By Daniel Seligman, Guest Blog Contributor Seattle is lucky: the city owns virtually all of the land in the Cedar River watershed on the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains. The area is forested and the city wants it to remain that way. When you turn on the tap, you don’t need to worry about… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Natural Resources and Environment
Subscribe to Natural Resources and Environment RSS FeedHow About Nationalizing the Weather?
Posted in Natural Resources and Environment, Regulatory, Renewable EnergyHere’s a great idea for fixing the Federal budget deficit: Nationalize the weather. (I’m sure you’re now kicking yourself and asking, “Why didn’t I think of that?”) The Federal government can then require that a license first be obtained by those who want to use the sun to sunbathe or the wind to fly a… Continue Reading
What Does Data Show About the Economics of Regional Cap-and-Trade?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Entrepreneurs, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable Energy, Sustainable BusinessBack before the recession, there was a major push in Washington State to adopt a state carbon cap-and-trade program as part of Washington’s membership in the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). The argument was heated, and like most things these days tended to split on party lines with a gulf between the two. Democrats generally argued… Continue Reading
Energy Subsidies – Et Tu
Posted in Clean Energy, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable Energy, SolarTremendous progress has been made in the development of renewable energy in recent years. Wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy, as well as biofuels, are providing an ever increasing share of the energy consumed in this county. Moreover, the cost of producing energy from renewable sources has come down rapidly. Yet it remains an inescapable… Continue Reading
Keystone Pipeline: Clearly a Proxy for Bigger Environmental Issues
Posted in Natural Resources and EnvironmentThe Washington Clean Tech Alliance hosted a breakfast forum earlier in the month regarding the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline project. Scott Farris, TransCanada’s Director of Government Relations for the Western United States, and Ross MacFarlane, sr. advisor business partnerships of Climate Solutions, provided a strong, informational presentation (and, importantly, largely devoid of rhetoric) about the… Continue Reading
Merchants and Consumers: Are You Ready? Seattle Plastic Bag Ban Goes Into Effect July 1, 2012!
Posted in Legislation, Natural Resources and EnvironmentI’m like most other Seattleites in that I voluntarily carry my canvas shopping bag or bags to my local grocery store in the hope that I am helping the environment in some small way. I have been “educated” on the benefit: bringing my own reusable bag cuts down on waste (less plastic bags going into… Continue Reading
Can a New Political Consensus be Found to Keep a 75-Year Supply of Natural Gas from Dooming Renewable Energy?
Posted in Capital and Funding, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, TechnologyIn an April 12, 2012 article in the New York Times, Jad Mouwad wrote about the transformation in United States’ energy fortunes that is fundamentally changing much of what we thought we knew about domestic and international realities. After decades of viewing ourselves as energy depleted, he writes, the United States now finds itself cutting… Continue Reading
Energy in Iceland – Too Good To Be True?
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Clean Energy, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable EnergyLast Wednesday I wrote about Iceland’s impressive development of renewable energy sources which provide 100% of electricity production from hydropower (80%) and geothermal (20%) sources. There is no doubt that Iceland is blessed with massive amounts of clean energy. While Iceland has garnered vast praise for its development of clean, renewable energy, some environmentalists question its… Continue Reading
Iceland — An Energy Superpower
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable EnergyLast week on a lark, I went to Iceland, courtesy of a fantastic Icelandic Air deal. I had two modest goals: first, I wanted to see the Northern Lights in February and second, I wanted to learn how to pronounce EyjafjallajÖkull, the volcano that erupted in 2010 to the dismay of European travelers. Cloud cover… Continue Reading
Rapid Technology Changes and (Not Green) Waste—a Conundrum, Part I
Posted in Natural Resources and EnvironmentMy father-in-law had the same telephone for many decades. It was an old-style rotary-dial phone that provided him reliable phone service for over 50 years. It wasn’t fancy; but it worked for its intended purpose– and for a very long time at that. How many of us have had the same cell phone for more… Continue Reading
Ecology’s Revised SEPA Guidance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Posted in Climate Change, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) has finally reissued its guidance for addressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental reviews. In response to comments Ecology received on its 2010 draft guidance and working paper, Ecology has narrowed its focus and reissued revised SEPA guidance that is… Continue Reading
Score One for Producing Electricity from Biomass
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryWe always seem to prefer our energy to come in a form where we can’t really know where it came from. Gasoline comes from a pump at the gas station, doesn’t it? And electricity comes in wires to our house, right? If I can’t see where it comes from beyond that, doesn’t that mean that… Continue Reading
Concept Designs Unveiled for Seattle’s Central Waterfront
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and Environment, Seattle Central Waterfront ProjectBy Cynthia Kennedy James Corner Field Operations unveiled exciting initial concept designs for Seattle’s Central Waterfront before another large and enthusiastic crowd at the Bell Harbor Convention Center last month. The initial designs focus on concepts for facilitating pedestrian connections across folds of green space down to the waterfront, and concepts for enticing people down… Continue Reading
U.S. Supreme Court Issues Decision in Climate Change Nuisance Lawsuit — Court Rejects Common Law Nuisance Claims; Leaves Climate Change Regulation to EPA
Posted in Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryIn a much-anticipated decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that a groundbreaking climate change lawsuit brought by eight states and the City of New York against several major electric power companies could not go forward, at least not based on the plaintiffs’ public nuisance claims. In American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, 564… Continue Reading
EPA Gives Itself Three More Years To Figure Out A Tailoring Rule For Biomass Energy
Posted in Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Regulatory, Renewable EnergyThe Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq was adopted in the early 1960s to insure that business and industry does not spew pollutants into the air, causing harm to humans, plants and animals. Congress found that “the growth in the amount and complexity of air pollution brought about by urbanization, industrial development,… Continue Reading
One More (Baby?) Step Towards Aviation Fuel From Forest Biomass
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Natural Resources and Environment, Regulatory, Renewable EnergyAir travel is a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions and a major consumer of fossil fuels. As a result Boeing and Airbus, as well as European airlines, have made major investments in developing aviation biofuel. In 2008 Boeing said that aviation biofuel would be a reality by 2011. Well, 2011 is here, but commercial… Continue Reading
The Environment vs. The First Amendment
Posted in Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatorySeattle is one of the first American cities to take measures to prevent Yellow Page phone books from clogging local landfills. Last October, the city enacted an ordinance that bans the distribution of yellow page phone books in the city unless telephone book publishers satisfied certain conditions such as a payment of $.14 cents for… Continue Reading
Federal Budget Compromise – Mixed Bag for Clean Energy and the Environment
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Regulatory, TaxFor those who wait until the last minute to prepare and file their income tax returns, this is the week to scramble. As you review the taxes that you owe, the current budget battle that has dominated the news recently may resonate with you. That battle nearly shut down the government last week. But a… Continue Reading
Don’t Forget the Subsidies for Nuclear Energy
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Climate Change, Legislation, Natural Resources and Environment, Sustainable BusinessThe crisis unfolding at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility in Japan is a stark reminder of how difficult it is to plan against the forces of nature. The crisis has occurred despite Japan having at its disposal all of the knowledge, technology and other resources available to a country as advanced and rich as that… Continue Reading
Volcanoes and Earthquakes and Tsunamis, Oh My!
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Green Building, Natural Resources and EnvironmentLast week, I had the pleasure of vacationing in one of the most beautiful states in our great nation—Hawaii, land of palm trees, long sandy beaches and killer Mai Tais. Mother Nature has blessed Hawaii with beautiful flora and fauna, a gorgeous coastline and coral reefs that attract colorful fish and sea turtles. But two… Continue Reading
Seattle’s 2030 District Takes up the Carbon Neutral Challenge
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy Concerns about global climate change are inspiring many innovative approaches to reducing carbon footprints. One local example is the Seattle 2030 District. The 2030 District is a group of downtown property owners and managers who are voluntary working together to collectively meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge for Planners throughout their district. The… Continue Reading
Wood-burning Planes – Jet Fuel from Biomass
Posted in Alternative Fuels, Natural Resources and Environment, Renewable EnergyWashington State hopes to promote the use of wood waste as feedstock for bio-jet fuel. Production of bio-jet fuel from wood waste would marry up two of the state’s most important industries – forest products and aviation. As a step towards that goal, the state Commissioner of Public Lands, Peter Goldmark, announced at a recent… Continue Reading
Ecology’s Revised Approach for Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions under SEPA
Posted in Natural Resources and Environment, RegulatoryBy Cynthia Kennedy The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has replaced the draft SEPA Guidance it issued earlier this year for addressing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with a more streamlined draft working paper. The draft working paper is designed to help governmental agencies and project proponents evaluate and mitigate the effects of climate-changing GHG emissions… Continue Reading
Designing New Connections to Seattle’s Central Waterfront
Posted in Green Building, Natural Resources and EnvironmentBy Cynthia Kennedy Seattle has selected a design team for the City’s Central Waterfront Project. The James Corner Field Operations (JCFO) team introduced its vision for the Central Waterfront to a large and enthusiastic crowd at a recent public forum at Benaroya Hall. It was exciting to hear the team’s ideas for seizing the opportunities… Continue Reading