Category: Change: New Energy (Page 1 of 2)

Photo courtesy of Tcktcktck partner ©Greenpeace/Jeremie Souteyrat

IPCC Study Results Call for Urgent Global Action

April 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments
Photo courtesy of Tcktcktck partner ©Greenpeace/Jeremie Souteyrat

Photo courtesy of Tcktcktck partner ©Greenpeace/Jeremie Souteyrat

World Team Now welcomes the launch of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest report in Berlin today which shows that avoiding catastrophic climate change is still possible, but only with rapid and sustained cuts to carbon emissions.

The report points to the benefits of increasing the use of alternative and renewable energy for power and phasing out fossil fuel in the long run. In addition to highlighting the need to transform the energy system globally, the IPCC says other solutions to the climate crisis include using energy more efficiently, with a focus on: the transportation, and building sectors, with renewable energy and technology.  Investing in the retrofits and transformation of these industries sectors will be a key.

The IPCC makes it clear that climate action is needed now, and that it is time for us to take responsibility using the wisdom to choose what is needed, affordable, and beneficial for us all. This report validates what many of us realize – that we have the solutions to the climate crisis, and it’s our job, and thus our leaders’ jobs, to be stewards of our collective environment, and use this wisdom from science, so humanity can live in better balance with our resources.

Solar facilityTo keep temperature rise below 2 degrees C by 2100, substantial shifts in annual investment flows between 2010 and 2029 will be required. Specifically, investment in fossil fuels, both power plants and extraction, would need to decline by 30 billion USD per year between 2010 and 2029. At the same time, investment in renewable energy supply would need to rise by 147 billion USD.

The third installment of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5 WG#3) involves over 800 scientists synthesizing the latest findings in the field which raises pressure on government leaders to act as it has outlined how cutting pollution now will be cheaper and more effective.

The challenge is levels of climate change-causing carbon emissions will rise across the globe, so it’s clear that more needs to be done and faster, to accelerate the transition  to alternative and renewable energy, ideally 100% renewable energy systems, along with owning the responsibility to protect the lungs of our planet, the rain forests, and the seas from acidification.

All around the world people are facing the real impacts of climate change.

All around the world people are facing the real impacts of climate change.

The transition to renewable energy will provide massive benefits ranging from energy security, new jobs, good business and improved public health. Climate change is a global problem. Addressing it requires international cooperation together with effective local, national, and regional policies.

We, at World Team Now, will be looking to President Obama, and Secretary of State John Kerry, along with the rest of the world leaders, to commit to increasing climate action at the United Nations’ Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in September.  Ideally, this will lay the groundwork for a strong global treaty that we visualize being signed at the  2015 Paris Climate Conference (UNFCCC COP 21).

 © World Team Now (WTN) 2014. All rights reserved.

Act Locally, Act Globally – Think of Us All As Part of One

June 18, 2013 / / 1 Comment
REFF-WS--banner-160x600

Join us next week and use this  20% Off Discount Code “SPT20WTN”

Change seems to be accelerating. Change, not just with our climate, but also with the “systems” humanity has created, spurred by Globalization.  Whether that be the legal system, political system, financial system, health care system, or educational system— the systems in place to provide the world’s basic needs.  Have we learned to scale our systems to meet Globalization’s challenges? Humanity can learn  from how nature scales to support the whole—  Biomimicry of man-made systems seems key to the stewardship of our earth and for an organically sustainable future.   

Global transformation is in the works, and is needed within all systems including those within our one global governing body – the United Nations. Friday ended the two week climate talks in Bonn, Germany. The disappointment was all too familiar as it seemed like yesterday, but it was a year ago when World Team Now produced the event as part of the UNFCC’s Rio+20, and also an event at The People’s Summit.  We went down to Rio once again with great expectations for more progress than what was able to be achieved inside the United Nations’ RIO+20 conference’s time. So now, it is distressing that there was a huge snag caused by foot dragging by Russia in a key entity, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI). At least there was some progress in the overarching 2015 international climate action agreement. Why wait until disaster? We clearly need more projects that influence public perception. “To see is to believe” for most, so we need more examples to inspire the masses to embrace change.

At World Team Now, we are growing, and eager to see the change that happens once our non-profit World Team Now can be supported by our World Team multi-media platform, and broadcast.  Our World Team project too needs to be demonstrated to be fully understood, and to that end our development of our pilot project continues.  While we are working to have this World Team model up in full scale, we have been occupied with events.  In California, for example what we did in Malibu with Earth Day (photo album here), with our “Ride & Drive”, and “The Circle-Up  Around Renewable Energy”.  We owe a shout-out to all of those who showed up to participate or volunteer, and for the support of Nissan of Thousand Oaks, and Edwards/Wildman.  We hope to be sharing some of the edited footage soon at WTN’s upcoming event September 26 and 27.   Another example is what World Team Now is doing in NY to support ACORE’s Renewable Energy Financing Forum (REFF)-Wall Street. Join us and get 20% off registration by using this code “SPT20WTN”. REFF is the perfect activity, included with more than 20 Energy Industry Events for New York City’s Energy Week, June 24th-28th.

Please save the dates for World Team Now’s upcoming annual event in Malibu September 27th & 28th, 2013. Watch World Team Now’s Event’s page for more details about the timing.

Speaking of timing, two great renewable energy demonstration projects born in Switzerland also have “New York” as a destination.  PlanetSolar, is the world’s largest solar boat, and it includes an interesting research component with the project it just arrived in New York.  The soaring approach to change done state by state has value. The Solar Impulse is a renewable energy demonstration project with great potential. You can take flight and  follow in real time on their final segment of the “Across America” trip, and join the history in the making as they land in New York early July.

Planet Solar is in New York

PlanetSolar reaches New York, the second american stopover of its 2013 campaign

The two states where World Team Now is based are proudly taking leadership positions in the environmental transformation needed to address climate change— let’s hear it for California and New York, especially Mayor Bloomberg’s action plan to address the affects of climate change .  The water situation and the issue of drought is rapidly becoming more serious, due to climate change.  Often, to execute solutions at a scale needed to address the affects of climate change, bonds are created.  California is taking the lead with creating a Water Bond.  World Team Now was present when Senator Fran Pavley, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, hosted the Hearing; “Encouraging Regional Water Solutions: Implications for a Statewide Water Bond” at Pepperdine University.  Californians are set to vote on the $11.1 billion water bond in November, 2014.

More action needs to be able to take place on a state level and even city level, which gives more weight to the “Think globally, act locally” mantra—  but not to preclude think global act global actions which are needed as well— the local can catalyze the global.    It is a huge victory to finally permanently close the troubled San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant in California, not just for the immediate risk of radiation, but also in respect of the long term issue of what to do with the radioactive rods which are byproducts of nuclear reactors. With no safe disposal protocol for these rods, even closed plants will continue to pose risks to the public and our planet forever The pressure is on for Southern California Edison to strive towards truly renewable energy— the kind with no radioactive byproducts to threaten public safety. It is time for us citizens to spearhead energy independence, be active in supplying a diversity of local renewable energy resources (supporting grid stability as a benefit), and to learn how to responsibly use energy.

But it is time for the whole of us in society to consider “Act locally, Act globally- Think of us all as part of ONE”.

 

bomb
Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

Living Terror

May 3, 2011 / / 3 Comments
bomb

Photo Courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

“Don’t bother me with your conscientious scruples, the thing is superb physics!” –Enrico Fermi’s quote is analyzed byJeffrey Lewis from Wonk Arms Control .  Jeffrey continues to inspire and captures the depth necessary to contemplate where we are in humanity with intelligent information about issues of significance.   It is terrifying to realize that each nuclear power plant with stock piles of stored radioactive rods has the potential to have the  similar results as a nuclear bomb.  We are facing that now with Fukushima. What could distract us more from the reality of Fukushima’s nuclear radiation spreading than the death of Osama Bin Laden?  Not much.  News is not only fickle and biased towards being new, and the first with the catchiest headlines hooking us with stories that superficially appease society’s limited attention span, and like junk food, fulfill an immediate gratification cycle.  When will global significance have the relevant place with depth, media coverage and public information deserved?  The situation is approached with depth from a philosophical and spiritual perspective in this article, “Energy and Our Future with Earth“. Below are some topics and links that hopefully help to better understand “the situation” that many believe to be over, regarding the radiation at Fukushima, Japan.  Radiation is a real challenge as we can not see the effect it has or it’s presence. When it comes to our resources like water, air and our earth why is this not #1 for us all?  If we don’t have these resources, we can’t survive, so why is this not a priority?  Maybe the responsibility is too difficult to embrace—perhaps it’s like the “Titanic,” we realize (even if unconsciously) that we might as well have a party while we are sinking—if it is going to sink anyway.  That is the only way empathy can be given to humanity’s lack of willingness to be educated on this serious environmental situation.  Yes, it is difficult to look at this, but awakening to the truth is a way transformation and lasting change can occur. Fukushima is far from over;

Fukushima meltdown confirmed by experts around the world confirming gov’ts wrong (video interviews):
Here is the IAEA’s report for today:
Video proves there is still water in storage pools:
Concrete emitting 900, 000 msl per hr;
Radioactive water release hits new heights;
Just the fact on reactors:
Domestic nuclear situation:
Ethics & discovery of nuclear fission quotes:

It’s Time to End Reliance on Nuclear Power

March 25, 2011 / / 3 Comments

World Team Now board members joined a coalition to give  President Obama, members of his Administration, and all members of the U.S. Congress a letter regarding the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan.  The letter was initiated by the Sustainable Energy Network comprised of 146 safe energy advocate organizations and businesses.

Operation Upshot-Knothole, BADGER Event

Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

   
JAPANESE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT – A TRAGIC REMINDER;

IT’S LONG PAST THE TIME TO END RELIANCE ON NUCLEAR POWER

March 25, 2011

President Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

We, the 146 undersigned safe energy advocates, have been speaking out about the risks and dangers posed by nuclear power for years – for many of us, since before the 1986 Chornobyl* and 1979 Three Mile Island accidents as well as the hundreds of other radioactive releases, unplanned shut-downs, and other mishaps that have continuously plagued both the U.S. and the international nuclear industries since their founding.

While nuclear power’s unacceptable safety, environmental, public health, economic, and national security risks should have been self-evident long before now, the latest unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores the following:  

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential “acts of God.”

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all instances of “human error.”

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all types of “mechanical malfunction.”

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all forms of “terrorist attack.”

There is no such thing as “safe” nuclear power.

There is no such thing as “clean” nuclear power.

There is no such thing as “cheap” nuclear power.

Consequently, the Price-Anderson cap on liability in the event of an accident should be repealed, all proposed governmental financial and regulatory incentives for new nuclear plant construction – including loan guarantees, accelerated licensing, and inclusion in a “clean energy standard” – should be rejected, and no new reactors should be built.

Existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible, beginning with the oldest and/or most unsafe, and no presently-licensed reactors should have their operating lives extended.

Safety standards for existing reactors should be substantially tightened while they continue to operate and federal nuclear funding should be redirected to the orderly phase-out of those reactors as well as the safe decommissioning of closed reactors and disposal of radioactive waste.

National energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.

—————-

This letter was signed by World Team Now Board Members; Albert Boulanger, Director of Technical Strategy; Walter Andrews  Director of Energy and the Environment and Suzanne Maxx Founder,President, Exec. Director.

To see the press release, the letter with signatories, and the  list of  initial recipients- click here.  A copy of the letter also went to media outlets and these governmental representatives;

cc.      Steven Chu, Secretary – U.S. Department of Energy

            Ken Salazar, Secretary – U.S. Department of Interior

           Gregory Jaczko, Chairman – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

           Kristine Svinicki, Commissioner – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

            George Apostolakis, Commissioner – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

            William Magwood, Commissioner – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

            William Ostendorff, Commissioner – U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

            Lisa Jackson, Administrator – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

            Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

            Philip Moeller, Commissioner – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

            Marc Spitzer, Commissioner – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

            John Norris, Commissioner – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

            Cheryl LaFleur, Commissioner – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

            John Holdren, Director White House Office of Science & Technology

           Nancy Sutley, Chair – White House Council on Environmental Quality

            Peter B. Lyons, DOE Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy

 * Chernobyl  is the correct Ukrainian spelling of what many of us know as “Chernobyl,” the Russian spelling.  Since the nuclear accident site is in Ukraine and the official spelling in that country is “Chornobyl,” that is what we opted for here, as it is the most authentic.    


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