The Economics of Energy

Congress is considering a new policy to incentivize the use of cleaner energy. It is a break from tradition, as change isn’t coming from technological advances or new fuel sources, but driven by a financial bottom line.

“Change would come from Washington, if Congress does what it has talked about and puts a price tag on greenhouse-gas emissions. Suddenly the carbon content of fuel, or how much carbon dioxide is produced per unit of energy, would be as important as what the fuel costs. In fact, it might largely define what the fuel costs.”

“That could shake up the economics of energy, handicapping some fuels and favoring others. Those that produce hefty emissions, like coal and oil, would likely look much worse. And some — sunlight, wind, uranium, even corn stalks and trash as well as natural gas — would probably look much better. “Carbon-negative” fuels that take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as they are made, might even become feasible.”

New York moves to preserve the “Rolls Royce” of environmental parcels

Open space advocates are going wild over the Park Department’s decision to preserve 55 acres of marshland on the Staten Island waterfront known as Arlington Marsh, “a boggy green break in one of the city’s most industrialized stretches of waterfront.”

“‘Simply the last best unprotected New York City coastal wetland,’ raved a coalition of 20 environmental groups.”

“Fans of urban waterfronts could not ask for a better vista: old brick warehouses and gantry cranes across the water in Elizabeth, N.J.; the graceful arch of the Bayonne Bridge; tugs and ferries in dry dock on the Staten Island side, and, off in the distance, the Manhattan skyline. The marsh area also includes a parcel west of the cove known as Bridge Creek.”

NBC goes Green. Yet another corporation uses the environment to get some ink for its product.

It’s green week at NBC. A bit shallow? Yes. Capitalizing on the moment? Of course. An interesting concept? Debatable.

“In May, NBC announced that its corporate entities would push a “Green Is Universal” agenda this week. For TV viewers, it means that NBC shows airing through Saturday feature the environment as plots, or at least as an issue.”

Besides all the hot air from the marketing department, how is NBC actually implementing it’s week-long green agenda in its various shows?

“The green push has made it onto the “Scrubs” set, where scripts are now printed on both sides of the page.”

Does this mean that next week they go back to single sided? Enough said.

From Canada: Traffic Pollution Kills

“Pollution spewing from vehicle tailpipes kills about 440 people in Toronto and costs the city’s economy $2.2-billion every year, according to a new study from the city’s public health unit that one critic says falsely suggests our air is poisonous.

“Dr. David McKeown, Toronto’s medical officer of health, hailed the study as the first of its kind in Canada to tabulate the number of people killed by vehicle-borne pollution and to estimate the number of lives that could be saved if people drove less.”

“The report, Air Pollution Burden of Illness from Traffic in Toronto, concludes a 10% reduction in traffic-related pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide would prevent 63 premature deaths in the city every year.”

The environmental chocoholic’s dream

This just in from London:

“Chocoholics can assuage any guilt they may feel after a new process was developed that turns the by-products of making chocolate into a biofuel — meaning you can eat your chocolate and be eco-friendly.”

“A truck, fuelled by the biofuel, will set out from Poole on the English south coast to Mali in West Africa later this month on a charity mission.”

“The chocolate waste used to be used in landfill. But now we can make it travel as biofuel,” said organiser Andy Pag who will be one of the two drivers on the trip.”