Category: Climate business

Stop! In the name of ACT

NZETS.jpg The uncertainty created by the shelving of the current emissions trading scheme legislation is already having a significant impact on the New Zealand economy. Carbon News reports that one of the world’s leading players in the carbon market had planned to announce today that it was to open an NZ operation, but that as a result of the National/ACT deal, those plans have been put on hold. NZ’s international reputation in carbon markets is “taking a battering” according to TZ1 boss Mark Franklin, and the market for NZ emissions units (NZUs) is now “effectively dead”, CN reports.

The forestry sector is also feeling the impact of Key’s decision to cave in to Hide, with Roger Dickie of the Kyoto Forestry Association telling Morning Report yesterday that a major forestry project worth hundreds of millions of dollars has been cancelled as a result of the ETS decision (stream, mp3). Also worth a listen: Rod Oram on Nine To Noon today, assessing the new cabinet (stream, mp3). Nick Smith, the incoming minister with responisbility the environment and climate change portfolios apparently still believes (according to Oram) that a modified ETS can be up and running by 2010, but the “special” select committee process is going to make that very hard to achieve – especially if consideration of a carbon tax is included in the final terms of reference. Brian Fallow in the Herald believes an ETS is “most likely“, but in the meantime the uncertainty created by the new government is doing no-one except the big “do nothing” emitters any favours.

To avoid further damage to our international credibility, National should immediately issue revised terms of reference and a tight timetable for their “special” select committee: taking out all references to considering the science of climate change and the possibility of a carbon tax, and explicitly limit the committee to considering amendments to the ETS framework. To do less (or nothing) will do further damage to business in NZ and our international reputation.

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Roll up, sign up, save money

carbonnews.gifThanks to a brief encounter at last weekend’s Amberley A&P Show (I was in truffle mode, manning a table in the PGG Wrightson tent), Hot Topic is pleased to be able to offer registered readers an exclusive $200 saving on a one year subscription to Carbon News – the premium New Zealand-based carbon and climate news and analysis site. Carbon News is especially valuable for anyone working with the ETS and carbon trading, with comprehensive national and international news and trading information. A one year sub is normally $500 + GST, but thanks to the Carbon News team I am now able offer Hot Topic readers a special price of $300 + GST for the first year. I think that’s terrific value for an excellent service.

This special offer goes hand-in-hand with the introduction of registration at Hot Topic. Until now, commenters have been able to leave comments without logging on to the site, but that seems to encourage spammers. Not many spam comments make it onto the site because I use the excellent spam filtering service Akismet, but I have to wade through piles of rubbish every morning in case a real comment has been misidentified. From now on, to leave a comment you’ll have to log in to the blog. Registration is simple and painless, and your confirmation email will include the special code you’ll need to take advantage of the Carbon News offer. Let me know if you have any problems…

For the benefit of mankind

Last weekend I drew attention to Monbiot’s musings on financial and ecological crises. This weekend it’s ecological economist Herman Daly explaining in simple terms why economic growth has become uneconomic growth: we’re getting less wealth and more illth (hat tip: Things Break). That leads nicely to New Scientist’s special issue on The Folly of Growth – covered in detail at Things Break (follow the links there), and also under discussion at frogblog. There are limits to growth and we’re hitting them, but we lack the political and economic tools to deal with the problem. In that context, check out the recent PBS documentary Heat: it opens with an Indian scientist opining:

We are standing at the precipice of hell. If everybody else was to live as an American, we’re doomed.

See also: Nick “Report” Stern’s call for green solutions to the financial crisis. He can’t avoid the word growth, but at least he’s proposing less illth.

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Down on the farm

20040612-CRW_0583.jpg An Italian olive grove and vineyard is on its way to becoming the world’s first carbon neutral farm (they claim). According to the BBC, the Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio estate in Umbria is converting to electric vehicles (and biofuelled mini-tractors) and has installed a “solar filling station” designed by Austrian company Cellstrom, based on an array of solar panels feeding a “flow battery” – a new battery technology that allows greatly increased energy storage.

Depending on the amount of usage, the battery centre can store solar-sourced electricity for up to three days. They are working to extend that to 10 days and more, enabling the farm to continue operating through foggy days when the sun does not shine. It means that golf carts and electric bikes will become the key means of transport for farm workers and that they can all charge up at the battery centre.

Cellstrom estimates the farm can save 4,500 litres of petrol every year and reduce CO2 emissions by 10 tons.

According to Lorenzo Fasola Bologna, Monte Vibiano’s chief executive, it will take about five years to recoup the initial investment.

Flow batteries store negative and positive electrolyte solutions (based on vanadium salts) in tanks, and pump them through a reaction cell to charge and discharge. Energy storage is therefore linked to storage tank size, not the number of cells in the system. This makes them ideal as backup storage for wind and solar energy generation, making the energy available even when the sun’s not shining or the wind’s not blowing. New Scientist has a good backgrounder here (behind a paywall, sadly), and there’s also information on the Cellstrom site. Another company in the field is VRB Power Systems of Canada, who have been working with Australian-developed technology.

Back in Umbria, the Italians are covering all their carbon-neutral bases by planting 10,000 trees to mop up any excess emissions.

By the end of next year they hope to be the first farm, anywhere, to reduce their inherent net carbon footprint to zero – ie without using off-site offsetting projects. “It will be great,” says Lorenzo, “to pass on this great, green enterprise to my children and their children.”

Chez Hot Topic we have a vineyard and an olive grove, and I’m already planting trees to offset at least some of our emissions. I wonder if there’s a flow battery in an off-grid future down on our farm?

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Paperback believers

JStewart.jpgProviding a counterpoint to their sister paper’s coverage of Britain’s climate cranks, the Independent on Sunday has announced its Green List of Britain’s top 100 most effective environmentalists. In the top slot is John Stewart, the leader of efforts to stop the building of a third runway at Heathrow. Conspicuous by their absence are David Bellamy and James Lovelock (balancing each other out, one might suppose). The full list is interesting – note the number of high profile business people in high positions. Another sign that the “debate” about climate issues in Britain is a lot more developed than in NZ. It’s difficult to imagine Roger Kerr getting anywhere near a similar list here…

Just for the record: in the charts at #100…

The Queen, Monarch

Plebs aren’t supposed to know, but one is actually rather hot on climate change. Tipped up at Anglo-German expert meeting to give silent blessing. Rumoured to have nagged Blair. Energy-efficient lightbulbs at Buck House. Using hydropower from Thames at Windsor Castle.

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