OLLI WEEK 7/2016

WEEK 7: Wednesday May 11th, 2016, 9:30-11:30 a.m.: Solutions Part A: The Ultimate Primary focus; Energy and Sequestration of CO2

 

What are the economics/What are the solutions?

OUTLINE:  week 7 in red; week 8 in black

  • Economics
    • of doing nothing (solely adapting) vs. the economics of mitigation
    • Actual will likely be a combination
  • Capitalism, GDP/growth based economics vs. “Herman Daly” economics (no-growth/steady-state)
  • Solutions? Paradigm shift? From we can’t/too expensive to WE CAN
  • There is promise, but at what cost? (One might be surprised).
    • Energy
    • Mitigation – Agricultural revolution/biofuels: Biochar for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
  • Geoengineering:
    • Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and
    • Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
  • Biochar vs. BECCS solutions SEE MY BIOCHAR LINK IN OTHER PAGES:https://denverclimatestudygroup.com/?page_id=28
  • Efficiency – the single quickest way to reduce:
    • What NREL is doing: Efficiency, Solar, wind, other
  • Other strategies:
    • CCL – carbon fee/dividend
    • Cap and trade?
  • Gloom and Doom? NO! IT’S A CHALLENGE, and humanity has always been challenged and we are an adaptable species that has met the challenge over and over again!

SLIDES Belanger week 7 2016 economics and solutions(PPTX); Belanger week 7 2016 economics and solutions (PDF); 

David Weisberg slides: Energy – Nuclear Power

class attachments and links: 

  • Richard Alley excerpt from Earth; a driver’s manual – to those that think problems are insurmountable: A terrible shower

Economic related reports and the discount rate:

Herman Daly’s steady state economics:

Human rights/international law papers:

IPCC on Adaptation costs: IPCC AR5 WG2: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg2/#.UuAsbxDn9hE

Efficiency to reduce GHGs:

  • What NREL is doing for efficiency, Renewables (solar PV/CSP, wind, geothermal, etc.), systems analysis, biofuels, etc – http://www.nrel.gov/

  • And a link to a Presentation by NREL’s David Warner 10/14/2015 to OLLI class “Capitalism and the Planet”: OSHER 10.14.15

ENERGY

Electrical generation:

Wind power:

Colorado Matters: Could Conservative Denver Billionaire (Phil Anschutz) Become West’s Climate Hero?

It’s an argument of engaging energy companies vs. “dissing” them for renewables. See more at: http://www.cpr.org/news/story/could-conservative-denver-billionaire-become-wests-climate-hero#.dpuf

excerpt: “This will generate four times the amount of power that comes out of Hoover Dam. It would supply every household in Los Angeles and San Francisco combined with green power.”

List of U.S. states by electricity production from renewable sources – click here

FUSION ENERGY:

Other links – GENERAL:

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

  • 25+ Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint http://cotap.org/reduce-carbon-footprint/

  • BUY USED ELECTRIC CARS: http://devc.info/ – buying a used electric car WITH TAX CREDITS; apparently can do so in Boulder

  • BUY new – Leaf ~15,000 new for 100 mile range

  • Install PV solar – or if you can’t on your home – solar gardens

Food for thought videos:

  • Paul Gilding – The earth is full. He is an independent writer, activist and adviser on a sustainable economy. Click through to watch the onstage debate that followed this talk.Full bio VIDEO (16:46 minutes} https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_gilding_the_earth_is_full

  • HOME: Here’s a link to a visually compelling video of the planet’s “norm” and the history of man’s ravishing of that planet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU ( 1 hour 33 minutes – play it on the big screen – you will not be disappointed) —with a message at the end – dated one might argue but just as compelling as ever. Published on May 12, 2009: We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth’s climate.
  • Prosperity without Growth by Tim Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ3Rnfg8oUE Uploaded on Jan 3, 2012: So much of the analysis of how we respond to climate change assumes that economic growth and emissions reduction are compatible goals. But is this wishful thinking? To question maximising economic growth as an organising principle of society seems close to economic heresy.