Student Presentations

The Seven TransitionsMurray Gell-Mann (The Quark and the Jaguar, 1994)Demographic: slow population growthTechnological: decrease environmental

impactsEconomic: incentives to reduce energy useSocial: increase equityInstitutional: create effective institutionsInformational: better understanding of

problemsIdeological: increase environmental concern

Good News on Climate Change

or

Why We’re Going to Beat this Thing!

Thanks to the followingfor their suggestions!Jeff McGee, University of Newcastle, AustraliaIan Fry, Australian National UniversityGeoffrey Wandesforde-Smith, UC-DavisJonathan Rosenberg, University of AlaskaPaul Steinberg, Harvey Mudd CollegeRadoslav S. Dimitrov, University of Western

OntarioRasmus Karlsson, Hankuk University of Foreign

StudiesChristopher Gore, Ryerson UniversityPeter Newell, University of Sussex

Technological Developments Are Promising

Americans Drive More Fuel-Efficient Carsand Drive Them Fewer Miles

Source: http://www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/PDF/EDI_September-2012.pdf

Cool Electric Car gets 75 mpgTesla Model S named as Motor Trends 2013

Car of the Year – It’s electric and gets the equivalent of 75 mpg

http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1301_2013_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_tesla_model_s/

Batteries May Make Solar and Wind Energy ViableNew battery technologies help overcome a

major obstacle to renewable energy, by providing storage

http://www.ted.com/talks/donald_sadoway_the_missing_link_to_renewable_energy.html

Low fuel plane designAn MIT-led team designed an airplane

estimated to use 70% less fuel than current planes (and reduces noise and nitrogen oxide pollutants too)

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/nplus3-0517.html

International Cooperation is Succeeding at Fostering New Energy TechnologiesResearch into generating electricity through

fusion rather than fission is making steady, if slow, progress.

Research supported through international cooperation of China, EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the US

If successful, it is environmentally safe and offers a real alternative to fossil fuels

http://www.iter.org/

Social Developments Are Very Promising

Katrina vs. SandyAfter Katrina, nobody talked about climate

change After Sandy, mayor and governor of New York

did talk about climate change

California prices carbonCalifornia adopts cap-and-trade system and

first efforts at auctioning greenhouse gas permits goes smoothly and “prices” carbon

http://www.sfgate.com/green/article/State-s-1st-carbon-auction-goes-smoothly-4051866.php

Australia taxes carbonAustralia legislated an economy wide carbon price. It

started as a carbon tax in 2013 and will transition to an emissions trading scheme in 2015.

Despite climate science skepticism, strong opposition from the conservative party and a powerful mining sector, the carbon tax has started with little harm to the economy and growing public acceptance

http://theconversation.edu.au/explainer-australias-carbon-price-mechanism-in-six-dot-points-4230

LEED Buildings make rapid headwayLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

idea launched by Green Building Council in 1998 by group of “industry mavericks”

US market for green building grew 50% during recession of 2008-2010

Over 30,000 LEED projects cover 1.6 billion square feet of commercial building space

All new US embassies must meet LEED standards

Paul Steinberg. 2013. Who Rules the Earth? How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives Oxford UP

German City CreatesEnergy Technology ParkGelsenkirchen Germany (an old coal, steel and

glass industry city) set up energy technology park with help from European Union and set a voluntary carbon reduction target to go from “a city of a thousand furnaces to a city of a thousand suns”

Peter Newell, Jon Phillips, and Dustin Mulvaney Pursuing Clean Energy Equitably. Human Development Research Paper 2011/03.

Efforts to Address the ClimateAnd Social Justice“Just Energy”: innovative collaboration of

NGO, engineers, lawyers, academics, and consultants that is helping low-income communities in South Africa to provide "a fair return on renewable energy for local people and investors alike.“

http://just-energy.org/

Indonesian Islamic leaderspreach conservationThe Islamic Leader Forum for Environmental

Care (FORDALING) argues that the Koran directly addresses the need to protect nature in Ayat-Ayat Konservasi (Islamic Verses for Conservation) and educated Islamic leaders to use sermons to promote nature conservation

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/42391

There is REAL ProgressBeing Made

We can make headway if we tryPortland OR vs. United States

These are total emissions. Per-capita emissions are 26% lower in 2010 than in 1990. http://www.portlandonline.com/mayor/?a=393835&c=49522

Being an Environmentalist

Types of environmentalistsPersonal environmentalistPolitical environmentalistPolicy environmentalistBeing a full environmentalist means:

Heart-felt concern about environmental problemsCreative innovation: need to come up with new ideasCareful implementation: listen to the needs, adjust your

plan accordingly, engage other people and viewsThoughtful evaluation: evaluate carefully the results of

policy actionsNon-defensive revision: do not be afraid to revise and

correct mistakes made

ANDThe Beauty of the World

Still Inspires Us

The Color of Glaciers