be more important, we appreciate Greenopia’s efforts to examine offset providers and help people make informed choices about their carbon footprint. With TerraPass, you can be guaranteed that the carbon offsets from our projects are actually taking place today.

So please take a minute to spread the word, and help someone become more educated about their carbon footprint.

If you’d like more information on our projects or how you or your business can work with TerraPass, then please get in touch.

Costs just a tiny amount and averts climate catastrophe.

by Tim Varga

The EPA released its analysis of the Kerry-Lieberman bill - aka the American Power Act - earlier this week and the results are in: this bill, much like the ACES legislation already passed by the House, will have a nonexistent to negligible effect on the longterm prosperity of the USA.

Detailed analysis here(pdf), and bullet-pointed summary by Dave Roberts over here.

The take away message is that putting a price on carbon and driving our greenhouse gas emissions down to 83% below 2005 levels by 2050 will have practically no effect on the economy. Households (entire households, not each person in them) will have between $79 and $146 less dollars to spend each year because of the costs of implementing climate change protections.

Oddly enough, this analysis doesn’t even include the savings associated with combating climate change. To put that another way: the benefits of avoiding potentially catastrophic alterations to our climate are not considered in this analysis. It’s comforting to hear that combating climate change won’t cost anything significant if we just count the minus side. Let’s all remember, though, that we’re trying to combat climate change because the costs of inaction are incredibly high.

Apparently delicious sticky rice.

by Tim Varga

Scientists, reporting in an issue of Accounts of Chemical Research, have discovered the secret organic ingredient added to building mortar in China to create super strong walls that withstood even earthquakes: sticky rice.

In creating what amounts to the first organic-inorganic composite material, construction workers circa 1500 years ago utilized a unique feature of a polysaccharide chain from the sticky rice. This substance, amylopectin, is a complex carbohydrate which reduces the size of calcium carbonate crystals - CaCO3 from the lime - which in turn leads to smaller, more compact internal microstructures and therefore stronger mortar.

Besides discovering the secret compound responsible for these old buildings’ supreme strength, the researchers also tested newly manufactured sticky rice mortar against modern lime mortar, and found it had greater stability, mechanical strength, and was more compatible with the older buildings. Looks like the next restoration will have to proceed after the next pot of rice is done.

Do you know where your leaks are?

by Tim Varga

The House passed the “Cash for Caulkers” legislation earlier this year and (maybe? hopefully? probably?) the Senate will soon follow suit.

The legislation provides incentives for energy efficiency improvements by rebating to homeowners some $6 billion dollars for window retrofits, water heater upgrades, and insulation installations, among other things.

I don’t want to go into a ton of detail about all the specifics because Houston Neal over at Software Advice has already written a truly excellent summary of the rebates and benefits that may be available to you.

Perhaps the most important thing to do now, considering the legislation still needs to pass the Senate, is to get a feel for what retrofits you may be interested in. If you’ve got single-paned, metal-framed windows, you may want to consider a window retrofit. If you’re still using an oil-powered water heater, that’s an excellent upgrade option. Hold a stick of burning incense up to your windows and walls, and watch where the smoke ends up - if it seems to escape through cracks in the window frame, around doors, or wherever, those are quick and relatively cheap fixes to improve your heating or AC bill.

There are also innumerable home energy consultants who will come to your home and do a complete energy audit. They come equipped with blower doors and thermal heat guns to perform slightly higher-tech tests than you can do with a stick of incense, and may be worth the cost, especially if you have an older home.