100 percent renewable by 2030

Mark Jacobsen of Stanford and Mark Delucchi of University of California have produced a paper which confirms what some of us have suspected, that it is possible to shift the world's energy production to 100 percent renewable by 2030. Their article is the cover story of the November Scientific American and their formula is a combination of wind, marine and solar energy. They point out that using renewables to generate power automatically provides significant efficiency because much less energy is wasted as heat such as in the combustion processes of traditional power generation.

The article addresses the "hour by hour" power demand and the need to significantly upgrade the transmission infrastructure. According to them, 100 percent renewable by 2030 is possible, it's feasible, but whether it's achievable may depend on how we support our renewable businesses and entrepreneurs, and what we say to our politicians and to our law makers.

There are competing elements in this new era, but change will happen. The question is, will it be done in time, and achieve our 100 percent renewable world by 2030?

TCKTCKTCK to the future

Maintaining the Status Quo - when we have achieved some semblance of "the good life", our priority is then to maintain that lifestyle, not to see it eroded, to keep things the way they currently are. But that mindset comes with a big price tag for the planet.

This week, I observed a considerable degree of that urge to maintain the status quo, with farmers in the UK rejecting wind farms which might change their view, Australians in a debate about how our lifestyles could change unless we tighten our border security. Others worldwide are concerned about increases in energy cost, and how that could impact them in the short term, while many more see their lifestyles being eroded from lack of water and changing climate. Others just want to avoid any debate and hope that life will continue as "normal" and want their personal status quo maintained.

In some ways, the Copenhagen debate is also one of Status Quo - how to set a course for the future at the same time as providing the economic and political stability to take us there.

So there is no easy answer here, but an absolute need to develop a new paradigm, new values, and a new vision. We have talked a lot about the pain of this transition and that surely will happen, but it's also time to talk about a new future which will provide a new status quo. How do we live in this new world? What resources do we need and what can we provide for our children to develop this space?

Copenhagen is one more step in that direction, and an important one. So it's now time for us all to become more active in our communities and to let go of our own personal "status quo" - to become pioneers of this new future, and join those, like Desmond Tutu, in becoming Climate (and planet) Allies.

Savings start at Home

Most Australians, including myself, are fortunate to enjoy a modern lifestyle, accustomed to live well. But that lifestyle has a price, both in dollar terms and in our carbon impact on the planet.

So it's timely that we now have a new book to help us "save energy, save money and reduce our our carbon footprint" and, at the same time, still find ways to live well and enjoy life. That book is The CSIRO Home Energy Savings Handbook, and you can find more about this comprehensive family friendly book here.

So if you want to find out how you, your friends and family can make a difference - which TV to buy, how to cool your house, why recycling aluminium is so important, and whether a diesel car has a lower carbon impact - then find yourself a copy of this highly useful book from your local bookstore or library.

And for those looking for a good idea for Fathers Day next week - instead of that tie or socks for Dad - why not give him a gift that is a real investment and one everyone can share.

MindSet = Dataset

For anyone reviewing what has happened and projecting the future, data is essential, but numbers are sometimes confusing, and its easy to misread a trend. So its a real joy to see the work at gapminder.org where data is represented as coloured bubbles.

It's easier to check it out yourself, go play with data, it's great fun and a mind shift about how we view the world. Or check it out at the latest TED TALK by Hans Rosling.

ABC of our carbon world

Sometimes you just want an answer. Has anyone looked at the carbon footprint of wine? Why are peatlands important for carbon storage? Where do I find a Green Vehicle Guide? And who are the IEA? Well, for answers to these questions and many more, check out Ken Hickson's new book "The ABC of Carbon" which is a solid work full of easy to use summaries of the carbon world that we inhabit and that need to understand.

What I found most useful is that every topic in this book - and there are many in the 26 chapters - comes with web addresses where more good information can be found. I have my copy, and if you want yours, then see Ken's ABC Carbon site.

Bamboo soaks up CO2

It seems I'm just one of the many fans of Bamboo. A recent article called "What's Driving the Bamboo Market" by Jonathon Bardelline published in Green Design claims that "Bamboo plants sequester four times as much carbon dioxide as hardwood trees (taking in 62 tons of CO2 per 2.4 acres versus 16 tons per 2.4 acres of trees) and puts out 35 percent more oxygen".

Bamboo is becoming more popular, and my bamboo flooring is certainly not unique, though well admired for it's soft feel and durable finish. I have bamboo in my wardrobe in the form of some quite smart business jackets and some exceptionally soft t-shirts. According to what I have read, bamboo doesn't require pesticides to grow, and it's a low water use plant, actually mostly considered a weed because it grows so fast and is so hardy.

So if you are in business, and are looking at new materials, take a look at bamboo, and some of it's many varieties. It's a material that I expect we will see lots more of in the future.

Pic ex Flickr Bamboo by The Pug Father

Socially Speaking

My thoughts have been on communication, and in particular, using Blogs, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. What is the optimum package? And there are many thoughts on this - see a really thoughtful article on this based on the writings of Steve Rubel. The article shows how we are evolving - from printed media, radio, TV, then to websites, blogs and we are now in the era of social networking.

Obviously, too many formats! So something has to give. I rarely read newspapers, though I do like the odd well written magazine, and TV is much less important - and less credible, as it attempts to mimic the social element of blogs and twitter. Daily news now comes to me via my computer, and mostly through the blogs and selected twitter feeds that I receive. The real key, is to focus on what's important to you - and to filter out the overwhelming mass of quite useless chatter. Social Media is global, so no-one in your local geographic area, with their own agenda, such as an owner of printed media or TV, can control what is there.

It's taken a while but I have decided that I like Twitter - I tune in to short bits that I find interesting but only from those who I trust. While I may blog once a week or so, I put links up more often on my Twitter page - and I share what I find useful! -see GoBizGreen Twitter.