Sustainable Development: Energy & the Environment

Sustainable Development: Energy and the Environment

March/April 2009 volume 1 issue 4

Canada &

North

America’s

S us ta i n a b l e D e v e lo pm e n t: E n e rg y & t he E nviron m en t

Economic Recovery

President Obama and Prime Minister Harper

Establish Clean Energy Dialogue

U.S. Secretary of the Interior,

Ken Salazar on

Conservation

Governor Chet

Culver - Iowa: The Nation’s Capitol for Renewable Energy Careers

Collaborator Profiles: SAFEWAY • RANGE FUELS GREEN FESTIVALS SOLAROVER

RMCTO:

Growing Clean Tech Startups

Rio Tinto:

Green Building and Energy Efficient Leadership

NREL:

wind energy’s role in energy and economic future

Sustainable Leadership

As a global leader in full-service engineering, procurement, construction, and operations and maintenance, CH2M HILL provides innovative, practical, and sustainable solutions to help private and public clients meet 21st century challenges.

As the program manager for the City of Aurora’s Prairie Waters Project, CH2M HILL is designing and delivering an environmentally sustainable project that combines natural and state-of-the-art water treatment to provide the arid city with new, pure water supplies.

CR-08-01276-MKT © 2009 CH2M HILL

Through projects as diverse as the program management of the Panama Canal expansion, the safe and sustainable construction management of oil fields in Russia and Alaska’s North Slope, and the program management of Abu Dhabi’s carbonneutral sustainable Masdar City, we are working with our clients to reduce their carbon footprint—using solutions that include environmentally sustainable business practices, renewable energy technologies, and greenhouse gas management.

ch2mhill.com

Dear friends, Welcome to the fourth issue of ICOSA, created to showcase examples of domestic and global collaborations and connections. We look at our magazine as a tool to support social, educational, political and business entrepreneurs in their quest to make the world a better place by sharing their collaborative stories of best people, ideas and practices.

Dennis Ahlburg Paul Bergman John Brackney Michael Cafasso Gayle Dendinger

It is the mission of ICOSA to facilitate dynamic cooperation, partnerships and assistance among individuals, businesses, communities, governmental bodies and educational organizations to help foster growth and change. Through the sharing of collaboratively-based stories as well as highlighting the “connectors” within those stories and within the community, our hope is that our readers are moved to begin to work together to address and solve a given problem. We also look to students to learn how to work more collaboratively and to make a difference – both professionally and personally - by using these stories to track movement of community members and “connectors” in action.

We developed ICOSA with the firm belief that by working together collaboratively and sharing key connections, all of us can make the world a better place for ourselves, our neighbors and our children. We hope our readers feel the same way, whether this is your first or fourth issue. We invite you to work with us going forward in accomplishing this objective.

Dale Eisler Bruce Hutton Douglas Jackson Cheryl Jensen Norma Krech Lloyd Lewis Douglas Martine Tom Mauro George Mitrovich Beth Parish Chris Pelley Mike Roque Rebecca Saltman Wlliam Snider George Sparks Peter Yarrow

4100 Jackson Street Denver, CO 80216

Office: 303.333.3688

Fax: 303.333.4832

www.icosamag.com

table of CONTENTS

March - april 2009

In this Issue 1 Letter From The Publisher

6 Inspiration

14 Opinion From Ken Salazar

4 Letter From The Editor

8-12 Meet The Board

128 Thank You

16 Biomass To Energy

R ange Fuels Invents Low- carbon, Renewable Fuel

44 Epa Partnerships

Addressing Climate Change

20 It’s Time To Dye The “White Collar” Green

48 Canada and North America’s Economic Recovery

24 Engines & Energy Conversion Labs

56

International Development Enterprise

28 Cameco Corporation

60 Controlling Climate Change

An Interview With Van Jones

Investing In & Improving Efficiencies

Providing An Alternative To C arbon-based Energy

Paving The Way Through Energy Security & Clean Energy

Wellsprings Of Sustainability

Washington No Longer A sking “Why ” But “How?”

32 The Importance Of Metals & Minerals

The Global Environment And The World’s Energy Needs

36 Powering A Nation

Energy Development On Native L ands

A Greener Future With Alternative Fuels

40

68 Our Nation’s Energy And Economic Future

Safeway

Investing In Our Environment ( )

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64 Today’s Automobiles

Wind Energy ’s Role

72 Harrison Western

Protecting Watersheds & Reclaiming Polluted Water

76 Collaboration Powerhouse

Lessons From The L argest Grassroots Solar Event In History

80 Rio Tinto

Green Building And Energy Efficient Leadership

84 Vision Into Action

The Environmental E xcellence Strategy At Suncor

100 Re-skilling Labor

Collaborative, Industry-driven Workforce Development

104 Coal

Affordable, Reliable And Clean Energy For Colorado’s Future

108 Green Festivals

Collaborative Environmental & Social Justice Conferences

112 The Pipeline Puzzle

Connecting Communities, Resources, & The Environment

116 Greenprint Denver

Helping Build A Sustainable City One Collaboration At A Time

88 Iowa

Nation ’s C apitol For Renewable Energy C areers

92

Sustainability

120 Clean Tech Open

The Green Imperative

Growing Startup Businesses Into Thriving Clean Tech Companies

96 Environmental Sustainability

124 SolaRover

Dilemmas And Community Collaboration

New Value Equation For Solar Energy

03.09-04.09

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LETTER FROM THE editor

Reflections Through A Lens

By Jan Mazotti

I

COSA was started because our Publisher saw the downturn in the economy as an opportunity for all of us to establish collaborative efforts to make things better across industries and organizations - domestically and globally.

Using stories of successful collaborative efforts, we hoped to spark dialogue and move people to action, through personal effort, donations, or other means.

Recently, I met with a group of readers who were outraged by a story that appeared in ICOSA’s November/December 2008 Social Responsibility issue. These readers felt that our “lens” had been focused on the wrong thing. In their opinion, one of the companies we highlighted as an example of effective collaboration was, in their opinion, not at all collaborative or socially responsible. Instead of a model of how to build successful collaborative relationships through community development, they saw a culprit of harmful business practices. After vigorous discussion, I agreed to reflect on my responsibilities as an editor, if they would consider their individual and collective roles, in the complicit nature of the way things are.

I went on to share reflections on that issue through my “lens.” And, although they were disturbed by my actions, I reminded them that we are all complicit participants in extractive industries – especially if we heat our homes, drive a car, use a computer, or wear shoes. Everything we touch or do is either mined or grown – it is just the “nature of the beast.” I explained that it is a “lens” that sometimes gets lost in the conversation.

A “lens” that sometimes is never considered.

In this issue, we have tried to compile stories that address both sides of the conversation. We expect, and hope for, debate

and conversation that considers the “voice” of the author. There will be readers that contend that we have not been fair – but is that the point? I hope that there are pieces of each of the articles in this issue of ICOSA that push readers to reflect on opinions and predisposed judgments to consider another point of view. Shouldn’t that be the point?

As I reflect on my actions while compiling this issue, I know that I don’t agree with everything in this issue. NO – not everything is based on my opinion. As I reflect on my actions, my “lens” has opened to more fully consider the opinions of others.

As I reflect on my actions, I am excited that someone is reading this magazine and thinking critically about its content – which is one of my goals! As I reflect on my actions, I know that we, here at ICOSA, are receptive to constructive criticism – it’s the only way we get better. As I reflect on my actions, I have recognized that meeting in the middle and considering someone else’s “lens” is a concept difficult to conceive for ideologues on any side of a debate.

As you read this issue on Sustainable Development: Energy and the Environment, I hope that you will consider the “lens” with which you read and remind yourself of other “lenses” from which to think critically about the stories.

The only way that we can begin to move toward a stronger, more collaborative nation, is to consider the “lens” through which we look as we reflect on our role in moving this nation, and the world, forward.

- Jan Mazotti

ADVERTISING Jan Mazotti Dave Holman

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER Gayle Dendinger EDITOR Jan Mazotti CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rebecca Arno Brian Bartony Mary Beth Callie, Ph.D. Gary Chandler Governor Chet Culver Maury Dobbie Darrin C. Duber-Smith Dale Eisler Laura Farris Tom Hobelman Jana Kettering

Tanya Lee Neal Lurie Mark T. Nesbitt Kathleen O’Dell Luke Popovich Scott Rill Katie Roberts Stuart Sanderson Secretary Ken Salazar Rebecca Saltman John F. Spisak Emily Wilmsen STAFF WRITERS Michael Connors Cos Lindstrom Jan Mazotti

ART DIRECTOR Nick Heckman – EKMN creative PHOTOGRAPHY and design Cos Lindstrom Annette Perez BUSINESS ADVISOR John Brackney

ICOSA welcomes editorial submissions from its readers. Whenever possible, submissions should be sent in electronic format. All unsolicited materials should be submitted to the publisher at the address below. Items not sent

electronically will not be returned.

The publisher reserves the right to decline use of materials at their discretion and assumes no liability for unsolicited materials.

ICOSA (ISSN1938-2081) is published six times a year. No part of ICOSA may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ©2008 ICOSA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 4100 Jackson Street Denver, CO 80216 Office: 303.333.3688 Fax: 303.333.4832 Email: jamz@icosamag.com Website: www.icosamag.com All third-class postage paid at Denver, Colorado.

To view an electronic copy of ICOSA (ISSN1938-209X) or to get your free subscription, go to www.icosamag.com.

COVER: Prime Minister Stephen Harper laughs as he talks with U.S. President Barack Obama while walking through the halls of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

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G G R G R EA U O T R U U PS :

INSPIRATIONS

arren G. Bennis believes that very few great accomplishments are the work of a single person – but are a compilation of personalities and skill sets of the collective group. As one of the world’s foremost authorities on positive change, powerful partnerships and group leadership, he shares great insights into how to harness the power of Great Groups.

In fact, to identify common traits of Great Groups, Bennis studied legendary groups including Lockheed’s Skunkworks, the Xerox PARC research center, and Apple’s original Macintosh team. He found that every Great Group is extraordinary in its own way, and that there are common principles that apply to them. In my opinion, these principles apply to many of the organizations that we have featured in ICOSA.

Principle #1 Every Great Group has a superb leader

According to Bennis, Great Groups all have strong leaders, but the groups made the leaders great - that’s the paradox of group leadership. I believe the epitome of this principle is Ed Rust and State Farm Insurance. This organization is a leader in the insurance business, but serves as a role model for social development and support through education and community development. Rust is the leader who keeps his eye on the horizon, and not just on the bottom line.

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Principle #2 Great Groups think they are on a mission from God. Dr. James Jackson and Dr. Douglas Jackson of Project C.U.R.E. are on that shared mission - securing and delivering donated medical supplies and equipment to the most desperately ill and needy people in more than 100 countries around the world. They are on a fervent quest to create a better life for the poorest of the poor.

Principle #3 Great Groups manage conflict by abandoning individual egos to the pursuit of the dream.

This principle is difficult for most of us. However, the collaborative efforts of Regis University and Beth Parish have taught us to not only reach out to the whole community, but to work humbly behind the scenes to pull engaging and sometimes challenging, people to the collaboration effort.

Principle #4 Great Groups view themselves as winning underdogs

The story of Greyston Bakeries demonstrates this principle. Having created a social enterprise defined by creating profits to advance a social mission, Greyston has employed the “unemployable.”

Greyston has built relationships with the best in the industry.

Greyston has built a model filled with purpose - one that recognizes that, “We all have equal value, just different skill sets.”

Principle #5 Great Groups are protected from the “suits.”

Boeing’s story in our inaugural issue exemplifies this principle.

In order to survive, the A&T group took drastic measures and made sweeping organizational changes in order to make their partnership with the U.S. Airforce and McDonnell Douglas succeed. Instead of another top down “initiative du jour” or “random acts of improvement,” the Great Group at Boeing worked tactically and quietly to cultivate an environment built on integration, alignment, coordination, and communication while avoiding unreasonable expectations, secrets, and static documents.

Principle #6 Great Groups pay a personal price.

Bringing hope to Yetebon, Ethiopia is the passion of Noel and Tammy Cunningham and their work with Project Mercy.

Working tirelessly, with a team of devoted volunteers, the Cunningham Foundation and Project Mercy work hard to build and sustain better healthcare, feeding centers, and scholarships for children in the region. The mission: “Dream big! Maybe big things will happen.”

Bennis inspires my work as a CEO, publisher, and Great Group leader and participant. “It is the power of the mission,” reflects Bennis, “where all great teams – and all great organizations – are built around a shared dream or motivating purpose” In fact, Great Groups remind us how much we can accomplish working toward a shared purpose. Great Groups rely on many long-established practices of good management – effective

Principle #7 Great Groups are the product of meticulous recruiting.

John Brackney of the South Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce understands that connecting the best leaders and organizations brings in more great groups and leaders, which creates a powerful interconnected web. Common sense dictates, if you want to have a great group, surround yourself with great people.

Principle #8 Great Groups are usually young or think young.

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary and founder of Operation Respect has had one of the longest successful musical careers (that all the baby boomers appreciate), but his current message appeals to the young. Recently, Peter authored a best selling children’s book Puff the Magic Dragon - and a song that almost any ten-year-old child can sing.

Principle #9 Great Groups have a real or invented enemy.

Groups do better when there is a real or invented enemy - such as the ongoing battle against disease and sickness. In our inaugural issue we highlighted the efforts of Poudre Valley Health Systems and their ongoing continuous improvement journey to save lives.

Since that issue, the organization has received the highest quality recognition in the U.S. - the 2008 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Proof of just one of PVHS’ Great Groups is the community case management program that pairs advance practice nurses and social workers with high-risk, chronically ill patients. Over the past three years, this group has decreased emergency visits annually by 50 percent, which has resulted in more than $850,000 in savings.

Principle #10 Real Artists Ship.

Producing a tangible outcome external to self is central to this principle. Cheryl Jensen and the efforts of SWAG and the Vail Veterans Program are prime examples. These Great Groups come together annually to make the world better – either by sending a warm coat or showing a wounded veteran that someone cares - and that is the point.

communication, good recruitment, genuine empowerment, and personal commitment.

Bennis reminds us of the author Luciano de Crescanzo’s observation that “we are all angels with only one wing; we can only fly while embracing one another.” And, then Bennis reiterates that, “in the end, Great Groups can not be managed, only led in flight.”

03.09-04.09

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advisory board

adam p. cohen

Meet ADAM P. COHEN CH2M HILL, Vice President Enterprise Performance Excellence

A

dam P. Cohen is Vice President and Director of Enterprise Performance Excellence for CH2M HILL, a global project delivery company with revenues of more than $6 billion and 25,000 employees. Fortune named CH2M HILL to the prestigious 100 Best Companies to Work For listing in 2003, 2006, and 2008; and America’s Most Admired Companies for the last 6 years.

In his 19-year career with the firm, he has served in various roles involving training, organizational development, strategic planning, process improvement, quality management, marketing, and technical publications. His client work spans the water, transportation, energy and environment, and industrial sectors.

So how does an English Language & Literature major end up celebrating 19 years of employment with global engineering, construction, and operations firm CH2M HILL? And, how does this experience translate into a calling to improve company operations, service to customers, and employee engagement?

CH2M HILL acquired an Evanston, Illinois-based transportation engineering firm in 1989, and opened the “Chicago office” on the research campus of Northwestern University. Less than a year after graduation from the University of Michigan, Cohen was the first new CH2M HILL employee hired to join the existing team.

He applied his English degree as a technical publications and editing specialist, producing technical reports and marketing materials for almost 3 years.

In 1993, with the pull of Colorado luring him home, he joined OMI, a fully owned subsidiary unit of CH2M HILL. Just months into his employment with OMI, he attended an introductory training session of OMI’s Obsessed With Quality process. The course taught employees about the culture of quality, customer service, teamwork, process improvement and statistical process control, and employee empowerment. In 1995, Cohen became a “focus team leader” for one element of OMI’s implementation of the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award criteria. He served in

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CONTACT ADAM P. COHEN: 9191 South Jamaica Street Englewood, CO 80112 p: 1.888.CH2M.HILL E: Adam.Cohen@CH2M.com

this role and as co-leader of Team OMI, driving companywide improvements and leading production of three official Baldrige Award applications.

OMI received the Baldrige Award in 2000 as the first-ever Colorado recipient. (Since joined as Baldrige Award Recipients by the UNC Monfort College of Business and, this year, Poudre Valley Health System.) He became a Quality Coach for OMI in 1999-2000, then Quality Director for OMI in 2003 until 2006 when he returned to CH2M HILL’s corporate ranks in a companywide quality role.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the non-profit Colorado Performance Excellence (CPEx), a state-level Baldrigebased performance excellence program. He served as Board President in 2004 and 2005, and Vice President in 2003.

Recently “retiring” as the Lead Judge for the CPEx awards program after 4 years, he will return to a role as an Examiner for the state award in 2009.

Cohen also is engaged as an Advisor to the Monfort College of Business Institute for Performance Excellence at the University of Northern Colorado. He co-chaired the Baldrige Award Recipients Consortium, a national network of Baldrige Award Recipient organizations, in 2001 and 2002.

Cohen has been a guest on several radio programs and internet radio station Voice America, and has made keynote and workshop presentations to more than 5,000 people. He is certified by the American Society for Quality as a Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence, and Quality Improvement Associate.

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Lakewood, Colorado, USA

advisory board

robert mulverhill

Meet Robert Mulverhill President iSeis

M

r. Mulverhill has successfully constructed and led a number of dynamic business enterprises in the United States, Europe and Asia. His extensive experience includes executive leadership positions as CEO, President, COO, VP and MD, as well as numerous senior management positions.

contact Robert Mulverhill: iSeis 1128 Grant Street, Ste. 103 Denver, CO 80203 P: 303.884.1157 mulverhill@msn.com

Robert brings expansive experience in executive management, strategic business development, global sales and marketing, product development and market launch, operations and finance with particular expertise in managing mature and emerging companies operating in rapidly changing environments; environments of highly competitive, fast moving transactional and technology based businesses where the ability to manage, control and achieve results are imperative.

Mr. Mulverhill is President and CEO of iSeis, a global seismic equipment and services company and Chairman of DeltaGeophysical LLC an oil and gas equipment trading company. Robert was founding President and CEO of Ascend Geophysical, Inc. He has also been President and CEO of a fluid management and controls company (successfully acquired) and a proprietary digital imaging and software company (IPO and successfully acquired).

Robert has also served as COO and Managing Director of a British/Asian manufacturing consortium maintaining residence in London, Beijing and Bangkok. He launched his corporate career and built extensive operational, sales and program management skills during his time with Honeywell Corporation. Mr. Mulverhill is

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recognized for his extensive international work, collaboration and strategic development within China and Eastern European nations, and is often called upon to advise and assist both industry and governmental agencies.

Mr. Mulverhill has served as director, advisor and consultant to various companies and agencies in the US, Europe and Asia. He possesses an exceptional record in leading challenging corporate transactions, including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring, equity financing, buy-outs and enterprise expansion.

He has successfully managed multiple global businesses and built key account relationship including BP, Shell, Exxon, CNPC/BGP, Halliburton, IBM, GE, Boeing, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbott, Samsung, P & G, Pfizer and Siemens A.G.

We’re part of something bigger Kennecott Utah Copper is part of the global Rio Tinto company.

It’s big. But what’s really big is the cause that brings us together — a focus on sustainable development practices.

As a result, we have planted more than 135,000 trees and several thousand acres of shrubs and grasses along the Oquirrh Mountains.

This will restore and beautify our land as well as reduce its carbon footprint. We’re proud of that. Caring for our environment is just part of our long-term commitment. To learn more, please visit www.kennecott.com or www.riotinto.com.

Zeb Kenyon, Environmental Engineer, Kennecott Utah Copper, oversees reclamation in the Oquirrh Mountains. Zeb is one of 65,000 Rio Tinto employees committed to sustainable development practices.

advisory board

kim reed

Meet Kim Reed Attorney At Law Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.

K

im Reed is an international business lawyer with the law firm of Hogan & Hartson. She is based out of the firm’s Washington, DC and Moscow, Russia offices. During 2008, Kim was on leave from the firm in order to lead the Obama presidential campaign’s overseas operations as Senior Advisor on Americans Abroad. As the campaign’s chief liaison with the seven to ten million Americans living overseas, Kim spearheaded the creation of the first-ever field operations of a US presidential campaign internationally and supervised all overseas campaign employees and thousands of US citizen volunteers in 70+ countries. She served on the Advance Team for then-Senator Obama’s historic trip to Berlin, Germany, and also traveled on behalf of the Obama campaign to India, China, France, Italy, Hungary and Canada.

Having returned to Hogan & Hartson after the election, Kim specializes in complex mergers & acquisitions, foreign investment, and infrastructure projects. Although her practice emphasizes Russia and the countries of the former Soviet bloc, she has also worked on deals in Asia, Australia, Western Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. Kim has a large and active pro bono practice, donating about 600 hours annually, free of charge, to NGO/nonprofit clients in sectors such as human rights, free and fair elections, environmental conservancy, education, mentorship for Russian orphans, critically ill children, international women’s rights, public interest law, religious freedom, service to the poor, and development of the NGO sector in Russia. She was the recipient of the first-ever Russian Pro Bono Award in 2008.

Kim grew up in rural Virginia and graduated from Duke University (where she was one of the original founders of “Krzyzewskiville”, the legendary basketball team-inspired tent village) and the University of Virginia Law School, where she was Class President, Executive Editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law, and an avid competitive softball player. After law school, she practiced litigation in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, worked briefly at the White House Communications Office during the first

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CONTACT Kimberly D. Reed: Hogan & Hartson LLP 555 Thirteenth St., NW Washington, DC 20004 p: 202.637.6573 F: 202.637.5910 kdreed@hhlaw.com www.hhlaw.com

Clinton Administration, and then spent six years as Assistant Dean and Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she taught Nonprofit Law & Management. In 2000, she moved to Warsaw, Poland, joining Hogan & Hartson’s international corporate law practice, and from there moved to Moscow in 2004, where she lived until early 2008.

Kim is a Board Member of the Public Interest Law Institute, the Network of East-West Women, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, the Duke University Women’s Forum, and several other non-profit organizations, and she is a current member of the Democratic Party’s Advisory Council and the Democratic Party Women’s Leadership Forum. She is also the founder of the Talizman Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Warsaw, Poland, which, over the last seven years, has distributed millions of dollars in clothing, medical supplies, toiletries and cleaning supplies, school books, and other basic necessities to orphanages, homes for the mentally and physically handicapped, needy foster families, homeless shelters, and homes for the poor elderly in rural parts of Poland. Talizman is a regular partner of the National Ski Areas Association’s “Sharing Warmth Around the Globe” project, which has donated over 15,000 winter coats and other cold-weather wear to Talizman for distribution to Talizman’s target groups.

Kim lives in Potomac, Maryland with her husband and two young children. She is an avid traveler, having visited more than 60 countries, and Duke basketball fan.

Randy Moench manages the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery.

Nearly 2 million seedlings are distributed each year for conservation efforts.

Preserve. Restore. Sustain.

Dedicated to conservation solutions locally and around the globe.

Colorado State is The Green University.

opinion

The President’s Economic

Recovery Plan

An Opportunity for Conservation

A

A national economic crisis might not seem to be the time for Americans to build a conservation legacy for the future.

But history tells us otherwise. In fact, some of the greatest strides in conserving our nation’s unique landscapes for future generations occurred during times of war and economic crisis.

In the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln signed the first legislation setting aside the beautiful Yosemite Valley in California as a protected area. The idea of a national park was born, and today we have 391 units in our National Park System.

During the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps and put hundreds of thousands of young people to work at national parks and on other public lands, planting trees, constructing roads and visitor facilities, and undertaking a wide swath of other projects.

» The president’s economic recovery package illustrates the old adage that crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. «

Americans today still benefit from this work done in the 1930s. For example, the Corps constructed the breathtaking “Going to the Sun” Road in Glacier National Park and the 105-mile Skyline Drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park.

America now faces the worst economic crisis since those dark years of the Great Depression.

Once again, we have an opportunity to put people to work on conservation projects to renew our national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands.

The economic recovery package passed by Congress includes badly needed funding for projects at the Department of the Interior. It will create as many as 100,000 new jobs in communities across America.

This funding would allow for investment in projects that could be undertaken immediately on our public lands across the country.

In central California, for example, the National Park Service would finally be able to make long overdue upgrades to important

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By Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

infrastructure and invest in improved fire protection at the Ash Mountain Complex at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.

These projects would repair and rebuild $13.8 million in basic park infrastructure, such as replacing water tanks and installing new fire alarms. They will stimulate the economy by providing business for contractors and suppliers, and generating jobs in the local community. Equally important, the projects will provide a safer, healthier experience for the more than 900,000 people who visit the Ash Mountain complex each year.

Or in Colorado, for example, the recovery package will provide more than $3.8 million to help restore our national wildlife refuges and national parks. The investments will go to fixing fences, rebuilding roads, and improving interpretive facilities at the Baca, Alamosa, and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges. At Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the economic recovery plan will allow the National Park Service, among other projects, to reclaim abandoned sand and gravel pits near the beautiful Sand Creek, so that we can help restore native trout to the park.

The president’s economic recovery package illustrates the old adage that crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin.

Yes, we are in a time of crisis. But yes, we can use this as an opportunity to make an investment in conserving America’s timeless treasures – our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage - while helping working families and their communities prosper again.

» We can use this as an opportunity to make an investment in conserving America’s timeless treasures - our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage - while helping working families and their communities prosper again. «

Americans are proud to have the finest network of public lands dedicated to conservation and recreation in the world.

The recovery legislation provides the opportunity to make our national heritage even more grand for our children and grandchildren.

We must not – and will not - miss it.

Yosemite National Park Upper and Lower Falls

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collaborator profile

range fuels

Biomass to

Energy

Range Fuels Invents Low-Carbon, Renewable Fuel By Jan Mazotti

I

n the United States, vehicles use more gasoline each year than the entire U.S. oil industry produces. Fleets and personal vehicles are ultimately responsible for most of the pollution and damage caused by the oil extraction industry. As the U.S. actively tries to alleviate its dependence on foreign oil, many groundbreaking new fuel solutions have surfaced. Many argue that U.S. energy independence can never be achieved.

Then, there are those who vehemently believe that the solution to the imported oil problem, and its inherent threats, could be just around the corner.

Realistically, it will take time to solve a problem that has perpetuated itself over decades, but David Aldous, an energy industry veteran and CEO of Range Fuels, believes it can. He says, “Addressing climate change is important. It is no longer a debate about the science anymore, but a discussion on what we are going to do to address it.” He goes on, “Clean fuels create a significant economic opportunity for the U.S. It brings independence and security to the U.S. with a clean fuel supply. It also creates jobs and mitigates a substantial transfer of wealth out of the U.S.”

Cellulosic Biofuels: The Zero Carbon-Footprint Fuel

03.09-04.09

Addressing these concerns will take time, however, many companies are developing and introducing fuel alternatives – biofuels and other clean burning fuels derived from non-food biomass sources - that could cut emissions significantly and quickly.

» Addressing climate change is important.

It is no longer a debate about the science anymore, but a discussion on what we are going to do to address it. «

Concern about the environmental and political costs of our nation’s 140 billion–gallon a year gasoline addiction has never been higher.

Recent polls have found that 91 percent of Americans believe our nation is facing an energy crisis and 86 percent say they want their government to help develop alternative energy sources.

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In the U.S., transportation is the largest single source of air pollution - producing nearly two-thirds of the carbon monoxide, a third of the nitrogen oxides, and a quarter of the hydrocarbons in our atmosphere. Transportation consumes nearly 21 billion barrels of oil annually – of which 60 percent is imported.

Denver-based Range Fuels has created a lowcarbon fuels company focused on the production of cellulosic ethanol that considers… “Everything we do, everything we use, and everything we create is evaluated by one simple question: have we taken no more than we have returned?”

Range Fuels’ fuel-grade ethanol, one of the company’s renewable fuel products, is targeted specifically at the transportation industry. The company converts biomass – from plant and plant-derived materials such as wood, switch grass, corn stover, and even olive pits - using clean energy technologies, to produce ethanol that has no net greenhouse gas effects. Furthermore, their plants are expected to use less water than typical corn ethanol plants.

The company produces cellulosic biofuels using its proprietary two-step thermo-chemical process which uses heat, pressure, and steam to convert biomass into synthesis gas or syngas. The

syngas is then passed over a proprietary catalyst to ultimately create ethanol for blending with gasoline as a transportation fuel, methanol and other alcohols.

The company’s approach to building facilities near biomass sources minimizes transportation energy from the equation. This is the case with Range Fuels’ first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant located near Soperton, Georgia, which is positioned near significant and sustainable supplies of wood and wood waste.

This plant will initially use wood and leftover wood residues from nearby timber operations. Construction on the first phase of the plant is expected to be completed in early 2010 with operations following in the second quarter of 2010. At full capacity, the Soperton Plant is permitted to produce over 100 million gallons of ethanol and methanol annually.

» Range Fuels converts biomass - from plant and plant-derived materials such as wood, switch grass, corn stover, and even olive pits - using clean energy technologies, to produce ethanol that has no net greenhouse gas effects. «

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collaborator profile

range fuels

Petroleum to Biofuels The Challenges and Potential Benefits Recently, the Natural Resources Defense Council suggested that, “by 2050, biofuels – especially those known as cellulosic biofuels – could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year.” That’s equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions or the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf. And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline over the next 35 – 40 years.

And because ethanol does not need to be drilled or pumped, it leaves America’s coasts and wildlands unscathed. It is produced from fully renewable and fully sustainable resources – a fuel we can find at home and recover from our own fields, forests, and farmlands, or even from our own garbage dumps.

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However, ethanol’s critics have suggested that demand for the fuel could outstrip the agricultural land available to grow the corn to make it. That objection vanishes when cellulosic

» A joint U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture study completed in 2005 estimated that the nation’s forest and agricultural lands could sustainably produce 1.3 billion tons of biomass each year – enough to produce biofuels to meet more than one-third of the demand for transportation fuels. «

sources are factored in. A joint U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture study completed in 2005 estimated that the nation’s forest and agricultural lands could sustainably produce 1.3 billion tons of biomass each year – enough to produce biofuels to meet more than onethird of the demand for transportation fuels. Additionally, energy crops grown to produce cellulosic ethanol yield two to three times more biomass per acre than corn. That means far less land is needed to produce far more cellulosic ethanol.

Researchers from the Rocky Mountain Institute explain it this way: “Cellulosic ethanol will typically have twice the ethanol yield of corn-based ethanol, at lower capital cost, with far better net energy yield.”

Another challenge facing expansion of the biofuels industry rests with the lack of availability of vehicles capable of using higher blends of ethanol with gasoline (E85 or a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline), and the lack of infrastructure to

deliver E85 to the market. There are approximately 240 million cars in the U.S., but only about six million, or a little more than 2%, are “flex-fuel” or “dual-fuel” vehicles, which can run on both conventional gasoline and E85. And, because only about 1% of the filling stations in the U.S. offer E85 (1,900 of approximately 170,000 filling stations), access to E85 for those with flex-fuel vehicles is limited.

Although E85 availability is limited, research indicates that the impact of E85 use on greenhouse gas emissions is impressive.

Fueling a car with E85 with the ethanol made from corn reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, according to studies by Argonne National Laboratory. However, the benefits will increase as larger amounts of ethanol are produced from cellulosic sources, such as agricultural waste that is currently burned or left to decompose. When E85 with cellulosic ethanol is used, cellulosic ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle mile traveled by 89 percent.

» When E85 with cellulosic ethanol is used, cellulosic ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle mile traveled by 89 percent. « Furthermore, when compared to other alternative fuel processes - like sugar platforms - the thermo-chemical conversion process Range Fuels utilizes to convert non-food biomass into cellulosic biofuels has a number of value-added features including lower front-end processing costs, greater conversion efficiencies, greater feedstock flexibility, lower water consumption, faster process time, and fewer by-products.

The Economy & Biofuels Right now, the U.S. economy is something of a detriment to many companies in the “new energy” sector, In fact, access to capital, federal grants, and the credit crunch have caused a slowdown in construction within the industry due to lack of capital. Aldous says, “Even though there is interest in our technologies outside of the U.S. by energy importers, we are only focused on a national plan due to limited funding sources.”

Range Fuels is on a journey to dominate the biomass to energy business by creating a cost competitive, low-carbon fuel alternative to gasoline. It is not an experimental or theoretical technology.

Ethanol is a burgeoning American industry that has already attracted a high level of investment and ingenuity. It recycles waste, revitalizes agriculture, and reduces air pollution. It can help us reverse global warming and achieve energy independence.

Ethanol is ready to power the engine of environmental and economic sustainability.

All we have to do is put it in our cars and drive off into the future.

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jewel of collaboration

van jones interview

It’s Time to Dye the

“White Collar” Green An Interview with Van Jones By Rebecca Saltman

V

an Jones is an award-winning activist, bestselling author, speaker, and political advisor.

I first became a die-hard fan in 2007 when I attended my first (and far from my last) Awakening the Dreamer Symposium - a program of the Pachamama Alliance and presented by its founder, Lynne Twist. I sat in awe, quite literally glued to the screen, listening to the profound wisdom Mr. Jones shared about many ideas, but especially about how he views collaboration to be a significant solution to our planets problems. He said, “For too long we’ve had this division between ecology and social justice, and so you’re either concerned about nature and the environment, or you’re concerned about people. Now you’re starting to see a much more wisdom-based approach to the fact that there are no single issues. If you pull enough on any single issue, you find it’s connected to every other issue.

When you talk about cosmology, and I talk about racial justice, we realize we’re speaking the same language, When you talk about environment, and I talk about community health we’re speaking the same language. And so now it’s the age for the translator. It’s the age for the bridge builder. It’s the age for Velcro. It’s the age for Lego. It’s the age for combining what we already have into what we need.”

It is no surprise that The Green Collar Economy, How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, was written by Mr. Jones, and it could not be more current.

The book launched at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list with a timely message - that green jobs can save both our economy and our environment. Through Jones’ steady stewardship, his organization Green For All helped create the Green Jobs Act (2007).

Once passed, the act authorized $125 million in “green-collar” job training. This training is folded into emerging green sectors such as solar and wind industries, energy retrofitting and green building construction. The monies approved by Congress don’t find their way only

technological, economic or political.”

Describe your vision of what the barriers are and what we need to do to fix them?

Well, therearepolitical challenges to moving to renewable energy and energy efficiency. There are economic and technological challenges, too. But one of the biggest things standing in our way is the lack of workers trained and ready to do the work of building the green economy. Bringing America’s economy into the 21st century is going to take a lot of work. We have to retrofit and upgrade millions of buildings. We have to install millions of solar panels, and plant and care for millions of trees. We have to build millions of plug-in hybrid vehicles. We need thousands of solar farms, wind farms, and wave farms; we’ll have to build those, too. And we have to manufacture the solar panels, wind turbines and wave power turbines for those energy farms.

Who’s going to do all this work?

Right now, America does not have a workforce trained to do the hard and noble work of building the green economy. But we have more than enough people whowantthose jobs, whowantto be trained and equipped to do work that not only feeds their families but saves the country and the planet.

So the biggest barrier is not having enough workers to do the work. How do we overcome this barrier? We invest in workers. We invest in the everyday person, ready to work and looking to serve. We invest in training programs, service and learning programs, job placement programs.

Right now, Green For All is preparing to roll out our campaign for a Clean Energy Corps for America. It’s our plan to do all these things so that we can match the people who most need work, with the work that most needs to be done.

At ICOSA we believe that collaboration could save the world. Describe how collaboration creates a Green Collar Economy, and could in fact be the answer to our economic problems?

» There are political challenges to moving to renewable energy and energy efficiency. There are economic and technological challenges, too. But one of the biggest things standing in our way is the lack of workers trained and ready to do the work of building the green economy. «

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to existing businesses with a need to improve their bottom line. Twenty percent of the funds also support “Pathways Out of Poverty,” a program providing targeted resources and support to low-income individuals.

I had the great pleasure to meet Mr. Jones at the Big Tent, blogger headquarters during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

He spoke on several riveting subjects from environmental justice to green jobs not jails.

I found myself analyzing the content of his presentations, using his topics as a springboard to further inquiry. After reading the book I was able to formulate the following questions…

In your book The Green Collar Economy you clearly describe how, “some of the barriers to a real breakthrough are not

From floods to fires, from foreclosures to financial collapse, it should be obvious to everyone at this point that the old, pollutionbased economy is hurting the planet and hurting the people. We need a new, green economy - one that helps the planet and helps the people.

That’s a big shift. To get there, we need a massive and deliberate reorganization of the country’s resources and priorities. The work ahead of us - from retrofitting buildings, to constructing energy farms, to upgrading our power grid, and so on - is going to create tremendous opportunities for work, wealth and health. But it will also create a million and one headaches, missteps and failures if we aren’t moving forward together as a country, united.

» That means collaboration.That means building a strong, durable, and broad-based coalition with the political muscle to move such a comprehensive agenda.

It will not be easy.

The current economy, based on pollution and exclusion, still has many powerful supporters entrenched in Washington and on Wall Street. « That means collaboration. That means building a strong, durable, and broad-based coalition with the political muscle to move such a comprehensive agenda. It will not be easy. The current economy, based on pollution and exclusion, still has many powerful supporters entrenched in Washington and on Wall Street.

No, it will not be easy. But it is necessary, and possible.

We all have something to gain from a green economy. But none of us can build it alone.

Which means we have to build it together. All of us — workers, environmentalists, activists, students, people of color, people of faith, small farmers, progressive business and finance leaders, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, scientists, and more.

» I call it a “Green Growth Alliance,” and it boils down to exactly what you said: collaboration can save the world. « 03.09-04.09

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jewel of collaboration

van jones interview

I call it a “Green Growth Alliance,” and it boils down to exactly what you said: collaboration can save the world.

You describe ethanol, nuclear power and “clean coal” as false solutions. You even suggest, “in a world full of hungry people burning food should be criminally punished.” Why do you think the U.S. continues to be attached to these solutions?

Well, the American people aren’t attached to these false solutions. But there are those who have made enormous profits exploiting the planet that want to keep doing that.

When I travel the country and talk to regular people, they all want a country where their children don’t get asthma, where their workplaces don’t put them at risk for cancer, where climate change isn’t jeopardizing the farms that feed them, where energy sources are renewable and local and don’t lead to wars and other political conflict. Everyone wants that.

The challenge is giving people a way to understand and participate in the solutions.

When we do that well, everything becomes a lot easier.

What are some examples of green technology that can spur greater economic growth (akin to the Silicon Valley explosion in the 90’s)?

The low-hanging fruit in the green economy is energy efficiency. By investing in energy efficiency, we can create hundreds of thousands of greencollar jobs and dramatically reduce America’s greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming.

Most people don’t know this, but buildings are responsible for more of our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions — about 40 percent — than anything else. That includes transportation and industry. At the same time, our buildings are incredibly wasteful. They leak

» When I was younger, I worked harder and harder - but saw few results. Now I want to work smarter. « going to coalition meetings and protests. Whether we won - or whether our victories truly changed anything - was of lesser importance than whether we were “right.” But now I have two boys, and they will be asking me about what we did, or didn’t do, to heal their planet. And I don’t want to have silly answers for them, when they are bigger. And I don’t want them to grow old on a hot, strip-mined, dying planet.

When I was younger, I worked harder and harder - but saw few results. Now I want to work smarter.

What kind of impact has the recession had on the green collar economy, and what are your projections for the green job market based on those trends?

This recession has been hard on everybody.

Green-collar workers are no exception; neither are green entrepreneurs. But there is a silver lining.

The severity of this recession has made it obvious that the old way of doing things does not work. It has left even the most skeptical more open to the ideas and arguments of the green-collar movement.

You can see it in the stimulus package, which contains significant investment in green industry and green-collar workers. The federal government is not just trying to stimulate the economy, it is also paying special attention to nurturing the seeds of the new, green economy.

Basically, the recession has taught us a lesson we should have learned long ago, and it has taught us the hard way. That lesson will, I hope, be the springboard to a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

» I don’t want them to grow old on a hot, strip-mined, dying planet. «

» The severity of this recession has made it obvious that the old way of doing things does not work. « ( 22 )

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energy constantly because of loose windows and doors, poor insulation, and other easy-tofix problems. And older appliances use more energy than necessary to do simple things like heat water or refrigerate our food.

Those problems may be easy to fix, but they won’t fix themselves. We need people to do the work, and that means jobs.

Retrofitting and upgrading our nation’s buildings would be a major job engine and a catalyst for the green economy.

Since your second son, Mattai, and I share a birthday, how has fatherhood changed your views and your work?

I am much more committed to real impact and creating a real difference. When I was younger, I was happy just giving speeches and

Rebecca Saltman is a social entrepreneur and the President and Founder of a Foot in the Door Productions an independent collaboration building firm designed to bridge business, government, non-profits and education. Contact Rebecca at rsaltman@foot-in-the-door.com.

 Most people don’t know this, but buildings are responsible for more of our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions - about 40 percent - than anything else. 

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collaborator profile

Engines & Energy Conversion Lab

Engines & Energy

Conversion Labs Investing in Innovation & Improving Efficiencies By Emily Wilmsen

Dr. Willson working on cookstove technologies in the CSU EECL

D

on’t be fooled by the name: Students, faculty and staff working on any given day in the Colorado State University (CSU) Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory (EECL) aren’t working on engines per se.

solutions and entrepreneurial models that benefit the human condition and achieve global impact.”

Improving engine efficiency is certainly within the scope of work at the lab, but students - under the tutelage of the lab’s director, Dr. Bryan Willson - are working on global solutions such as systems that will produce biodiesel from algae on a massive scale and cookstoves that will help curb indoor air pollution in developing nations.

That mission coincides with the university’s mission and that of its new Superclusters – a business model that was enacted in 2007 to bring the university’s innovative research to the marketplace more quickly. Applying Michael Porter’s concept of business clusters, the Superclusters are organized around the university’s areas of strength such as clean energy solutions and cures and vaccines for infectious disease and cancer.

The laboratory is the largest of its kind in North America at one of the top research institutions in the nation (CSU ranks fourth in annual research expenditures in the nation when compared with its peers without a medical school, according to the most recent figures from the National Science Foundation). The mission of the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory is to “create innovative energy

Translated into a university setting, the cluster concept helps scientists in different disciplines come together to work on common goals while also helping industry navigate the complexities of a university for licensing and patenting. The goal is to make the university look and act more like a business and encourage public/private partnerships and collaboration.

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“Superclusters are designed around the idea that we can pull together a critical mass of faculty in an area where Colorado State University has strong expertise; we can leverage those strengths in developing solutions to address challenges facing societies worldwide,” said Interim President Dr. Tony Frank. “We oriented these Superclusters around areas where the solution could be addressed for commercialization – taking the ideas, the intellectual property, the innovation that comes out of groups of scientists and students from across disciplines and translating it into the commercial space for the public good.”

Envirofit developed a bolt-on, direct-injection retrofit kit for carbureted two-stroke engines that are major polluters in the developing world. This easily installed, direct-injection retrofit technology drastically reduces pollution by 70 to 90 percent while improving fuel economy more than 35 percent.

Those two-stroke engine retrofit kits are being sold in the Philippines with expansion planned in other developing countries.

Collaboration is key to innovation at Colorado State University, including the groundbreaking work occurring in the engines lab.

Willson, the lab’s director, also doubles as the Director of the academic side of the Clean Energy Supercluster. His role is to help connect researchers across campus who may be working in the area of clean energy.

Willson himself helped create two of the university’s spinoffs: Envirofit International, a company that is helping poorer countries solve indoor and outdoor air pollution problems, and Solix Biofuels, which aims to develop algae into biodiesel on a mass scale.

» Students are working on global solutions such as systems that will produce biodiesel from algae on a massive scale and cookstoves that will help curb indoor air pollution in developing nations. « “When I’m giving tours of the lab, I like to tell people that the next round of breakthroughs in energy are going to happen where more than one discipline intersect,” said Dr. Morgan DeFoort, codirector of the engines lab. “It’s not going to be a physicist working alone. It’s the physicist working with the chemist. Or the biologist working with the mechanical engineer. It’s the more complex problems – those are where the breakthroughs for the next few decades – even the next century – are going to occur.”

Engineering Complex Systems The EECL at Colorado State is known for tackling large, complex environmental problems such as air pollution – issues that relief agencies around the world don’t have the funds or the time to address.

Willson, the founder of the lab, often says, “the bigger the problems, the better.”

The first major breakthrough to occur at the engines lab was in 1999. That was the first year that students competed in the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge, ultimately developing a snowmobile that was 300 times cleaner than a stock model.

In 2003, students Tim Bauer and Nathan Lorenz, along with Willson and Paul Hudnut, business instructor, took that innovation to the next level and created Envirofit International, a non-profit corporation and leader in creating sustainable, scalable businesses that help solve global health and environmental problems.

» Applying Michael Porter’s concept of business clusters, the Superclusters are organized around the university’s areas of strength such as clean energy solutions and cures and vaccines for infectious disease and cancer. «

Dr. Willson and the two-stroke engine retrofit kit

Lorenz and Bauer, the two students who helped create Envirofit, now work for the company and have helped steer the business into another major area of concern in the developing world: indoor air pollution.

Envirofit has developed a cleaner burning cookstove that reduces emissions while using less fuel and increasing efficiency. The stoves are now being disseminated throughout India as students in the engines lab continue to work on improving the technology.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 3 billion people - or nearly half the world’s population - cook their daily meals over open fires indoors

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collaborator profile

Engines & Energy Conversion Lab

» Nearly 3 billion people - or nearly half the world’s population - cook their daily meals over open fires indoors using biomass such as wood or dung. A majority of the heat is wasted, and up to 20 percent of the biomass is transferred into such toxic materials as carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde. «

Women using Envirofit cookstove

using biomass such as wood or dung. A majority of the heat is wasted, and up to 20 percent of the biomass is transferred into such toxic materials as carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde. Indoor air pollution, as a result, kills 1.6 million people every year.

In 2006, the Shell Foundation committed up to $25 million in grants to Envirofit to design and disseminate 10 million cookstoves across the developing world. Stoves are already being delivered in India.

EECL Saving Lives To meet Envirofit’s goal to disseminate the stoves, the company is working with DeFoort and his students at the EECL to perfect the technology. As many as 40 or 50 students work in the lab at any given time – most of them undergraduate students – on a variety of different projects.

Christian L’Orange, a graduate student in the laborator y, works with DeFoor t, who is the technical lead on the research and development effor ts that suppor t Envirofit’s cookstoves enterprise. DeFoor t has four graduate students and six undergraduate students working with him.

Through Envirofit and his work in the lab, L’Orange has learned that engineering offers a multitude of career paths. He’s responsible for designing the test hood in India that measures stove emissions.

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“It’s engineers that are doing something different,” L’Orange said of the lab. “Being an engineer doesn’t just mean that you’re designing gears or cars or robots. Working with Envirofit – it was the first project that anyone had talked about that was completely different.”

And the differences don’t stop there: Students at CSU are learning what it means to collaborate with their peers in other disciplines. They’re working with business professors such as Hudnut who are helping to build new business models to sell such products as Envirofit’s to people in poor nations who need them. Or with sociocultural anthropologists, like Mac McGoldrick, Programs Manager for the EECL, who is helping students learn to appreciate cultural differences that will help Envirofit sell their products.

“There’s a unique, collaborative culture that exists at Colorado State because of our ability to be entrepreneurial,” DeFoort said.

“You find that willingness to collaborate here more than at any other university.”

Students Learning from Collaboration Collaborative experiences are also creating new entrepreneurs: Some of the first seed funding from the Clean Energy Supercluster helped a group of students in the College of Business’ newest master’s program create a new company.

Through the Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise master’s degree program, students have created Powermundo, which is a for-profit organization that aims to connect sustainable products of companies such as Envirofit with the people in developing nations who need them. The students are working with Tom Dean, a Business Professor, and DeFoort.

» Being an engineer doesn’t just mean that you’re designing gears or cars or robots. « The master’s degree is an 18-month program that teaches students to use entrepreneurial, sustainable approaches to address great global challenges of poverty, environmental degradation and poor health. The degree requires three months of field work in a developing nation or area that lacks resources to build sustainable businesses.

To learn more about the Colorado State University Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory and its successful startup companies, please visit http://www. eecl.colostate.edu/ or contact Emily Wilmsen at (970) 491-2336. For more information about Colorado State University’s leadership in renewable energy and environmentally sustainable initiatives, go to http://www.green.colostate.edu/.

Spinoffs of Colorado State University’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory Solix Biofuels CEO: Doug Henston Year founded: 2006 Number of employees: Roughly 45, but changing weekly.

CSU students: 15 undergraduates, 3 graduate students Purpose: Commercializing large-scale algae production for algae-based oil feedstock for fuel and chemical production.

Key advantages: Demand for biofuels has increased sharply with rising oil prices and concerns about climate change.

Envirofit International CEO and Chairman: Ron Bills Year founded: 2003 Employees: 13 US employees, 50 international employees (India, Sri Lanka, Philippines) CSU students: 4 graduate students, 8 undergraduates Purpose: Envirofit’s goal is to develop and distribute wellengineered technology solutions to improve the human condition on a global scale, with a primary emphasis on applications that target traditionally overlooked developing world markets. As a U.S.-based non-profit, Envirofit employs an innovative enterprise-based model - utilizing initial funding to support product development and early stage product commercialization and reinvesting profits from product sales to make the business economically self-sustaining and globally scalable.

The goal of the master’s degree program is ultimately to help some of the world’s three billion people who live on less than $3 a day.

“Though the Clean Energy Supercluster is really young, here’s an example of how it’s investing across the spectrum,” DeFoort said. “We have these students who have launched a company and they were greatly enabled by Supercluster funding. The Supercluster spans the spectrum from early stage R&D to laterstage commercialization.”

Colorado State University – and companies like Envirofit – are capitalizing on these opportunities ahead of other higher education institutions, DeFoort said.

“There aren’t Envirofits out there,” he said. “The approach in the developing world has only recently turned entrepreneurial. We’ve got a five-year headstart.”

CSU energy labs tour

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jewel of collaboration

CAMECO CORPORATION

Cameco

Corporation Providing an Alternative to Carbon-Based Energy in Trying Times By Jan Mazotti

W

ith all of the economic challenges the world is facing, one of the most important revolves around the production of energy. It not only helps drive our economy but also provides the lights for our schools where our future leaders are being educated.

Even with the downturn in our economy, electricity demand is expected to double by 2030. It is predicted that the increase will be the greatest in developing economies.

These demands leave all of us with a serious challenge. Energy must be found and delivered but it has to be safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable. The environmental challenge is particularly vexing.

Our continued reliance on fossil fuels comes with myriad of costs, many of them measurable. Those costs include the exhaustion of natural resources and the reliance on countries for resources that have governments with political positions that are anathema to the West. There are also the challenges that fossil fuels bring, related to air pollution and the warming of the Earth. These problems are particularly acute in China and Russia.

No single energy source offers the perfect solution to these economic and environmental costs, many of which are rising. Renewable options such as wind, water and solar are increasing in their popularity, in part because they are “cleaner” alternatives. However, their intermittent nature cannot today provide the necessary energy to meet all industrial and residential demands.

One re-emerging and viable solution to this problem is nuclear power, which has lost favor in the United States over the last two decades. President Obama discussed the need for nuclear power while campaigning for the presidency.

The issue of plant safety, including the fear of radioactivity, especially as a terrorist threat, is on many people’s minds. However, most of the alternatives used to generate electricity carry similar but different risks. ( 28 )

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There can be little question that nuclear power delivers large amounts of electricity without generating greenhouse gas emissions or toxic air pollutants. That is one of the reasons it is being used as an alternative for generating power, domestically and abroad.

The status of nuclear power as a reliable, cost-effective and environmentally appropriate technology for electricity production is growing and these benefits are becoming even more compelling as the Earth continues to warm.

In part because of safety concerns, the nuclear industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world.

It has strict licensing requirements for construction, operation and decommissioning of all operations. The industry also holds itself accountable through international organizations such as the World Association of Nuclear Operators and the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations.

On a global scale, it is estimated that in comparison with coal-fired generation, nuclear reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.5 billion tons per year. Since 2001, the Nuclear Energy Institute reports that U.S. nuclear power plants have achieved the lowest production costs amongst coal, natural gas and petroleum.

Taking the lead in the production of nuclear power is Cameco Corporation, headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company, whose president and chief operating officer is Gerald Grandey, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008.

Cameco is “committed to improving our performance and demonstrating environmental leadership — an objective that causes us to look at our impact on the environment and strive for continued improvement,” said Grandey, who joined the company as a senior vice president for marketing and development in the early 1990s.

“We do this, even though we have complied with regulatory standards for many years.” He became President and CEO in 2003.

Cameco is one of the world’s largest uranium producers accounting for nearly 20 percent of

» On a global scale, it is estimated that in comparison with coal-fired generation, nuclear reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.5 billion tons per year. «

Fuel bundles manufactured at Fuel Manufacturing are used to generate electricity in Candu reactors.

world production from its mines in Canada and the U.S., and operations in Kazakhstan. Its philosophy is that “no job is so important that we cannot take the time to do it safely.”

Grandey, a California native who graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in geophysical engineering stressed, “in advancing our nuclear energy business, we help create opportunities and wealth that allow future generations to advance and prosper as our generation has.” A former lawyer who practiced in Denver after graduating from Northwestern University Law School, he added, “as we pursue our current activities, we preserve choices so that those future generations are able to address the challenges and opportunities that they will face in a sustainable way.”

One opportunity that Grandey helped negotiate was an agreement with Russia to market highly enriched uranium (HEU) from dismantled Soviet-era weapons. The equivalent of 13,000 warheads have been recycled into fuel for electricity generation under a “megatons to megawatts” program.

Cameco has controlling ownership of the world’s largest high-grade reserves and low-cost operations in northern Saskatchewan with ore grades up to 100 times the world average.

Cameco has uranium refining, conversion and fuel manufacturing operations, as well as a partnership in Bruce Power, North America’s

largest nuclear generating station located 150 miles northwest of Toronto.

Grandey emphasized Cameco’s commitment to the environment, stating that, “preserving choices means that we must mitigate our environmental impact, promote safety and provide benefits to the communities in which we operate wherever they are located. As we conduct ourselves

» The equivalent of 13,000 warheads have been recycled into fuel for electricity generation under a “megatons to megawatts” program. « in accordance with these principles and our values, we will maintain our social license to operate and will deliver, in a sustainable manner, the significant benefits of nuclear energy to people around the world.”

The company stresses that sustainability drives its decisions as it expands its involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle. It is developing uranium mines in Canada and Central Asia,

Zirconium tubes are manufactured at the Cobourg facility.

Bruce Power, A Reactor - Located in Ontario, Bruce Power’s six operating nuclear power plants produce enough clean electricity for a city the size of Toronto.

Cameco, as a partner provides all fuel requirements.

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jewel of collaboration

CAMECO CORPORATION

Cigar Lake - Underground tunnels at Cigar Lake are reinforced with concrete to ensure a safe working environment.

and pursuing exploration opportunities throughout the world.

According to Cameco, sustainable development is simply “meeting the needs of our stakeholders today, while preserving choices for future generations to meet their needs.” The company lists four key measurers of success concerning its governance and management practices.

Cameco believes that sustainable development requires economic, environmental and social responsibility, as well as a strong commitment to governance and management.

The company organizes its sustainable development indicators around its governance practices as well as its measures of success. “We will only pursue those investment opportunities that can meet all four of our measures of success,” stated Grandey, “a safe healthy and rewarding workplace, a clean environment,

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» Preserving choices means that we must mitigate our environmental impact, promote safety and provide benefits to the communities in which we operate wherever they are located. « supportive communities and outstanding financial performance.” Cameco sees such development as an integral component to the way it does business.

The company’s sustainable development report, plays an important role in helping the company communicate with its key stakeholders, monitor and measure its performance, and ensure accountability in all areas of its business. The 2008 Report documented how well the company did in regards to its governance and management practices and four key measures of success.

In an effort to address the information needs of Cameco’s key stakeholder groups, the company hired Canadian Business for Social Responsibility to gather and collate feedback from company stakeholders through interviews and focus groups. Cameco plans to use the results and recommendations to improve reporting in the future.

“We look to sustainable development as a means of aligning, communicating and measuring our priorities,” said Victor

Zaleschuk, Cameco chair. “But the test of sustainability does not stop there. Cameco sees sustainable development as a means for holding ourselves accountable for the long-term consequences of our operations.”

The company chose 23 key performance indicators to build on for sustainable development reporting. The company’s leadership, including Zaleschuk who joined Cameco’s board of directors in 2001, feels that these are the appropriate parameters at this stage in its sustainable development program.

Cameco increased the amount spent on corporate donations and sponsorships from $1.98 million in 2005 to more than $5.5 million in 2008. “We want to increase employment and business opportunities, but also support programs that enhance health and social infrastructure,” said Grandey. Cameco is supporting “the Northumberland Hospital in Ontario, St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation in Saskatoon, the Ile-a-la-Crosse Health Centre and High School in northern Saskatchewan and Cameco’s annual employee giving campaign.”

The continued increase in net earnings has made it possible to increase the corporate investment budget annually with major investments in education and literacy, health and wellness, youth and community development. Each year Cameco targets one percent of forecasted net earnings to go toward community investment initiatives.

Cameco strives to provide significant employment and economic benefits that come from its activities for communities near its operating sites. The company’s community investment program encompasses relationships with dozens of communities in Canada, Australia, the U.S. and Central Asia.

It is the company’s fundamental belief that supportive communities are a key measure of its long-term success. Cameco and its employees support hundreds of community projects. The company believes that taken together, these acts of community investment - large and small - make a difference.

Cameco focuses on education and literacy as a priority of community investment. This is demonstrated across a spectrum of learning, supporting projects from preschool to high school and throughout the community.

The company assisting post-secondary education with a $3 million contribution to the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), the largest single donation that the company ever has made. In 1995, the company invested $1.5 million to establish a Cameco chair in aqueous and environmental geochemistry at the U of S. Cameco research chair Jim Hendry is studying the long-term behavior of elements such as arsenic and radium within mine tailings facilities. While the company benefits from the research, Hendry’s findings are

Blind River - Located in Ontario, Blind River is the world’s largest and most modern commercial uranium refinery.

important to other mining companies as well.

Canada’s only synchrotron machine is located at the U of S and Hendry has been able to use the facility to study how elements bind together with other minerals at the molecular level.

Cameco feels that these contributions reflect its belief that the university’s success is an integral component of community success. This success is not just local, but provincial and national.

The company also supports a range of scholarships, amateur sports events, arts and cultural pursuits, community festivals and training programs. In Saskatoon, for example, Cameco took the lead in the Royal University Hospital Foundation’s Royal Care campaign with a $1.5 million contribution which will fund several initiatives, including the first Chair in Aboriginal Medicine.

In Port Hope, Ontario, company donations helped expand the Public Library’s

Local History Room and created the Cameco Room as part of the Capital Arts Centre restoration project.

Strengthening local economies is also part of community development. When an economic development summit was planned for the Athabasca region, Cameco was a cosponsor. When Pinehouse was recognized as a leading northern community committed to sustainable economic development, part of the celebrations involved the recognition of 31 Cameco employees for their leadership in community achievement.

In 2004 Cameco launched its first employee giving campaign. The company matched eligible employee donations dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of the generosity of its staff. In five years more than $1.5 million has been raised in support of registered charities across Canada and the United States. Many Cameco employees help drive community fundraising campaigns, volunteering in a variety of capacities to help the organizations the company supports.

» We know that all human activity has impacts and our operations are no exception. The key is to constantly ask ourselves, “how we can do better?” «

McArthur River - Located in northern Saskatchewan, the McArthur River mine is the world’s largest, highgrade uranium deposit.

This dedication of company staff support combines with financial contributions to demonstrate the company’s commitment to be a good corporate citizen. Cameco strives to provide significant employment and economic benefits that come from its activities for communities near its operating sites.

Grandey sees this involvement in the community going hand-in-hand with the company’s commitment to be a strong environmental steward. “Environmental leadership is important because nuclear energy is increasingly seen as a clean source of abundant energy,” he said. “We want to make sure that our participation in the industry - from exploration to the generation of electricity - is both clean and sustainable.”

In tying this concern about protecting the environment with its commitment to communities near Cameco facilities, Grandey concluded, “our customers, communities, other stakeholders, and shareholders expect no less. Of course, we know that all human activity has impacts and our operations are no exception. The key is to constantly ask ourselves how we can do better.”

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world energy needs

The Importance of

Metals and Minerals The Global Environment and the World’s Energy Needs By Mark Nesbitt

T

he earth’s crust is rich with minerals and transforming these ores into - metal tools, machines and equipment of all sorts, motor vehicles, solar cells, wind turbines, computers, the internet, communications satellites and the rockets that put them in orbit, medical equipment and innumerable other products - allow us to live a quality of life much different from that of our parents and grandparents. Stop and think about it.

Even the most basic things we take for granted, from the roads and highways we drive on to flat screen television panels, are products of mining. Society not only relies on, but demands it receives the manufactured products it wants and has become accustomed.

Besides allowing us our standard of living and products, raw mineral products are the necessary ingredients of the world’s global economy. There is a saying that “raw materials are the basis of every modern industrial economy.” It is from raw, natural resources that nations treat, manufacture and produce value-added products. If a country does not have or cannot acquire raw minerals or initially beneficiated products like concentrates through international trade, it cannot produce and export manufactured goods or employ its citizens in good, long-term high-paying jobs. The choice for a country is to develop an industrialized economy or remain an agrarian one with all the age-old shortcomings of being at the bottom of the global economic ladder.

It should be safe to assume that most of the

» Competition between developed and developing countries for the world’s finite production of metals will become more and more acute. « ( 32 )

03.09-04.09

world’s farmers would like their children and future generations to obtain an education or skills to enable them to move up that ladder.

And recently there has been growing concern over man’s emissions of greenhouse gases and a renewed interest and acceptance of electricity produced from clean nuclear power.

Not only is nuclear power clean and does not emit greenhouse gasses, but the U.S. and France have designed new and improved safe nuclear reactors. Much of the world, especially the Asian countries of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and India have chosen to emphasize the development of nuclear power rather than rely on problematic fossil fuels.

So it is clear that we benefit immensely in a material way from the metals we remove from the ground. But there is more to this story than just the transformation of metals to products. Most people are not aware of origin or the obvious existence of the metals in their vehicles, metal beams in their bridges, overpasses, household appliances, wiring in

their houses and work place. While in ancient times the ability to work with metals and manufactured things was extremely valued, people in modern times have become used to the benefits of refined, machined metals and manufactured products and take them for granted. To have these products people must be employed, and this is an important point.

Mines are not usually in urban, developed areas. They are usually not close to large metropolitan areas. They are often “off the beaten track,” and in the U.S. are primarily in the Western states. But the people who work at mines, refine and produce the metals used in the manufacture of the products have one thing in common. They all enjoy high-paying sustainable jobs, jobs that allow them to obtain auto and home loans, purchase products and put money that multiplies its beneficial effect as it circulates through the economy. Indeed, the huge, U.S. economy was built on its domestic metal resources.

From those metals, we built our railroads,

ships, airplanes, engines of all sorts, and motor vehicles. And from those industries, we created millions of high-paying jobs and trained and hired workers to fill those jobs.

And those workers bought things, built our strong economy and supported its continued growth. Currently, it is jobs, spending and jumpstarting the nation’s economy that President Obama is trying to create with his economic development program.

As far as the world is concerned, economic growth resulted in the increased consumption of raw materials throughout the twentieth century. Between 1960 and 1995, world mineral use expanded by 2.5 times and metals use more than doubled (2.1 times). This growth outpaced the increase of the world’s population and occurred

» Besides allowing these countries to grow their economies and better the livelihood of their people, a fallout of this sprint to acquire and develop metals resources has the potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental consequences. « even though the world’s economy shifted to become more service oriented, and nonmaterials intensive manufacturing industries such as telecommunication and finance developed. Interestingly, metals use doubled even though metals became less important because of the increased use of plastics and other manufactured materials in the manufacturing industries.

To further illustrate how important the main industrialized countries are when it comes to metals use, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Western Europe represent 15% of the world’s population, but consumed 61% of the world’s aluminum, 60% of the lead, 59% of the copper and 49% of the steel. Use is high on a per capita basis as well.

For example, the average American uses 22 kilograms (48.4 lbs.) of aluminum per annum, while the average Indian and African use 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs.) and 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs.), 03.09-04.09

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world energy needs

respectively. And the numbers are similar for China, but China is becoming a major consumer of metals to feed the development of its transportation sector, not only for roads and railroads, but for vehicles, ships and airplanes to be sold both domestically and on the world market. It is well known, and becoming more widely understood, that China is aggressively seeking to obtain long-term supplies of the metals, oil, gas and other natural resources that will be required for it to continue its march to become a fully developed country. On a broader scale, the countries known as the “BRIC” countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China, are the countries that will be increasing their percentage consumption of the world’s metals over the coming decades. As their economies develop, they will significantly influence the future price of metals.

So where is this global increase in the consumption of metals taking us? No one has a long-term crystal ball, but in the shorter term it is obvious. Competition between developed and developing countries for the world’s finite production of metals will become more and more acute. Metals prices will increase and manufactured products containing them will become more expensive.

Not only will metals resources be sought out in more and more remote locations, i.e., the Arctic, Antarctica, seabed mining, central Asia and of course continued expansion into

the far recesses of South America and Africa, but ways will need to be developed to ensure these metals operations will be reliable from an environmental perspective.

Besides allowing these countries to grow their economies and better the livelihood of

» The challenge for a country and the world as a whole is to obtain enough metals necessary to sustain its economic growth, all the while mining the needed metals in a safe, sustainable and environmentally conscientious manner. « their people, a fallout of this sprint to acquire and develop metals resources has the potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental consequences. Mining metals requires the use of heavy equipment, equipment that not only run on diesel,

but they cannot be manufactured without using a lot of energy. And what about environmental consequences that could result from mining metals in far off places? On one hand, developing nations recognize the importance of conducting mining operations and promoting economic development in a clean, environmentally responsible manner.

However, it is not always easy for developing countries to closely monitor mining and other development activities, or to enforce its environmental laws and regulations. But since most major mining operations involve at least one international mining company who knows how to conduct operations that are sound from an environmental perspective, the operation may well have obtained financing that requires compliance with the Equator Principals.

So the U.S. and all developing countries in the world must face the challenges resulting from the fact that populations and economies continue to grow, which will result in the increased consumption of metals, including Uranium for nuclear power reactors. The challenge for a country and the world as a whole is to obtain enough metals necessary to sustain its economic growth, all the while mining the needed metals in a safe, sustainable and environmentally conscientious manner.

This is of course a lot easier said than done, but the mining industry and the world’s large financial institutions who will provide much of the funds necessary for this growth, are committed to this goal.

But because the world’s metals resources are in a sense finite, recycling will continue to become more efficient and more significant in the metals sector. In this regard, recycling is a truly substantial and vital sector of the steel industry. Having a stable metals mining industry is a fundamental requirement if the world is to regain and then maintain a strong economy. And no economy can be strong without a good source of energy to power its industries making nuclear power part of a vigorous global economic development effort. The world must be realistic and reasonable if it is to achieve this goal. People will come to realize they cannot escape their need to consume metals. So their ultimate challenge is to figure out a balance between the obvious needs of any vibrant economy for metals and energy and the goal of living in a healthy pollution-free environment.

Mark T. Nesbitt is at Nesbitt & Associates LLC, Attorneys and Counselors at Law. You can contact Mr. Nesbitt at 1580 Lincoln Street, Suite 700, Denver, Colorado 80203-1557.

Phone: (303) 302-3097 Fax: (303) 302-3088 Email: mtn@nesbittlaw.net.

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jewel of collaboration

Energy development on Native lands

Powering

a Nation Energy Development on Native Lands By Tanya Lee

the Crow Reservation in Montana and Desert Rock Energy Project, a coal-fired power plant in New Mexico on the Navajo Nation.

“The CTL plant will produce synthetic jet fuel for the Air Force,” said Morello.

When fully operational, the plant will provide millions in revenues each year to the Crow Nation. This will give them the opportunity to truly determine their own destiny.”

T

hink “energy development on Indian lands” and probably wind, solar, geothermal and biomass projects - renewables are what come to mind, but that’s not all that’s happening in on Native American reservations.

Coal, which supplies more than 50 percent of America’s electricity, is still very much in the mix, and for good reason.

Former Sen. Ben Nighthorse-Campbell, RColo., told Congress just five years ago, “Indian lands comprise approximately 5 percent of the land area of the United States, but contains an estimated 10 percent of all energy reserves in the United States, including 30 percent of known coal deposits located in the western portion of the United States.”

Coal deposits are a big part of many tribes’ patrimony. Coal can be the resource that provides a decent standard of living, sends kids ( 36 )

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to college, and finances the struggle to affirm and maintain tribal sovereignty.

Steven J. Morello (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) is director of the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. “Energy development will be worth three times what gaming is worth in Indian Country,” he said. “Tribes need to take stock of their energy resources.”

Morello listed some of the energy projects on Indian reservations: the Northwest Band of Shoshone Nation is building the first of five geothermal plants and its entire output is already sold; the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin have built an exemplary biomass facility; and the Oklahoma Cherokee, the Navajo Nation and many other tribes are working on wind projects.

Then there are the major coal projects: Many Stars CTL (coal-to-liquid) facility on

» The Many Stars Coal to Liquid project would not only “secure the future of the tribe and its members for generations, but would also enhance national security by making the United States less dependent on foreign oil.” « On Desert Rock, Morello said, “The Navajo Nation doesn’t yet do gaming and has great economic need. We advise tribes, ‘Don’t sell your raw materials, sell a product.’ That’s what the Navajo Nation is doing. The plant will generate electricity and provide jobs.

Many Stars CTL Project Crow Tribal Chairman Carl Venne said the Many Stars Coal to Liquid project would not only “secure the future of the tribe and its members for generations, but would also enhance national security by making the United States less dependent on foreign oil.”

“On the Crow Reservation we have a 47-percent unemployment rate and a yearly average family income of $7,000 to $10,000.

Our people are the poorest of the poor; we don’t make money from gaming,” Venne said. “We together as Indian tribes have an American dream to own our own homes, have jobs, and send our kids to school. But the federal government can’t do this.”

“We’ve given up a lot to this nation, which has not taken care of our tribe. Our land base was 38 million acres; now it is 2.5 million acres. What it boils down to is this: The government has managed our resources for 140 years and we lost everything. We’re tired of waiting for the federal government.

We want the opportunity to make our own decisions and mistakes.”

How important is this project for the tribe? “We have the resources to secure the reservation for generations to come. That’s how important it is,” Venne answered.

Ken Roberts, COO of AustralianAmerican Energy Company, a subsidiary of Australian Energy Company, the developer of Many Stars, explained that the project would use coal gasification combined with Fischer-Tropsch process, generally referred to as coal-to-liquids: Coal is first partially oxidized to create a synthesis gas made of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and then it is converted

» About 3 percent of the country’s coal is under the Crow Reservation. « catalytically (a chemical process under heat and pressure…the Fischer-Tropsch process) into a synthetic crude. That can then be refined into transportation fuels and other chemicals.

“Basically, the process takes the coal molecules apart and puts them back together in another form to create ultraclean transportation fuels.

In this case, the plant will produce both synthetic diesel and jet fuel.

Roberts said the Fischer-Tropsch process has been around since before World War II. In the past several years the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have carried out studies to verify the benefits of synthetic fuels made using the Fischer-Tropsch process. Results have been good, and the Air Force is moving toward certifying its entire fleet of jets to use this fuel.

“The technology will help us achieve energy independence and security,” Roberts said. “This is fuel produced from domestic supplies of resources, not foreign oil. The project is of huge strategic importance to the U.S. and helps set the pathway for other CTL projects in this country.”

The Crow project will need two to three years for design work, including final site selection of the plant and the coal mine that will supply it, with these initial development costs in the $100-million range.

About $7 billion will be needed in capital costs for construction of the plant, which will take about four years. “CTL facilities are highly capital-intensive projects,” said Roberts. Investors from the U.S., Australia, and other countries will get a reasonable rate of return on the project because oil prices are so high. “Oil prices of $75 a barrel or higher make CTL economically viable,” said Roberts.

The Crow Tribe will receive royalties and taxes from the coal mining operation as well as share in the profits from the CTL plant, with the exact dollar amount being related to future crude oil prices. In addition, “Part of our agreement is to help develop education and training programs to meet the needs of the project and operations into the future,” said Roberts.

The project is expected to create up to 4,000 temporary construction jobs and up to 900 permanent jobs on a reservation of 12,000 people.

Coal gasification in a CTL plant takes place in an enclosed system, which makes it possible to capture significant amounts of the carbon dioxide produced by the process. The carbon dioxide can then be injected into deep geologic structures (geosequestration) or sold to oil production companies for enhanced oil recovery in older reservoirs.

Roberts explained that underground gas storage is not experimental.

“Naturally-occurring carbon dioxide reservoirs exist and are currently being used for enhanced oil recovery, such as Jackson Dome in Mississippi and Sheep Mountain in Colorado. Natural gas has been injected and stored in underground reservoirs by the petroleum industry for a long time.” He said the company is working with the Department of Interior to locate potential storage locations for the carbon dioxide generated by the Many Stars Project.

There are also many oil fields in the area that could utilize the carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery.

About 3 percent of the country’s coal is under the Crow Reservation. This project, Roberts said, would use stranded coal, coal that does occur in sufficient quality or quantity to be economic to develop if costs for transporting the coal to power plants have to be added in. “The CTL plant can be built near the mine to reduce costs of transporting the coal,” said Roberts.

Water is another requirement for the project. Fifteen thousand acrefeet a year of water will be required to produce 50,000 barrels a day of transportation fuel, “That’s the same amount that would be needed to irrigate 03.09-04.09

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a 7,500-acre field of alfalfa,” said Roberts.

“Fifteen acre feet a year represents less than 3 percent of the tribe’s water rights on the reservation today. We intend to be very attentive to water and carbon dioxide concerns.

Our objective is to be technically reliable, environmentally responsible and safe.”

Federal Loan Guarantees Steve Morello said that the Department of Energy has revamped its loan guarantee program for energy development.

“DOE has consolidated all loan programs into one and is currently accepting applications. The second group of awards will guarantee 90 percent of the loan value so long as the project uses preferred technologies. Visit http:// www.lgprogram.energy. gov/apply.html for details.

“There are large amounts of money available,” said Morello.

Desert Rock Energy Project Steven Begay is general manager of Diné Power Authority, the Navajo Nation’s coal energy development arm and co-developer with the international development company Sithe Global Power subsidiary Desert Rock Energy Company of the proposed Desert Rock Energy Project.

» Fifteen thousand acre-feet a year of water will be required to produce 50,000 barrels a day of

transportation fuel. «

Begay is acutely aware of the place coal could have in economic development on tribal lands: “There is a huge supply of coal here.

From Four Corners to Grants, N.M., there is enough coal under lease to last us for 30-50 years. After that, there are harder-to-retrieve supplies good for another for 300-500 years.”

The Desert Rock project, an advancedtechnology coal plant, is composed of two 750-MW units that use supercritical boiler technology, Begay explained. The units burn pulverized coal and the power plant will be built so that it can be retrofitted for carbondioxide capture and sequestration when that technology is mature.

For now it will have the latest emission controls, among them selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology (the same system used to control vehicle emissions) designed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and other pollutants, a bag house to contain particulates, and wet scrubbers to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.

Frank Maisano, a spokesman for Desert Rock Energy Company, said: “This plant will be built to meet the most stringent air-pollution limits ever imposed in the United States. Other projects have used pieces of the technology, but never before has it all been combined in one project.

Desert Rock will set a new standard.”

Like the Crow Tribe’s project, coal for Desert Rock will come from tribal lands, specifically from the BHP Billiton mine near Farmington, N.M., which is expanding to meet the needs of this and other projects. ( 38 )

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Maisano said the plant would use about 4,000 acre-feet a year of water, 85 percent less than older coal-fired plants. That number includes 500 acre-feet that will be given to nearby Indian communities. “It’s non-potable water that comes from a very deep aquifer. The communities would not be able to get the water themselves. They’ll be able to use it agriculture and other purposes.” Most of the remaining 3,500 acre-feet will be used for the pollution control equipment. “The plant is air-cooled,” said Maisano, “Cooling Desert Rock does not require water.”

Transmitting power from tribal energy projects to the market is an on-going challenge because many of the transmission lines running near the reservations do not have unused capacity. The Navajo Nation is working on getting clearances to build a new 500 kV AC transmission line that would run from Four Corners to Southern Nevada.

Begay talked about the economics of coal projects on Indian lands. “When the opposition says don’t do coal, just do wind, solar, nuclear, we still have growing demand for

electricity and coal’s a big piece of meeting that demand. We need a mixture of generation.”

“We need a proper mix instead of just saying ‘Green is good.’ Coal can be the backup baseload supply to support wind and solar development.

Maybe when coal runs out in 1000 years or so, we’ll need to do something else.”

The No-Coal Option Geri Small, President of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and tribal attorney, Steve Chestnut of Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley & Slonim in Seattle, talked to Native American Journal about the tribe’s experience with coal development in the mid 1960s through the early 1980s, a period during which many tribes – virtually at the insistence of the Department of Interior – were entering into leases for coal extraction on their lands.

“Between 1966 and 1971, coal companies including Peabody Western Coal, Consolidation Coal Company, and Chevron, as well as speculators, had acquired leases for coal on the tribe’s land, Chestnut said. “In 1972 and 1973 the tribal council began to realize they had essentially lost control of the reservation.”

“There was massive national interest in resources caused by the energy crisis of the early 1970s. Western coal was seen as the savior. Deals were put together by the BIA.

Our royalty rate was 17.5 cents per ton, going down to 16 cents per ton if the coal was processed on the reservation.”

Said Chestnut, “It was a great giveaway and the council couldn’t live with it.”

In 1973 the tribe started to look at how they could get Interior to cancel the leases.

It was a high-profile effort, said Chestnut.

“The companies involved were very

“This went on for several years. The tribe would never go along, but the leases were only suspended, so a legislative solution was needed,” Chestnut said. “Ultimately it took an act of Congress. The deal was that the companies would relinquish their rights to Northern Cheyenne coal and in return receive rights to federal coal located in other places the companies were already mining.”

In 1980-1981, the tribe received sizable damage payments. “The tribe had achieved its objective—they got clear title to the reservation and some damages and picked up 7,000 acres of land.” The one group of speculators that held out lost out when the final date for negotiations set by Congress expired. Their leases were automatically canceled.

“The whole strategy was conceived and executed by the tribe. Northern Cheyenne has very good tribal leaders, for example, Edwin Dahle, who is considered a tribal hero,” said Chestnut.

And since? “There’s nothing going on” in regard to the development of coal or coalbed methane on the reservation, said Small.

Chestnut offered this explanation: “The tribe is unbelievably dedicated to the reservation.”

» When the opposition says don’t do coal, just do wind, solar, nuclear, we still have growing demand for electricity and coal’s a big piece of meeting that demand.We need a mixture of generation. « powerful and the tribe had little by way of financial resources.”

The tribe submitted a 600-page petition to the Secretary of Interior asking him to review and cancel the leases. At the end of 1973, Secretary Rogers Morton suspended all of the lease transactions, saying he wouldn’t go along unless the tribe agreed. “I think he wanted to give the tribe leverage to negotiate a better deal, and every company made it plain that there was room to renegotiate. But the tribe was not interested,” said Chestnut.

Reprinted with permission by Native American Journal, October 2008.

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collaborator profile

Safeway

Safeway Investing In Our Environment By Cos Lindstrom

for honesty, integrity and fair play, since they were well aware that they were a major consumer of energy on an annual basis.

Therefore, they decided that they needed to take necessary steps to be a leader in renewable & socially responsible energy use.

Since the public has become more conscious about the state of the environment consumers over the years have been demanding “e n v i r o n m e n t a l - a c c o u n t a b i l i t y ” from the suppliers of the goods and services they buy. Safeway wanted to meet these demands and have since branded themselves as a “good corporate practitioner.” They have managed to balance the field between making a profit, meeting obligations to shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers and sustaining the environment. Programs such as the Code of Business Conduct, recycling, sustainable energy, fuel efficiency, and the careful planning of expansion of their company have put Safeway in the forefront of large businesses that make a difference for the environment and the future.

» 502,396 tons were recycled in 2007. That is 386,000 cubic yards, enough to cover a football field and rise over 190 feet high. «

The Code of Business Conduct: The Environmental Boot Camp

B

ecoming a Leader: Not a Follower

A business listed in the yellow pages as a grocery store does more than sell food and other household items. In 1915, M.B. Skaggs purchased a small store in his hometown of American Falls, Idaho. The goal was to give customers a value store and expand with a narrow profit margin. In 1926, his determination and drive enabled him to open 428 Skaggs grocery stores in 10 states. Later that year Skaggs struck a deal with Selig and merged into one company doubling in size and today is known as Safeway.

Today Safeway is in the business of “investing in our environment.”

For over 82 years they have been dedicated to earning a reputation

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03.09-04.09

Before any environmental programs proceed, Safeway employees must buy-in. The belief “is that you should practice what you preach.”

Since the company recognizes that the air, water, soil and vegetation should be kept as free as possible from negative impacts they have laid a set of guidelines that all new-hire and current employees must apply to their job - wherever and whenever possible. These guidelines state that employees must conduct business and operate facilities in an environmentally responsible manner; comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations; minimize waste and reduce pollution sources in stores and manufacturing and distribution facilities; minimize environmental liabilities in the acquisition and disposition of properties; and assist customers in utilizing sound environmental practices.

These guidelines are just a small part of the training the employees receive. They are provided with environmental modules in new employee orientation, retail leadership, and developmental and safety champions programs. There are also clean water compliance trainings on source reduction, recycling

» Safeway has managed to balance the field between making a profit, meeting obligations to shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers and sustaining the environment. « and environmental practices. “Power to Save” is a monthly education program on energy conservation that provides employees the tools to make a difference in their stores. And, employees can access a 24-hour online intranet site with numerous resources and training materials related to their job functions.

Education on safe environments doesn’t stop there. Safeway also aggressively tries to train and educate the public through public service announcements, which support state programs aimed at reducing energy in stores and support facilities.

Refuse and Reuse: The Recycling Program The recycling program started with just cardboard in the 1960s and has turned into a 450,000 ton material a year business. The recycling program allows for solid waste to be diverted from landfills and reduces the cost of waste hauling and disposal, therefore saving the company millions of dollars each year. In addition, it helps cities and states meet the mandated reduction of solid waste that is put into landfills. In fact, in each of the California stores, they recycle approximately 85% of its solid waste, even though the states mandated solid waste reduction policy is 50%.

Because the company well exceeded the state goal, California and the CIWMB (California Integrated Waste Management Board) presented Safeway with the Waste Reduction Award in 2005 and 2007.

Number Facts for 2007: Food for Thought Corrugated Cardboard Recycling: 309,563 tons All cardboard is collected and sold to cardboard brokers.

Plastics Recycling: 8,975 tons Customers can bring back plastic bags

Number Facts: Food For Thought • I n 2007, 87,000,000 kilowatt-hours of wind energy was purchased.

Enough to power 303 fuel stations as well as all the company offices in Northern California, San Francisco, and Boulder, Colorado.

•B ecause of Safeway’s use of wind energy, 121 million pounds of CO² emissions was reduced from the environment in 2007. This is equivalent to 45,000 acres of pine or fir forest storing carbon for one year.

• T hrough various programs, in 2006, Safeway removed more than 350,000 tons of CO² emissions from the air through various programs.

And, in 2007, they shattered the 2006 bar and removed over 500,000 tons of CO² emissions from the air.

Total recycled: 502,396 tons Miscellaneous Recycled Materials: 24,986 tons

and plastic trays that are used to make parking lot bumpers and plastic lumber products.

Composting: 92,891 tons Produce trimmings, unusable produce, waxed boxes, and bakery products are sent to a composting site where they are turned into soil products.

Food Wastes: 65,981 tons Includes bread, dairy products, cooking oil fat & bone from the meat department are recycled into products like animal feed, supplements and biodiesel fuel.

Miscellaneous Recycled Materials: 24,986 tons Aluminum, metals, paper, wood, batteries, oil & refrigerant are all recycled.

Overall, 502,396 tons were recycled in 2007.

That is 386,000 cubic yards, enough to cover a football field and rise over 190 feet high.

The Future is Today: Sustainable Energy The definition of sustainable energy is energy that in its production or consumption has minimal negative impacts on human health and the healthy functioning of vital ecological systems, including the global environment, and that can be supplied continuously to future generations on earth.

Food Wastes: 65,981 tons

Composting: 92,891 tons

Plastics Recycling: 8,975 tons

Corrugated Cardboard Recycling: 309,563 tons

In 2006, the Greenhouse Gas and Sustainability Initiative was created in a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Climate registry. These partners, along with Safeway, were striving to reduce the amount of carbon released in the air and improve the quality of life. The goal was to reduce the amount of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 6% in

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collaborator profile

Safeway

California, and to maximize fossil fuel use reductions. This has aided the planning and construction of Safeway’s environmental management, operation, maintenance and infrastructure projects.

Recently Safeway became the only company to join the Chicago Climate Exchange; which is the world’s first and North America’s only voluntary, legally binding GHG emissions reduction, registry and trading program.

Over the last few years, technology has supported the company in their effort to move forward by installing energy-efficient refrigeration and freezer systems, computer based and equipment control systems, improved heating, ventilation and air conditioning, wastewater neutralization, building improvements and LED lighting to reduce overall energy consumption.

Furthermore, Safeway has supported wind energy to offset the power used by their fuel stations and corporate offices. In fact, in 2008 Safeway unveiled two new solar-powered stores as part of an Earth Day celebration. Both stores are located in northern California and provide 20% of their average annual power and up to 48% at peak power from solar sources. Eventually Safeway’s plans are to have 23 solar driven stores that will remove 26 million pounds of CO2 from the air each year - the equivalent of taking more than 1,000 cars off the road annually.

Keep on Truckin’: Fuel Efficiency & Cleaner Air Since 2006, Safeway has been an advocate and member of the EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership. In 2008, Safeway made an aggressive and bold move that converted almost 1,000 fleet trucks to cleaner burning B-20 biodiesel fuel, which will reduce

» In 2008, Safeway made an aggressive and bold move that converted almost 1,000 fleet trucks to cleaner burning B-20 biodiesel fuel, which will reduce over 75 million pounds of CO2 annually. «

» Safeway’s plans are to have 23 solar driven stores that will remove 26 million pounds of CO2 from the air each year - the equivalent of taking more than 1,000 cars off the road annually. «

over 75 million pounds of CO2 annually. This move was the first of its kind by any major U.S. retailer. In addition to the fleet conversion, all of Safeway’s 48 underground storage tanks have met EPA standards.

The transition to biodiesel fuel did not happen overnight. Safeway used Smartway’s FLEET (Freight Logistics Environmental and Energy Tracking) to track and analyze their truck fleet during 2006 and created a baseline fuel efficiency study that implemented over a three-year window. The goal was to improve overall fuel efficiency performance. So far, the effort has saved the company almost 6.8 million gallons of diesel fuel and has prevented 75,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. Moreover, Safeway saved over $19 million in fuel costs during 2007 with its shift to energy efficient fleets.

To ensure that fleets run more efficiently, even the drivers of delivery trucks and other transportation vehicles are required to follow a set of stringent guidelines dedicated to fuel efficiency. These guidelines include adopting a five-minute idle policy which keeps drivers from running trucks unnecessarily during loading and unloading; purchasing tractors with an aerodynamic profile; using automatic tire-inflation systems to keep tires inflated at levels that maximize efficiency; using large-capacity trailers to limit the number of trips to stores; running route-optimization software to determine the most efficient delivery routes; and training drivers to more effectively shift gears to maximize engine performance.

Surveying the Field: Responsible Growth Careful planning is key to the growth strategy at Safeway. They assess the impact of particular areas for development and the impact to the environment. Before the purchase or sale of land, environmental assessments are conducted to ascertain potential impacts to the land and the surrounding community.

Sustainable development is about creating environmentally responsible growth programs. It is a standard belief that setting a good example will open doors for others to follow. When it comes to business ethics, others judge us not by what we know but by what we do. Safeway is leading the charge in developing companywide efforts to create sustainable, environmentally friendly business models. They are on the forefront of fleet conversion, building conversion, and training conversions. They are a model business citizen investing in our environment.

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22nd INDuStRy

GRowth Forum

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

November 3–5, 2009 | Denver, Colorado

Innovation for Our Energy Future

Join the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at its 22nd Industry Growth Forum—America’s largest venture event focused exclusively on companies developing clean energy products and services.

The Forum provides growth opportunities in the clean energy industry for early-seed to expansion capital companies.

In attendance will be angel investors, venture capitalists, investors, company executives, and government officials.

Entrepreneur Presentations ➡ Watch competitively selected clean energy companies from over 100 applicants present their cutting-edge products and business plans. ➡ Hear feedback from experts on the selected companies’ business plans.

Keynote and Guest Speakers ➡ Listen to notable professionals and experts speak about their visions for a clean energy future. ➡ Discover future opportunities for the clean energy industry.

Panel Discussions ➡ Explore current financial and investment trends and strategies. ➡ Engage in discussions with the expert panelists.

Networking ➡ Meet industry professionals and investors from all over the world. ➡ Mingle at the Forum’s social gatherings, including a welcome reception and luncheons.

Register today at www.cleanenergyforum.com.

A Few Forum Facts ➡ Presenting companies at Forums 16th–20th have raised $2.0 billion in investment . ➡ More than 550 investors, entrepreneurs, and clean energy professionals attended the 21st Forum. ➡ Thirty-five companies presented their business cases at the 21st Forum.

NREL is a national laboratory of the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

jewel of collaboration

U.S. Environmental protection agency

EPA Partnerships Addressing Climate Change By Laura Farris

T

here is a preponderance of evidence that the global climate is changing due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. These gases are a result of our everyday activities - the gasoline we burn in our cars, the coal that is burned for our electricity, even the farms that produce our food.

Greenhouse gases persist in the atmosphere for decades, and their build up is directly related to rising global temperatures. Scientists around the globe are documenting the myriad ways in which this warming is manifesting itself in our natural systems. For example, glaciers are retreating on every continent, permafrost and sea ice are melting in the arctic, and droughts are becoming longer and more intense. Over time, the effects of climate change may have serious health, environmental, and economic consequences.

» Addressing this global challenge will require decisive international action, and a collaborative effort involving cities, states, federal agencies, businesses, universities, nonprofit organizations, and consumers. « Addressing this global challenge will require decisive international action, and a collaborative effort involving cities, states, federal agencies, businesses, universities, non-profit organizations, and consumers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been addressing this issue for over a decade through a suite of partnership programs. More than 14,000 organizations nationwide have joined EPA ( 44 )

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The vegetated roof on EPA Region 8’s ENERGY STAR® certified building in Denver, CO. is also a participant in WasteWise.

to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through such things as energy efficiency, waste reduction strategies, and investments in clean energy. These organizations range from manufacturers and energy utilities, to municipalities and home builders. Their achievements have been noteworthy – through 2007, EPA’s partners have prevented 78 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions from 52 million vehicles. They have also enjoyed co-benefits, as well, such as lower operating costs and an improved corporate image. In 2007 alone, the net savings to consumers and businesses was $17 billion dollars.

You might be familiar with some of EPA’s most popular programs, such as ENERGY STAR® and the Green Power Partnership.

But others are also effectively reducing

greenhouse gas emissions, including methane and fluorinated gases, which are very potent greenhouse gases. These programs are all voluntary and participation is free.

ENERGY STAR® Energy efficiency offers one of the lowest cost options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also saves money and grows the economy. Since it started in 1992, the ENERGY STAR® program has worked to develop cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies and practices in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been a partner with EPA in this effort since 1996. The number of products that are offered through ENERGY STAR® grows every year, providing

Climate Leaders

Americans with a credible, objective way to improve energy efficiency in their homes and businesses. Through the program, more than 12,000 businesses and organizations across the country are working with ENERGY STAR® to develop energy-efficient products, practices, homes, and buildings, and provide services that lower energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These partners include: • Approximately 2,000 manufacturers that are meeting ENERGY STAR® label requirements with over 40,000 individual product models across more than 50 product categories.

• More than 1,000 retail partners are selling ENERGY STAR® qualified products to their customers, and sharing educational information.

• More than 5,000 builders are constructing new homes that qualify for the ENERGY STAR® label in every state and the District of Columbia.

• About 3,000 private businesses and public sector organizations are investing in energy efficiency and reducing energy use in their buildings and facilities.

• More than 40 states and 550 utilities are leveraging ENERGY STAR® to improve the efficiency of commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and homes.

• Hundreds of energy service providers, energy raters, architects, building engineers, and financial lenders are making energy efficiency more widely available through ENERGY STAR® and providing additional value to their customers.

Green Power Partnership Purchasing electricity generated from green power sources through EPA’s Green Power Partnership offers organizations an easy and attractive way to reduce the environmental impact of their operations, hedge against volatile energy prices, increase employee and stakeholder morale, and demonstrate environmental leadership. The program has commitments from a variety of partners who range in size from Fortune 500 corporations to neighborhood businesses, large public universities to small private colleges, local communities to city, state, and federal government agencies.

The ENERGY STAR® plaque in the lobby of EPA Region 8’s building in Denver, CO. The building is also LEED certified.

EPA launched the Climate Leaders Program in 2002 to assist companies across the country in developing comprehensive climate change strategies. Climate Leaders has achieved a number of significant milestones, and the number of Climate Leaders partners continues to grow. They represent a broad range of industry sectors, including cement, forest products, pharmaceuticals, utilities, information technology, and retail. Partners operate in all 50 states and provide nearly seven million jobs worldwide. When joining the Climate Leaders partnership, companies make a commitment to reduce their impact on the global environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions, setting aggressive reduction goals, and annually reporting their progress to EPA. EPA provides guidance and recognition to partner companies as they develop and work toward their emissions reduction goals.

Using EPA’s wide range of tools, expertise, and resources, partners can make informed decisions about cost-effective strategies, investments, and projects in the areas of energy efficiency, clean energy, and non-carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions. EPA continuously tracks partner progress through a variety of means and ensures the credibility of reported data by performing detailed reviews and making site visits.

» EPA’s partners have prevented 78 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions from 52 million vehicles. «

Combined Heat and Power Partnership The CHP Partnership seeks to reduce the environmental impact of power generation by promoting the use of combined heat and power as an efficient, clean, and reliable approach to generating power and thermal energy from a single fuel source.

CHP projects are up to 25 percent more efficient than traditional separate heat and power generation. The partnership works closely with energy users, the CHP industry, state and local governments, and other stakeholders to support the development of new projects and promote benefits.

Natural Gas STAR

EPA Region 8’s ENERGY STAR®-certified building in Denver, CO.

The Natural Gas STAR Program is a partnership between EPA and the U.S. natural gas industry. It was designed to promote 03.09-04.09

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jewel of collaboration

U.S. Environmental protection agency the adoption of cost-effective technologies and practices that reduce methane emissions.

Initiated in 1993, Natural Gas STAR partnered with companies from all sectors of the natural gas supply chain—production, processing, transmission, and distribution—to reduce gas losses, improve system efficiency, and ensure that more gas gets to market. The Program offers a range of tools and resources to help partners achieve results.

WasteWise

Filling out the WasteWise Partner Registration Form

» At lower operating costs and an improved corporate image, in 2007 alone, the net savings to consumers and businesses was $17 billion dollars. «

The WasteWise Program is in its 14th year of operation - continuing to foster partnerships with communities and businesses in an effort to reduce municipal waste. WasteWise has over 2,000 partners spanning 54 industry sectors, who have committed to reducing waste and increase recycling efforts. Its partners have experienced benefits such as operational efficiencies and reduced costs, while reducing their carbon footprints and conserving natural resources. This program provides support to partners through a helpline, and offers anonline tool to translate waste reduction efforts into tons of greenhouse gases reduced.

State and Local EPA also collaborates with state and local governments to support them in their efforts to promote renewable energy, energy

efficiency, and other clean energy technologies.

In this role, EPA provides technical assistance, helps to measure and evaluate the benefits of their initiatives, and fosters peer exchange opportunities for officials to share information on best practices and innovative policies. Many of the partnership programs mentioned above provide the tools and resources needed to achieve their goals.

A common feature of all these programs is the recognition EPA gives to its partners for their achievements. They may share their success stories on EPA’s websites, post membership plaques in their facilities, and receive awards for their outstanding efforts.

Recognition plays a large part in influencing cultural change, and making “green” practices a foundation for corporations and government agencies across the country.

EPA will continue to address climate change through its partnership programs.

They are a cost-effective approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and there is still untapped potential for these programs to capture and deliver win-win opportunities.

Laura Farris is the Climate Change Coordinator for EPA’s regional office in Denver, CO. For more information, visit the EPA Region 8 website at www.epa.gov/region8/.

WasteWise Partner, Delta Airlines collecting recyclables in flight

A view inside of the EPA R8’s Green Building

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03.09-04.09

Where LocaL Meets GLobaL

More and more businesses are realizing it simply makes economic sense to connect producers and consumers globally by starting at the local level. IDE has been using this approach to develop sustainable solutions to rural poverty since 1981.

sustainability

IDE is searching out creative alliances with businesses, communities, university programs, and other groups who are motivated to be part of the solution. We are able to offer partners exposure to new producer groups, and help them expand their markets to empower individuals at the base of the economic pyramid.

Can your company join us in connecting small farmers to the global marketplace? Contact us to discuss the benefits of forging a Creative Alliance with IDE.

bottom Line Lakewood, CO USA

303.232.4336

www.ideorg.org

building bridges

Economic Recovery

Canada and North America’s

Economic Recovery Paving the Way through Energy Security & Clean Energy

By Dale Eisler, Consul General of Canada

President Obama and Prime Minister Harper establish Clean Energy Dialogue and discuss global security concerns during meeting on February 19, 2009.

T

These days a lot of people talk about how we live in challenging times. They’re not kidding, especially when by “challenging” they mean a freeze in international credit markets and a synchronized world economic slowdown. It’s no secret, we are in the middle of a global financial crisis, and when it comes to helping get the world economy back on track, Canada is all aboard.

Like the United States, Canada has already taken a number of actions to protect its own economy, which the International Monetary

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Fund predicted will continue to lead the G7 in financial growth in 2009. Canada is also committed to help stabilize global financial markets, restore credit flow and renew economic prosperity around the world. It will address these challenges by continuing to work closely with its G7, G8 and G20 partners, especially its neighbor, ally and number one trading partner the United States.

As part of this economic recovery strategy, Canada has made energy security and climate change top priorities. Prime Minister

Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama recently discussed these key issues and vowed to tackle them together during their meeting in Ottawa on February 19, 2009.

President Obama and Prime Minister Harper Establish Clean Energy Dialogue

Noting the long and productive history of bilateral cooperation on continental environmental protection and energy trade and technology, the President and the Prime Minister agreed that environmental protection and the development of clean energy are inextricably linked and announced plans to work together to build a new energy economy as a key element of broader economic recovery and reinvestment efforts.

The two leaders also discussed ways Canada and the United States could encourage the development of clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change. These talks resulted in the establishment of a senior-level Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue that will cooperate on several critical energy science and technology issues.

Priority initiatives identified include: expand clean energy research and development; develop and deploy clean energy technology; and build a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable generation. In the weeks following the meeting, Canadian and U.S. officials will meet and officially launch this new Canada-U.S. initiative.

(See “Canada-U.S. Initiative for Tackling Climate Change & Energy Security” for more details).

Canada - Number One Supplier of Energy to the United States

For a deeper understanding of how Canada fits into the energy and environment equation for North America, it’s important to know the role that Canada plays today. First, Canada is the largest energy supplier to the United States including oil, natural gas, uranium and electricity. In fact, the United States imports more oil from Canada than it does from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait combined. And in 2007, Canada’s oil exports to the United States totaled

» Climate change is a global problem and requires a global solution, which means all major emitters, developed and developing nations, need to be part of any new accord. «

more than $55 billion U.S., representing 2.4 million barrels per day.

Aside from its conventional oil and gas reserves, Canada’s oil sands in northern Alberta total an estimated 175 billion barrels of oil, which represents one of the largest sources of recoverable oil reserves in the world - second only to Saudi Arabia. Yet as technology and recovery techniques advance, the total oil reserves in Alberta’s oil sands are estimated to reach 1.7 trillion barrels, approximately four times the size of Saudi Arabia’s total reserves. Roughly half of Canada’s crude oil exports to the United States are derived from Alberta’s oil sands, which provide a secure, dependable and long-term supply of oil for the North American market.

Canada’s Oil Sands and Sustainable Development Practices

» The President and the Prime Minister agreed that environmental protection and the development of clean energy are inextricably linked and announced plans to work together to build a new energy economy as a key element of broader economic recovery and reinvestment efforts. «

Development of one of the world’s largest oil deposits brings both opportunities and issues. With such a huge energy resource come environmental challenges. To deal with these issues in a responsible and proactive manner, Canada is working with both provincial governments and the private sector to address how to secure the energy future in a way that is environmentally sound and sustainable.

This involves balancing economic development with environmental and social responsibilities.

Production from Canadian oil sands is undertaken on a commercial basis in the context of transparent environmental regulatory and royalty regimes on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide capture and storage, water use and land reclamation, as well as water and natural gas use. U.S. companies are among the leading firms engaged in oil sands production, and project proposals to develop oil sands deposits are subject to extensive environmental and regulatory review. These permits are only granted once environmental issues and First Nations’ concerns have been addressed.

Canada’s Commitment to Environmental Stewardship

Canada understands that economic prosperity cannot be sustained without

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building bridges

Economic Recovery

a healthy environment, just as environmental progress cannot be achieved without a healthy economy. It has committed to reducing Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and by at least 50% by 2050. Meeting those goals will ensure that Canada’s ongoing actions remain comparable to those our partners in the United States, Europe and other industrialized countries undertake.

In support of this ambitious national goal, Canada will continue to provide support for biofuels, wind and other energy alternatives and will also bring in legislation to ban all bulk water transfers or exports from Canadian freshwater basins. Canada will work with all parties in Parliament to introduce sensible policies that can help consumers and improve our environmental well-being, such as increasing incentives for energy-saving home retrofits.

In addition, Canada will work with the provincial governments and our partners to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases and an effective international protocol for the post-2012 period. Canada will set an objective that 90 percent of its electricity needs to be provided by non-emitting sources - such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power - by 2020.

In early 2009, Canada’s Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice gave an address to the Canadian Council of Chief Executives reaffirming Canada’s commitment to environmental stewardship. During the speech, Minister Prentice stated that the Government of Canada has resolved to make national environmental policies positive instruments of economic renewal and of national development during this period of economic uncertainty. He also said that Canada is committed to helping achieve an effective multilateral climate change agreement for the years ahead. Canada will also continue working with the United States to pursue coordinated approaches to energy and environmental challenges that both face, which was further discussed during Prime Minister Harper’s and President Obama’s meeting.

Achieving these objectives will not be easy. But progress is being made on three concurrent tracks, including the previously mentioned Climate Change Policy that Canada introduced in 2007. As stated, this strategy sets a target to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada in 2020 by 20 percent from a 2006 starting point, also known as the minus 20 by 2020 approach.

While ambitious, Canada believes these target reductions in greenhouse gases are achievable - a promise to the global community that we think Canada will be able to keep. It’s a commitment that requires a greater effort of Canadians than the one proposed by the E.U. 27.

Going forward, Canada is developing a regulatory regime with mandatory targets that will apply to major industrial emitters

President Barack Obama spoke with clarity and determination about his commitment to environmental issues. The United States is re-engaging on

» Roughly half of Canada’s crude oil exports to the United States are derived from Alberta’s oil sands, which provide a secure, dependable and longterm supply of oil for the North American market. «

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building bridges

Economic Recovery

multilateral climate change negotiations, creating the opportunity for a North American regulatory regime and a level playing field.

The Canadian Government looks forward to working with the Obama administration on energy security and environmental sustainability.

We will seek to ensure our federal policies are coordinated. We want federal climate change regulation to work in tandem with tax, tariff and technology policies, as well as all other policies that promote timely domestic investment.

Canada is also working to coordinate and harmonize federal and provincial governments and policies.

Canada-U.S. Initiative for Tackling Climate Change & Energy Security: Expand clean energy research and development • A cleaner, more secure energy future for both nations will depend on significant investments in energy research and development today.

• T he United States and Canada are collaborating on energy research related to advanced biofuels, clean engines and energy efficiency.

To address the energy and environmental challenges that we face, the two nations want to expand collaboration in these and other key areas of energy science and technology.

• T he senior-level Clean Energy Dialogue will review the existing forms of collaboration and identify high-return opportunities for expanded and new joint research.

Develop and deploy clean energy technology

•C arbon capture and sequestration technology holds

» We will seek to ensure our federal policies are coordinated. We want federal climate change regulation to work in tandem with tax, tariff and technology policies, as well as all other policies that promote timely domestic investment. « Concurrent with such measured movement in Canada, we hope to make progress internationally. In 2009, we will work with other countries to negotiate an effective multilateral climate change accord for the years ahead. Key meetings will take place in Bonn in early April and June, as well as in Italy at the June G-8 meeting.

Finally, all roads will lead to the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009.

It is Canada’s hope that future climate change agreements will be effective. Climate change is a global problem and requires a global solution, which means all major emitters, developed and developing nations, need to be part of any new accord. Industrialized nations, to be sure, must be prepared to lead the charge provided all major emitters agree to follow, because if industrialized countries exercise leadership without emerging economies countries coming on board, real progress will not be made.

Moving forward, we need to ensure comparable efforts from all industrialized nations. We also need to secure meaningful participation from all emerging economies led by the “Big Five” of China, India, Brazil, South Africa and our NAFTA partner Mexico. We need to focus as

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» By 2020, the United States will be as dependent on imported oil as E.U. nations. «

enormous potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in using energy resources to power the economy.

• T o spur rapid progress in this critical technology, the two nations will coordinate research and demonstrations of carbon capture and sequestration technology at coal-fired plants. This will build on experience with the North DakotaSaskatchewan project.

• T he United States will draw from the $3.4 billion for carbon capture and sequestration demonstrations in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Canada’s Economic Action Plan establishes a $1 billion Clean Energy Fund which builds on Canada’s previous investments in carbon capture and sequestration. The Government of Alberta has announced a $2 billion fund to accelerate the development of the province’s first large-scale, commercial CCS projects.

•A strengthened U.S.-Canada partnership on carbon sequestration will help accelerate private sector investment in commercial scale, near-zero-carbon coal facilities to promote climate and energy security.

Build a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable generation • T he modern 21st century electricity grid will need to be

bigger, better and smarter than the system developed during the 20th century that our countries share.

• T he two nations will consult and share information on the demonstration and deployment of smart grid technology, including installing smart meters in residential and commercial buildings, digitizing distribution systems, and employing information and measurement tools to manage the grid more effectively.

• T he United States will draw from the $11.01 billion for smart grid technology and transmission investment in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To build a bigger grid, the United States and Canada will share analysis of new transmission options for integrating wind power and other clean generation sources and encourage development of a grid stakeholders group, building on the existing U.S.Canadian collaboration among the states and provinces in the West, Midwest and East.

• T hese investments will make electricity delivery more reliable, reduce congestion that can lead to blackouts and power losses, enable consumers to use energy more efficiently, and promote broader development of renewable power.

well on the development and deployment of transformative clean technology and a concerted effort to produce and transmit a greater percentage of cleaner baseload power.

These are principles that Canada believes could and should form the basis of one shared commitment between Dale Eisler, Console General of Canada Canada and the United States for Colorado similar to the collective commitment of the European Union. A bilateral agreement could have shared targets and shared timetables, a common carbon market and price standard, and mandates that are based on science and common sense.

But we think that the two countries need to go further and talk in terms of concrete action plans. Actions that will reduce not just greenhouse gas emission levels but North America’s dependence on foreign oil, such as the soon-to-be-launched Clean Energy Dialogue, established

by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper.

Forty years ago, imported oil accounted for about 10 percent of the American market with Americans producing approximately 90 percent of their own consumption. Today that 10/90 ratio has become 60/40. By 2020, it will likely be at 80/20, because at current rates of production and exponential increases in consumption—SUVs and plasma TVs for example—proven U.S. oil reserves, like those of Mexico, are on course to be depleted just one decade from now.

This means that by 2020, the United States will be as dependent on imported oil as E.U. nations.

So while Canada already plays a major role in the North American energy equation, we have the capacity to play an even larger role in the North American energy solution. We believe that working together we can reconcile energy and the environment and still have a secure and environmentally sustainable energy future for both our nations.

It is increasingly important that Canada plays a larger role in the North American energy security solution, when one considers the implications of oil scarcity and the political situations in Russia, Venezuela or the troubled Middle East. Considering these factors, Canada’s status as the world’s most reliable supplier of energy becomes not just an economic opportunity but also an obligation

» Canada’s status as the world’s most reliable supplier of energy becomes not just an economic opportunity but also an obligation to our international partners and perhaps the single best way that we can contribute muchneeded stability in an uncertain world. «

to our international partners and perhaps the single best way that we can contribute much-needed stability in an uncertain world.

Opportunity and obligation are why Canada needs to work with the United States in developing cooperative bilateral action plans. These joint strategies could include bringing northern gas to southern customers; clean technology roadmaps that would optimize the considerable expertise of both countries in areas such as carbon capture and storage; plans to expand clean power generation and transmission capacity here in North America or to interconnect the eastern and western regional power grids in North America; and actions that will help North America and the world make the transition from a high carbon present to a low carbon future while avoiding a disruptive and dislocative period involving no carbon en route.

Finally, as Canada gains traction domestically on approaches to dealing with energy security and environmental stewardship, we are able to make a credible commitment to the international community that Canada will play a key role in the effort to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions. Canada will achieve this by also working with our neighbor and closest ally, the United States, in order to devise and execute a coordinated plan of action that will advance our environmental and our energy objectives and, at the same time, renew the North American economy.

Ambitious? Perhaps it is.

Achievable? We think so.

But of this I am certain: as North Americans, this is an agenda that is worth our very best efforts in the days ahead.

Dale Eisler (BA in Political Science at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus; MA in Political Science at Vermont College, Union Institute & University).

Prior to joining the Canadian Federal Government, Mr. Eisler had an extensive career in journalism, including daily newspapers, weekly newsmagazines, syndicated opinion columns, radio and television. He was also a sessional lecturer in journalism at the University of Regina.

In addition, Mr. Eisler was involved, at an ownership level, in private business for 13 years.

In 1998, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister for Consultations and Communications with the Department of Finance in the Government of Canada. In 2004, he was appointed Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Communications and Consultations) at the Privy Council Office, which was the most senior communications position in the Canadian Government.

In 2006, Mr. Eisler was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Commemorative Medal in recognition of his contributions to the province and society. He is the author of two books, most recently False Expectations: Politics and the Pursuit of the Saskatchewan Myth, published by the University of Regina in 2006. Recently, he was awarded the University of Regina’s distinguished alumni award for professional achievement.

Dale Eisler and his wife Louise took up residence in Denver in November 2007. They have one daughter and one granddaughter.

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collaborator profile

international development enterprise

International Development

Enterprise

Wellsprings of Sustainability By Rebecca Arno

“I

t’ll never work.”

“Look at all of the failed international aid programs, the big anti-poverty programs. Maybe you can feed people, but every effort to change communities fundamentally seems to have failed.”

“When you pull one strand of the problem of poverty, the whole mess begins to unravel – what do you do when people have no education, when healthcare is unaffordable?”

“Even if you did figure out how to help people support themselves, wouldn’t they just deplete the natural resources in their region, causing even bigger problems down the road?”

“We need more money.” And what would help you get more money? “Water.”

With regular access to water, farmers would be able to increase their incomes dramatically. And with improved incomes, they would have the resources to gain access to healthcare and education.

Upon consideration, Polak thought that there was something he could do about this. He grew up on a farm in Canada and thought that perhaps some inexpensive agricultural technologies could help. A treadle pump would allow farmers to access water from seven to ten feet below the ground. Simple drip irrigation systems that allowed for more direct delivery of water to plants would increase production, and allow for production of higher value crops.

Good thing for millions of people on three continents that Dr. Paul Polak didn’t see any of these arguments as a reason to stop innovating.

Like any great entrepreneur, he merely saw them as hurdles to leap, bulldoze, or sidestep on the way to his ultimate goal: helping poor farmers build secure futures for themselves.

Trained as a psychiatrist, Polak worked for years to help people cope with mental illness through the Southwest Denver Mental Health Association. There he witnessed the inextricable link between poverty and mental health - and even created housing and jobs programs to help his patients. Then, on a trip to Belize, he became interested in poverty on the global level, poverty much deeper than what he witnessed in the United States. Because of his background in business, he saw This farmer group in the Kaski District of Nepal grows vegetables in the offseason using IDE drip irrigation systems and greenhouses. poverty as a breakdown of the market system. When hardworking people had the right tools and access to the right markets, they But hadn’t similar efforts failed could succeed in escaping poverty. before?

Rusting infrastructure brought in by big international aid programs Driven to continue his investigation, Polak traveled to Nepal molders in developing countries throughout the and Bangladesh and asked hundreds of people who lived on world. What could make the difference in terms of adoption small farms - why are you poor? The obvious answer came: and use?

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In 1981, Polak founded an organization called IDE (International Development Enterprises) to answer this question. The answer has come through applying market-based principles to the needs of the poor. For more than twenty-five years, IDE has gone directly to small communities and, through appropriate technologies and the seeding of small businesses, has developed sturdy and sustainable economies that are improving the lives of millions.

Building Local Markets The typical IDE program works like this: in-country IDE workers go to a local marketplace and demonstrate a treadle pump or a drip irrigation system. They connect with farmers who might be interested in trying the technology, and arrange with partner organizations for them to receive a very small loan to pay for the technology. Let’s say a farmer buys a treadle pump. He would receive a loan of about $20 to pay for the pump, and IDE would provide connections to local well drillers, information about the best agronomic practices, and links to local markets where he can earn fair prices. The farmer uses the pump to irrigate his crops and increase his yield. He takes his crops to market, sells them, and can earn up to 300% more than he would have in previous years. He is able to pay off his loan, and is on the way to economic self-sufficiency.

» Rusting infrastructure brought in by big international aid programs molders in developing countries throughout the world. «

IDE recognizes a few key things based on simple business principles.

It’s important that the farmers themselves have an investment in the new technology, and that the technology be affordable enough to pay off in one year’s harvest.

It’s important that seeds, fertilizer, and replacement parts for the pumps and irrigation systems be available locally. And finally no way out of poverty is sustainable if it depletes the natural resources of the region.

» Their goal is to create a sustainable market system in a community, where the pumps and irrigation systems, seeds and organic fertilizers are all produced and sold locally. «

Panchagarh, Bangladesh - With the income from the chili, amaranth, radish, and potato grown using her IDE treadle pump, Rashida Begum has been able to support her family of five, and open a successful retail shop as well.

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collaborator profile

international development enterprise

With increased income, the farmer’s life and that of his or her family can be transformed. Nazrul Islam of Bangladesh used his increased profits to keep all of his children in school. “I hope that one of my sons will go on to school in Dhaka and get a good government job,” he says. His additional income has also allowed his daughters to remain in school, which is uncommon in his village.

But IDE doesn’t stop there. As they build relationships with farmers like Islam, they also build relationships with entrepreneurs, craftsmen, and agricultural suppliers. Their goal is to create a sustainable market system in a community, where the pumps and irrigation systems, seeds and organic fertilizers are all produced and sold locally. They also stimulate markets for higher quality, higher profit crops by providing connections to broader distribution systems.

With certain pump models at just $20 apiece and drip systems as low as $5, the question arises: why not just give this technology to the farmers? IDE USA Executive Director Zenia Tata explains, “Our studies show that rates of adoption are much higher when farmers invest their own money. They are also more likely to properly maintain the equipment when they have ownership.

Treating smallholder farmers as customers is a respect issue.

Rather than deciding for them what they should have, we allow our customers to make the decision about whether our products have significant value for them.”

“If we are serious about ending extreme hunger and poverty around the world, we must be serious about transforming agriculture for small farmers - most of whom are women,” said Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “These investments - from improving the quality of seeds, to developing healthier soil, to creating new markets - will pay off not only in children fed and lives saved. They can have a dramatic impact on poverty reduction as families generate additional income and improve their lives.”

The Gates Foundation recently awarded $40 million in grants to IDE for projects throughout Asia and Africa.

Obstacles and Opportunities IDE has achieved its success through focusing on a few key technologies, genuinely listening to the people in the countries it serves, and developing market systems that sustain themselves and preserve the environment. Major foundations like Gates and the Mennonite Economic Development Agency, along with international development agencies in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia provide a steady stream of investment capital to seed projects around the world. Individual donors also play a part, since it costs only about $250 to raise a family out of poverty through IDE’s programs.

IDE is also seeking corporate partners who can help bring the global marketplace to small farmers. “In Nicaragua, IDE

The Key is Sustainability From central offices in Lakewood, Colorado, IDE runs in-country programs in eight developing countries in Asia and Africa, and operates affiliates in Canada, the United Kingdom, and India. Since its founding in 1981, IDE has helped an estimated 17 million people pull themselves permanently out of poverty and to do so in an environmentally sustainable way.

With millions of farmers using more water and planting more crops, it might seem that the natural resources of the regions where IDE works could be depleted. In fact, the opposite is true. “IDE’s anti-poverty programs are deeply rooted in sustainable design Rice is one of the world’s most labor-intensive crops. Vietnamese farmers using IDE’s and environmental practices,” organic deep-placement fertilizer pellets leverage that labor to double yields with far less explains Andy Vermouth, IDE environmental impact by decreasing fertilizer runoff.

Communications Director. “Because our systems are so widely spread on smallholder farms throughout a region, they haven’t affected the water table or the surrounding environment the way a large scale irrigation scheme would.” Studies conducted in association with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have found that, because IDE promotes the use of organic fertilizer and drip irrigation, along with other water-saving technologies, agricultural run-off is significantly decreased in areas where IDE technologies are at work.

» IDE has helped an estimated 17 million people pull themselves permanently out of poverty and to do so in an environmentally sustainable way. «

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partnered with Nestlé and ECOM to create a market link for premium coffee produced by small farmers there using our drip irrigation technology,” says Tata, “and we’re getting great results.

We’re looking for other corporate partners who are interested in working with us to create innovative, sustainable solutions to the problem of poverty.”

» If we are serious about ending extreme hunger and poverty around the world, we must be serious about transforming agriculture for small farmers - most of whom are women. «

What prevents IDE from moving even faster to implement its successful model throughout the developing world?

Vermouth cites political strife as one key obstacle. “We have people in both Myanmar and Zimbabwe, where the political situations are tenuous,” he explains. “This can make our work difficult, but our presence there can also be a blessing.”

IDE’s in-country workers were among the very few people able to distribute aid to victims of the Myanmar cyclone last year.

IDE is proud of its success internationally, Vermouth notes, but they also hope to connect the power of their methods to local projects in Colorado. Last summer, he created a demonstration plot in a Denver Urban Gardens site, and despite planting the garden later than others, it still produced more than neighboring plots due to the benefits of micro-irrigation. “We hope to share what we’ve learned in developing countries here in Denver.

This year we’re working with several local groups to promote a showcase village that demonstrates some of our technologies and by extension how they might be applied by others here in the U.S.” While the economic downturn certainly challenges some of their funding streams, IDE continues to forge ahead with its programs, hoping to reach millions more people in need in the years ahead. “Because the systems we create are environmentally and fiscally sound,” Vermouth explains, “our work fits perfectly with the emphasis on a move to an economy based on sustainable development.”

For more information please check IDE’s website at www.ideorg.org Rebecca Arno is Vice President of Communications for The Denver Foundation, a community foundation serving the seven-county Metro Denver area.

- Bill Gates

Surkhet, Nepal - Built from readily available local materials, IDE’s multiple use water storage systems give villagers an affordable way to irrigate their crops during the dry season while accessing water for daily household use.

Abine Germama, Ethiopia - The groundwater on Nesru Shemsu’s land lay at an inaccessible depth of fifty feet. IDE’s rope pump offers an affordable and environmentally sustainable alternative to diesel pumps.

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collaborator profile

cap and trade

Controlling

Climate Change Washington No Longer Asking “Why” But “How?” By Luke Popovich

I

t’s progress of a sort. Policymakers in Washington now seem determined to address climate change, if not this year then probably next.

Now the tougher question is, how?

» No option is perfect; all will be expensive, with estimates rising into a trillion dollars or more. «

President Obama noted there are “a number of different ways to go after this problem,” but they essentially boil down to three. Congress and the Administration can tax carbon dioxide (CO2) and create an incentive not to produce it.

They can reduce CO2 by federal regulation – a command-and-control approach in which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would set an emission limit for each broad category of industrial source. Or they can control CO2 with a European-style cap-and-trade system.

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No option is perfect; all will be expensive, with estimates rising into a trillion dollars or more. But the betting in Washington is that a cap-and-trade system, already a part of the Kyoto Treaty in Europe, is the best way to reduce emissions and cost to consumers and industries.

Under cap-and-trade, government essentially would “cap” total CO2 emissions. Power plants that reduce their emissions below this ceiling could “trade” or sell CO2 allowances to plants that cannot reduce theirs. By limiting the number of allowances available to power plants and other sources of emissions, cap-and-trade essentially puts a price on emitting CO2 and thus provides an incentive for reducing this greenhouse gas. Plants wouldn’t need to buy allowances if they reduce their share of CO2 below the ceiling.

Âť Cap-and-trade essentially puts a price on emitting CO2 and thus provides an incentive for reducing this greenhouse gas. ÂŤ

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cap and trade

» As companies find ways to get “under the cap,” they can sell rather than buy emissions allowances, giving them an added incentive to innovate. « In theory the market for trading allowances will lead to the most efficient reductions. As companies find ways to get “under the cap,” they can sell rather than buy emissions allowances, giving them an added incentive to innovate.

And the administrative overhead needed to manage such a vast new tax would itself be very costly, perhaps rivaling the IRS. The third option for reducing CO2 emissions, federal regulation, appears to be the least attractive. EPA may soon take steps to regulate carbon emissions, placing responsibility for an enormously complex and expensive mandate in the hands of unelected technicians. These bureaucrats are unlikely to understand, let alone appreciate, the differing regional impacts caused by reductions in carbon-heavy fuels. Southern and Midwestern states that rely heavily on coal, for example, would suffer from higher electricity costs, while coastal states would feel relatively little impact.

» Most greenhouse gas emissions no longer come from rich countries like ours, but from fastgrowing developing countries unwilling to develop the expensive technology themselves. «

Another advantage of cap-and-trade is that some of the revenue collected from allowance sales can be used to finance the costly technologies capable of reducing power plant emissions. The Obama Administration suggests we need as many as five of these advanced power plants to demonstrate how socalled carbon capture and storage technology would work. This technology has not yet been tried on the scale needed for power plants, but experts from the International Energy Agency to professors at MIT insist it is essential for controlling global warming. That’s because most greenhouse gas emissions no longer come from rich countries like ours, but from fast-growing developing countries unwilling to develop the expensive technology themselves.

Finally, cap-and-trade has the advantage of setting a firm limit on emissions. With the emissions ceiling in place, companies can decide how best to get under it without being told by bureaucrats in Washington, and environmentalists would know that greenhouse gases would be reduced by a set amount.

Alternatively, a direct tax on carbon would also lead to reduced CO2 emissions. Making something more expensive typically reduces its use. And by making the carbon price certain, tax advocates say it would help to make business conditions more certain, too. But tax critics warn of the loopholes and complexity that would inevitably accompany any attempt to tax every source of CO2 – from the corner drycleaner to the municipal power plant. ( 62 )

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Regulation also seems the poorer option because the Clean Air Act is a crude tool for regulating a pervasive gas like CO2. Congress never intended the Act, now more than 40 years old, to cast such a broad regulatory net over virtually the entire fossil energy economy.

Representative John Dingell, the Michigan Democrat who has long championed the interests of the auto industry, said EPA regulation of CO2 could set off a “glorious mess” felt nationwide.

Wyoming Republican Senator John Barrasso warned that using the Clean Air Act to address climate change would be a “disaster waiting to happen.”

So expect Washington to finally grapple with climate change. Just don’t expect this to happen very quickly.

Luke Popovich is Vice President, External Communications at the National Mining Association.

Earth, Energy, Environment

Mines occupies a unique role in the educational fabric of Colorado and the nation. The school, which was founded in 1874 to serve the needs of the local mining industry, was the first public institution of higher learning to open its doors in Colorado. Since then the school has gained an international reputation for excellence in engineering education and the applied sciences with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth’s resources. Mines is a focused institution with an outstanding faculty and student body of some 3,400 undergraduate and 950 graduate students. Mines graduates have gained prominence in industry, academia and research institutions throughout the world.

www.mines.edu

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burt automotive network

Today’s

Automobiles A Greener Future with Alternative Fuels By Scott Rill

W

ith today’s engine designs, computerized fuel injection systems, and catalytic converters we have made huge reductions in vehicle emissions output. These systems are doing a very good job of converting carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon (unburned gasoline) and oxides of nitrogen to carbon dioxide (CO2). After all, we were always taught that the product of complete combustion is CO2 . We exhale CO2 and plants use it for photosynthesis.

How harmful can it be? Unfortunately, it is becoming consensus with the world’s science community that it is most likely contributing to global warming. With the strides we have made in harmful emissions reduction, we must now reduce the carbon output of today’s vehicles to address the challenge. At Burt Automotive we offer eight different hybrid vehicles to fleet and retail customers from the Toyota Prius to the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid truck along with flex fuel vehicles to help confront this issue.

Regulation of traditional emissions has improved the air quality of our metro areas. For the most part these emissions did not affect rural areas to the same degree. Greenhouse gasses such as CO2 can affect not only the United States but also the whole planet by changing weather patterns. Winters are becoming shorter. Artic permafrost is melting and

releasing methane gas from its once frozen soil.

The greenhouse effect of methane is 23 times more potent than CO2 . Many scientists believe that if the global temperature increased 3 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit then runaway climate change could occur and there will be nothing we can do about it.

A typical four-cylinder car engine can output around 350 grams per mile in CO2 emissions. A hybrid version of that same vehicle

Global warming is on the minds of many.

Although there are many causes, the cars and trucks Americans drive create about 20% of the greenhouse gas CO2 we emit into the atmosphere. We still need to get to work, run our errands and deliver our goods. That means our automobiles need to be more efficient in the way they take an energy source and convert it to moving the vehicle. There has been a lot of media on hydrogen technology that uses no carbon. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of barriers to its use as a fuel, namely manufacturing it efficiently, the infrastructure to dispense it and the fuel cell that would utilize it. Right now, we have mainstream technologies that would allow us to use less fuel, which in turn would generate less CO2 .

We also have alternative types of fuel that are more carbon neutral.

Hybrid vehicle technologies have emerged as the dominate alternative to the average automobile. They utilize a combustion engine and electric motor(s). This combination allows the vehicle to use less fuel, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint. Various forms of hybrid technology have been around for many years but were used in train engines and submarines. Bringing this to the automobile required a lot of engineering.

» With the strides we have made in harmful emissions reduction, we must now reduce the carbon output of today’s vehicles to address the challenge. « will output around 160 grams per mile. Now in contrast, a V8 engine can output more than 800 grams per mile of CO2 . There is a direct relationship between the amount of fuel that goes in an engine and the amount of CO2 that comes out the exhaust. It requires less fuel consumption to reduce the CO2 .

Burt Hybrid Prius ( 64 )

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Âť Global warming is on the minds of many. Although there are many causes, the cars and trucks Americans drive create about 20% of the greenhouse gas CO2 we emit into the atmosphere. ÂŤ The hard components were relatively simple. It was the computer orchestration of combining the gasoline engine, electric motor/generator operation while monitoring the high voltage battery temperatures and state of charge that was complex. Regenerative braking was added to the picture as well. This allowed the lost kinetic energy to be captured and used to charge the high voltage battery. Not to mention, all of this must occur in a way that the driver of the vehicle is not affected by what is going on between the engine and electric motor. With the increase in efficiency, a hybrid vehicle can reduce fuel consumption up to 33%. This also equates to a direct decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by about the same percentage.

There are generally two forms of hybrid vehicles. There is the type that uses an electric motor to assist the gasoline engine. The electric motor is usually affixed to the back of the engine and will assist under acceleration.

It usually gets its best fuel economy at highway speeds and requires the gasoline engine to run all the time.

The second major type has an electric drive motor that moves the vehicle along with the gasoline engine. The vehicle will usually start off in electric mode utilizing the high torque of an electric motor to launch the vehicle.

The gasoline engine turns on after the vehicle starts rolling and the car is propelled by the electric motor and gasoline engine at the same time. This type of hybrid vehicle will usually get its best fuel economy in the city. This is because the electric motor is used to move the vehicle mass from a stop.

This is usually where most of the fuel economy is lost. Both technologies are more expensive to manufacture but save in fuel costs. Many taxi fleets are converting to hybrid vehicles namely the Ford Escape and Toyota Prius. They are reporting fuel savings that are helping the bottom line.

One major component of these hybrid systems is the battery pack.

This component has room for the most improvement. Relatively efficient now, many manufacturers are working on improving its chemistry for greater robustness. Most hybrids currently use nickel metal hydride battery modules. This technology was developed during the days of the all-electric vehicle. At that time, all manufacturers were mandated by the State of California to have 2% of their fleet that was sold to be zero emission vehicles. The problem was they were extremely expensive to make and the battery pack could weigh 1,000 pounds or more. By miniaturizing this technology, they were able to downsize to less than 200 pounds They are efficient enough to allow a hybrid to get better fuel economy and have a very good life cycle. However, they cannot store as much energy as a lithium ion battery which was known for thermo overrun and short life span. As technology has advanced, this battery is becoming refined to the point where it can be installed in hybrid vehicles and used in conjunction with the electrical grid. Many manufactures are working on this technology known as Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

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burt automotive network

» From hybrid, plug in hybrid, E85, and hydrogen, America’s fleet of the future will utilize multiple technologies to meet our transportation needs. « PHEV’s are in their infancy. General Motors is planning to produce the Chevrolet Volt by the end of 2010. Toyota has said they will come out with their PHEV Prius for fleet use in 2010 as well. There are several manufacturers producing aftermarket lithium ion battery packs for the Toyota Prius. One such manufacturer is A123 Systems which produces the Hymotion battery pack. This pack utilizes the advanced A123 battery cells that have low thermo overrun characteristics and good life expectancy. This added battery pack allows the Prius to achieve over 100 miles per gallon in city driving. It must be charged for 5 hours at a cost of about 50 to 70 cents depending on the electricity rate.

Burt Automotive performs installations of the Hymotion battery pack into Toyota Prius vehicles and has had good success with it.

With the Hymotion conversion, CO2 output is reduced by 60 percent of a stock Prius. These new technologies also have promise to further lessen our nation’s gasoline usage.

Another way to reduce our carbon footprint is to use E85 - a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. However, you must have a flex-fuel vehicle that is designed to use E85. Flex fuel vehicles can use straight gasoline or E85. Currently there is controversy around using corn as the feedstock for ethanol production, including raising corn prices to inefficient production methods. New emerging technologies will allow for the use of corn stocks, switch grass and even wood chips to be converted to ethanol. These approaches show promise because non-food, but are in early stages of production. Ethanol has the potential to be more carbon neutral because as the plants used in ethanol grow, they consume carbon dioxide and as the ethanol is consumed by combustion, it produces carbon dioxide. It also produces less carbon monoxide during engine combustion because of the higher oxygen content over gasoline. One drawback

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» Reducing our CO2 output will need to be a priority for all of us if we are to make a difference and prevent major irreversible climate change. « to flex fuel vehicles using E85 as a fuel is a slight reduction in engine power and fuel economy because of ethanol’s lower BTU content.

Engines that are designed from the ground up for the exclusive use of E85 would be much more efficient but not practical because there is not enough fueling infrastructure for E85 - although it is growing.

Reducing our CO2 output will need to be a priority for all of us if we are to make a difference and prevent major irreversible climate change. Hybrid technology has been refined to the point where it is very reliable and allows for improvement in fuel economy and reduced carbon emissions. Emerging technologies will allow vehicles to plug into the electrical grid to charge batteries for increased fuel mileage and reduce carbon dioxide output. Ethanol has the potential to be produced in the United States

and be utilized as a motor fuel reducing our reliance on foreign sources while reducing our carbon footprint. Not one technology will be the answer. From hybrid, plug in hybrid, E85, and hydrogen, America’s fleet of the future will utilize multiple technologies to meet our transportation needs.

Scott Rill is the technical service manager for Burt Toyota. He manages technical repairs performed by twenty-three service and five lube technicians. He is certified by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and is a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician. Scott is a two time Toyota Master Technician Skills Contest national finalist. Contact Mr. Rill at srill@burt.com.

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jewel of collaboration

national renewable energy laboratory

Our Nation’s Energy and

Economic Future Wind Energy’s Role By Kathleen O’Dell

E

nergy prices, supply uncertainties, and environmental concerns are driving the United States to rethink its energy mix and develop diverse sources of clean, renewable energy. In January 2009, President Barack Obama called for the expanded use of renewable energy in his inaugural address to meet the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. The administration has a comprehensive plan to invest in alternative and renewable energy that will help end our addiction to foreign oil, address the global climate crisis, and create millions of new jobs.

Wind energy is not only one of our nation’s most abundant renewable energy resources, it’s the fastest growing source of new generation. In 2008, the U.S. wind energy industry broke a global record by installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new capacity, demonstrating a 50% growth rate that brought our nation’s total wind energy capacity to 25,170 MW. The United States now claims the largest wind energy capacity in the world, taking the lead from Germany, which had 23,903 MW at the end of 2008.In the past, countries such as Germany, Denmark, and Spain have led the world’s production of wind energy, but according to the American Wind Energy Association, North America’s 2008 installations nearly tied all of Europe’s which installed about 8,900 MW in 2008, and Asia followed closely with 8,600 MW. China doubled its installed capacity by adding about 6,300 MW to reach a total of 12,200 MW. The rapid expansion of wind energy development around the world is clearly demonstrating the potential for this clean renewable resource to become a major player in the field of global electric generation sources. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the U.S. wind energy capacity now produces enough electricity to power approximately 7 million households while avoiding nearly 44 million tons of carbon emissions - that’s equivalent to taking more than 7 million cars off the road. Although

that sounds like a lot of electricity, wind energy still provides for only 2% of our nation’s electricity requirements. The vision of the wind industry in the United States and Europe is to increase wind’s fraction of the electrical energy mix to more than 20% within the next two decades. In the United States, that would mean increasing the wind energy capacity from a little more than 25,000 MW (25 gigawatts [GW]) to 305 GW. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in conjunction with AWEA, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL), and Black & Veatch undertook a study to explore the possibility of producing 20% of the nation’s electricity using wind energy. According to the report, achieving 20% wind energy by 2030 could help address climate change by reducing electric sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 825 million metric tons (25% of the electric utility sector CO2 emissions if no new wind is installed by 2030), and it will enhance our nation’s energy security by diversifying our electricity portfolio as wind energy is an indigenous energy source with stable prices not subject to fuel volatility.

Increasing our nation’s wind generation could also boost local rural economies and contribute to significant growth in manufacturing and the industry supply chain.

Rural economies will benefit from a substantial increase in land use payments, tax benefits and the number of well-paying jobs created by the wind energy manufacturing,

» The U.S. wind energy capacity now produces enough electricity to power approximately 7 million households while avoiding nearly 44 million tons of carbon emissions. «

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construction, and maintenance industries. According to AWEA, the wind energy industry channeled approximately $17 billion into the U.S. economy in 2008, employed about 85,000 workers, and opened or announced more than 55 wind equipment manufacturing facilities Although the initial capital costs of implementing the 20% wind scenario would be higher than other generation sources, according to the report, wind energy offers lower ongoing energy costs than conventional generation power plants for operations, maintenance, and fuel. The 20% scenario could require an incremental investment of as The Benefits of 20% little as $43 billion (net present Wind Energy by 2030 value) more than a baseline noAccording to the American Wind new-wind scenario. This would Energy Association, if we increase represent less than 0.06 cent (six our nation’s wind energy capacity to one-hundredths of 1 cent) per 20% by 2030 it would: kilowatt-hour of total generation by 2030, or roughly 50 cents per R educe Greenhouse G as month per household.

Emissions The Wind Energy A cumulative total of 7,600 million tons Deployment System model of CO2 would be avoided by 2030, and developed at NREL was used to more than 15,000 million tons of CO2 estimate some of the important would be avoided by 2050. consequences associated with Conserve Water producing 20% of the nation’s Reduce cumulative water consumption electricity from wind technology in the electric sector by 8% or 4 trillion by 2030. This generation capacity gallons from 2007 through 2030. expansion model selects from Lower Natural G as Prices electricity generation technologies that include pulverized coal Significantly reduce natural gas plants, combined cycle natural demand and reduce natural gas gas plants, combustion turbine prices by 12%, saving consumers natural gas plants, nuclear approximately $130 billion. plants, and wind technology E xpand M anufacturing to meet projected demand in To produce enough turbines and future years. Technology cost components for the 20% wind scenario, and performance projections, the industry would require more than as well as transmission 30,000 direct manufacturing jobs across operation and expansion the nation (assuming that 30% – 80% costs, are assumed. This of major turbine components would be study demonstrates that manufactured domestically by 2030). producing 20% of the Generate Local R evenues nation’s projected electricity Lease payments for wind turbines demand in 2030 from wind would generate well over $600 million technology is technically for landowners in rural areas and feasible, not cost-prohibitive, generate additional local tax revenues and provides benefits in the exceeding $1.5 billion annually by 2030. forms of carbon emission From 2007 through 2030, cumulative reductions, natural gas, and economic activity would exceed $1 water savings. trillion or more than $440 billion in net Although the report present value terms. concludes that achieving the 20% wind scenario is technically achievable, it also states that this growth will require enhanced transmission infrastructure, streamlined siting and permitting regimes, improved reliability and operability of wind systems, and increased U.S. wind manufacturing capacity. Of these challenges, enhancing WIND FORECASTS ARE DERIVED FROM the transmission infrastructure WEATHER PREDICTION MODELS. and integrating a variable,

» Electricity demand in 2030 from wind technology is technically feasible, not cost-prohibitive, and provides benefits in the forms of carbon emission reductions, natural gas, and water savings. «

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national renewable energy laboratory

weather-driven resource into our nation’s transmission grid present two of the most difficult barriers to dramatically increasing wind energy development.

Transmission is a key energy infrastructure element critical to tapping our national wind resource and moving electricity to market, much as the interstate highway system does for the nation’s transportation needs. Much of the nation’s best wind resources cannot be tapped to meet our increasing energy demands without new transmission system capacity.

The development of new transmission is challenged by many regulatory, jurisdictional siting, and cost allocation barriers. The development of new transmission corridors requires the coordination of many different organizations and groups from the federal, regional, state, and local levels. Upgrading the nation’s transmission system, like upgrading the interstate highway system, will have substantial costs and will cross many organizational boundaries.

The natural variability of the wind resource also presents challenges to grid system

operators and planners with regard to managing regulation, load following, scheduling, line voltage, and reserves. While the current level of wind penetration in the United States and around the world has provided substantial experience for successful grid operations with wind power, many grid operators need to gain a better understanding of the impacts of wind on the utility grid before they can feel comfortable increasing the percentage of wind in their systems’ energy portfolios.

To meet these challenges, the DOE Wind Energy Program is conducting several regional high-wind-penetration studies that will expand on existing knowledge and provide information on the operating impacts and costs of wind, the benefits of geographical diversity and balancing area cooperation to manage variability, and the role and value of forecasting.

Power system operators may be able to significantly reduce the uncertainty of wind output by using wind forecasts that incorporate meteorological data to predict wind power production. In Colorado, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working with the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Xcel Energy to develop improved models that will characterize wind resources and help utilities better forecast the wind so that they can predict how much

» Enhancing the transmission infrastructure and integrating a variable, weather-driven resource into our nation’s transmission grid present two of the most difficult barriers. «

» Upgrading the nation’s transmission system, like upgrading the interstate highway system, will have substantial costs and will cross many organizational boundaries. « electricity their wind turbines will generate during a given period of time.

The wind resource characterization models used for forecasting will also help system operators assess availability of transmission. To help coordinate transmission planning efforts, the program is working with state and federal energy offices as well as regional organizations and utilities to support appropriate representation of wind energy characteristics and opportunities in the energy infrastructure planning processes underway across the nation.

Wind forecasts are derived from weather prediction models In addition to helping the wind industry mitigate integration and transmission issues, the Wind Energy Program is conducting R&D that will advance the technology and provide information to help increase its acceptance. To advance wind energy technology, the program works with industry partners to increase system reliability, improve manufacturing processes, increase capacity factors, and reduce capital costs for both large and small land-based systems. To increase technology acceptance, the program works closely with national, regional, and state partners to develop policies favorable to wind energy development and to communicate the opportunities and benefits of wind energy to industry stakeholders, rural communities, Native Americans, educators, and the public.

Advancing wind energy technology and removing barriers to its commercialization and development will lead to increased deployment that will fortify our energy security and benefit our economy through more diverse, clean, reliable, and affordable domestic electricity supplies.

Kathleen O’Dell is Senior Communicator at the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. For more information visit http://www.nrel.gov.

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Still relying on diesel?

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fossil fuel.

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SolaRover offers the first rapidly deployable large-output mobile solar power generator. With unit sets manageably delivering up to 50 kW of continuous power, SolaRover gives you the output you need in a virtually maintenance-free mobile package.

And because SolaRover units harvest power from the sun, electricity is delivered at a fraction of the cost of diesel, with a greater total value than fixed solar. With SolaRover, clean, quiet, dependable and “grid-free” solar power can be available anywhere. Just plug and power.

Get the green power you need now, to go. © 2009 SolaRover Inc. All rights reserved.

www.solarover.com

jewel of collaboration

harrison western

Harrison

Western Protecting Watersheds and Reclaiming Polluted Water By Gary Chandler

W

orldwide demand for water is doubling every 21 years and the World Bank reports that 80 countries already have water shortages that threaten health and economies. Agriculture and other industries are all competing with a growing global population for limited fresh water resources.

Mining companies and oil and gas producers, in particular, are feeling the forces of tighter water supplies and tighter discharge regulations that are part of the growing watershed-management trend around the world. As a result of the growing pressures, significant progress has been made in technologies and best practices for conserving, purifying, recycling, and desalinating water in an effort to increase freshwater availability and quality.

HW Process Technologies (HWPT), for example, has been solving water pollution problems around the world for decades.

The quiet giant from Colorado got into the water treatment business by helping many of the worlds largest mining companies to successfully treat mass quantities of mine water. Because of HWPT, these mining companies are able to reclaim millions of gallons of clean water, while reclaiming valuable metals and chemicals from wastewater.

HWPT also developed successful water treatment solutions for oil and gas production for both produced water and “frac” water. The custom-designed systems can improve various industrial processes that rely on fluid and chemical management.

HWPT was founded in 1988, determined to solve the environmental concerns associated with water management in the mining industry. Because mine water discharges are high-impact problems, HWPT sees responsible water management as part of their clients’ “social-licenseto-operate.” The water treatment systems offered by HWPT have proven superior in performance and economy relative to traditional chemical precipitation systems. ( 72 )

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HWPT’s powerful systems process more than 10,000 gallons of industrial-grade wastewater per minute at one installation. In the water-intensive mining industry, for example, high-volume and highperformance are critical because the potential impacts of mining on the water environment include: • Seepage of contaminated water from mine tailings and closed mine operations • De-watering of active mining operations • Recovery of valuable metals and solvents otherwise lost through wastewater discharge HWPT has already installed numerous custom water treatment systems for mining companies, oil and gas developers, and government agencies around the world. Although the company is based in Colorado, all of its installations so far have been

dollars of returns by producing usable water, and capturing valuable metals and chemicals.

Although the company is continuously improving its systems and expanding their applications, one of HWPT’s first, large mining installations showed an immediate payback. When commissioned, the challenges that HWPT confronted at this open pit copper mine in Mexico included: • Dewatering the pit and reducing the volume of acid leach solution; • Increasing copper concentration in the leach solution for enhanced recovery; • Reducing acid costs by recovering acid and avoiding the cost of neutralization with lime; and • Recovering large volumes of clean water for mine use.

The breakthrough system recovered 2.5 million gallons of clean

» Industry, labor, government, and environmentalists agree AMD is the number one environmental problem facing the mining industry. « outside of the United States. Even though HWPTs clients are reclaiming millions of gallons of clean water every day, the systems also reclaim many thousands of dollars worth of valuable minerals and chemicals from the water treatment process. This protects the watershed and also protects the bottom line by allowing efficient and environmentally responsible operation.

As operational and environmental pressures on mining, oil, gas, and other industries continue to rise, HWPT’s proprietary EMS® water treatment systems are more important than ever. For example, one client was forced to shut down mining operations completely for several months due to waterdischarge problems. HWPT’s engineers immediately installed one of its high-performance systems to replace a competitor’s failed reverse osmosis membrane system and the mine was producing again. Elsewhere in the world, a large mining company credits HWPT for tripling gold production by increasing the mine’s water treatment capability. That system is generating millions of

water and 28,000 pounds of copper each day. The system increased copper production 14 percent by recovering copper otherwise lost in the mine wastewater. With current copper prices and water prices factored in, the company realized a 200 percent return on its total investment each day.

Capital investment in the EMS® system was recovered in 1.7 years. Some of HWPT’s clients have recovered their investment in just four months.

Specific water quality problems in mining that are addressed by HWPT systems include salinity and acidification.

The mining process exposes heavy metals and sulfur compounds that were previously locked away in the earth.

Rainwater leaches these compounds out of the exposed earth, resulting in acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metal pollution that can continue long after the mining operations have ceased.

Similarly, rainwater on piles of mining waste (tailings) can transfer pollution to freshwater supplies. Plus, huge pools of mining waste are often stored in containment ponds. If a dam leaks or bursts, entire watersheds can be contaminated.

HW Process Technologies is based in Lakewood, Colorado, but all of its installations are outside of the United States. Above, the company loads one of its systems into an Antonov 125, the largest operating cargo aircraft in the world, for delivery to a client in Europe.

Mine waters are notoriously tough to treat because of the volume and the complexity of the waste streams. HW Process Technologies installed and operates the largest membrane treatment system in the global mining industry. This unit treats millions of gallons per day, while reclaiming tons of usable metals and chemicals from the waste stream at this site in South America.

HW Process Technologies’ patented Engineered Membrane Separation systems filter out the components of an aqueous stream by applying pressure and flow across a semi-permeable membrane. These high-performance systems can treat thousands of gallons of polluted water per minute.

An engineered membrane system similar to the one pictured above recovered 2.5 million gallons of clean water and 28,000 pounds of copper each day at an open pit copper mine in Mexico. The custom designed treatment system increased copper production 14 percent by recovering copper otherwise lost in the mine wastewater.

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jewel of collaboration

Industry, labor, government, and environmentalists agree AMD is the number one environmental problem facing the mining industry. It is a common problem in all countries where mining started prior to environmental legislation.

Many mines are reaching the end of their productive life and as a result, dewatering is terminated and re-watering results in the decant (overflow) of AMD. In addition, tailings dams and waste rock dumps are surface sources of AMD. AMD devastates fish and aquatic habitat, is difficult to reverse with existing technology, and once started, costs millions of dollars annually to treat (continuing for centuries). The Iron Mountain mine in California, for example, has been closed since 1963 but continues to drain sulfuric acid and heavy metals into the Sacramento River. The mine’s effluent streams are void of life and have a pH range of 0.2 to 1.5.

The Equity Silver mine north of Vancouver, British Columbia will require treatment for AMD for at least 500 years.

Many benefits result from AMD neutralization and precipitation. For mining operations in positive waterbalance environments, where site discharges are required, the treatment system can reduce mercury, arsenic, thallium, selenium, antimony and molybdenum in water to the double-digit parts-per-billion level or less.

HWPT’s patented technology utilizes composite thin-film membranes with pore sizes different than the reverse osmosis membranes commonly used for seawater desalination. The pore size, membrane material, and operating conditions are all specifically engineered by HWPT to allow operation at lower pressures, maximizing the recovery of contaminants.

The feed stream is separated into a permeate solution and a concentrated solution. The permeate passes through the membrane, while the concentrate is held back with the thicker dissolved solids, organics and bacteria. A series of membranes can continue screening the permeate solution to remove various elements in a sequence that captures the smallest particles and chemicals last before releasing clean water.

EMS® systems can be designed to selectively screen ions such as aluminum, calcium, chloride, copper, gold, iron, magnesium, nickel, selenium, uranium, zinc, not to mention chemicals used in oil and gas exploration and production. The robust systems can be designed to reject ( 74 )

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harrison western

» AMD devastates fish and aquatic habitat, is difficult to reverse with existing technology, and once started, costs millions of dollars annually to treat. «

sulfate, silica, organics, colloids and other contaminants as well.

For coal bed methane, the EMS® system can be used for the production of surface discharge-quality water under the most stringent environmental guidelines. In the oil and gas fields, the contaminated waters produced can be treated to recover potable water. As these wells age and become depleted, they typically produce more water.

HWPT is driven to succeed where other water treatment companies fail. After proving its technology in the toughest mining waters, the company is confident that its custom systems can clean up any water anywhere in the world.

HWPT already has a strong international presence, but countries such as China, India, and those throughout Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa present a number of opportunities to help numerous stakeholders. For example, HWPT systems can clean toxic waters from mines that are currently operating, and mines that are considered exhausted, but still discharging toxic waters. With proper treatment, these polluted mine waters can be cleaned up and safely used again.

Plus, industrial process waters around the world – previously considered too polluted to clean – can be treated and used for other purposes, while the reclaimed chemicals can be reused in the industrial process. Many countries also have highly polluted lakes due to policies that once allowed pollution in discharged waters. Now these countries must remove these pollutants to reclaim local water supplies and entire ecosystems.

International partners and suppliers will play a critical role as HWPT expands its network around the world. Emerging global alliances will help the company manufacture equipment and materials to exacting specifications at a lower cost. In fact, HWPT is exploring opportunities with two Chinese research institutes to keep its products on the cutting edge of treatment technology in industrial applications. HWPT has had a strong research relationship with the world-renowned Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado for many years. These global alliances and others will help HWPT reclaim many millions of additional gallons of water around the world.

F or more information about HW Process Technologies, visit www.harwest.com or call 1-800-638-8793.

collaborator profile

american solar energy society

Collaboration

Powerhouse Lessons From The Largest Grassroots Solar Event in History By Neal Lurie

A solar thermal home near Minneapolis uses the sun’s energy to heat water. There were nearly five thousand homes like this one on the ASES National Solar Tour.

Photo: Innovative Power Systems

W

hen Charlie Garlow opened his solar-powered home to a hundred strangers he knew he was in good company. His home was one of about 5,000 across the U.S. on the ASES National Solar Tour, the largest grassroots solar event in the world.

The ASES National Solar Tour, which offers openhouse tours of homes and buildings across the U.S., highlights how neighbors are using solar energy and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and carbon emissions.

Some 140,000 guests participated in 49 states last year, and the Tour is expected to reach all 50 states this year.

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“People have been touting the promise of solar energy for years,” said Garlow, “but through this coordinated effort we’re demonstrating that solar power is already in use and making a difference from coast-to-coast.”

And it’s not just the use of renewable energy that’s noteworthy – it’s also the effective use of collaboration that helps power this event.

» Through this coordinated effort we’re demonstrating that solar power is already in use and making a difference from coast-to-coast. «

Coordinated nationally by the non-profit American Solar Energy Society (ASES), the National Solar Tour consists of more than 200 local and regional tours throughout the U.S. These tours are run by passionate solar supporters, almost all volunteers, who work together to help share real-world insight about renewable energy and energy efficiency.

“The Tour is truly a grassroots, viral event,” said Richard Burns, who manages the Tour for the American Solar Energy Society. “The Tour could not happen if it included just a few random individuals opening up their homes. There is strength in numbers. Organizations that work together ultimately create a stronger force to achieve their common goals.”

The roots of the ASES National Solar Tour can be traced to a collaborative effort that started years ago. In the 1970s the Real Goods organization in Hopland, California sold some of the first solar panels in the world. Their goal was to help families in Northern California live more independently, off the electrical grid. By 1994 the Real Goods organization started inviting its customers to share their experiences with neighbors in the first ‘National Tour of Independent Homes’. Homeowners from 40 states got involved to demonstrate how they were powering their homes with the latest technology.

As the event grew, Real Goods turned to the American Solar Energy Society to help reach a wider audience. ASES, which also produced the National Solar Conference and SOLAR TODAY magazine, was wellpositioned to grow the event through its national network of solar professionals and grassroots advocates. More than a decade later, the event continues to grow.

create a sustainably-minded lifestyle together.

“As we curled up to create our wedding gift registry, we talked about the kind of life we wished to lead,” recalled Sarah Lozanova, a renewable energy specialist at Solar Service Inc. in Illinois. “We thought about the clean, healthy world we value, and concluded that the only thing we really wanted was a solar system,” she said. So for their wedding, instead of registering for dishes and silverware like many couples do, they invited guests to contribute to their ‘solar gift registry’ to help fund the 1.7kilowatt photovoltaic solar system they wanted. They set up a blog to educate their wedding guests about this solar system and importance of living a sustainable lifestyle.

An early ad for the ASES National Solar Tour highlights the event’s initial focus on homes off the electrical grid. With 99% of today’s solar installations on buildings tied to the electrical grid, the Tour has since broadened its focus to a variety of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies. Photo: American Solar Energy Society

After reading of the couple’s plans, the majority of their 75 wedding guests happily contributed to their solar fund.

A state rebate and federal tax credit covered about 50% of the cost of the $12,300 system, and what started as

“People want to get involved,” added Burns. “Collaboration is about painting a common vision and finding how to best tap into talents for a satisfying and rewarding experience.” Of course, passion for that vision certainly doesn’t hurt.

Consider the experience of Kiril and Sarah Lozanova.

When the young Chicagoarea couple was about to get married they pondered how to

Richard Burns, who manages the ASES National Solar Tour, coordinates efforts with a local tour organizer. Pushpins in the map behind him identify tour locations across the U.S. Photo: American Solar Energy Society

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energy society american solar energy society

a creative idea soon turned into reality.

Not only did Sarah and Kiril raise enough funds to install their solar system, but they also included their home as part of the Tour in 2008.

“We were proud to be part of the National Solar Tour,” said Sarah. “We had nearly 100 curious visitors stop by our home, which gave us a chance to share our passion for solar energy.”

» There is strength in numbers.

Organizations that work together ultimately create a stronger force to achieve their common goals. « Sarah and Kiril are not alone in their passion, but with thousands of other homeowners on the Tour, coordinating such a large event is not without its challenges.

Richard Burns recalled some of the approaches that worked well, noting that, “we conduct monthly organizer calls with local Tour leaders from across the nation, not only to share good ideas, but to reinforce our vision to create the largest grassroots solar event in history.

The amazing diversity from these regional tours – from metropolitan areas to rural ones – highlights the differing needs from across the group. The key is to weave that common thread that connects us all, to help everyone stay focused on why we’re all working together.”

Without that common thread it’s easy to lose perspective and slip into tunnelvision thinking. People often view other organizations exclusively through a competitive lens. This narrow approach can put otherwise good organizations at a competitive disadvantage, precluding the possibility of working with partners. In today’s economy, strategic collaboration is critically important and needs to be part of the organizational toolkit.

The ASES National Solar Tour provides a good illustration of the exponential success that can come from coordinating efforts to achieve a worthwhile vision. This event could hardly exist without collaboration – and it’s helping to change how a nation thinks about its energy choices, one person at a time.

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Dave Renee and Paulette Middleton answer questions at the Solar Genius Bar as part of the American Solar Energy Society’s efforts to promote education about solar energy.

» In today’s economy, strategic collaboration is critically important and needs to be part of the organizational toolkit. « “Just like farmers, these Tour hosts are laying solar seeds all throughout America,” said Burns. “Some sprout quickly. Some grow slower. But what each of these individuals is doing is laying the groundwork for a sustainable energy economy and lifestyle. Once they catch this vision, they see how their actions have a tremendous impact.” And that’s an approach that can energize a nation.

Neal Lurie is Director of Marketing & Communications for the American Solar Energy Society, a non-profit organization that’s been leading the renewable energy revolution for more than fifty years. Learn more about ASES or the National Solar Tour: www.ases.org.

jewel of collaboration

Rio Tinto

Rio

Tinto Green Building and Energy Efficient Leadership By Jana Kettering

T

he way every business is being conducted is transforming at a record rate. The impact of the worldwide stage means that local companies no longer have purely local issues and communities. That is one reason why a company-wide comprehensive approach to sustainable development is so important – what happens in one operation surely affects the ability to operate in other regions. Rio Tinto, the world’s third largest mining company, based in London, England, is one such company that knows the value of a consistent approach regardless of geography. Rio Tinto operates in 55 countries, yet its sustainable development policy is the same for every operation.

The companies’ dedication is exhibited in Utah where Rio Tinto owns two very diverse businesses that operate in the same Salt Lake County community.

Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) operates the Bingham Canyon Mine, which has been in operation since 1903. It is one of the few mines where the mining, concentrating, smelting and refining are done onsite. Mining may seem inconsistent with the concept of sustainable development given that it excavates nonrenewable resources. However, mining supplies the minerals and metals essential to life as well as fueling significant economic prosperity in the communities in which it operates.

The fundamentals are simple: mineral exploration (find), active mining (mine) and then working to recover and reclaim former mining land (repurpose) for other uses. This cycle can be seen in such residential and commercial development uses at Kennecott Land’s (KL) Daybreak community. KL’s role in the cycle is to take former mining and buffer land and build sustainable communities.

Together, the two companies have created a long-term, thoughtful vision designed to ensure the continued operation of the mine for decades and then transition to other uses on land no longer supporting the mining operations. But that’s the end of the story. It’s the middle of the story that’s interesting.

So how does a mining and residential building company merge their vision? ( 80 )

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KUC Smelter Reflection 13M

Through sustainable development. Sustainable development is a balanced framework to assure that decisions are made for the best possible social, environmental and economic outcomes.

Together the companies work on land-use stewardship and meeting environmental targets. They conduct audits in the community assessing their impact and contributions. Their products are some of the most sustainably produced in the industry.

These companies have a mutual goal to design and construct buildings in a sustainable manner. By doing this, it makes a positive impact on the environment, economy and the people who work in these buildings. Since

» A company-wide comprehensive approach to sustainable development is so important - what happens in one operation surely affects the ability to operate in other regions. «

High Performance Home

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Rio Tinto

2006, Rio Tinto’s Kennecott operations have produced five LEED® certified buildings, more than any other company, and they all stand within 10 miles of each other. The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED® ) Green Building Rating System is the internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The LEED® ratings are Platinum, Gold, Silver and Certified.

Late last year, the company achieved a milestone when the Rio Tinto Regional Center was awarded LEED® Platinum Certification – the highest certification awarded from USGBC demonstrating energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. This designation is the first of its kind for Utah – and for Rio Tinto. LEED® Platinum Certification was achieved through environmentally friendly design and building standards. The project was reviewed for measures taken in categories that include sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and materials use. The LEED® rating system was used to design, build and achieve areas of efficiency without increasing costs, integrating these components into the already sustainable Daybreak community. Through the building’s construction process, energy and resources were saved by recycling more than 95 percent of all construction waste, and 22 percent of all materials used were from recycled sources. In addition, 20 percent of materials purchased were from regional suppliers, reducing transportation costs and saving energy.

Prior to achieving the pinnacle award, four other buildings were built and certified. In 2006, KL collaborated with the Jordan School District on

Rio Tinto Regional Center Front

a joint school and community center. The Daybreak Community Center and School received a LEED® Silver designation. In 2007, KUC received LEED® Silver for its Bingham Canyon Mine Administration Building and certified status for the Bingham Canyon Mine Visitors Center. In 2008, the Rio Tinto Distribution Center was constructed to achieve LEED® Silver certification and is awaiting final review and certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The buildings are sustainably planned around future transit lines, storm water resources and anticipate the needs of the companies’ future operations to benefit employees, the environment, residents and the surrounding communities. These buildings bring years of planning and vision together to fit as a piece of the sustainable development puzzle.

The green building effort’s roots started with assuring that every home built at Daybreak was ENERGY STAR® rated. Now, Daybreak is the largest ENERGY STAR® rated community in the nation. Ten local builders build within the community and all must follow strict building, design, resource conservation and material selection standards. In fact, the community is now offering High Performance homes, which exceed ENERGY STAR® standards. There are more than 2,000 homes in Daybreak with another 18,000 planned. The market is clearly responding to sustainable homes and communities as now 1 in 8 homes in the Salt Lake County Market are sold in Daybreak.

This is one of many projects that the Kennecott companies have spearheaded to conserve precious resources like energy and water.

KL has laid the foundation for a community where residents

» Mining supplies the minerals and metals essential to life as well as fueling significant economic prosperity in the communities in which it operates. «

Daybreak Elementary and Community Center

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can feel proud of their commitment to the environment. However, in order for Daybreak to be a true sustainable community, it must work with the residents to find new and innovative ways to conserve natural resources like water and energy. During the last three years, sustainable development managers have been tracking water and energy consumption within Daybreak, and in 2009 will begin implementing programs to reduce water and energy consumption within the community.

Data already indicates consumption is less than comparable neighborhoods.

Once such program is a new outdoor watering system that reduces the amount of water wasted on sidewalks, streets and areas that do not grow grass and vegetation while focusing water penetration where it matters most – the roots. The product is made of rubber-like material that is installed in a circular pattern.

When installed, the magic straw product sticks up above the ground. The magic straw is cut on the first mowing and trickles water to the roots during subsequent waterings. In 2008, the product was installed at several parks and at residents’ homes as an experiment. Residents report that the system is working well.

KUC has more than 50 energy improvement projects aimed at conserving and generating power to assure a reliable power supply for operations. Some of these projects involve measuring and reducing consumption, replacing dated pumps and motors to improve efficiency, idling reduction programs and exploring geothermal, solar and wind resources on the company’s 93,000 acres. Two facilities are utilizing the generation capacity using combined cycle gas turbines to meet future electrical load increases.

All of this progress is on top of some existing contributions. The copper smelter is one of the most technologically advanced in the industry. It co-generates about 60 percent of the plant’s electrical requirement by recovering heat from the smelting and converting furnaces which is then used for co-generation. In addition, the smelter captures 99.95 percent of sulfur emissions making it the cleanest copper smelter in the world. The refinery is in the process of installing a highly-efficient 6.2megawatt Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system. CHP has a generating capacity of about 84 percent, a great improvement over the 50 percent at traditional power plants.

KUC is actively working to reduce emissions per ton of product produced. In 2003, Rio Tinto set aggressive, five‑year GHG emission intensity and energy efficiency targets for each business unit and every year since 2000 these numbers have been shared with the public through the Sustainable Development Reports (KL began reporting in 2006).

Daybreak Street Scape

Both KL and KUC are founding members of the Climate Registry, a regional Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting system; and the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), which is seeking a practical federal cap-and-trade program. Rio Tinto favors a federal cap-andtrade program.

The goal of the voluntary Climate Registry is to provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent and verified set of GHG emissions data supported by a robust reporting and verification infrastructure. Both companies will begin reporting on 2008 greenhouse gas emissions in 2009. Rio Tinto recognizes that

emissions. USCAP believes the strongest way to achieve emission reduction goals is a federal cap-and-trade program coupled with cost containment measures and complementary policies for technology research, development and deployment, clean coal technology deployment, lower carbon transportation technologies and systems, and improved energy efficiency in buildings, industry and appliances.

Rio Tinto is well-positioned for the future with its approach to green building and environmental protections. Respect for the environment is central to Rio Tinto’s

» Energy and resources were saved by recycling more than 95 percent of all construction waste, and 22 percent of all materials used were from recycled sources. « addressing the climate change challenge will require significant changes in global energy, transportation, land management, industrial and community systems and infrastructure.

In 2007, Rio Tinto joined the USCAP, an alliance of major businesses and environmental groups encouraging federal policy to reduce GHG emissions. USCAP organizations have come together to encourage the federal government to quickly enact strong national legislation to require significant reductions in greenhouse gas

approach to sustainable development. It is a core value that operating responsibly and demonstrating leadership in all aspects of exploration, mining, processing, transporting and marketing is a factor in leading environmental performance while creating and sustaining business value.

For more information on Rio Tinto, please contact Jana Kettering at jana.kettering@riotinto.com or visit their website at www.riotinto.com.

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suncor energy

Vision into

Action

Environmental Excellence at Suncor Energy By Cos Lindstrom

Suncor’s Commerce City, CO refinery. It is the largest refining operation in the Rocky Mountain region.

T

rust and confidence are built over time and often does not happen overnight. Stakeholders want more than just results.

They are often looking for long-term solutions in two important areas - social performance and environmental performance. The “triple bottom line vision” encompasses sustainable development that has three main goals: economic prosperity, promoting social well being, and preserving a healthy environment.

At Suncor Energy, this isn’t an option - it’s a duty. Suncor realizes that to keep the balance between generating profits, supply and demand, and sustaining the environment it must reduce greenhouse gases, sulphur ( 84 )

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dioxide and air emissions that are produced because of its operations.

“Turning vision into action starts with employees,” says the company. In fact, in 2006 Suncor launched the Environmental Excellence Strategy to change the way employees thought about environmental stewardship. A culture was adopted where waste was not tolerated and employees were encouraged to solve environmental challenges. Employees were charged with ways to go beyond just meeting expectations, but to identify opportunities for superior performance in regards to the environment in four key areas: waste, energy efficiency, water, and land.

Because of this culture shift, a two-day summit was held where over 130 Suncor employees brainstormed ways to address environmental obstacles and the opportunities that would and could arise. According to Gord Lambert, Vice President, Sustainable Environment, “Their capacity to innovate and solve problems is remarkable. Now, we’re giving them more resources to get the job done.”

A Look At What Suncor Does In 1964, known as the Oil Sands Company, the company began development of one of the world’s largest petroleum basins – the Athabasca oil sands, and the largest

single private investment in Canada at that time. Then, in 1979 Suncor was created with the merger of the Canadian operations of Sun Company and the Great Canadian Oil Sands.

The oil sands are a surface mine facility which extract oil from the ground. Steam injection and other surface mining technologies upgrade the oil to refinery ready crude oil which is then shipped to various locations. The oil sands business is also supported by natural gas production facilities located in western Canada, refining, marketing & retail locations in Onatrio, Canada and Commerce City, Colorado.

Today, Suncor has over 5,500 employees who are in the business of natural gas, renewable energy, and energy marketing under the Sunoco and Phillips 66 brands. The fuels that are produced are then sold as energy that fuel our cars, power our schools, hospitals and businesses.

This high-quality, low sulphur diesel fuel meets or exceeds industry specifications.

Carbon Neutral by 2020?

Suncor hopes to be a carbon neutral company by 2020, but the price tag will be hefty and it will require an amazing amount of collaboration and planning with partners and government entities.

Suncor believes that technology holds the key to large-scale greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, but that technology doesn’t happen overnight and takes money to deploy. Suncor admits that they cannot commit to being a carbon neutral industry by 2020, but will pursue opportunities that potentially

move them in that direction. Until then, Suncor has a seven point plan to cope with environmental change. This plan addresses ways to manage GHG emissions, further develop renewable sources of energy, invest in environmental and economic research, domestic and international offsets, policy collaboration, education programs, and measurements for progress.

Carbon capture and storage solutions are high on Suncor’s agenda. Carbon capture, as the name implies, involves capturing CO2 and transporting it through a pipeline to gas reservoirs for long term storage. Sometimes that stored CO2 can be used to recover additional oil and is alternatively known as enhanced oil recovery.

GHG emissions are high on their list of concerns by Suncor’s key stakeholder groups.

Ten years ago, Suncor launched a plan that decreased the overall carbon emitted from its facilities. Since 1990, GHG emissions have reduced at the oil sands plant by 44 percent.

As Suncor expands production capacity, there is no way to avoid emissions - so they are investing in technologies that could

lead to overall reductions, while looking at opportunities to utilize wind power and biofuel technologies. To further reduce their carbon footprint, Suncor is conserving energy across operations, funding R&D for carbon capture technologies, developing other environmentally friendly technologies, investing in renewables, and measuring/reporting on their progress.

Suncor’s Climate Change Plan – Wind, Water, Land Wind Wind power is the fastest growing source of electricity generation in the world and is one of the most economical forms of power. It is emissions free and renewable. The investment in wind power is a key component of the company’s climate change plan. A portion of the revenues from the oil sands development is invested in wind power. In fact, Suncor has been a pioneer in Canada with regard to wind power generation.

Four wind farms are currently functional and others are in the planning stages. The current wind farms can produce 147 megawatts of electricity and reduce CO2 emissions by 284,000 tons annually.

» A two-day summit was held where over 130 Suncor employees brainstormed ways to address environmental obstacles and the opportunities that would and could arise. «

Water Suncor understands that water is a limited resource that should be managed wisely. Water is essential to the company’s production, and very important to the oil sands business.

In order to achieve sustainable development they recognize the need for balance between the amount of

Sarnia refinery gas tanks. New geodesic domed roofs reduce voc emissions.

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suncor energy

Pipeline at Suncore refinery

water used by the company and maintaining a clean and safe water supply for years to come. When Suncor started its business back in the 1960s, water was abundant, yet today it is limited.

Because of the need to conserve water resources, the company is working to reduce the consumption of water in all aspects of the business. As part of the Environmental Excellence strategy, a water conservation ethic is being reinforced for all operations and employees. Exploring new technologies and pursuing integrated watershed management are also part of the plan. At the oil sands site, water usage has already been reduced by 40 percent because of new technologies. These resource management technologies, will allow the company to expand to about 500,000 barrels per day by 2012 without any increase in the water usage. Today they continue to invest in additional technologies to continue the reduction of operational water use.

Suncor believes educating others is another way to support water conservation. In June 2007, the RiverWatch Environmental Education Program took Fort McMurray high school students out of the classroom and taught them about local river systems. The program educated 200 students on how to monitor aquatic ecosystems along a six-kilometer route along the rivers in Alberta. Corporate and government financial contributions made the RiverWatch program feasible. ( 86 )

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Land The company knows that their mining activities disturb the land. However, after extraction, reclaiming the land to support vegetation and wildlife is the goal. In February 2008, the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) and Suncor were recognized by Imagine Canada for their conservation offset initiative in the Boreal forest, which focused on protecting and maintaining wetland and watershed health. The recognition represented innovative collaborations between leading businesses and non-profit partners. The partnership generated over $1 million in investments that led to 1,750 acres of Boreal habitat to be secured for conservation by ACA.

» Technology holds the key to large-scale greenhouse gas reductions, but that technology doesn’t happen overnight and takes money to deploy. « Because Suncor and its partners have been environmental role models, other oil and gas companies have followed suit and are launching similar projects. Todd Zimmerling, CEO of ACA expressed his gratitude by saying, “We work together every step of the way, by means of an advisory committee to ensure this land is available for future generations to enjoy, value and use.”

Along with the ACA partnerships, Suncor also works closely with neighboring companies to reduce the overall effects of development and promote scientific research and good practices.

Suncor also supports several research and conservation efforts through non-profit and multi-stakeholder organizations.

Training The Next Generation Suncor knows that constant training in new technologies is paramount to their success.

In 2009, Red Rocks Community College was awarded monies that expanded the engineering and training facilities for process operators and craft technicians, as well as general science and operations professionals.

In 2008 Ceres, an organization of investors, environmental organizations and public interest groups, recognized Suncor for their Climate Action Plan efforts.

Furthermore, in 2007 Suncor was named to the top ten list of Fortune “10 Green Giants in Business.” - a list of businesses that go above and beyond what is required to operate in a friendly, environmentally responsible manner.

Suncor’s investment in carbon capture techniques, water management plans, and greenhouse gas management programs is what sets them apart. Gord Lambert says, “It is great to be recognized for our environmental work and stand among others who are committed to sustainability. We’ve worked hard to get to where we are and we will continue our efforts as we grow our business.”

jewel of collaboration

state of IOWA

Iowa The Nation’s Capitol for Renewable Energy Careers By Chet Culver, Iowa Governor

M

ost Americans recognize that Iowa is “first in the nation” in the presidential selection process. But many are unaware of our state’s leadership role in renewable energy.

A new vision of the 21st century is taking shape in Iowa. We are building on our strengths in education, agriculture and manufacturing to literally help Iowa fuel the world and fuel our economy. Combining our leadership in biofuels with our wind energy generation, Iowa is the nation’s undisputed leader in renewable energy industries. Today, the state of Iowa exports more energy than it consumes. And we’ve enacted legislation to help Iowa achieve energy security by the year 2025.

The state of Iowa has invested heavily in the renewable energy industry by creating the $100 million Iowa Power Fund to attract cutting edge renewable energy research and

supplied by wind and second in the nation in installed wind energy output. 2,000 wind turbines stand tall on the landscape, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 580,000 homes each year. Iowa has proven to be the ideal location for both operating wind farms and manufacturing the turbines themselves. Our leadership and location in the epicenter of wind power development in the United States provide a solid foundation for this industry’s success.

» Whether companies need workers with special technology skills or a solid grasp of basic science, Iowa’s exceptional network of 15 community colleges act as a valuable resource and partner for the business community. « development in the state and the $500 million Iowa Values Fund to offer businesses financial and technical assistance.

A variety of state initiatives are stimulating development of this 21st century economy, including programs focused on creating a pipeline of workers who will take the industry to the next level. Our investments in innovation and education will help Iowa retain its leadership position in renewable energy for years to come.

Riding the Wind Iowa’s booming wind industry ranks first in the nation in the total percentage of power ( 88 )

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As a result, ten companies have located North American manufacturing, repairing and financing of wind generation equipment in the state of Iowa to put them within reach of the growing wind energy market. Clipper Windpower, John Deere Wind Energy, Siemens Power Generation Wind Power, Acciona Energy North America, TPI Composites, Sector 5

Wind turbines installed on Iowa’s plains

Technologies, Heartland Energy Systems, Trinity Structural Towers, Generation Repair and Service, and Elevadores Goian have all located facilities here and over 200 existing Iowa manufacturers are now in the turbine supply chain.

Key to this growth is Iowa’s access to efficient transportation connections that provide opportunities for shipping heavy equipment. Wind energy equipment is growing larger in size as higher output units are developed and manufactured.

Iowa has worked very closely with turbine manufacturers and component suppliers to ensure that this equipment can be transported across Iowa without issue. Iowa’s major railroads and our Mississippi River gives businesses even more options for easy and affordable transportation.

Rail access has proved critical for Siemens of Denmark at their plant in Fort Madison where the company produces giant wind turbine blades. Each blade is 147.6 feet long and weighs 11 tons - as much as three Cadillac Escalades.

Massive turbine-generating units assembled at the Clipper Windpower plant in Cedar Rapids weigh about 140 tons and are being shipped in truckloads as far away as New York, using interstate highways.

Acciona Energy is producing its 1.5 megawatt turbines at its facility in West Branch. Later, when the development work is completed, Acciona will be producing larger three megawatt turbines.

Costs of research and development are lower for companies in Iowa because of tax credits that the state extends for qualified research and development activities.

that Iowa is the leading producer of corn and soybeans. The state has also provided a series of incentives to get new refineries off of the ground. Iowa farmers quickly seized opportunities to add value to their crops by investing millions from their own equity in the new refineries.

As a result, Iowa ranks first in the nation in the production of ethanol, E-85, biodiesel and biomass, supplying nearly one-third of the nation’s ethanol and one-fourth of the nation’s biodiesel fuel.

According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), Iowa has 38 ethanol refineries in operation with an annual capacity of 3 billion gallons. There are five ethanol refineries under construction adding an additional 700 million gallons of capacity.

Biofuel’s Impact on Iowa Ethanol and biodiesel producers add substantial value to agricultural commodities produced in Iowa and make a significant contribution to the Iowa economy. Based on the size of the biofuels industry at the close of 2008 according to IRFA, ethanol and biodiesel:

farm employment), and • Generates $576 million in state tax revenue.

POET, the company developing the first commercial-scale plant to produce cellulosic ethanol in Iowa, has just successfully tested production of ethanol from corn cobs.

Jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, POET is retrofitting a $200 million plant in Emmetsburg that will use both corn cobs and corn fiber as raw materials for biofuels. These innovations will bring greater efficiency to ethanol production by increasing the amount of fuel that can be extracted from the nation’s corn crop.

Investing in Innovation The POET project is the type of alternative fuels advancement that is the focus of Iowa’s

economic development efforts. To ensure continuous biofuels innovation, Iowa has created the Iowa Power Fund to expand research into new sources and processes for renewable energy. This four year $100 million initiative will help to develop renewable power technologies and jobs of the 21st century, as well as encourage better approaches to energy efficiency. The fund will also allow us to lead in entrepreneurship, commercialization and small business development related to these advances.

The Fund awarded $14.75 million to the POET Project Liberty because of its potential to have a positive impact on the biofuels industry as a whole.

Biodiesel is another clean-burning, biodegradable, alternative fuel produced from vegetable oils and animal fats.

Iowa is the leading producer of biodiesel.

Iowa has 14 biodiesel refineries with the capacity to produce over 317 million gallons annually.

Two biodiesel refineries under construction or expansion will add 35 million gallons of annual capacity. Additional renewable fuels projects are under development.

» Investments in innovation and education will help Iowa retain its leadership position in renewable energy for years to come. «

Leading in Biofuels Iowa has been the leader in biofuels for several reasons, beginning with the fact

• Adds nearly $12 billion, or about 9 percent, to Iowa GDP • Generates $2.8 billion of household income for Iowa households • Supports nearly 83,000 jobs through the entire Iowa economy (or 5.4% of private, non-

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Investing in Careers and Education Iowa is a national leader in creating highpaying renewable energy careers.

With the dramatic expansion of renewable energy opportunities over the last few years, Iowa’s community colleges are heeding the call to provide the skills for tomorrow’s workforce.

Whether companies need workers with special technology skills or a solid grasp of basic science, Iowa’s exceptional network of 15 community colleges act as a valuable resource and partner for the business community.

Industry-driven programs such as the Iowa Bioprocess Training Center in Eddyville is the only center in the nation that is designed specifically to meet the biotechnology training

Iowa biofuels production facility

Wind turbine blade over I-80

needs of the value-added agriculture and bioprocessing industries. Special features of the Iowa Bioprocess Training Center include a fully functional fermentation pilot plant/training laboratory, a process control training laboratory, a bioprocess training laboratory, a video classroom, and virtual reality software simulating a fermentation plant for training purposes.

The state-of-the-art educational facility operated by Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa houses an expanded two-year credit program in Bioprocess Technology, with training courses on ethanol fermentation, biodiesel, genetic engineering and fermentation, and advanced fermentation. Graduate-credit courses include genetic engineering, biotechnology and bioethics, renewable fuels and fermentation.

The renewable energy technology curriculum at the Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls includes a strong foundation in the sciences and adds specific education and hands-on laboratory training for a thorough understanding of ethanol and biodiesel processes.

Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville offers a two-year wind energy and turbine technology operation and maintenance program to help meet the growing demand for skilled technicians who can install, maintain and service modern wind

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turbines. More than 100 new students will enter the program in the fall of 2009.

The Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development (IAWIND) is a collaboration between Iowa’s three Regents institutions, 5 of the 15 community colleges, state and local governments and industry representatives. IAWIND was created to support the State of Iowa in its efforts to continue to attract and nurture wind energy

» Key to this growth is Iowa’s access to efficient transportation connections that provide opportunities for shipping heavy equipment. « and related industries. The combination of supportive renewable energy policies, logistic and supply chain efficiencies, competitive business climate and heritage of manufacturing excellence has led to an active and growing wind energy industry in Iowa and IAWIND is working to support each of these elements.

Western Iowa voters recently approved an $18 million bond for Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. The bond will assist in paying for a new bioscience center, which

will house a renewable-fuels quality-testing laboratory and will be the forefront of job training in the renewable-fuels industry.

In addition to the tremendous commitment of the community colleges throughout the state, our great state universities transform undergraduates into the highly qualified scientists and engineers needed at the highest level of the renewable fuels industry.

Smart Careers The Iowa Careers Consortium is a unique public-private partnership created to meet Iowa’s growing need for highly skilled employees. It attracts qualified, skilled workers to Iowa by raising the awareness of the progressive, innovative businesses that are creating quality career opportunities. The Consortium brings together Iowa businesses, communities, educational institutions, professional associations, Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Economic Development to provide our state’s companies with trained and skilled workers.

To learn more about renewable energy careers in Iowa, visit www.smartcareermove.com or call the Iowa Department of Economic Development at 800.245.IOWA.

The Solution to Workforce Shortages

Is Closer Than You Think

There is a light at the end of the tunnel – in fact, The AED Foundation is blazing a bright trail that is drawing hundreds of highly trained young technicians into the construction equipment distribution industry.

It’s happening today, thanks to the power of community and collaboration.

The AED Foundation is building community-based, school-to-work partnerships with post-secondary technical programs around the country, connecting local equipment dealers with local school administrators and instructors – the result is positive, effective recruitment of students toward our industry that’s leading to a powerful infusion of well qualified, entry-level service technicians.

Want to learn more?

Please call The AED Foundation at 630-468-5134 or visit us at

www.aedfoundation.org

collaborator profile

The Green Imperative™

Sustainability The Green Imperative™ By Darrin C. Duber-Smith

A

s we have only begun to understand the dramatic impact that the human species is having on the environment, the concept of sustainability has emerged, an idea championed by many consumers and a business model that has crept into the practices of an increasing number of organizations. If you have not yet heard of this term, you have certainly heard of its closely related cousins: The words “green”, “natural”, “organic”,“socially responsible” and other terminology describe a way of doing business that addresses the natural environment, and all of us in it, as a fundamental part of the strategic planning process.

Sustainability Defined Economists, business professionals and academics have all defined sustainability in a variety of ways. Yet, there is general agreement that it involves not only producing and promoting

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environmentally sensitive and healthful products, but also the management of pricing and distribution functions. Think of it in terms of a continuum where there are “degrees of sustainability”.

No organization has ever attained 100% sustainable status, but there are several endeavoring to do so, and technologies leading to zero emissions and zero waste may soon be feasible.

Sustainability reshapes the manner in which we create products, manage our distribution/supply channels, price products, and position products for promotional communications. Indeed, in order to be sustainable, organizations must meet customer needs and marketing objectives as well as ensure that the entire process is compatible with eco-systems (including human health and wellness) and does not have an adverse effect on them.

Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No.

Green marketing tactics are no longer effective unless the company has the policies and procedures to back up the marketing messages.

One manner of looking at this important business model and marketing strategy revolves around two primary concepts: front end sustainability and back end sustainability. If processes are to meet sustainability objectives, measures must be taken regarding: 1. Front End - Reducing, managing and eventually eliminating pollution throughout the product development process.

2. Back End - Re-designing systems so that resources are recovered to be re-used, reconditioned, and/or recycled so that terminal disposal into a landfill or other creative methods is avoided.

» No organization has ever attained 100% sustainable status, but there are several endeavoring to do so, and technologies leading to zero emissions and zero waste may soon be feasible. «

Application of this concept involves an A-Z environmentally and socially friendly approach that follows the product from its inception all the way to the end-user. Think of anything that does not add value to the process as waste. Waste is bad. It costs money. It hurts the environment. Excess packaging is waste.

Excess energy is waste. Producing toxic products is waste. And, as for government fines and legal outlays for lapses in environmental stewardship…you guessed it…waste. Also, remember that the consumer seeks a bundle of features and benefits, what we call a “product”, and not the side effects that go with it. Environmental pollution, toxic materials, etc. are not at all what they ask for.

Green Marketing’s Model of Sustainability© The day of choosing from a “green buffet” are fast coming to a close.

Competitors, the growing environmental and social awareness of consumers, rapidly increasing government regulations, the growing influence of socially or environmentally oriented NGO’s, the media in all of its splendor, and influential supply chain partners, increasingly demand that organizations perform environmental and social audits and develop comprehensive plans for continuous improvement in a number of areas.

Sustainability efforts should be woven into every aspect of an organization for optimal competitive advantage. Shallow efforts at positioning products and entire organizations fall on increasingly deaf ears and, more importantly, open the organization up to the growing backlash against “greenwashing”, a species of puffery that is rapidly gaining scrutiny among the stakeholder groups mentioned above.

In the name of complete transparency, the best way to utilize a green marketing strategy is for the sustainability audit and plan to be available on

a company’s website and updated annually with measurable objectives for improvement in the following areas: • The nature of raw materials and composition of products offered • The nature, consumption and recapture of energy • The use of water • Impact on land and biodiversity • Reduction and recovery of emissions, effluents, and waste • Distribution issues such as packaging and transportation • Cause related involvement • Human resources and vendor partner policies Commitments to any or all of these areas can be easily assimilated into a product’s brand identity and crafted into a message that incorporates a concern for people and the environment.

The Green Imperative© There are a number of compelling reasons to become “greener” and adopt a business model with sustainability as a key centerpiece.

The Green Imperative© provides business executives who endeavor to be more in tune with the eco-system, a commitment that often leads to increased return on investment for stakeholders and a competitive advantage in the marketplace, with plenty of ammunition in support of a strategic focus in that direction.

Target Marketing: A sustainable marketing strategy, with products that are properly positioned, will address the growing target market (well over 50% of the U.S. population) for goods that are green, natural, etc.

Sustainability of Resources: Insuring the availability of resources to continue to make and sell goods is another imperative that suppliers and manufacturers must embrace. Cutting down all of the trees does not help the shareholders of paper companies, let alone everyone else.

Lowered Costs/Increased Efficiency: There are countless ways to save money and increase efficiency so that marketers can enhance the bottom line and stave off the narrowing of margins that occurs in every industry as it reaches the maturity stage of its life cycle.

Product Differentiation and Competitive Advantage: Every marketer knows that in the hyper-competitive world of ingredients and products, notably in personal care/cosmetics, it is crucial to maintain advantages over competitive and substitute offerings.

Competitive and Supply Chain Pressures: When competitive organizations and their products adopt sustainable business models and green positioning, it often pressures other companies to follow suit, especially in the case of market leaders. Wal-Mart and its recent

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The Green Imperative™

environmental and social initiatives illustrate how powerful supply chain members can force companies around the world to adopt more favorable social and environmental policies.

Regulation and Risk: Regulations at all levels of government are on the rapid rise, so organizations need to not only remain in compliance but also proactive with regard to impending legislation.

This practice reduces shareholder risk.

Other Stakeholder Demands: Activist shareholders, NGO’s, the financial sector, and the media all work independently and sometimes in concert to ensure that companies are cognizant of their impact on people and the environment.

Brand Reputation: Any marketer worth his/her salt knows that a brand’s reputation is of paramount importance, and being sustainable enhances that reputation among the majority of consumers.

Global Market Forces: Global concerns about climate change, looming energy problems, and a recent growing backlash against globalization among many others factors, all point toward the necessity of addressing sustainability issues.

Customer Loyalty: A brand’s attitude toward sustainability is just one of the many variables that factor into the decision-making processes of the majority of consumers.

Employee Morale: A wide body of research points to the fact that adopting a more sustainable business model actually enhances employee morale.

The Ethical Imperative: This concept is simple.

It is not ethical to degrade the environment and the people in it in the name of commerce. Embracing sustainability is simply the right thing to do.

» It is not ethical to degrade the environment and the people in it in the name of commerce. Embracing sustainability is simply the right thing to do. «

All are compelling reasons to get with a program.

» The sustainability plan should be transformed into a brand identity and corresponding image that blends the brand’s key benefits with an assurance that you are monitoring and improving your social and environmental “footprint”. « Green Marketing Strategy Only after we have addressed the “what” and the “why” of sustainable business, can we discuss the communication of what an organization is doing. The sustainability plan should be transformed into a brand identity and corresponding image that blends the brand’s key benefits with an assurance that you are monitoring and improving your social and environmental “footprint”.

Cause Related Marketing: The initial attempts at incorporating sustainability into policy and marketing strategy involved partnerships between not-for-profit, cause related organizations and well-meaning for-profit enterprises. Simply put, a company ( 94 )

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would ideally align with a cause that resonates with its target market and other stakeholders. This is why so many companies that market products to a female dominated audience focus on health efforts that are important to women, such as breast cancer. These efforts are no longer enough, but are still expected by many stakeholders.

The Green Buffet: Formerly seen as “hey it’s a start”, these efforts to pick and choose the easiest and most obvious from the various greening options with no attempt at improvement, transparency, or a commitment to continuous improvement. This shallow communications effort leaves an organization open to backlash and is no longer appropriate for any target market due to increasing scrutiny. Please don’t over use images of nature. This has also become hackneyed.

Green as a Secondary Benefit: Often called “the tie-breaker”, this is a strategy that encourages the consumer to see a brand that meets or exceeds all of his/her expectations and also enjoys the benefit of being a “greener” option will win among the majority of consumers. Clorox has recently adopted this strategy with its GreenWorks line of household cleaning products. This is the predominant strategy currently used since it is often used for consumers that do not place environmental concerns among their key determinants in making purchase decisions.

Green as a Primary Benefit: Companies operating in the natural and organic products marketplace, an industry now in the hundreds of billions, have been using this strategy for years. The product may not be quite as effective as a more mainstream option, but for consumers that consider health and the environment to be key factors in their decision making process. Communications using terms like natural, organic, and fair trade are common and have proven very effective. These communications are for those consumers more concerned with the nature of the ingredients than they are the entire business model.

Sustainability as Part of Mission: This is the new frontier and therefore affords the most opportunity for visionary organizations to embrace the Green Imperative™ and the benefits that will help reduce costs and expand the market for their products. It involves the entire audit and plan, absolute transparency, and a commitment to people and the environment as part of the top-line vision. No process or product can be immune from this effort to maximize efficiency and appeal to the global shift in overall values towards organizations, the products they make, and the effect business practices have on its stakeholders, society and the environment.

Since 2000, Darrin C. Duber-Smith, MS, MBA, has been president of Green Marketing, Inc., a Colorado-based strategic planning firm offering marketing planning, marketing plan implementation, and other consulting services to companies in all stages of growth. He has almost 20 years of specialized expertise in the natural and sustainable products industry and has been a Visiting Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Metropolitan State College School of Business in Denver, CO, since 2003 and an adjunct professor at the Leeds School of Business at the University of ColoradoBoulder since 2006. He can be reached at Success@GreenMarketing.net.

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collaborator profile

sustainability dilemmas

Environmental

Sustainability Dilemmas and Community Collaboration By Mary Beth Callie, Ph.D.

I

n the inaugural issue of ICOSA, publisher Gayle Dendinger describes his vision: the magazine will serve as a forum where those working for positive change can share knowledge, experiences, and ideas; it is a place for case studies, where leaders with “vision,” passion, and “the ability to pull people together, and do something to make a situation better and to improve lives”- can share how they created that change.

So far, the magazine has provided a space where companies and organizations have showcased their best work and practices.

Through free distribution of the magazine to business schools, companies, and organizations across the country, readers of this and past issues have had the opportunity to read about how others have connected and collaborated for social, educational, and environmental goals.

When I was approached to write for this issue, themed around environmental collaboration, I was hesitant about my angle. Everyday, throughout our broadcast, print, and Internet media, major companies communicate their efforts to green their products and services.

In this more public relations version of the story, however, we usually don’t hear about the situations that motivated companies to diversify their practices and project a greener image in the first place. Often, the initiating and ongoing interactions — sometimes disputes with community and nongovernmental organization stakeholders — gets downplayed or left out of the story. We may hear about the outcomes, but we don’t know about the processes behind them, nor the perspectives of all those involved and affected.

For example, on its website, Kennecott Utah Copper highlights its environmental stewardship, in terms of energy and land use, air quality, and reducing waste. In this issue, Rio Tinto, Kennecott’s parent company, describes its dedication to sustainable development in Salt Lake county, Utah,

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through “two very diverse businesses” that it owns: Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC, operating the Bingham Canyon Mine) and Kennecott Land (KL, Daybreak residential building), which redevelops, or “repurpose(s),” once active mining land. Rio Tinto details its goals “to assure that decisions are made for the best possible social, environmental and economic outcomes” and laudable efforts in constructing LEED certified buildings, in conserving energy and water in the Daybreak Community, and in joining the U.S. Climate Action Partnership.

Salt Lake County

» We may hear about the outcomes, but we don’t know about the processes behind them, nor the perspectives of all those involved and affected. «

Oquirrh Mountains, Utah

Yet, this focus on the partnership of two Rio Tinto companies does leave us to wonder about the involvement and perspectives of other stakeholders, particularly communities, governments, and nonprofit groups. In November, for example, the Salt Lake Tribune explained that Salt Lake county and Kennecott had come to an agreement that enabled Kennecott to search for minerals and possibly mine Rose Canyon Ranch, land that the county had purchased for open space last year. Even though the county had property rights, Kennecott’s mining claims trumped those rights under federal law. In the agreement, Kennecott agreed to restore any land damaged by prospecting and to purchase or provide alternative land if the company goes on to mine the land.

This agreement suggests an opportunity to hear each perspective and to learn more about the processes by which stakeholders came together to settle the dispute. More opportunities abound: at the end of February, for example, the Tribune reported that a new bill could strengthen Kennecott’s mining rights to the Oquirrh Mountains, broadening the company’s power “to grow its mine and places the interests of prospectors above those of homeowners, hikers and horseback riders.” Likewise, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula, environmental and community groups, such as Save the Wild UP, are currently challenging Kennecott’s efforts to secure mining permits in the Yellow Dog watershed.

» The Keystone Center teamed up with an in-country partner, Tanorama, Inc, to facilitate a need-based negotiation process to address the effects of river contamination by the Ok Tedi Mine in Papua, New Guinea. « Inclusive Policy Dialogues As an assistant professor at Regis University, specializing in media studies and public policy, I teach core and major courses centered on public journalism, civic engagement, and common good issues. Inspired by our Jesuit mission of “how ought we to live?,” my students, colleagues, and I have had the opportunity to learn more about the processes by which we can define and make decisions about community well-being and sustainability.

Headquartered in Keystone, CO, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Denver, the Keystone Center for Science and Public Policy mediates conflict over core “sustainability dilemmas.”

As Keystone’s President and CEO Peter Adler, explains, environmental disputes reflect the struggle over the ‘triple bottom line’ of sustainability: the health of our environment, the vitality of our commerce, and the endurance of our communities.” In the United States and globally, the Keystone Center facilitates “policy dialogues,” which bring diverse stakeholder groups to the table, to work on practical solutions to complex issues.

From 2005-07, the Keystone Center teamed up with an in-country partner, Tanorama, Inc, to facilitate a need-based negotiation process to address the effects of river contamination by the Ok Tedi Mine in Papua, New Guinea (PNG). Considered one of the worst environmental disasters in the world, the case also illustrates a “true sustainability dilemma”: while the mine constitutes 20 percent of the country’s GNP, its waste has damaged the traditional food webs and lives of more than 50,000 people. As the report puts it, “vast economic benefits and advantages stand squarely against decades of environmental degradation and perceived injustice.”

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Keystone and Tanorama facilitated a Working Group to review and redress criticism of the outcomes of an earlier negotiation process. Nine regional groups, representing 158 villages along the river corridor, selected community delegates to participate in the new 50-member Working Group, which also included representatives from the mining company (OMTL) and its shareholders (including the Papua New Guinea Sustainable Development Program, Inc, owners of 52% of shares), government, and non-government organizations (NGOs), that gave voice to environmental and social concerns, especially pertaining to women and children.

The two-year long negotiations, which included six working group meetings and hundreds of facilitated local meetings, aimed at “trust-building, information exchange, fact-finding, deliberation, and ‘interestbased’ bargaining.” The final deal, or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), called for structural changes to compensate families, increase village level planning; provide for future advocacy, monitoring of environmental and health conditions; and to increase the participation of women in decision-making processes.

Due to the inherent messiness of democratic negotiation, the Keystone mediators focused on establishing an inclusive, transparent process, which included training and including as much stakeholder participation in the design process itself. They also stress the importance of the participation of NGOs and women at the negotiating table.

Democratic Collaboration The Keystone Center’s Ok Tedi negotiations provide an alternative to the dominant way of dealing with public interest conflict: litigation. The term “adversarial legalism,” as coined by scholar Robert Kagan, sums up that conflict-oriented, expensive, and legalistic process.

Over the past several days, marine biologist Riki Ott has visited our university, to share the experiences of the Cordova, Alaska community in recovering from the 1989 Valdez oil spill. Ott interprets these experiences as illustrative of a “democracy crisis”—in which Exxon, from the beginning, put its own corporate economic interests over human and environmental values.

Through surveys and peer listening groups, sociologist J. Steven Picou has identified the “corrosive” effects of the spill, and Exxon’s litigation-centered response, on the Cordova community (Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Exxon, reducing the once $5 billion in punitive damages to $500 million). Ott and others in the Cordova community, however have begun to collaborate on a core vision for Cordova that meets human/social, environmental, and economic goals.

There are alternative ways to address these dilemmas, however.

In “Technological Disasters, Litigation Stress, and Alternative Dispute Mechanisms,” Brent K. Marshall, J. Steven Picou, and Jan R. Schlictmann provide three examples of alternative dispute resolution: court-ordered scientific damage assessment

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in Livingston, LA (toxic spill); a negotiated partnership between community and companies in Groton, MA (contaminated groundwater); and a “standstill agreement” and mediated settlement between families and chemical companies in Toms River, NJ (childhood cancer and contaminated drinking water). In the Toms River case, Eric Green of Resolutions LLC facilitated the exchange of information and views in a non-adversarial context, as an alternative to complex litigation.

Community Collaboration Through six in-depth case studies of community collaborations and 46 additional studies, David D. Chrislip and Carl E. Larson have identified elements that need to be built into the process from the beginning. These “lessons of experience” include a sense of urgency and clear need, strong stakeholder groups, broad-based involvement from several sectors (government, business, community groups), and a credible, open process. In Collaborative Leadership, they remind us that the concept of “collaboration” goes beyond communication, cooperation, and coordination. Derived from its Latin roots, the word means “to work together”: Collaboration is more than simply sharing knowledge and information (communication) and more than a relationship that helps each party achieve its own goals (cooperation and coordination). The purpose of collaboration is to create a shared vision and joint strategies to address concerns that go beyond the purview of any particular party.

Shared vision and joint strategies, writes Kettering’s David Mathews in For Communities to Work, necessitate an “engaged public” - “a committed and interrelated citizenry rather than a persuaded populace”. Moreover, high-achieving communities start from a spirit of learning and experimentation: “they are voracious learners, like students who read everything the teacher assigns, go to the library to see what’s there, and then bring two new books to class.”

As a teacher, community member, and citizen, I hope that my students can experience this spirit of learning and engagement, examining and learning from ever-present environmental and democratic dilemmas. Even though we encounter the outcomes of those dilemmas, or may hear about green products and services, we often don’t know the experiences of all those involved and affected, or the processes behind the decisions. The work of Keystone and Kettering, illustrate that alternative paths to the “triple bottom line” of sustainability: through mediating, needsbased, inclusive processes; engaged citizen participation; a sense of shared values and choices; and collaborative leadership.

Thank you to Peter Adler, CEO and President of the Keystone Center for Science and Public Policy, and Paul Alexander, director of the Institute on the Common Good at Regis University, for taking time to meet and talk through these ideas.

Mary Beth Callie, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of communication at Regis University in Denver.

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collaborator profile

northern colorado workforce initiative

Re-Skilling

Labor

Collaborative, Industry-Driven Workforce Development By Maury Dobbie

Âť Workforce skills and industry needs, as you know, are rapidly changing - we need to keep up AND we need to act now! ÂŤ

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T

his is the year of opportunity!

renewable, traditional energy, conservation and power industries.

The future will include other industry sectors – all industry driven.

Yes, there are many dismal reports of how our global, state and regional economies are hurting. No one is more aware of how this recession is affecting them than families, business owners, employees, unemployed, non-profits, governments, educational institutions, on and on. In Northern Colorado we’ve been working for two years on creating a workforce model that is industry driven and will re-skill and train our workforce for the ever-changing global economy.

We’re using a common sense and practical approach never before tried in our region. We’ve fostered a collaborative attitude that focuses on listening and being inclusive. The Northern Colorado Workforce Initiative is an example of an initiative that is proactively working to stem the negative tide of this economy. In 2007, the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) led the charge to bring three groups into the room to talk about workforce issues: Educators, Businesses & Workforce Service Providers.

While there is optimism, there is a reality in creation of new jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency areas. We are working with our education partners in curriculum development that will create entry-level positions up to high paying positions. Look for the official announcement of the two-year degree programs launched through Front Range Community College and the smart grid training programs through CSU. We are blessed with forward-thinking institutions and primary employers in Northern Colorado.

We realize the importance of creating career paths whereby anyone can enter the training and education path to re-skill. It is also obvious in this present economic climate there is an urgent need to get people back to work. Here is our vision and mission:

» Jobs Jobs Jobs is the cry around the country. «

Today, this effort is driven by the Collaborative Advisory Team from both Larimer and Weld counties. We realize that one of the ways that makes our region strong is the workforce we share. This team will serve as the hub for communication and coordination in the development of a strategic plan for workforce development in the Northern Colorado region.

We don’t want to stop there, however. As we test our collaborative model in Northern Colorado, we desire to share best practices with other regions in the state. A strong state economy is one of our goals.

The Northern Colorado Workforce Initiative vision is to create a thriving and sustainable Northern Colorado economy where employers’ needs for wellprepared employees are met and employees’ desire for a satisfying and rewarding work lives are fulfilled.

» The willingness of a region to integrate talent development into a comprehensive economic development approach creates a systematic advantage to business health and attracting new business. «

We’ve connected “three dots” – education, primary employers and service providers that touch workforce. Service providers such as Workforce Centers, Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development organizations, nonprofits, government from both counties are now mapping how this initiative will be created for the long term alongside our primary employers and educational institutions.

For the initiative to be successful, we have to be industry driven, listening to our employers about their workforce skill gaps then acting upon that data as quickly as possible. Workforce skills and industry needs, as you know, are rapidly changing - we need to keep up AND we need to act now!

The workforce initiative realizes we can’t be all for everyone as we lay the foundation details. We’ve agreed to focus first on the “Energy” workforce in Northern Colorado. This includes clean and

The Northern Colorado Workforce Initiative mission is to create and maintain a collaborative system among key entities (employers, educators, government, non-profits, current employees, job seekers and students) in Northern Colorado that increases our capacity for strategic workforce development.

Below are our assumptions: • Competition for jobs is global.

• Availability of talent and labor supply expansion is one of the most critical factors in corporate location decisions.

• The willingness of a region to integrate talent development into a comprehensive economic development approach creates a systematic advantage to business health and attracting new business.

• In order to remain competitive, regional workforce talent development will need to be responsive and employer-driven.

• Ongoing and frequent identification of the numbers and skill sets required by current and future employers is essential to providing useful guidance to the organizations which make up the workforce development system for curriculum development and delivery strategies.

• Future demographic changes in the regional workforce will be rapid and profound. An appreciation of the pace and magnitude of these changes, cultural impacts on workforce development, and the diversity of the workforce, are crucial to developing strategy and allocating resources.

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collaborator profile

northern colorado workforce initiative

•P ersonal, government, corporate, and institutional financial resources will be constrained by economic conditions for the foreseeable future. As workforce development demand continues to increase, future solutions will require strategic use of limited public and private resources.

• Decision authority of key players in the workforce development system is, and will continue to be, widely dispersed. Effective collaboration within a non-hierararchial structure using shared decision-making is essential.

• Developing and maintaining constructive and respectful relationships matters greatly.

The future deliverables for this team will be to initiate a number of industry work groups with the focus on “energy” jobs. A strategic plan should be written and complete by spring 2009. In tandem to this important foundational work, curriculum is being developed with the help of employers.

The renewable energy and energy efficiency industries represented more than 9 million jobs and $1,045 billion in U.S. revenue in 2007. 95 percent of the jobs are in private industry. This is according to a new report offering the most detailed analysis of the green economy by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) based in Boulder. ASES partnered with Management Information Services, an internationally recognized economic research firm based in Washington D.C. to print the new ASES Green Collar Jobs report.

According to this report, the renewable energy industry grew three times as fast as the U.S. economy. Solar thermal, photovoltaic, biodiesel and ethanol sectors lead the way, each with 25%+ annual revenue growth. Their conservative estimates believe the green job forecast is for more than 16 million jobs and $1,966 billion in revenue in the U.S. by 2030. Northern Colorado is well poised to benefit.

» Small business is the backbone of our country and companies of all sizes need a skilled workforce. «

The hot job areas include electricians, mechanical engineers, welders, metal workers, construction managers, accountants, analysts, environmental scientists and chemists. Hey, this may give many of you hope for future jobs!

Here’s another plus. Renewable energy and energy efficiency can create millions of well-paying jobs, many of which are not subject to foreign outsourcing. The good news is these jobs are in two categories that every state is eager to attract – collegeeducated professional workers and highly skilled technical workers.

Jobs Jobs Jobs is the cry around the country.

While there are many opinions that abound when it comes to the stimulus package being voted on from Washington, DC I haven’t heard anyone disputing the need for families accessing good paying jobs. Those who understand business, support the notion that small business is the backbone of our country and companies of all sizes need a skilled workforce.

» Conservative estimates believe the green job forecast is for more than 16 million jobs and $1,966 billion in revenue in the U.S. by 2030. «

All jobs and all industry sectors are important to Northern Colorado. When you hear many of us talking about the opportunities in the “green collar” industry, we also know the importance of a thriving diversity in multiple industries in our region.

Many states are claiming they are or will be the capital of clean and renewable energy. Colorado is focused on the energy economy as one of our strong sectors. Northern Colorado has an excellent opportunity to be a large player in creating the businesses in the energy economy as well as the workforce that will be needed.

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The Northern Colorado Workforce Initiative is working diligently to reskill workers. We are well positioned for training our workforce in a cluster industry that is gaining considerable attention. We also know the need is urgent in these times.

While there is plenty of bad news, there is also a lot going on in our state and region with positive implications. Let us focus on what we can control and affect. We optimistically believe this is the year of opportunity.

Additionally, we believe in the “can do” spirit of cooperation and collaboration. None of us can accomplish such a big task as workforce development alone. All parties must be at the table discussion what can be done to shape the future of our state’s economy.

Stay tuned and stay positive – we need each other!

Maury Dobbie is President/CEO of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation. To learn more about the Northern Colorado Workforce Initiative visit http://www.ncedc.com/industry_workforce_ initiative.html.

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Colorado Mining Association

Coal Affordable, Reliable and Clean Energy for Colorado’s Future

By Stuart A. Sanderson, President Colorado Mining Association

W

hen gasoline prices hit $4 per gallon last summer, so did the call for reducing our reliance on foreign oil. Skyrocketing natural gas prices, at least until recently, generated significant discussion about the need to lower electricity costs through alternative energy sources.

The fact is, we will need all the energy we can get from a variety of domestic sources in the years to come. According to the Colorado Energy Forum, a non-profit group studying Colorado’s future energy needs, Colorado will require an additional 4,900 megawatts of new electricity sources or energy conservation by the year 2025. (A megawatt is the amount of electricity required to power about 1,000 homes). Where will we get all the energy?

Much of the answer already lies right beneath the surface here in Colorado and throughout the United States: Coal.

Coal - America’s Energy Security Blanket & The Best Option for Reducing U. S. Dependence on Foreign Energy It may come as a surprise, but coal is by far the nation’s most abundant source of electricity.

Coal accounts for more than 90% of the nation’s fuel resources and is currently used to generate about half of U.S. electricity. Colorado gets nearly 75% of its electricity from coal.

But these figures really don’t fully describe coal’s abundance. The United States has 27% of the world’s coal reserves (more than any other nation). By contrast, we have only 2% of the world’s oil and 3% of the world’s natural gas. And while some refer to the United States as the “Saudi Arabia” of coal, even that term doesn’t do justice to America’s unique energy riches. The United States has more coal than any other nation has any single energy resource.

According to the Illinois Geological Survey, the Illinois Coal Basin alone contains more energy equivalent units of coal than all the oil in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait combined.

of providing affordable electricity to meet baseload or 24/7 demand.

But why use coal solely for electricity generation? With U.S. reliance on foreign oil at an all time high, many lawmakers see the bright potential for coal to liquid fuels technology (CTL). The Department of Defense is already studying the advantages of CTL fuels to support our armed forces on the ground and in the air. As the U.S. is reliant on foreign sources to meet 60% of domestic oil requirements, it only makes sense to use our most plentiful fuel resource.

The media and many politicians promote renewable resources as the answer to our dependence on foreign energy. However, most of our imported energy is in the form of crude oil for transportation fuels while domestic sources like coal provide the electricity used to power our homes and businesses. Plug in vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles could derive some of their power from renewable-based electricity, but it will be a long time before the use of electric vehicles is widespread enough to provide any significant reduction in imports of oil for motor vehicles. A further problem is that renewable energy from wind and solar is an intermittent source; in other words, the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. Thus, wind and solar presently account for only a small portion of the electricity currently generated in Colorado and the United States, and will require continued costly production tax credits and mandates in order to increase their share of the energy market.

Colorado law, for example, now mandates that public utilities generate 20% of their electricity from renewable resources by 2020.

Assuming that goal is attainable, where will we get the other 80%? For the foreseeable future, coal remains the fuel of choice for electricity generation for our homes and businesses, as well as for powering plug ins and hybrid electric vehicles. Coal also has significant potential for use in aviation fuel, further reducing demand for imported crude oil.

» Coal remains an important fuel capable of providing affordable electricity to meet baseload or 24/7 demand. «

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Coal’s low cost (about one-fourth the cost of natural gas) and its reliability are essential to keeping energy prices affordable in Colorado and throughout the United States. While recent legislation will mandate increased use of intermittent sources of electricity like wind and solar, coal remains an important fuel capable

Colorado Coal - Supporting the Economy, Local Communities and Public Schools Colorado is one of the nation’s top ten coal producing states, ranking eighth overall and fourth in underground mining. With production at more than 33 million tons in 2008, Colorado’s ten coal mines generated about $1 billion in direct sales and more than $100 million in taxes royalties and fees.

About half of the federal royalties paid by coal producers (more than $60 million in 2007) fund Colorado’s public school system. Coal miners are the highest paid industrial workers in Colorado, earning average wages and benefits which topped $100,000 annually in 2007.

Coal mines require hundreds of millions of dollar in capital and must operate over long periods of time (30-40 years or more) in order to recoup the investment. Thus, coal companies tend to become a part of the community. If you travel to coal communities in northwest Colorado, for example, you can see numerous demonstrations of long term good neighbor policies. Coal companies have built and donated ballparks, golf courses, and athletic club facilities to the communities in which they do business.

What About Emissions From Using Coal?

In the past 30 years, coal use for electricity generation is up nearly 180% yet emissions are down by 40%. The Colorado Mining Association (CMA) and the mining industry have long supported cost effective and sound programs to improve Colorado’s air quality. Colorado coal, naturally low in sulfur and mercury yet high in quality, also helps utilities meet federal and state clean air requirements, thus earning the designation as “supercompliance” coal under the 2005 Energy Policy Act.

As demonstrated by the chart, China has already surpassed the United States in total greenhouse gas emissions. Unless the entire world can agree on a fair and rational program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; developing nations like China and India will continue to avoid having to limit such emissions at the expense of economic growth in the United States. Given the potential costs of implementing greenhouse gas reduction strategies and the fact that they may have no discernible impact on temperature for many generations, the U. S. must carefully weigh the impacts and the risks.

Unfortunately, Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission recently ordered the closure of two coal fired power plants based not on cost considerations (coal is clearly the lowest cost option for electricity consumers), but simply to lower emissions. In so ruling, the Commission rejected a lower cost alternative proposed by the CMA that would have kept the plants open and

Global GHG emissions

its workers employed. Co-firing with biomass, as recommended by CMA, would have lowered electricity generation costs and reduced CO2 emissions by more than 212,000 tons annually.

Shutting down coal power plants will only mean one thing: Increased reliance on natural gas and higher prices for electricity consumers.

Coal and Natural Gas In terms of fuel costs, coal clearly beats natural gas, which costs four times the price of coal. As the chart below demonstrates, coal prices have remained relatively stable and well below $2 per million British Thermal Units (BTU – defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree). Natural gas prices hit $12 per million BTU in 2005, and have averaged more than $5.70 per million BTU during the five year period from 2001-2006. By contrast coal prices remained relatively flat at $1.40 per million BTU.

» Most of our imported energy is in the form of crude oil for transportation fuels while domestic sources like coal provide the electricity used to power our homes and businesses. «

Climate Change While climate change policies remain a concern and a challenge, CMA supports the deployment of clean coal technologies, carbon capture and sequestration. But these technologies will not appear overnight and a successful climate policy will require worldwide participation. Colorado’s total carbon footprint is only 1.4% of the nation’s total (including all sources, not just coal power plants); so cutting such emissions locally without a uniform national and global strategy will only sacrifice economic growth and put consumers at risk.

Coal is one-fourth the cost of natural gas with minimal volatility.

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jewel of collaboration

Colorado Mining Association

Coal is by far the most abundant fuel for electricity generation.

As the U.S. and Colorado turn to natural gas for electricity generation, costs to electricity consumers will increase. The relative scarcity of natural gas also means that utilities may have to rely on imported liquefied natural gas from nations like Iran and Russia, with all of the attendant geopolitical risks associated with importing foreign oil.

Higher Energy Costs Impact Those Who Can Least Afford to Pay One thing is certain. Higher energy costs hit consumers, especially low income energy consumers, hardest. Those earning less than $25,000 annually, spend up to 29% of their

» Unless the entire world can agree on a fair and rational program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; developing nations like China and India will continue to avoid having to limit such emissions at the expense of economic growth in the United States. «

income on energy. They are often required to make hard decisions about what bills to pay – utilities, food or medicine – just to name three examples. And the inability to pay energy bills is a leading factor in homelessness, according to Energy Outreach Colorado, an organization dedicated to helping low income consumers meet their energy needs. Many of the politicians, religious figures and celebrities who speak with such emotion about the perceived effects of climate change never talk about the impact of higher energy prices on the poor.

The U.S. is built on affordable energy – as coal use has increased, so has our nation’s gross domestic product. Thus, the consequences of not acting to secure our domestic energy

security pose enormous economic, social and geopolitical risks. Coal must remain a part of the overall energy mix in order to secure that energy future. Mining Matters.

The Colorado Mining Association (CMA) is an industry association, founded in 1876, the year that Colorado became the Centennial State. CMAs 875 members include producers of coal, gold, metals and industrial minerals, as well as individuals and organizations providing services, equipment and supplies to Colorado’s $8 billion mineral resource industry. Colorado’s mining industry employs directly more than 5,000 workers and, according to a recent National Mining Association study, accounts for more than 41,000 jobs in the general economy.

» Shutting down coal power plants will only mean one thing: Increased reliance on natural gas and higher prices for electricity consumers. «

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collaborator profile

Green Festivals

Green Festivals Collaborative Environmental & Social Justice Conferences By Tom Hobelman

P

op culture often serves as a fairly effective barometer of that most ephemeral of American icons, the national mood. Preoccupations and underground movements that may not make the talking points around the water cooler nevertheless find broader expression through various modern media, from television to music to cinema. Although many headlines and television shows continue blaring dire predictions about the economy, a different theme has recently emerged from the national consciousness: how to live a more meaningful life, one in harmony with each other and with the environment.

“The Day After Tomorrow” and “The Happening” fight for viewer/ ( 108 )

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consumers alongside “AC 360” on CNN, annual music festivals like Bonaroo and national bestsellers like Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat, & Crowded.

Green Festival has emerged in the past few years as the ultimate culmination of this greening convergence - fiscal concerns and pop culture collaborating to evince a new national mood. Sustainable living is becoming accessible for everyone, from individuals to corporations looking to expand on their “triple bottom-line” goals (financial, environmental, social), and the annual Green Festival provides the blueprint. The Festivals unite green businesses,

social and environmental groups, visionary thinkers, and tens of thousands of community members in a lively exchange of ideas. Each city’s Green Festival agenda has the same over-arching themes: learn (through star-studded lectures and workshops), network (via organizations effecting sustainable change locally, nationally, and internationally), and socialize (meeting different people committed to the possibility of a better world, sharing common interests, building movements).

Since the first fledgling event in 2002, Green Festival has created a model of environmental and social leadership, consistently providing authentic information for consumers on every aspect of green living.

The Festivals are essentially a twoday party with a serious purpose: to accelerate the emergence of a new economic paradigm that is life-affirming and liferestoring. Each Festival (Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and now Denver) cultivates a culture of sustainability and social equity that honors one’s interdependence with all life. The festivals began as a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America (formerly Co-Op America), two leading non-profit organizations dedicated to environmental and social justice for more than twenty-five years.

And these two groups are not alone in their mission.

The Green Festivals continue to attract and expand upon a truly impressive base of speakers and educated individuals who anchor their time in each city with workshops, discussions, and speeches of great import to the “green” movement. Festival speakers are articulate, powerful advocates for a just and sustainable world. From authors and filmmakers to politicians, musicians and scientists, these renowned individuals inspire packed audiences with their expertise - one of the most compelling draws to Green Festival™ since 2002.

There is Dr. Cornel West, whose writing, speaking, and teaching weave together the traditions of the black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz. The New York Times has praised his “ferocious moral vision.”

West burst onto the national scene in 1993 with his searing analysis of racism in American democracy – Race Matters. This bestseller has become a contemporary classic, selling more than a half a million copies to date. Another dedicated soul is Van Jones, founder and president of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California. Headquartered in San Francisco, EBC is a national organization that challenges human rights abuses in the U.S. criminal justice system. He recently started the group Green For All (www.greenforall. org) , which is focused on bringing greencollar jobs into lower-income communities.

For many featured speakers, pop culture is both the medium and the message in bringing social justice and sustainability to the forefront of common discourse. As leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D redefined rap music and hip hop culture. His lyrics addressed weighty issues about race, rage and inequality with intelligence and eloquence. In May 2005 the U.S. government’s Library of Congress included “Fear of a Black Planet” in a list of 50 recordings worthy of preserving in the National Recording Registry.

» Green Festival has created a model of environmental and social leadership, consistently providing authentic information for consumers on every aspect of green living. «

Global Exchange is a 20-year-old membershipbased international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. The group prioritizes international collaboration as central to ensuring peace, and aims to create a local, green economy designed to embrace the diversity of our communities.

They educate communities about realities outside their audiences’ purview using a diverse range of educational methods.

Green America is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1982.

Their mission is to harness economic power - the strength of consumers, investors, businesses and the marketplace - to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.

Taking a different approach than Global Exchange, Green America focuses on economic strategies to solve social and environmental problems.

They mobilize people in their economic roles (as consumers, investors, workers, and business leaders). Addressing their constituents as well as acolytes in this manner, they empower people to take personal and collective action in working through issues of social justice and environmental responsibility. Amazingly, Green Festival is just the tip of the iceberg for both Global Exchange and Green America. They promote green and fair trade business principles, while also building the market for businesses adhering to these principles.

If the “oral traditions” don’t fit your bill, there are literal “grassroots” speakers as well. Paul Stamets has been in business since 1980 with Fungi Perfecti®, a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people. Stamets has published 6 books, including Mycelium Running, a book of mycological rescue for healing habitats and increasing sustainability using low-tech techniques for restoration of damaged ecosystems.

Two speakers that are now slated to appear at the newest stop for the Green Festivals (Denver, CO) will have a powerful impact on a metropolis somewhat infamous for oil production and corporate

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collaborator profile

Green Festivals

malfeasance – Amy Goodman and John Perkins. An award-winning journalist and author, Amy Goodman and producer Jeremy Scahill went to Nigeria. Their radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria’s Oil Dictatorship exposed Chevron’s role in the killing of two Nigerian villagers in the Niger Delta, who were protesting yet another oil spill in their community.

John Perkins, a former “economic hit man”, is a founder and board member of Dream Change and the Pachamama Alliance, non-profit organizations devoted to creating stable, sustainable and peaceful worlds.

Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller lists and has been published in more than 30 languages, details the clandestine operations that created the world’s first truly global empire.

The recent addition of the Mile High City to Green Festival’s roster was no random event. As Mayor John Hickenlooper put it: “Having just hosted the greenest national political convention ever, we think Denver is a natural site for the Green Festival in May 2009 and are excited to host this successful event.

Denver is proud to be creating safe, healthy, sustainable communities and a strong local economy by raising awareness, sharing best practices and collaborating on greening initiatives. The Green Festival is a terrific place to trade success stories, brainstorm innovative new ideas and learn about the newest technologies and services.”

Denver’s City Hall is backing the upcoming Green Festival in Denver with synergistic reasoning: Mayor Hickenlooper’s “Greenprint Denver” program fits hand-in-glove with the guiding tenets of the Festival. Hosting the DNC in Denver taught the city an exciting lesson. Colorado’s capitol could indeed handle a large-scale event without abandoning the Mayor’s program or other much-touted “green principles”.

This lesson was accomplished by adhering to a set-up process (Green Festival’s) and location (the Colorado Convention Center) steeped in green economy details. A stringent screening process ensures all exhibitors meet the highest standards for environmental integrity and social responsibility.

While many events and tradeshows

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are notoriously wasteful, the efforts of hundreds of Green Festival™ volunteers ensure meticulous sorting procedures to reuse, recycle and compost, translating into only 3% of the waste going into landfills.

» The Green Festival is a terrific place to trade success stories, brainstorm innovative new ideas and learn about the newest technologies and services. «

In 2003, U.S. residents, businesses and institutions produced more than 236 million tons of municipal solid waste, approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per person every day. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Coloradans dispose of 6.1 pounds of waste per person per day: 26% more than the average American. Green Festival organizers mitigate that statistic with the help of Seven-Star, Inc., the country’s foremost “green event” experts. They organize and manage the landfill diversion, product conversion and carbon offsetting for each Green Festival. For example, every plate, knife, bowl, napkin, coffee stirrer and sample cup is 100% biodegradable and will be collected with all food scraps to be composted.

The setting for Denver’s Green Festival, the Colorado Convention Center, follows suit with the Green Festival™ efforts. Photovoltaic panel installations on the roof are capable of continually providing 300KW of power.

Timed lighting systems controlled by electricians allows lighting levels to be at 50% during event move-in and move out, and 100% only during event hours in occupied space. The Convention Center is now on a citywide “steam tube and shell system” for heating, allowing for lower preset temperatures when the building is unoccupied as well as more efficient overall control.

Seattle’s Green Festival takes place in late March, followed by Denver in early May and Chicago in mid-May. Washington D.C. gets hosting honors October 10 and 11, while the final stop is where it all began – San Francisco November 13, 14, and 15.

Take a moment to visit the website (www.greenfestivals.org) if you are unable to attend in person – you may make more of an impact than you realize. Become part of a virtually zero-waste carnival of ideas, and let the economy figure itself out for a change!

jewel of collaboration

TransCanada

The Pipeline

Puzzle

Connecting Communities, Resources, & the Environment By Michael Connors

A

s the rush to a “New Energy Economy” captures the imagination of the world, there are those that understand no “New Energy” is a comprehensive remedy.

While everyone would prefer that solar or wind be used exclusively, this pipe dream is not currently realistic. What comes to the forefront, then, is the importance of developing traditional sources of energy in a more efficient and environmentally sound manner. TransCanada, a leader in energy distribution, is working to expand American energy access to the oil sands of Alberta and the gasrich Alaskan North Slope through an extensive pipeline network. Moving 20% of America’s oil and gas energy needs through their pipeline, TransCanada is taking it upon themselves to develop cutting-edge procedures that make oil and gas more available and that are transported in an environmentally conscientious way. A pipeline is a very real symbol of the connections we have between communities, energy resources, and the environment – thus

TransCanada pipeline expansions like the Keystone Project and the proposed TC Alaskan pipeline are conceived and executed with an acute sense of environmental responsibility and community development.

The Alternative Integrity Validation Process Building energy infrastructure is vital to the operations of a modern

world, and TransCanada has developed a multidimensional approach to pipeline installation and materials handling that will help eliminate out-dated modes of environmental testing. New quality control measures will also significantly reduce the risk of pipeline breaches. The Alternative Integrity Validation process is one such technique, currently under development, that could change the very nature of pipelinehealth assessment and ultimately help prevent ruptures. Essentially, the goal is to so tightly monitor the development of the pipe from manufacturing to installation, as to effectively eliminate the possibility of failure. According to a 2007 TransCanada report: “We have been field testing a new process for confirming the integrity of new pipeline installations. Called the Alternative Integrity Validation (AIV) process, this approach may eventually do away with the negative environmental impact of the time-consuming and costly post-construction hydrostatic test that has been an industry standard for many years.”

» While everyone would prefer that solar or wind be used exclusively, this pipe dream is not currently realistic. What comes to the forefront, then, is the importance of developing traditional sources of energy in a more efficient and environmentally sound manner. «

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TransCanada

Assuring a pipe’s integrity could eliminate the need for the hydrostatic tests currently employed and has far-reaching implications for pipeline development. Moving away from the hydrostatic test would also mean that fresh water is no longer needed to run through the pipe and then captured and purified, saving time, money and helping the environment.

But one process alone will not be enough to assure a safe method of transmission.

Conceivably, then, the Alternative Integrity Validation is one piece to a larger environmental protection strategy that involves multiple layers of security. The TransCanada 2007 report lists several such practices: “In conjunction with the AIV process, TransCanada employs Environmental Protection Plans for contractors, utilizes independent environmental inspectors, immediate reclamation after construction, the development of compliance calendars and manuals for all locations, Environmental Site Assessments and a comprehensive tracking and monitoring program designed to take in account any regulatory changes where TransCanada operates. Once pipeline has been laid, an extensive maintenance program is also utilized, and when pipeline inspections are required: TransCanada uses environmentally responsible mitigation measures to eliminate, minimize, or manage any effects of the maintenance programs.

Examples of mitigation measures during the maintenance programs include: keeping topsoil separate from the subsoil during excavation; limiting vehicle traffic on site during adverse weather; and re-seeding excavation sites as required.”

Because of their commitment to the environment, TransCanada has been recognized with awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Natural Gas STAR Program at TransCanada’s Great Lakes Gas Transmission Company (GLGT) operations for 12 years of continuing excellence in its efforts to report, measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

TransCanada was also named to the Global 100, a list of the world’s top 100 sustainable corporations. The Global 100 recognizes corporations that demonstrate a better ability than their industry peers to manage environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities Simply put, the pipeline industry is in great need of innovative environmental strategies in order to counteract a negative public perception (commonly perpetuated by special interest groups) of energy gathering and distribution. Therefore, by combining the AIV process with multiple layers of

environmental policy, TransCanada is helping to minimize the risk of very public and notorious environmental disasters.

The Keystone Project By opening access to the tar sands of Alberta and bridging the resource to the refining capabilities of the Gulf Coast, TransCanada, in conjunction with Conoco, will be greatly increasing the availability of crude oil to the U.S. Exploration, production

existing terminals in Port Arthur, Texas and, subject to shipper support, will include an additional approximate 80-kilometre (50-mile) pipeline lateral to the Houston, Texas area.

With the addition of incremental pumping facilities, the Keystone Pipeline system could be further expanded from 1.1 million barrels per day to 1.5 million barrels per day.”

An additional benefit is the economic growth spurred by the investment on construction all along the pipeline route.

Perhaps no other project best exemplifies TransCanada’s commitment to community growth and development since the pipeline runs through so many American towns.

According to a recent AP article, “Work on the TransCanada Keystone oil pipeline in southeast South Dakota is expected to begin in mid-May with several hundred workers using Yankton as construction headquarters for much of the year.” Yankton Mayor, Dan Specht says, “We appreciate what TransCanada has done, especially in terms of communication.” Then reflecting on R.R. McGillvray of TransCanada, Specht noted, “It’s been at least a couple of years that you’ve been looking at this area, and you’ve been upfront all along.” Anyone who collaborates knows that communication is paramount.

Consider for a moment the link between healthy communities and a healthy ecosystem.

When projects are sustainable in North America, then stricter environmental laws can be observed. It is well known environmental laws in many oil-producing countries are typically weak and not enforced and those supplies are simply shipped here. And, when local communities are involved in the decision making processes, they tend to focus very heavily on environmental consequences since they will have to live with any disasters.

The TransCanada Alaskan Pipeline Project Current projects like Keystone shine a light on the necessity for responsible growth, but the TransCanada Alaskan Pipeline proposal highlights the need for planning and action over the longterm. An estimated $30 billion project, the Alaska pipeline would connect the North Slope to the Alaskan highway and then to Alberta where the gas can be distributed to the North American territories. This is a project that has been in the proposal stages for many years, and at long last, TransCanada has stepped up to take a leadership role to make it happen. Alaska Governor Sara Palin noted recently, “The actions by TransCanada and FERC help bring Alaska and the Nation one step closer to providing a secure, abundant, and environmentally responsible

» A pipeline is a very real symbol of the connections we have between communities, energy resources, and the environment. «

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and transportation within the North American boundaries helps the U.S. and Canada refrain from importing oil from foreign, and possibly hostile, countries. The 2007 report demonstrates the scope of the project. “The Keystone expansion includes an approximate 3,200-kilometre (1,980-mile), 36-inch crude oil pipeline starting at Hardisty, Alberta and extending south to a delivery point near

source of energy to hungry markets in the United States. I look forward to continuing to work with FERC and all interested parties to continue to move this critical project forward.”

Collaboration and communication throughout the development process is the only way to involve communities in their own economic development while addressing environmental concerns that are vital to localities.

While the TC Alaskan Pipeline may still be in the feasibility stages, (estimated completion in 2018) it is critical that new projects are proposed, developed and constructed so that energy demands can be met. At a time when companies are scaling back on their vision and investments, it is more important than ever that some maintain a focus on the very real demands of an economy still based on traditional energies.

The transition to green energies is still in its infancy, and leaders in states that work with oil and gas understand their profound importance in the everyday lives of their citizens. Competent leaders see the connections between energy, distribution, sustainable communities and environmental protection. There is common ground.

At the end of the day, we can see the very physical way in which pipelines

» The transition to green energies is still in its infancy, and leaders in states that work with oil and gas understand their profound importance in the every-day lives of their citizens. Competent leaders see the connections between energy, distribution, sustainable communities and environmental protection.There is common ground. «

connect communities with each other and the impact on the environment a pipeline may have along the way. Yet these big metal tubes are also a metaphorical connection between us and the world we live in. They connect us to the energy we need to sustain our standard of living: they connect us to the broader world in which we live and, more importantly, they connect us to each other.

Stringently enforcing environmental laws and encouraging innovation in the industry, we can create a safer and more sustainable energy source while diminishing the dependence on foreign countries that have little or no interest in environmental protection. And it is important that we have organizations like TransCanada who share this vision. While continuing to grow the energy infrastructure that is so vital to the operations of a modern world, TransCanada’s multi-layered approach to pipeline safety and materials handling help eliminate out-dated modes of environmental safety, ushering in a new era of conservation. Taking a birds-eye view, we see the importance of collaboration when we see the ways in which something like a pipeline can bring together communities, environment and the energy that makes it all run.

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Greenprint denver

Greenprint

Denver

Helping Build A Sustainable City One Collaboration at a Time By Rebecca Saltman

T

hrough the inspiring leadership of Mayor John Hickenlooper, the City of Denver has long been a frontrunner in developing sustainability techniques. In 2006 Greenprint Denver was introduced. Greenprint is defined as “an action agenda for sustainable development for the City and County of Denver that demonstrates local

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government can be an effective force for innovation and leadership to improve the environment.” Mayor Hickenlooper explains this collaborative agenda from a more personal viewpoint: “As an exploration geologist-turned-small businessman, I have always maintained what I considered a healthy perspective on the need to balance environmental

and economic considerations in my decisions.

I learned early on in my career in business that the best solutions often combine economic, social and environmental considerations.”

Greenprint outlines an aggressive mission and principles to accomplish this balance to which the mayor refers.

Greenprint Denver sees its mission as a collaboration providing leadership and solutions that ensures a prosperous community, where both people and nature thrive symbiotically. At the Mayor’s office of sustainability, the initiative was formed to create innovative programs and tools, as well as to provide resources to citizens that allows them to make smart, sustainable choices in their lives.

» Greenprint Denver sees its mission as a collaboration: providing leadership and solutions that ensures a prosperous community, where both people and nature thrive symbiotically. «

Communicate sustainability as a public value and expand the concept of the city as a steward of public resources.

Support sustainability as a core business value to improve efficiencies in resource use, reduce environmental impact, and invoke broad cultural changes.

The city’s use of 420,000 gallons of B20 biodiesel fuel in a pilot study in 2005 supported local economies and reduced air pollution and dependence on foreign oil. In 2007, all dieselpowered fleet vehicles began running on the cleaner-burning fuel.

Incorporate “triple bottom line” analysis (seeking to balance economic, social and environmental considerations) into all city policy and program decisions. Clear metrics are then set to report on their progress moving forward through annual report cards.

Denver was honored as one of the Top Green Cities in the United States in 2006 by The Green Guide. The magazine scored cities on 11 criteria, including air quality, electricity use

Partner with community organizations, cultural institutions and businesses to achieve broad impact.

Greenprint continues to build on its initial partnership with the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation to interest regional businesses in energy efficiency measures. Their current collaborative efforts include identifying ways to engage businesses in new strategies and then quantifying their progress (i.e. membership/ awards program).

In 2007, Mayor Hickenlooper announced the city’s first Climate Action Plan, which included the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent – taking the entire Denver community to 1990 levels by 2020.

Guiding Principles

Denver utilizes goat herds to help eliminate invasive weeds and manage brush in natural areas in a cost-effective, nonpolluting manner. By grazing on vegetation and trampling plants with their hooves, the goats create natural mulch, add organic matter to the soil, and distribute seeds. The innovative program has received worldwide attention as an environmentallyfriendly alternative to mowing and pesticides.

and production, environmental perspective, environmental policy, green design, green space, public health, recycling, socioeconomic factors, transportation, and water quality.

In 2009, Greenprint will focus its attention on a number of issues: energy and water conservation, implementing a bike share program, expanded recycling, solar installations, and neighborhood outreach.

» Denver International Airport is home to the nation’s most visible airport solar photovoltaic system, while the Colorado Convention Center, the Museum of Nature and Science, and the Denver Human Services buildings are also equipped with significant solar arrays. «

Greenprint has already participated in some incredibly innovative activities.

For example, if you were in Denver during the Democratic National Convention, you probably heard about the Freewheelin’ bike share program. Throughout the downtown area, bicycles were available to check out from several kiosks as an alternate transportation option. Given Freewheelin’s success (over 26,000 miles ridden in just four days), this innovation left a legacy imprinted on the minds of many Denverites and visitors alike.

Beginning this summer, Denver will become one of the first cities nationwide to launch a comprehensive, citywide bike sharing program called Denver B-cycle. 500 bikes will be available to the public at 30 stations throughout the city.

The program is expected to double in size by spring 2010.

“The positive feedback we received from the bike sharing program during the DNC was remarkable,” Mayor Hickenlooper said. “We are confident Denver B-cycle will prove equally popular while improving our fitness levels and our environment.

Our 358 miles of bike routes and trails combined with our 300 days of sunshine make Denver the

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Greenprint denver

perfect city in which to launch a citywide bike sharing system.”

Services buildings are also equipped with significant solar arrays.

Access to Denver B-cycle will be made through annual memberships sold to residents and frequent users, while daily, weekly and short-term usage for visitors and tourists will be enabled through credit card transactions. While not finalized, the current model proposes that the system allow the first half hour of Denver B-cycle use to at no charge, with nominal charges thereafter.

Given that the citizens of Denver are the true foundation of the city, outreach is an important component of Greenprint’s programs. Through the collaborative partnership of several city and non-profit agencies, Greenprint is coordinating a grassroots approach to improve energy efficiency in Denver neighborhoods.

Greenprint continues to develop innovative ways to support the city’s recycling programs and waste reduction, and this year will work to ensure that all city events will have recycle bins available for the public. In addition, Greenprint will continue to work with the local business districts to increase the number of onstreet recycling bins.

Another component of waste reduction includes the elimination of plastic bag use, and replacing them with reusable bags. In December 2008, the Denver Public Library joined this effort by eliminating plastic at all library branches. This bold yet simple move has been a huge success with citizens in general and patrons in particular.

Grocers King Soopers, Safeway, Vitamin Cottage, and WalMart have committed to the city that they will make reusable bags available in their stores with the hope of dramatically reducing the use of plastic.

As a recipient of a Solar America Cities grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Greenprint plans to capitalize on Colorado’s progressive government programs and tremendous solar potential by establishing solar as a mainstream energy resource option.

Greenprint is committed to developing programs which remove the two largest barriers to solar market penetration: the high upfront cost and a lack of public awareness regarding the inherent benefits of solar technology.

The City of Denver is taking a leadership role in this commitment by increasing the number of solar installations on City buildings. Denver International Airport is home to the nation’s most visible airport solar photovoltaic system, while the Colorado Convention Center, the Museum of Nature and Science, and the Denver Human

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» In this uncertain economic climate, this program directly improves the neighborhood’s quality of life while also showing an immediate impact on the city’s carbon reduction goals. « Launched in October 2008 in Sunnyside, the Neighborhood Weatherization Collaborative (with partners including the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC), Sun Power, Mile High Youth Corps, Groundwork Denver, LEAP, and the Departments of Environmental Health, Economic Development and Denver’s Office of Strategic Partnerships) began canvassing the neighborhood offering immediate upgrades with CFLs, free recycling registration, reduction of junk mail, and the offer of a free energy audit to every household. GEO also provides funding for income-qualified residents to receive weatherization at no cost, and non-income qualified households receive significant rebates.

Initial data indicates that residents are receiving up to $600 savings in utility costs with proper weatherization upgrades. In this uncertain economic climate, this program directly improves the neighborhood’s quality of life while showing an immediate impact on the city’s carbon reduction goals.

These are just a few examples of the city’s commitment to improving our quality of life and balanced environment. To learn more about the Greenprint programs and about how you can get involved, please visit www.greenprintdenver.org.

Rebecca Saltman is a social entrepreneur and the President and Founder of a Foot in the Door Productions an independent collaboration building firm designed to bridge business, government, non-profits and education.

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April 19-22, 2009

Hilton Washington • Washington, DC

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and the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

jewel of collaboration

clean tech open

Clean

Tech Open Growing Startup Businesses Into Thriving Clean Tech Companies

By Brian Bartony & Katie Roberts

T

he founding team knew when they sat down at that dining room table that they were looking for people just like themselves: ambitious, entrepreneurial, willing to take a risk, and nurturing a great idea or two. The founders could picture someone scribbling ideas on a cocktail napkin at a similar dining table. They imagined two friends debating an idea in a local coffeehouse. They could almost hear someone down the street tinkering with a new technology in his garage. Those were the people they wanted to reach. And, at that table in Palo Alto, this group discussed their ambitious plan to reach out to those folks in the coffee shop, a garage and around a table.

It was important they reach out soon, because the future of the planet was at stake.

The result of that conversation was the national organization known as the Clean Tech Open (CTO).

The Clean Tech Open was founded on the belief that the best way to improve and preserve the environment is through technology - in large part developed or acquired, commercialized, and taken to market by sustainable startup enterprises. The founders knew that labs and universities, basements and coffee shops throughout the nation were teeming with ideas and solutions to pressing environmental concerns, growing energy demands and global climate change. The goal was clear: ensure that the best and brightest ideas, and the entrepreneurs and inventors behind them, had access to the resources and support they needed to grow startup ideas into thriving clean tech companies.

“There were a number of us MIT Alums in the Bay Area that were getting together around clean tech activities,” recalls co-founder Michael Santullo. “We would attend events that started off with 20 people in a small conference room, and eventually grow to 400 people in large auditoriums. A lot of us knew we wanted to do something more. We wanted to engage in clean tech and we wanted to try and help the local community.” ( 120 )

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» The founders knew that labs and universities, basements and coffee shops throughout the nation were teeming with ideas and solutions to pressing environmental concerns, growing energy demands and global climate change. «

These alumni heard of a program in the Boston area whereby clean technology startups were supported through a business plan competition. The Clean Tech Open founders liked that idea, but wanted to take it a step further, by offering more than cash to the winners. They wanted to offer a “business competition” that would support the winners, but also catalyze the other companies involved in the competition into viable businesses.

“Our goal was to make all of the resources available that are necessary to allow an entrepreneur in the clean technology space,

» Events will be supported by no less than 400 volunteers, 40 sponsors, 50 partner organizations, including labs and universities, 150 mentors, 50 judges, four staff members, and 30 Chairs volunteering their time. « to take their idea from concept to reality,” explains Marc Gottschalk, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

The first step for these founders was to find the cash for prize money; but that isn’t the only thing start-ups need. While a few volunteers chased down potential sponsors, others planned a series of classes to help startups write a cohesive, thorough business plan that would catch the eye of potential investors.

Speakers were asked to address various aspects of a business plan, including sustainability; these embryonic clean technology companies would not only be sound businesses, they’d also address the planet’s growing energy and environmental concerns.

Finally, the founders sought out a few companies to provide services. Clean tech startups tend to be heavy on the operations side, and if certain basic company needs could be handled, the cash could go toward building prototypes or seeking third party accreditation. Offers poured in, as companies from throughout the area donated marketing services, legal consulting hours, office space for a year, employee insurance, and accounting oversight.

The only step left was to find these clean technology start-ups and start them through the education and mentoring process, to select the companies most worthy of receiving the “Startup in a Box” prize package of cash and services.

Four years later, this is the ledge upon which the founders of the Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open stand. After three successful years in California, the model was too good to stay local. The Department of Energy has vigorously supported the founders’ ambitions to take the program to the national level. The Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open is the first regional competition to take this leap, and 2009 will be the year they fly.

“An idea that gets us very excited is the idea of having a national competition,” elaborates Santullo. “We will roll out the Clean Tech Open to other regions … hopefully having six to eight competitions running simultaneously, covering the entire country. Then at the end of the competition year, we will hold a national competition for the best teams from all over the country. We think this will be fantastic for the teams – they will get national visibility – and we also think it will help drive a lot more visibility for the competitions overall.”

The Rocky Mountain region was selected as the first regional competition because of the extraordinary infrastructure and support of industry, academia, NGOs, state and federal agencies. But really it was the founders of what would become the Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open who paved the way for national expansion.

John Brackney, Richard Franklin and Brian Bartony of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce were working with a group of concerned citizens on the Renewable Energy Task Force. They began searching for a way for the monthly meetings to address the state of the world’s energy crisis more proactively.

Similar to the way the founders in California sought out a larger project after initially engaging in clean tech, several Task Force members began searching for other groups throughout other regions to gather best practices. They eventually made their way to Silicon Valley.

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Brian Payer, the Clean Tech Open Programs Director in charge of National Expansion recalls, “In the summer of 2007, they found Clean Tech Open through an introduction from PG&E and contacted Mike [Santullo] and Marc [Gottschalk].

They said, ‘We’re coming on a factfinding mission. Would you mind meeting with us for an hour or two to tell us what you’re doing?’ They also asked us if we were willing to expand, and that really forced us to address the issue of national expansion.”

Through the combined efforts of the co-founders in California and the urging of the representatives from Colorado, the Clean Tech Open began the process of becoming a more lasting and sustainable organization. By the end of 2007, Clean Tech Open was raising money to hire staff, canvassing the Department of Energy for national expansion funding, and working with the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce to explain in depth what it took to run a Clean Tech Open business competition.

“Colorado is one of the fastestgrowing renewable energy clusters in the nation, and our ability to leverage the extraordinary efforts of the Clean Tech Open’s founders will benefit a whole new crop of budding entrepreneurs,” says Stephen Miller, Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open co-founder. “To be associated with the California Clean Tech Open is an honor and a privilege.”

Now at the beginning of 2009, two regions in the Western United States are set to launch their business competitions, aiming to recruit a combined 200 entrepreneurs to enter their companies in the competition.

The collaborative effort will result in a staggering array of events and support. There will be monthly Breakfast Briefings detailing the competition and clean tech topics; two Executive Summary seminars to educate potential contestants how to enter the competition; six Symposia providing a deep dive into a particular clean tech topic and showcasing clean tech startup companies; 17 Summer Seminars designed to educate the companies participating in the competition; hundreds of 45-minute one-on-one sessions with business professionals at carefully coordinated Business Clinics; upwards of 100 hours of judging written Business ( 122 )

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» In just three years, 125 companies have raised $125 million in private funding from angel investors, grants and venture capitalists. The companies can also boast 500 employees in the clean tech sector, and have projected more than 1,200 employees by the end of 2009. «

» From an auspicious beginning involving a small group of people, to a nationwide collaborative effort, Clean Tech Open is a success story full of proof that collaboration among groups can lead to major change where it is needed most. «

Plans; at least 50 hours of watching Business Plan presentations; two local Awards Ceremonies; and one national Awards Gala honoring the winners of the entire national competition.

These events will be supported by no less than 400 volunteers, 40 sponsors, 50 partner organizations, including labs and universities, 150 mentors, 50 judges, four staff members, and 30 Chairs volunteering their time, not to mention the financial contributions of sponsors and pro-bono services offered by speakers and advisors.

Thus far, the two affiliates have collaborated to find sponsors and partners, and properly addressed the growth of Clean Tech Open as the young company reaches eastward across the country.

“We are delighted to welcome the Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open to the CTO family,” says Rex Northen, Executive Director for Clean Tech Open. “The RMCTO team has shown extraordinary commitment, passion and absolute professionalism in the way they have built out their plans for the launch of the first regional competition. We expect to see great things from the entrepreneurs and inventors who attend their seminars and work with their mentors.”

In early March, a delegation from Colorado will join the CTO founders in the Bay Area. Representatives from the Pacific Northwest, Iowa, New York and several other potential regions will also join together for the first Clean Tech Open Spring Summit. This weekend will consist of a retreat-style event where the national expansion seeds take full root. The founders and many volunteers from California will pass along program information, lead discussions on the best ways to run events, and brainstorm about the ideal ways to build local clean tech communities. By pooling resources across the country, in person, Clean Tech Open is ensuring that the proper education and support is given to those interested in beginning a regional competition.

Since the first competition in 2006, the overall success of the business competition is apparent.

Rocky Mountain CTO is anxiously looking to add to the 84% success rate of alumni companies. In just three years, 125 companies have raised $125 million in private funding from angel

investors, grants and venture capitalists. The companies can also boast 500 employees in the clean tech sector, and have projected more than 1,200 employees by the end of 2009, which proves that clean tech is one of the few sectors currently showing major growth.

Finally, the alumni companies show their success through the almost 1,000 customers they serve, including Whole Foods, Marriott Hotels, Johnson Controls, The Gillette Company, Yahoo!, Facebook and Home Depot.

The technologies created by these alumni companies are solving the problem of energy waste in buildings, addressing the problems of inefficiency in public transportation, and successfully providing consumers more environmentally-friendly products and services.

The success of the alumni companies and the dedication of the hundreds of volunteers across at least six states for thousands of hours is a testament to the ambitious plans, high ideology, and environmental importance surrounding the competition.

“It’s really been rather remarkable how smooth the entire organization has been run – not just for the two of us – but even down the line in terms of how we all had the same vision for where we wanted things to go.” Gottschalk jokes, “Part of the reason, I think, is because Mike and I grew up two towns away from each other and graduated the same year from different high schools nearby in New York.

So it’s that, or maybe we’re twin sons from different mothers.”

From an auspicious beginning involving a small group of people, to a nation-wide collaborative effort, Clean Tech Open is a success story full of proof that collaboration among groups can lead to major change where it is needed most.

Katie Roberts graduated from Santa Clara University with degrees in Communication and Business Marketing. Before joining the Clean Tech Open staff, Katie’s experience includes roles in marketing with a Bay Area home builder, and the San Jose Sharks.

She is the Communications Chair for the local Santa Clara Alumni Chapter, and spends many hours per month volunteering with Hands-On Bay Area. Katie is originally from Colorado and enjoys running, skiing and any outdoor activity.

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SolaRover

SolaRover New Value Equation for Solar Energy By John F. Spisak

A

lternative energy has been making a comeback worldwide and capturing the public spotlight with solar and wind energy leading the way. The new Obama Administration and the 111th Congress have made alternative energy a centerpiece of business and tax policy and rule making in a concerted attempt to move it into the national mainstream and begin the process of reducing foreign carbon fuel dependence and effecting climate change.

The 2009 stimulus package and the 2008 Troubled Assets Relief Program both extended existing incentive programs and added significant new ones to push alternative energy to the forefront with solar as one of the leaders. ( 124 )

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» As admirable as the goals and results of “green” energy are, they must also make economic sense at the end of the day and that means that there must be a tangible “valueadded” component. «

In order for any technology and new business to achieve long term success and acceptance, it must achieve economic viability within the niche or arena in which it is implemented.

The same will hold true for solar energy even though it is currently advantaged with tax credits, subsidies, grants and strong political backing. Solar energy and other alternatives face the competitive realities of the marketplace in which fossil fuels are still inexpensive overall where the national grid system has not been upgraded to handle the intermittencies of alternatives, and where the national transmission system will have to be significantly modified to accommodate these large alternative projects currently being planned. In the current worldwide economic

environment, addressing all of these costly issues in a timely manner will be problematic. Eventually, alternatives will begin to lose their subsidy and tax advantages as they will begin to compete with other social and political imperatives which are a normal part of societal evolution.

Within this context of alternative energy’s resurgence and the complexities of world geo-politics, SolaRover concluded that if solar power is to be successful in the short and mid-term, that it must provide real value beyond simple power generation and the replacement of CO2 and hydrocarbon emissions. As admirable as the goals and results of “green” energy are, they must also make economic sense at the end of the day and that means that there must be a tangible “value-added” component. That is why SolaRover has created special engineered mobility and portable energy storage as the key value-added equation that will move solar to the forefront today.

» When a major natural disaster strikes, there is inevitably major and protracted damage to the power grid. The cost in human health, life disruption, loss of commerce, further damage and suspended activity is incalculable. «

This value equation has three distinct parts. The first is the most obvious. Mobile solar energy can provide powerful value to those remote parts of the world that are most in need of reliable, clean and adaptable electrical energy. Remote locations in Africa, Central and South America and Asia-Pacific can benefit enormously from portable, clean sun-powered energy for village

clinics, school houses, communications and clean water systems.

These areas of the world have plentiful sunshine and are in great need of alternatives to non-existent infrastructure, insurgentinterrupted infrastructure, heavily polluting and health-damaging wood and coal cooking and unreliably supplied diesel. Mobile solar units can be readily moved as needed and can supply critical services where they are needed most. A mobile solar unit can run a clean water treatment unit and pump during the day, and with its fully charged batteries, can run the village lights and cooking plates at night. Mobile solar units can also carry internet satellite capability and cell phone communications. Since solar-produced electricity is pure, clean sine wave power, there is no need for power cleaners or filters that are required for diesel generated (dirty, noisy) power and for much grid-produced power. Laptops, communications and sensitive medical devices can all use clean solar electricity directly.

» Remote locations in Africa, Central and South America and Asia-Pacific can benefit enormously from portable, clean sun-powered energy for village clinics, school houses, communications and clean water systems. «

SolaRover recognizes that many developing countries have neither the financial means nor (in some cases) the political will to provide the most needy members of their population the type of support that will allow the introduction and use of mobile solar power systems. Therefore, SolaRover will be joining forces with a foundation so that monies can be collected for the sole purpose of purchasing mobile solar power systems for the areas of the world that need them the most. Through this foundation, SolaRover will provide its mobile solar power units at a discounted price and

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collaborator profile

SolaRover

SolaRover will also donate $5000 per unit to various foundations that assist the developing world’s children through medical, food, clothing and educational support. Anyone interested in helping SolaRover in supplying clean, mobile solar energy to the world’s most needy can contact Donations@solarover.com.

Mobile Solar in Disaster Zones The second part of the value equation is found in the perennial need for emergency and restored power that cities and states which are in the path of regular hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and ice storms cannot depend on today. Mobile solar power provides a plethora of solutions to a series of intractable problems that face millions of people in the U.S. every year. When a major natural disaster strikes, there is inevitably major and protracted damage to the power grid. Neighborhoods, cities, emergency services and general commerce all find themselves without power for weeks on end. The cost in human health, life disruption, loss of commerce, further damage and suspended activity is incalculable. Major response agencies like FEMA, the National Guard and state emergency services agencies are primarily reactive and days typically pass before damage is assessed, disaster declarations are made and the logistics of relief start to engage.

The ability to immediately (within 24 hours) restore power to critical activities such as emergency clinics, police, fire, and ER facilities, refrigeration storage units, street lights to mitigate looting and begin to restore rudimentary commerce is absolutely critical in reducing the total cost of the disaster and preventing significant collateral and follow-on damage that typically results in the aftermath of these events. Recent storms and disasters have proven over and over that reactivity is inefficient, late and not nearly as effective at being fully prepared with contingencies in place. Mobile solar power units can be ubiquitously distributed across a city or town in virtually any conceivable location where they can and will be immediately available for emergency use when needed. Also, as opposed to diesel and fuel-fired generators that have to be stored, fueled, resupplied and kept clean and tuned, mobile solar units can continuously generate

clean, quiet pure power between events, even if those events are years apart. There is no need for emergency planners to try to guess where to store generators and their fuel hoping that they guess right. Facilities that mount fixed foundation solar systems on buildings, do not have to worry what will happen if their structure is severely damaged during an earthquake or hurricane and power is needed two miles away at an emergency clinic. A mobile solar unit can simply be unplugged and quickly moved to the location of most need. If smaller cities and towns across the U.S. Gulf Coast were alternatively equipped with mobile solar units, they would act as a reserve of clean, quiet power always within a couple of hours of any city that finds itself devastated by a major storm.

» The benefits of reduced greenhouse gases and particulate pollution can be achieved today instead of waiting 5-12 years for these major projects to be cited, permitted, built and integrated. Tax incentives, carbon credits and grants can be realized today. « This distributed disaster insurance policy will also provide unique benefits to the local utility, grid manager and states that have enacted RPS standards. Highly distributed power units, like mobile solar units, don’t burden the grid in ways that large fixed systems do. Furthermore, with mobile units there is no additional transmission infrastructure investment required. The benefits of reduced greenhouse gases and particulate pollution can be achieved today instead of waiting 5-12 years for these major projects to be cited, permitted, built and integrated. Tax incentives, carbon credits and grants can be realized today.

Electricity can be managed to maximum benefit. For instance, the batteries can be fully charged during the day and all of the power can be drawn off during the peak load evening hours. And of course, if there is a major disaster, power is in place where it is needed the most. Solar panels can be easily washed or swept off, while diesel fuel that is contaminated with water or mud is a major problem. The same sets of arguments readily apply to earthquake prone areas with even more urgency as damage there is typically more severe and can be prolonged. Mobile solar power can provide the security and the solutions.

Mobile Solar for the Military The third part of the value equation is the support of military units flung far and wide. The military must never be without power - as lives are in danger.

Alternatives will never supplant conventional power sources nor will they ever gain a dominant position with forces whose mission it is to defend and protect peoples and resources worldwide. However, alternatives – especially solar – can play a critical and important role in reducing the military’s dependence on hydrocarbon fuels and saving lives. The cost of getting fuel into a generator at remote forward field and combat

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positions approaches $100 US/gallon. This is because the fuel can be lost or stolen and it must be transported, defended in convoys, and protected in storage bunkers on site which must be secured and guarded. Further, it takes significant numbers of soldiers to defend those targeted convoys, defend those bunkers and defend the other soldiers who regularly fuel, service and maintain the diesel generators. These are soldiers directly in harm’s way. Should mobile solar power generators merely supplant 30% of all of the military’s forward position fossil fuel needs for power, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of troop exposure days would be saved. SolaRover has adaptive military designed units that are rugged and

transmission systems and can provide vital insurance to those who need it the most against natural disasters.

SolaRover firmly believes and is committed to the business model that there is an enormous worldwide opportunity for distributed mobile solar power with substantive value added components.

SolaRover believes that there is a confluence of politics, demand, need and history that makes this particular period ideal for a major development in the area of renewable energy, especially solar. The challenges facing everyone in the alternative energy industry today are those that derive from the economy and credit crisis and ironically enough, the stimulus package itself. The lack

» The challenges facing everyone in the alternative energy industry today are those that derive from the economy and credit crisis and ironically enough, the stimulus package itself. «

» Should mobile solar power generators merely supplant 30% of all of the military’s forward position fossil fuel needs for power, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of troop exposure days would be saved. « durable, can be tough in the field, easily moved and adapted to hybridization with existing diesel units designed to save the military fuel and soldiers. Given the current cost being expended on forward position fuel for power, SolaRover units can achieve a payback within 16-18 months against current conventional systems – a good value for the American taxpayer.

Thus, mobile solar energy can be brought to remote locations, distributed everywhere in cities and towns for immediate clean power benefits without dependency on upgraded grids and

of credit and worldwide slow down are obvious. The stimulus, with all of its changes, lack of current clear interpretation and yet to be determined rulemaking has acted in concert to stop many projects and investments in their tracks until some semblance of stability and clarity of impact is achieved. For the sake of this tremendous opportunity in alternative energy, SolaRover hopes that these problems will be quickly resolved.

John Spisak is President of SolaRover, an early stage company that has perfected a “universal mobile design” that can be mass produced and fit into standard international shipping containers. SolaRover produces fully engineered complete “turn-key” mobile solar energy generation systems that are very mobile, rugged, can travel anywhere, require virtually no training to operate, can be fully deployed in under 5 minutes and carry a full suite of batteries for power at night or for surge. SolaRover is working with governments, agencies and key decision makers to make distributed, value added solar power a reality across the world. Please contact Sharon Linhart of Linhart PR in Denver: # 303-620-9044 or John Spisak of SolaRover in Lone Tree, CO: 303-810-6602.

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Would Like To Thank The Following Friends For Their Inspiration David Aldous American Solar Energy Society Rebecca Arno Brian Bartony Burt Automotive Network Mary Beth Callie, Ph.D. Chet Culver Cameco Corporation Gary Chandler Clean Tech Open Colorado Mining Association Adam P. Cohen Colorado State University Consul General of Canada Jennifer Cook Maury Dobbie Darrin C. Duber-Smith

Dale Eisler Green Festivals Greenprint Denver Tom Hobelman HW Process Technologies International Development Enterprises Iowa Business Council Van Jones Jana Kettering Neal Lurie Chris McCale Robert Mulverhill National Mining Association National Renewable Energy Laboratory Native American Journal Mark T. Nesbitt Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation

Kathleen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell Beth Parish Range Fuels Kimberly D. Reed Rio Tinto/Kennecott Katie Roberts Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open Safeway Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Rebecca Saltman William Snider State of Iowa Office of Economic Development Suncor Energy TransCanada U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 Dr. Bryan Willson Emily Wilmsen Patrick Wright

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