Tag Archives: Copenhagen
Is Wind Power a Future Pathway for World Superpowers?
Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Brady Gibson.
The United States and China have another area of competition: wind power. What may have seemed as a trivial issue decades ago, wind power has become a pathway to economic power as the globe continues to strive towards green practices and sustainable systems. While Europe leads continents in cumulative wind energy, the United States has led individual nations in this category until 2008. However, as China has taken the lead in this category in 2009 and may continue to hold onto its lead as it’s economy continues to grow and develop clean technology. Once again, the United States and China are in a possible race over an economic resource that will undoubtedly contain economic, social, and political implications around the globe.
What must the United States do to regain its spot as the leader in wind power? Here a few areas of improvement:
1) Currently, wind power in the United States is driven by a federal contract initiated by the Federal Production Tax Credit (PTC), ending in 2012. If the United States can extend this contract to 2020, this will give lenders, developers, and manufacturers room to grow and develop more efficient wind technology and have more time to implement wind power systems across the union.
2) Currently, the Obama administration is striving towards a greener society and a sustainable culture. Policies are currently being drawn up and will most likely be influenced by discussion in Copenhagen. However, a stronger portfolio of renewable resources needs to be developed and implemented by law. A national standard and state standards need to be established for rapid growth in sustainable technology and operations. If wind power can be strongly addressed over the next few years and implemented into a long-term plan, the United States can regain their position ahead of China in cumulative wind power output.
3) Fulfilling the potential of the nations power grid. Nearly 300,000 megawatts of wind power are awaiting access. A thorough upgrade of the nations electric grid is needed to employ the total potential of the nation’s wind power. Approximately 16 transmission development projects, with power lines able to accommodate 36,000 megawatts of new wind capacity, are in the pipeline and scheduled for completion by 2014. Is there nothing more sad than wasted potential?
4) Finally, the United States needs to put its money where its carbon is! Incorporating climate costs into a more comprehensive system of energy output would shift the interests of average citizens and businesses to strive for a wind energy as an alternative energy solution.
As discussion continues to unfold in Copenhagen, global policies for renewable energy and sustainable policies will shape national policies around the globe. The hold of fossil fuels as a token of power may soon run its course, leaving wind power as a viable option for generating economic prosperity. Wind energy is not only a chance to reduce our nations carbon footprint, but it also represents a viable way to improve the unemployment rate, stimulate the economy, regain a leadership role in global energy, and set a better example of the United States government for the world to follow. The ball is in our court and it now comes down to smart decisions.
Continue Reading
Live Update from OG09: Become a Citizen of Hopenhagen!
Posted on 07. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
Even the Danish soccer team is doing it. It’s been incredibly inspirational to hear the story behind Hopenhagen here at Opportunity Green today. Hopenhagen is: “The hope that in Copenhagen this December – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life.” It’s a global movement, a collection of people all running full speed ahead toward sustainability, and we want you to be part of it. We all want a more ethical, whole, responsible planet, and Hopenhagen is the place where people from all over the world can join together. In a very loving fashion, it has been embraced by soccer teams, moms, children, designers, corporations, and even the Danish government, and many other people all around the world. Their ad campaigns, as you can see below, are infused with a great deal of humanity, one of our most precious resources. You can become a citizen here. Thanks!
Continue Reading
Interview with David Martinon, French Consul General, Part 2
Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by Susanna Schick.
David Martinon is the Consul General at the Los Angeles French Consulate. In this role, he is responsible for promoting French culture and arts, science, and business, as well as caring for French citizens in the US. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Consulate in 2008, Mr. Martinon was a spokesperson for the French President, before which he was chief of staff for President Sarkozy’s presidential campaign. And before that, he worked as a diplomatic advisor for four years. In this two-part interview we continue by discussing David’s experience as President Sarkozy’s campaign manager, and France’s position on the Copenhagen Agreement.
OG: As chief of staff of President Sarkozy’s Presidential campaign, what did you think of President Obama’s campaign strategies? They were considered quite innovative.
David: Every new campaign brings new tools, new methods. I’m actually quite proud of Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign. In that campaign, we created a few of those tools. We took ideas from previous American campaigns, two ideas specifically. From the 2004 Dean campaign, we adopted his use of social networks, and from the 2004 Bush campaign, we took the idea of the volunteer program. In the last 72 hours before election day, Bush sent volunteers door to door to get people out to vote.
From that we made a few programs- recruiting volunteers by internet, and we also enabled them to see other volunteers in their area on our website, thus combining the two tools. Another good idea the Obama campaign picked up from us was the use of web TV. We created it, and a few observers from the Clinton, Obama and McCain campaigns came to observe us in 2007. Obama also used web TV, but much bigger and more sophisticated. This was even more crucial in the US than in France. In France we can’t broadcast political ads on TV, here it’s OK, but so very costly. What’s interesting here in the US is that web TV placement costs nothing, and people online pay attention longer and show better retention than TV viewers. I think it will be used even more in the future.
Obama was extremely efficient with fundraising. The main difference with our campaign is that we recruited a lot of volunteers online, but didn’t get as many boots on the ground as Obama did. During the primaries, I visited Obama’s headquarters and McCain’s headquarters as well. There were not many differences, but what they really succeeded in doing was to convert internet volunteers into active volunteers, and Obama’s volunteers were very disciplined.
The McCain campaign was not bad either, he’d only just obtained the nomination, and was still broadening his foundation. Putting aside characters, the machinery of the Republican party was very efficient. One thing I’m very proud of- When we visited the US in 2006, I told Sarkozy he had to meet two Congressmen- McCain and Obama, when most people in the US didn’t even realize who Obama was.
OG: Tell me where the French government stands on Copenhagen.
David: We’re preparing for Copenhagen, we know perfectly well the few principles that must guide Copenhagen, and what will make it successful or not. Recent EU decisions were extremely ambitious, like a 20% reduction in GHG by 2020. The EU also decided that if a global agreement were reached, we would reduce GHG to 30% by 2020. Global emissions need to be 50% lower by 2050, which means developed countries will need to reduce GHG by by 80%! We’re ready, but we need to engage with emerging countries, and we need to help them both financially and technically. We also need to assist the small Pacific Islands, as they are so vulnerable to being completely submerged.
Sarkozy said we have to ensure that the possible success, the agreements, in Copenhagen are actually implemented. A number of organizations are in charge of dealing with this, but I think there should be a global organization devoted to regulating this. We are the first generation (by this he means everyone living today, not just those in our age group) that is clearly and beyond a reasonable doubt aware of the gravity of the situation, and also the last generation that can actually do something about it. The cost of acting is 1% of global GDP, vs. the cost of not acting being as high as 20% of global GDP.* The other interesting aspect of the problem today is that we don’t only have to make decisions for our own countries, but for the whole planet. This introduces a few very interesting global challenges.
*According to The Stern Review, if we don’t act, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least 5% of global GDP each year, now and forever. If a wider range of risks and impacts is taken into account, the estimates of damage could rise to 20% of GDP or more.
OG: It’s great the Sarkozy and Obama are on the same page about Copenhagen.
David: Yes it is, but it’s true that President Obama will be in a better position to negotiate if the ACES bill passes Senate before Copenhagen.
OG: Well, thank you so much for your time, David. I’m looking forward to seeing you again at the conference.
