Carbon Tax May Follow Debt Ceiling Deal-

According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), the new debt ceiling deal may just lead to an imposed carbon tax in the near future. The reasoning behind the group’s presumption is mainly due to the fact that the deal eliminated revenue increases and tax code reforms – which could signify that a pending agreement is still possible. CAP maintains that Democrats will push revenue increases as part of the debt ceiling deal, and Obama will “have maximal leverage right after the 2012 election” since the Bush administration’s tax cuts are set to end unless action is taken. In theory, Obama could exchange the tax cuts and the corporate tax rate reduction for a carbon tax. While the idea is better than a cap-and-trade, it still has its negative aspects. American families are already under water with the dwindling job market and a government-imposed tax of any amount of its choosing doesn’t seem right when there still is yet a hope of stable work. How about start creating jobs, Obama administration, like you’d promised from the beginning – and then we can focus on taxing the masses for their emissions.

“World’s Most Famous Office Building” Purchases RECs to Offset Entire Annual Energy Consumption-

In order to entirely offset its massive energy consumption, the Empire State Building owners will purchase over 50 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy certificates (RECs) annually. In a two year deal with carbon offset company, Green Mountain Energy, the renewable energy contract will provide the towering 2.85 million square foot building with clean wind power and prevent 100 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. According to the company, that’s the equivalent of :

-Nearly every house in New York State turning off all their lights for a week;
-Taking approximately 40 million fewer cab rides; or
-Planting nearly 150,000 trees–more than 6 times the number of trees in Central Park.

“We are extremely pleased that an icon like the world-famous Empire State Building made this important commitment to support renewable energy,” said Paul Thomas, CEO of Green Mountain Energy Company. “This announcement is historic for many reasons. In addition to being the largest commercial consumer of green power in New York City, the Empire State Building’s renewable power purchase is now the largest purchase in our company’s 13-year history. This demonstrates that Green Mountain can serve all sizes of commercial customers with renewable energy at a price they can afford, and that going green doesn’t have to be a tradeoff.”

Ecological Footprint Quiz Will Estimate Total Environmental Impact-

Curious about the ecological “footprint” you’ll leave behind on this planet? Want to be more environmentally conscious? By answering a few simple questions, the handy Ecological Footprint Quiz will estimate the impact you will leave behind for later generations. Afterward, you can learn how to minimize your consumption by using more sustainable products, housing, foods, services, and transportation. To take the quiz, visit MyFootprint.Org and please share with your friends and family! Educate those around you, in your city and work environment, about the countless benefits of going green.

University to Host “Carbon Pricing” Conference-


Wesleyan University, along with the Price Carbon Campaign, a grassroots organization of climate-policy supporters, is holding a conference that will probe new, contemporary methods to pricing carbon emissions. “Pricing Carbon: The Wesleyan Conference” will kick off November 19, 2010, and will draw to a close November 21. “Wesleyan University’s College of the Environment was established in 2009 to help students become better stewards of our fragile Earth,” said the Director of the College of the Environment, Wesleyan biology professor Barry Chernoff. “We welcome this opportunity to co-host a national conference of scholars and advocates intent on re-energizing U.S. climate policy on the eve of the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico, beginning November 29.” The U.S. has failed thus far in enacting extensive climate legislation which, for the most part, is blamed on an exceptionally flawed “cap-and-trade” bill that was too complex and neglected to hold polluting companies accountable.

“With the continuing failure of the cap/trade/offset mechanism to gain support in Congress, it’s time for climate policy makers and concerned citizens to rethink carbon-pricing options,” said Laura Bonham, deputy director of Progressive Democrats of America. “This conference will allow a broad spectrum of climate activists to seek a common agenda that will define the basic principles of good climate legislation, beginning with putting a clear price on carbon,” she added. This conference will address much needed reform in the tactical approach of carbon pricing and will offer a unique perspective from many industry professionals. Headline speakers include climatologist Dr. James Hansen, author-activist Bill McKibben, and environmental-justice lawyer and advocate Angela Johnson Meszaros. In addition to the keynote speakers, the conference will feature Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC), Dr. Gary Yohe, Dr. Brent Blackwelder, Dr. Elaine C. Kamarck, Cecil Corbin-Mark, Peter Barnes, Michelle Chan, Laurie Williams, Allan Zabel, and a growing assembly of other Members of Congress, economists, environmentalists, political scientists, student leaders, and advocates for environmental and social justice. Each of the speakers are experts in the economics and politics of energy and climate, and understand the value of pricing carbon emissions to lessen the effects of climate change. Conference co-sponsors include the Carbon Tax Center, Citizens Climate Lobby, Progressive Democrats of America, and Climate Crisis Coalition. Those interested are encouraged to register at the www.pricingcarbon.org, info@kyotoandbeyond.org or 413-243-2556.

Company Creates Vine Canopies for Buildings that “Eat” CO2 Emissions & Protect Against Heat-

Kyocera Group has begun using viney plants to create “green curtains”, which are formed over trellises to shade portions of windows and outer walls of buildings at 20 different locations in Japan, Thailand and Brazil. These curtains create a canopy over the buildings to prevent direct sunlight from raising the temperature of the building’s interior, helping to reduce the need for energy-intensive air conditioning. Not to mention, the plants also help to protect the environment by absorbing CO2. Taking their conservation efforts another step further, the company has even created a comprehensive how-to website dedicated toward helping consumers fashion their own eco-curtains around offices and homes. Kyocera’s “green curtain” idea began at its Okaya Plant in Nagano Prefecture, Japan as part of its effort to conserve energy and environmental resources. According to their website, these “green curtains” will absorb roughly 23,481 lbs of CO2 — or approximately the same amount as 761 cedar trees.

Examining the Cap-and-Trade Bill-


One of the most controversial and hot-button topics in Washington over the last year has been the cap-and-trade bill. The last few decades have seen a great awakening of American consciousness to the need for a greener planet. After years of wild excess and reckless consumption, even the average American consumer is beginning to realize that we must care for our resources. Regardless of whether an individual believes fully in the merits of global warming, no one can intelligently argue against the need to care for Mother Earth.With  environmental awareness becoming more widespread, it is now beginning to find a strong presence on Capitol Hill, as Washington lawmakers begin introducing, debating, and passing bills that promise to protect and sustain our environment for generations to come. The cap-and-trade bill is one such development in Washington. Basically, the cap-and-trade bill seeks to cut down drastically on the amount of carbon emissions companies are able to release into the atmosphere. The method of regulating these companies is as follows. Each year a company will be allotted a certain number of credits that will dictate how many carbon emissions it can legally release into the atmosphere. The number of credits a company receives will be based on the size and industry of the company. These credits can then be traded or sold to other companies. For example, let’s assume that company A has 10 credits for the year, but they run a very clean operation and they project to only use 6. Company B has 10 credits as well, but they have not developed systems to control carbon emissions; thus, they use all 10 of their credits in 6 months. Now they will have to buy company A’s remaining 4 credits, and if they need more, they will have to find more companies selling credits. This will cost company B a lot of money.

Therefore, the cap-and-trade bill awards companies that are taking proactive steps to cut down on carbon emissions, and it punishes companies that are not. The fundamental thought behind the bill is that large corporations are driven by profit incentive. If you place a profit incentive in front of them in relation to operating in an environmentally-friendly manner, you greatly increase the probability of a company fully cooperating. You hit them where it hurts! (which is, of course, the company pocketbook) Now, the cap-and-trade bill will make for very interesting developments in the nuclear energy and renewable energy industry because some companies are far ahead of the game in terms of operating in an environmentally-friendly manner, and other companies are far behind the curve. As the bill is passed and enacted, the companies that are already operating in a green manner will be able to continue to invest its capital in the direction of business expansion, while companies behind the curve will have to direct large amounts of capital toward restructuring business operations in order to cut down on carbon emissions. Thus, the bill will be great for some companies, and not so great for others. Excelon is an example of a company already ahead of the curve. The cap-and-trade bill will be very good for its growth because, similar to other companies ahead of the curve, it will be able to sell many of its credits while simultaneously continuing to expand its business operations. The cap-and-trade bill has already passed the House of Representatives, and now it will be picked up for debate in the Senate this fall. There is big money involved in the final version of the bill as it currently stands. Currently, there is an $18 billion loan guarantee in the cap-and-trade bill for companies in the nuclear power and renewable energy industries. These government contracts are expected to be very lucrative for a number of companies. If the bill is passed with this loan guarantee in place, it would be wise for investors to track which companies are able to position themselves to land these projects because it will most likely drive a company’s stock up quite nicely. Many companies in the nuclear power industry also have a heavy international presence, which means their bottom line each year is very exposed to volatile moves in the currency market. A Forex broker can oftentimes provide more information on how companies hedge against this volatility in order to protect company profits.

Natural Grocery Chain Aims to Reduce Energy Consumption 25 Percent by 2015-

According to a recently released statement, Whole Foods, Inc. aims to cut its energy use 25 percent per square foot during the next five years. The natural foods grocer currently offsets 100 percent of its North American electricity consumption with wind energy credits, and is now taking additional steps to lighten its impact on the environment with on-site renewable energy technologies and sustainable initiatives. Developments include more use of wind, solar, and fuel cell technology as well as an electric car charging station at its headquarters in Austin, Texas. To boot, company stores will implement more rigorous green building standards, advanced refrigeration infrastructure and more efficient transportation. “With this combination of strategies, we intend to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent per square foot by 2015,” said Kathy Loftus, Whole Foods Market global leader, sustainable engineering. “Saving energy costs less than buying it, so we are reducing our energy appetite from both traditional and renewable sources.” Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Energy will help sustain the costs of existing store retrofits and new store design and, as part of the stimulus grants, Whole Foods will work with National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) to create, test and validate green building concepts. At present, thirty Whole Foods stores are either LEED-certified, Green Globes accredited, or enrolled and preparing for certification.

Environmental Program Asks Consumers to Invest in Clean Energy-

Buy Clean Energy 2010, launched by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions and Green-e, strongly urges individuals and businesses to support the development of clean energy in the United States by purchasing clean energy and renewable energy certificates. The program provides straightforward steps for consumers to establish how much electricity they use and ways that they may become more energy-efficient, which will help determine how much clean energy they must purchase to entirely offset annual consumption. The website offers access to several leading providers of renewable energy certificates (RECs) and comprehensive information regarding the clean energy programs available in various regions throughout the country, so that consumers may buy certified clean energy to aid in supporting wind farms, solar arrays, and similar renewable energy technologies. Not to mention, consumers who invest in this program will also be added to a growing roster of participants that have already purchased over 65,000 new kilowatt-hours of clean energy. Join environmental advocates like the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), Center for Resource Solutions, National Audubon Society, Earth Day Network, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) by spreading the word throughout your neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and even the whole world via social avenues like Twitter and Facebook. It is essential that America invest in clean energy for health, a stable environment, as well as national energy security; and with an end goal of 1 billion kilowatt-hours purchased through the Buy Clean Energy 2010 initiative, please consider joining this worldwide fight to help make a global difference.

Global Delivery Company Unveils Alternative Energy Fleet-

FedEx Corporation has announced its switch to an all-electric vehicle fleet which will be dedicated for parcel deliveries in the United States. Four electric trucks, specially manufactured for state-of-the-art electric performance, are anticipated to hit the Los Angeles streets beginning June 2010 – following a fleet of approximately 1,800 alternative energy vehicles already in operation for FedEx worldwide. “FedEx has a history of changing what’s possible, both in the innovative services we offer customers and in the way we offer those services,” said John Formisano, vice president, Global Vehicles, FedEx Express. “In 2004, we were the first global company to invest in hybrid-electric commercial trucks, and now we’re introducing the even cleaner all-electric parcel delivery truck. We’re making these investments, and invite others to join us, so that together we can speed the transition to a cleaner transportation system.” Furthermore, FedEx has launched sustainability initiatives that extend throughout the company by committing to a 20 percent reduction in aircraft emissions by 2020, a 20 percent increase of FedEx Express vehicle efficiency by 2020, and an expansion of on-site renewable energy generation and acquisition of renewable energy credits.

President Obama Highlights Initiatives & Goals for 2010-


Last night, President Barack Obama gave his first official State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress and went into heavy detail on the topics of federal deficit and national job loss. The President proposed policy changes that would eliminate programs which are unaffordable or do not work; repeal the ‘don’t-ask-don’t tell’ policy which currently bans homosexual persons from being allowed to serve in the military; reform immigration laws; improve earmark allocations; provide major reorganization in the health care industry; nearly double the child tax credit for the middle class; expand tax credits for the middle class workforce who starts a retirement fund; refinance to make mortgages more affordable; increase Pell Grants for students; as well as renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

New legislative initiatives and goals were also proposed, such as placing fees on the country’s largest banks to follow up on the Trouble Assets Relief Program (TARP); offering $30 billion from recovered TARP funds to community banks to extend credit to small businesses; building clean energy facilities to spur the nation into affordable, renewable energy generation; providing rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient; encouraging new jobs by cutting tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas, as well as giving incentives to companies that create jobs in the U.S.; building nuclear power plants for domestic energy production; exploring off-shore for oil and gas to eliminate the country’s need for foreign oil; investing in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies; adding a comprehensive energy and climate bill to make clean energy economically lucrative; launching a National Export Initiative which would double exports in 5 years; giving access to a retirement account for every worker; revitalizing community colleges to encourage sustainable education in America; ending taxpayer subsidies for student bank loans; supplying a $10,000 tax credit for families that enroll a student in for years of college; allowing all student loan debt to be pardoned after 20 years, or after 10 years if they choose a career in public service; cutting costs at colleges and universities; immobilization in government spending for 3 years on discretionary programs (excluding Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and national security), starting in 2011; extending middle-class tax cuts; restoring the pay-as-you-go law; implementing a bipartisan fiscal commission to provide solutions; and some of the most important which aid to cease dishonesty in legislation, with the proposed policies requiring lobbyists to disclose every contact they make; placing limits on contributions that lobbyists give to candidates; as well as cracking down on violations of equal pay laws. His wife and First Lady, Michelle Obama, also added an inventive program which will help to tackle childhood obesity. The speech appeared very dubious indeed to many, seeing that there is still much further to go in the battle for a sustainable future; however, if President Obama is able to push these policies through with bipartisan support, America may be on the right track after all. Video below is the full State of the Union 2010 video speech, courtesy of CBS News.