Gil Friend

Just a day after being impressed to learn that California will require zero net energy homes by 2020, I'm even more impressed to learn that Austin will require it by 2015. (I'm at at the USGBC's GreenBuild conference, where's there's plenty to be impressed with.)

Austin's expecting to hit 65% that target from reduction in energy demand, and 35% from renewable generation on site. Cool!

It's projected to add $1100 to the cost of the house; raise mortgage payments $2/month, and drop utility bills $50/month. As Austin mayor Will Wynn put it "From an estate planning perspective, would you rather invest in equity in your home or pay some utility to burn pulverized coal?"

The Mayor's panel included Martin Chavez, (Albuquerque) Richard Daley (Chicago) and George Heartwell (Grand Rapids) -- the sleeper in the bunch -- who described an impressive greening program, and observed "If it can happen in Grand Rapids, it can happen anywhere."

There's lots of sustainability action on the municipal front these days. See the US Council of Mayors and Mayors for Climate Protection to name just a few of the many indicators.

The SF Chronicle reports on the California Green Innovation Index, being released today:

California is leading the way in the fight against global warming as its investors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into green technology companies and its citizens have cut per-capita emissions of greenhouse gases by nearly 10 percent in recent years.

[The California Green Innovation Index]... praises the Golden State for making a fast start but warns that much more effort and innovation are needed to truly make a difference in the crisis....

"California is a model," said F. Noel Perry, founder of the Next 10 policy group, which commissioned the report. "The people of California are very forward-looking, and they like to solve problems."

Worldwatch Institute's latest report looks to the other side of the ocean:

If China's commitment to diversifying its energy supply and becoming a global leader in renewables manufacturing persists, renewable energy could provide over 30 percent of the nation's energy by 2050. This is the major conclusion of Powering China's Development: The Role of Renewable Energy, written by Beijing-based researcher Eric Martinot, a Worldwatch senior fellow, and Li Junfeng, Vice Chair of China's Renewable Energy Society in Beijing.

"A combination of policy leadership and entrepreneurial savvy is leading to spectacular growth in renewable energy, increasing its share of the market for electricity, heating, and transport fuels," said Martinot. "China is poised to become a leader in renewables manufacturing, which will have global implications for the future of the technology."

So much leadership everywhere that's it's getting hard to keep track! (That's a good thing.)

My apologies: I forgot to put links in the last posting, Whither Energy Leadership? Watch the Pacific Rim They're there now, and also here:

The SF Chronicle reports on the California Green Innovation Index from policy group Next 10.

Worldwatch Institute's new report, Powering China's Development: The Role of Renewable Energy, should show up somewhere on their site, though I haven't yet been able to find where.

Irving Minzter speaking at Cleantech Crossroads:

G!d doesn't require us to do all the dumb things first and then clean them up later.

Our friends at Design Chain Associates report that

China's State Environmental Protection Administration has issued Order No. 40, Management Measures for the Control of Environmental Pollution by Electronic Waste. This new regulation, which goes in to effect on February 1, 2008, outlines the approach they will take to managing electronic waste. While the regulation includes a producer responsibility clause in Article 14, it is extremely vague regarding specific requirements.

DCA has a translation for sale at China RoHS

Voting on The 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards closes Nov 30. It's a great reading list -- just scanning the titles will give you a vibe on the zeitgeist (yoicks, do people really talk like that these days?!?) -- but it is devoid of the recent flurry of sustainability, sustainable business and climate change titles. Any list of best business books that's missing those is missing something major.

Authors: I don't know if it's too late to nominate your books, but if it's not there can't be much time left.

(My own vote would go to Blessed Unrest. What, "not a business book," you say? Read it again.)

Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board (a/k/a StopWaste.org) has a board vacancy for a "Source Reduction Specialist with substantial experience.” The appointee must live in Alameda County (California).

aThe Recycling Board administers the voter-approved Waste Reduction and Recycling Initiative, which levies a $7.19 per ton landfill disposal fee that generates approximately $9.0 million per year for waste reduction and recycling programs in Alameda County. Fifty percent of the money is returned to local jurisdictions on a per-capita basis. The balance is appropriated by the Board for countywide source reduction and recycling programs, public education, recycled product procurement, market development and grants to community organizations. [Good idea, eh? Do it in your county too! - GF]

The deadline for application is December 13, 2007, at 5:00 p.m. Minority and female candidates are urged to apply.

(StopWaste is a long time client of Natural Logic).

New report from Worldwatch Institute:

In 2006, China burned more than twice as much coal as any other country, according to the latest Vital Sign Update. China's coal use amounted to 39 percent of the global total, followed by the United States with 18 percent. The European Union and India came in third and fourth place, accounting for 10 percent and 8 percent of total coal use, respectively.

The demand for coal is growing rapidly in China, which accounted for more than 70 percent of the global growth in coal use in 2006 and for more than 60 percent of the rise in coal use over the past decade. But China also leads on renewables, and is poised to achieve—and even exceed—its target to obtain 15 percent of its energy from renewables by 2020, according to the new Worldwatch report, Powering China's Development.