Balancing Act: Planning for Balancing Act: Planning for a Sustainable Wisconsin a Sustainable Wisconsin

Crispin Pierce, Ph.D.Crispin Pierce, Ph.D.

28 December 200528 December 2005

OutlineOutline

What Makes Wisconsin SpecialWhat Makes Wisconsin Special What are Sustainable ChoicesWhat are Sustainable Choices

Energy sourcesEnergy sources TransportationTransportation Housing densityHousing density

Sustainable Choice SummarySustainable Choice Summary QuestionsQuestions

What makes Wisconsin special?What makes Wisconsin special?

Why care about energy, Why care about energy, transportation and housing choices?transportation and housing choices?

Affects our health (e.g. current fine Affects our health (e.g. current fine particle emissions kill thousands of particle emissions kill thousands of people each year)people each year)

Affects our pocketbooks (e.g. billions of Affects our pocketbooks (e.g. billions of dollars spent on disaster cleanup and dollars spent on disaster cleanup and insurance)insurance)

Affects our children and their children Affects our children and their children (e.g. clean water, clean air, fishing, (e.g. clean water, clean air, fishing, hunting, a safe environment) hunting, a safe environment)

EnergyEnergy

What forms of energy do we need?What forms of energy do we need?

Energy: CoalEnergy: Coal

AdvantagesAdvantages Large US reservesLarge US reserves Known technologyKnown technology Potential for Potential for

lowering mercury lowering mercury emissions.emissions.

DisadvantagesDisadvantages NonrenewableNonrenewable Acid rainAcid rain Mercury in fishMercury in fish Particulate matterParticulate matter Global warmingGlobal warming

Energy: PetroleumEnergy: Petroleum

Advantages:Advantages: Known technologyKnown technology Infrastructure existsInfrastructure exists

DisadvantagesDisadvantages NonrenewableNonrenewable Air pollution (NOAir pollution (NOxx, ,

particulates, CO)particulates, CO) Drilling, piping, and Drilling, piping, and

refining effectsrefining effects Global warmingGlobal warming

Energy: NuclearEnergy: Nuclear

AdvantagesAdvantages Very low emissionsVery low emissions Relatively safeRelatively safe

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Major water needs Major water needs

for coolingfor cooling Extremely toxic Extremely toxic

spent fuel materials spent fuel materials Extremely long half-Extremely long half-

lives of these lives of these wasteswastes

Energy: WindEnergy: Wind

AdvantagesAdvantages RenewableRenewable Very low impactVery low impact Local generationLocal generation

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Need constant Need constant

windy conditionswindy conditions Batteries for Batteries for

storagestorage Startup costsStartup costs

Energy: Solar HeatingEnergy: Solar Heating

AdvantagesAdvantages RenewableRenewable Local generationLocal generation Low impactLow impact

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Need regular Need regular

sunlightsunlight Storage impracticalStorage impractical Startup costStartup cost

Energy: Solar PhotovoltaicEnergy: Solar Photovoltaic

AdvantagesAdvantages RenewableRenewable Local generationLocal generation Creates electricityCreates electricity Low impactLow impact

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Low efficiencyLow efficiency Batteries for Batteries for

storagestorage Startup costStartup cost

Energy: BiomassEnergy: Biomass

AdvantagesAdvantages RenewableRenewable Local generationLocal generation SimpleSimple

DisadvantagesDisadvantages ParticulatesParticulates Local deforestationLocal deforestation

TransportationTransportation

What’s important about our What’s important about our transportation?transportation?

http://www.transact.org/nrdc/ozone.htm

Transportation: Internal Transportation: Internal Combustion EnginesCombustion Engines

AdvantagesAdvantages Known technologyKnown technology Variety of engine Variety of engine

sizessizes

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Relies on Relies on

nonrenewable fuelsnonrenewable fuels Air and noise Air and noise

pollutionpollution Global warmingGlobal warming

Transportation: Hybrid EnginesTransportation: Hybrid Engines

AdvantagesAdvantages Much more fuel Much more fuel

efficientefficient QuieterQuieter Reduced air Reduced air

pollutionpollution

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Still relies on Still relies on

nonrenewable fuelsnonrenewable fuels Higher battery costHigher battery cost

Transportation: Fuel CellTransportation: Fuel Cell

AdvantagesAdvantages Water vapor Water vapor

exhaustexhaust

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Energy needed to Energy needed to

purify Hpurify H22

Explosion potentialExplosion potential Distribution systemDistribution system

Transportation: Flex-FuelTransportation: Flex-Fuel

AdvantagesAdvantages Utilizes renewable Utilizes renewable

ethanolethanol Greatly reduced Greatly reduced

global warmingglobal warming

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Current laws allow Current laws allow

increase in gas increase in gas guzzlers w/flex fuel guzzlers w/flex fuel carcar

Distribution systemDistribution system

Housing DensityHousing Density

What is important about our What is important about our housing?housing?

http://oklahoma.sierraclub.org/sprawl/figure1.jpg

Housing Density: SuburbsHousing Density: Suburbs

AdvantagesAdvantages Country land Country land

cheapercheaper Initial country livingInitial country living Appearance of Appearance of

safetysafety

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Added commute Added commute

time, cost and time, cost and pollutionpollution

Increased taxes for Increased taxes for roadsroads

Destruction of Destruction of farms, open space, farms, open space, forests, wetlands, forests, wetlands, etc.etc.

Housing Density: UrbanHousing Density: Urban

AdvantagesAdvantages Short/no commuteShort/no commute Close to businesses Close to businesses

and friendsand friends Lower tax costs for Lower tax costs for

infrastructureinfrastructure Preserves natural Preserves natural

land functions (e.g. land functions (e.g. clean water supply)clean water supply)

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Higher land costsHigher land costs Requires more Requires more

planningplanning

Sustainable Choice SummarySustainable Choice Summary

EnergyEnergy ConservationConservation Wind, solar, biomass emphasisWind, solar, biomass emphasis

TransportationTransportation Raise fuel economy standardsRaise fuel economy standards Hybrid enginesHybrid engines Flex-fuel vehiclesFlex-fuel vehicles

http://images.securedwebform.com/stock/300/toyota/prius/2002/4sa.jpg

Housing densityHousing density Urban, multiple use designUrban, multiple use design

http://www.homesalameda.org/graphics/urban.jpg

Questions?Questions?

Information SourcesInformation Sources

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ControlControl

Natural Resources Defense CouncilNatural Resources Defense Council Oklahoma Sierra ClubOklahoma Sierra Club