Current information on Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere

I discovered an informative site, CO2 Now, that provides current carbon dioxide (CO2) readings.  It indicates we just went over the 400 atmospheric parts per million in January.

I discovered from this site that the ocean receives about a fourth of all the CO2 emitted from human activity, which in turn makes it more acidic.  This then has serious consequences for all ocean life. 

Keystone Pipeline: Not so fast

There was an instructive commentary in the StarTribune regarding the proposed Keystone Pipeline construction project: Deny Keystone XL unless traded for a carbon tax. The time is now for significant carbon taxes to help us make a change in our behavior.  Simply talking about the need for change will not make it so.

Electric cars not so green when they use dirty energy

It was interesting to discover that electric cars are actually more harmful for the environment than standard gasoline fuels automobiles.  The reason for this is that they require electricity, much of which is developed through the use of coal.  You can read more about this in an article, If you all-electric car gets its power from coal, new study says it is dirtier than gasoline.

Another myth that was dispelled in this article was that ethanol is better for the environment. Ethanol creates 80 percent more air pollution mortality than traditional gasoline engines.  Hybrids and diesel automobiles are better for the environment, given they expel less heat-trapping gas.

A conservative case for carbon tax

A strong case was made by former US secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson, for carbon tax in a StarTribune editorial by Henry Paulson, Next crisis calls for action: We paid for dallying on the housing bubble. The climate crash will be much worse.

He draws similarities to the housing bubble, and how we narrowly avoided catastrophic consequences by not acting until it was almost too late. "Back then, we narrowly avoided an economic catastrophe at the last minute by rescuing a collapsing financial system through government action. But climate change is more intractable. The carbon dioxide we're sending into the atmosphere remains there for centuries, heating up the planet."

Mr. Paulson further notes that taking a "cautiously conservative stance - that is, waiting for more information before action - is actually taking a very radical risk. We'll never know enough to resolve all of the uncertanties. But we know enough to recognize that we must act now. "

He recommends we have a carbon tax, which will allow the free markets to figure out the most cost effective solutions to reducing carbon emissions.  Makes sense to me!

Colleges and Universities on board with green technology

While visiting colleges and universities in the Upper Midwest I've been impressed with how many are actively working diligently to reduce their carbon footprints.  At the University of Wisconsin - River Falls campus they completed a student center and added $1,000,000 of addition energy savings features thanks to a vote by the students.

I recently received news that my Alma Mater, Luther College, located in Decorah Iowa, is working to reduce its carbon footprint in half by 2015, and become carbon neutral by 2030.  You can read or watch a 3 minute video about how Luther has become a leader in the clean energy economy from Energy.Gov's website.

It is a hopeful sign that tomorrow's leaders are actively aware and engaged in reducing the harmful impact of carbon emissions on the environment.