Catalyst Spring 2014

Catalyst Volume 13, Spring 2014

Palm OilThe hidden ingredient in global warming

The faces behind oil solutions

How wind power works

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2 | union of concerned scientists

gribusiness giant Monsanto has a serious image problem. Its ads feature groups of happy farmers, but the growing

scourge of “superweeds” tied to the company’s flagship product line is nothing to smile about.

In December, UCS showed how the overuse of Monsanto’s popular Roundup Ready line of engineered seeds and herbicides has accelerated the tendency of weeds to develop immunity to weed killers. Today, Roundup-resistant weeds infest an area of U.S. farm-

land roughly equal to the state of Michigan. As a result, farmers now need to use additional chemicals, and overall pesticide use—which Monsanto promised its products would reduce—has increased. (Learn more at www.ucsusa.org/superweeds.)

It doesn’t have to be this way. Practices grounded in the science of agroecology, such as cover crops and crop rotation, are more effective in controlling weeds over the long term— and can even help farmers increase profits.

Of course, solutions that don’t require farmers to buy chemicals make companies like Monsanto nervous. Even as evidence of the company’s contribution to superweeds mounted,

its executives hired a heavyweight public relations firm to project the image of a responsible company whose products are vital to the future of farming.

UCS is working to ensure that policy makers and Monsanto’s customers aren’t fooled by this charm offensive. Superweeds are just the latest piece of evidence that contradicts the company’s promises. We’ll continue to counter these falsehoods and promote policies and research to advance smart agriculture solutions that better serve farmers, consumers, and the environment. {C}

Kathleen Rest is executive director of UCS.

Monsanto “Supersizes” Problems

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[ first principles ]

Catalyst, ISSN 1539-3410, is published three times a year by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Text of articles from Catalyst, duly acknowledged, may be reprinted free of charge. Artwork may not be reproduced.

© 2014 Union of Concerned Scientists

Catalyst is printed on chlorine-free recycled

paper with 100% post-consumer content.

senior editorBryan Wadsworth

editorHeather Tuttle

designRigsby Hull

cover© Paul Hilton

back cover© iStockphoto.com/IsaacLKoval

The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet’s most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.

This publication is financed by contributions from individual members; you can join UCS by sending a tax-deductible contribution of $25 or more to UCS Development, Two Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02138-3780.

chairJames J. McCarthy

executive directorKathleen Rest

national headquartersTwo Brattle SquareCambridge, MA02138-3780

phone617.547.5552

e [email protected]

webwww.ucsusa.org

Photos: © iStockphoto.com/Balefire9 (farm); © Richard Howard (Kathleen Rest)

By Kathleen Rest

UCS is working to ensure that policy makers and Monsanto’s customers aren’t fooled by the company’s charm offensive.

catalyst spring 2014 | 3

In this small (population: 662) community, you will discover eight electric vehicle charging stations, an auto service center that is solar-powered, a school with both solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermal on its roof, other businesses with solar PV, a developing bike/pedestrian trail system, and businesses and homes utilizing geothermal HVAC.

Robert Mortenson, Elk Horn, IA

In our Sustainable Somers initiative we have aided our schools with solar energy, held seminars on EnergizeNY’s effort to assist home owners [in] reducing energy use, and are working with partners to receive grants to reduce auto emissions.

Florence Brodley, Somers, NY

Three wind turbines have been erected (one private and two private/community-owned) to offset part of the community’s electric bills.

Tim Perkins, Gloucester, MA

Our community starts with what our seventh graders are doing. Here is an excerpt from the Chapel Hill News:

“Unprompted by their teacher, several students wrote or signed on to letters to the Planning Board asking for changes in town policy to encourage energy savings and to slow global warning. . . . [Chairwoman Bethany Chaney said,]

‘I can assure you their recommendations and comments will be taken under strong advisement!’”

Ruben Giral, Hillsborough, NC

[ observations ]

What innovative initiatives has your community undertaken to address climate change?

we want to know

What is the most effective way in which you’ve reduced your driving-related emissions?

We will publish selected responses (edited for length) in the summer issue of Catalyst. You can respond via: EMAIL: [email protected]: www.ucsusa.org/observations

[ in this issue ]

The Hidden Ingredient in Global WarmingPalm oil production is driving deforestation and global warming—but it doesn’t have to be this way. UCS shows companies they can meet customers’ needs while protecting our planet.

The Faces behind Oil SolutionsAround the country, people are working to transform our transportation system. UCS brings you their stories.

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First PrinciplesMonsanto “Supersizes” Problems

Observations

Advances

Science at WorkA Bright Future for the Mountain State

How It WorksWind Power Generation

Member ProfileAn Insider’s Perspective on Oil

Final AnalysisWanted: A Greener Grid

Harrisonburg, VA, has a number of grassroots organizations directly and indirectly involved in addressing climate change. Right now we are lobbying the Harrisonburg school board to build its new $35 million middle school as a LEED-certified, net-zero-energy facility.

Bishop Dansby, Keezletown, VA

Palo Alto is one of the only cities in the country to have 100 percent carbon-neutral electricity. The city is also in the process of updating its climate action plan. Community activists, the city manager, and the city council have all indicated a willingness to move forward on aggressive measures to combat climate change. The city manager has repeatedly stated that his goal is to make Palo Alto the “most sustainable city on the planet.”

Bruce Hodge, Palo Alto, CA

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It has been three years since an earthquake and tsunami triggered one of the worst nuclear power disasters of all time, but the crisis in Fukushima, Japan, continues to unfold, posing a threat to people and the environment. Despite the media’s exten-sive coverage of those frightening events, many important details never came to light—until now.

UCS nuclear safety experts David Lochbaum and Edwin Lyman teamed up with journalist Susan Q. Stranahan to write Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster. The book, which hit store

Michigan’s Untapped Energy PotentialWith abundant renewable energy resources and a strong manufacturing base, Michigan has made strides in building a clean energy economy. But this momentum could be lost when the state’s renewable energy stan-dard (which requires utilities to generate 10 percent of their electricity from sources such as the wind and sun) expires in 2015.

UCS has detailed how successful this policy has been: state utilities are not only ahead of schedule in meeting the 10 percent standard, but also doing so at a lower cost than expected. And Michigan can do better still: this past March we published an anal-ysis that shows the state can cost-effectively and reliably obtain 30 percent or more of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030 (learn more at www.ucsusa.org/michiganenergyfuture).

Governor Rick Snyder has publicly expressed support for increasing his state’s share of renewable energy as a way to reduce the state’s overreliance on coal-fired electricity. We have been sharing our findings with his staff, and working with UCS supporters and other stakeholders in Michigan to ensure the current standard is ultimately replaced with the strongest standard possible.

Is Congress Sidelining Science?The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has historically been known for bipartisan decision making on science-related matters. But new research from UCS suggests this reputation might be getting tarnished by industry influence.

Photo: © Air Photo Service

[ advances ]

The Truth about Fukushimashelves in February, is the most compre-hensive, authoritative account to date of the event, and answers questions that have been asked since March 2011: What really happened in those first days and weeks? Was it preventable? And most importantly, how can we avoid a similar disaster here in the United States?

Purchase a copy of the book on our website (www.ucsusa.org/fukushimabook) and find out why reviewers have called it

“a gripping, suspenseful page-turner” and “an exacting and chilling record of epic failures in risk assessment.”


substantive legislative or science policy issues, compared with 68 percent in the 108th session.

Americans deserve a transparent and evidence-based dialogue among their elected officials. We will use our findings to push the committee toward greater balance in the types of hearings it holds and the witnesses it calls, and to revive its focus on science-related matters that affect the public.

States Are Still Importing CoalFirst the good news: the use of coal to produce our nation’s electricity is declining. Now the bad news: most states are still heavily dependent on coal power, and are importing this coal from other states or countries—a no-win situation for both local economies and the environment.

UCS recently followed up our ground-breaking 2010 report Burning Coal, Burning Cash with a new analysis that

We reviewed the committee’s witness lists from 2001 through 2012—an ambitious undertaking spanning more than 500 hearings and some 2,000 witnesses—and found that the number of witnesses repre-senting industry has increased steadily, regardless of which party controlled the

House of Representatives or the White House. (The full list of witnesses is online at www.ucsusa.org/committeeanalysis.) Furthermore, in the 112th congressional session, the committee spent less than 40 percent of its hearings discussing

Cartoon: Rich Williams © 2013 Crain’s Cleveland Business

Americans deserve a transparent and evidence-based dialogue among their elected officials.

UCS played a role in defeating S.B. 58, a bill proposed by Ohio Senator Bill Seitz that would have gutted the state’s clean energy standards. A cartoon capturing these efforts ran in Crain’s Cleveland Business in December.

shows 37 states imported 433 million tons of coal in 2012, to the tune of $19.4 billion. As in the 2010 report, the states most dependent on coal imports are located in the Southeast and Midwest.

Consumers would be better served by utilities investing more of this money in homegrown renewable energy and energy efficiency, which would boost state econ-omies, stabilize electricity prices, and reduce global warming emissions. Learn more at www.ucsusa.org/bcbc2014update.

Science for a Healthy Food SystemThe incidence of diet-related chronic diseases in the United States has increased at an unprecedented rate over the past half-century, and the associated costs to families, healthcare, and the economy as a whole are staggering. However, these outcomes are not a result of personal dietary choices alone; government policies and business decisions have focused on producing an overabundance of cheap and unwholesome calories—with little regard for their effect on public health.

Creating a healthier food system is the focus of the next Lewis M. Branscomb Forum to be held by the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. This May 5–7 in Minneapolis, in partnership with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, we will explore how scientific evidence can shape food policies and investments that would improve public health. We invite you to be part of the conversation: visit the UCS website at www.ucsusa.org/foodforum to register for the forum or webcast.


Palm oil production is driving deforestation and global warming—but it doesn’t have to be this way.

UCS shows companies they can meet customers’ needs while protecting our planet.

by sharon smith

The Hiddeningredient in GLOBAL WARMING

Photo: © Paul Hilton


Chances are good that you’ve eaten or used a product containing palm oil today. The average American can encounter palm oil, which is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree, in the morning (shampoo, soap, lotion, cosmetics), at noon (crackers, cookies, fast foods), and at night (laundry and dish detergents). Its versatility, combined with low production costs, has made palm oil the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. But this popularity comes with a price.

Oil palm trees can only be grown in tropical regions, in areas often rich in forest cover and biodiversity. Growing demand for vegetable oil, combined with lax environmental regulations, has led many producers to clear forests to make way for palm oil plantations. When these forests are cleared, they release carbon dioxide (the primary global warming gas) into the atmosphere.

Furthermore, while tropical forests store vast amounts of carbon, the peat soils on which some of them grow can contain as much as 18 to 28 times more carbon. The high water table in peat soils prevents leaves and woody materials that fall to the forest floor from fully decomposing, so more of their carbon is captured in the soil; this allows peat in Southeast Asia to store an amount of carbon comparable to that in all of the Amazon’s aboveground vegetation. Peatlands that have been drained for agriculture are also more susceptible to fire, which can release even more carbon into the atmosphere.

Oil palm production has more than doubled around the world since 1990, and oil palm plantations now cover more than 40.6 million acres—an area greater than the state of Georgia. Most of that expansion has occurred in Indonesia and Malaysia, though oil palm is increasingly grown in tropical Latin America and Africa as well.

steps in the right direction

Tropical deforestation is not an inevitable outcome of palm oil production. Through a combination of efforts, such as improving yields and planting on already-deforested lands, palm oil can be produced in sufficient quantities in a way that protects forests and our atmosphere. But without pressure from the public and the global marketplace, producers are not likely to adopt these practices. That’s where UCS comes in: we have been on the front lines of these efforts, working with a diverse group of stakeholders—including our members—to push for reforms and ensure they are as strong as possible. These reforms include:

Producer commitments. Making improvements at the source is the key to ensuring other companies in the supply chain can reduce their impacts on forests. Last fall, UCS experts were invited to shape a new environmental policy being adopted by Wilmar, the world’s largest palm oil trader and one of the world’s largest producers. The final policy, announced in December, has put strong standards in place to preserve forests and peatlands while protecting plantation workers and nearby community members. This is a tremendous victory for forests, as this single company controls nearly half of the international trade in palm oil every year, selling to powerful global brands such as Unilever and Kellogg’s.

Photo: © Shutterstock/Wandee007

Oil palm fruit is the source of the world’s most widely used oil. The trees can only be grown in tropical regions, in areas often rich in forest cover and biodiversity.


Purchaser pledges. Many of America’s top consumer product compa-nies rely heavily on palm oil, and UCS has been working with several of them (including Hershey’s and Kellogg’s) to make commitments to sourcing deforesta-tion-free palm oil. We have seen early signs of progress, but because companies respond best to consumer pressure, we

are also creating a variety of materials to build consumers’ awareness of where these top companies stand on palm oil, and to translate this awareness into action (see the sidebar).

Certification standards. UCS is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an alliance

Photo: © Shutterstock/Tristan Tan (left); © iStockphoto.com/RapidEye (right)

What’s in Your Waffle? (Or Shampoo, etc.)

Our new report highlights palm oil leaders and laggards.

A number of large corporations have demonstrated that it is possible to make popular, profitable consumer products while safeguarding trop-ical forests. Many others, however, have not followed suit. To help bring attention to these differences, UCS scored 10 top-selling compa-nies in the snack food, fast food, and personal care sectors on the extent of their commitments (if any) to use palm oil that is deforestation-free, peat-free, and transparently and traceably sourced. The results showed a wide range in policies both between and within sectors; visit the UCS website to at www.ucsusa.org/palmoilscorecard for our findings on each company.

Armed with this information, you can send a clear message to companies: if they are to maintain the loyalty of customers like you who care about tropical forests, peatlands, endangered species, and our future climate, they must commit themselves to responsible palm oil production.

Visit the UCS website at www.ucsusa.org/palmoilaction to tell major brands to source defor-estation-free, peat-free oil.

Improving practices along the entire supply chain will be critical to reducing palm oil’s impact on global warming.

including palm oil growers, buyers, and non-governmental organizations working to reduce the negative impacts of palm oil production. The RSPO has developed a set of voluntary certification standards for palm oil suppliers and purchasers, and we are working with our fellow members to strengthen the standards in a few key areas where they currently fall short, such as in allowing palm oil to be produced on peatland and secondary forestland (i.e., forests that have been disturbed or partially logged, or are regenerating). The next round of standards, which are updated every five years, will be announced in 2018.

Improving practices along the entire supply chain will be critical to reducing palm oil’s impact on global warming and preserving the biodiversity of tropical forests. With your help, we can make defor-estation-free, peat-free palm oil a reality. To learn more about—and get involved in— our campaign to transform this industry, visit www.ucsusa.org/palmoil. {C}

Sharon Smith is campaign manager in the UCS Tropical Forest and Climate Initiative.

Companies respond best to consumer pressure, and several have already made a commitment to produce or purchase deforestation- and peat-free palm oil.


and forestry sectors, for example, could support sustainable biomass production for electricity and fuel, and making homes and businesses more energy- efficient could create thousands of new

jobs. Existing industries could also be retooled to produce components for wind turbines and solar panels.

In addition, UCS partnered with two local organizations—the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy and the West Virginia Community Development Hub—to host a forum in Charleston in September that posed the question,

“What do we want West Virginia to be

A Bright Future for the Mountain StateBy Jeremy Richardson

Photo: © Stacy Jarrell

[ science at work ]

I was inspired by people’s willingness to move beyond the tired environment-versus-economy debate.

My work at UCS has sought to demonstrate that these two goals are not mutually exclusive, and my fellow West Virginians seem willing to listen because I have a unique perspective: my father is a retired coal miner and my brother works in the mines today.

Along with a team of UCS experts, I recently analyzed the potential for diversifying the state’s economy. Our research, published in Environmental Research Letters, found that investments in alternative sectors could help offset potential losses in jobs and economic activity resulting from declining coal production. West Virginia’s agriculture

The transition to a clean energy economy can be a frightening prospect for states and communities rooted in the fossil fuel economy—like my home state of West Virginia. Even in the wake of the recent spill of coal processing chemicals that contaminated drinking water supplies here, discussions about renewable energy tend to become polarized arguments pitting job growth against environmental protection.

The author speaks to forum participants in Charleston, WV.

like in 30 years?” The event drew some 200 people from industry, environ-mental organizations, state government, academia, labor, the faith community, and the general public. I was inspired by the positive spirit the speakers and participants displayed, and their willingness to move beyond the tired environment-versus-economy debate. The discussions revealed a few core themes: the importance of fostering economic development and new jobs, and protecting the place we call home for future generations of West Virginians.

Even in the heart of coal country, people can recognize in events like a chemical spill that things need to change. Some state leaders have shown a degree of foresight in proposing to designate some of the taxes collected from natural gas production for economic diversifica-tion, infrastructure, and education. UCS, for its part, will continue to focus on solutions that ensure the workers who have powered our nation since the 1800s are not left behind. {C}

Jeremy Richardson is a senior energy analyst in the UCS Climate and Energy Program. Read more from Jeremy on The Equation at http://blog.ucsusa.org.


Around the country, people are working to transform our transportation system. UCS brings you their stories.by Joshua Goldman and Lucy Litvak

While all Nissan showrooms have salespeople who specialize in the Leaf, the company’s flagship electric vehicle (EV), Nigel Zeid’s passion and expertise have helped his Boulder, CO, dealer-ship become the top Leaf seller in its 13-state sales region. Nigel is well-versed in both the car’s technical capabilities and its environmental benefits, and makes sure his customers under-stand that it has low maintenance costs and is cheaper to fuel than a gasoline car. And, he thinks the Leaf is fun to drive.

Nigel recently decided to share his EV expertise with a larger audience: in his free time you might find him teaching schoolchildren how EVs work, or organizing events at local companies to explain the benefits of driving on electricity.

Expanding the EV market is a critical component of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Half the Oil plan; our research shows that, in 2035, more than 40 percent of new vehicles sold could run on electricity or hydrogen. That type of growth, in combination with other technological innovations and improve-ments in the efficiency of our vehicles, homes, and businesses, can realistically cut projected U.S. oil use in half in 20 years and help establish America as a world leader in clean transportation.

Thanks to people like Nigel Zeid, these changes are already happening. His story and those featured below are part of our new project, “Oil Solutions at Work,” which highlights individuals across the country who are helping to create a Half the Oil future. Visit www.ucsusa.org/oilsolutions to read more of these stories— or to let us know how you are advancing oil-saving solutions.

better fuels through bacteria

Biofuels are most commonly associated with corn but Viji Sitther, a plant molecular biologist at Morgan State University in Maryland, is helping develop technology that can produce advanced biofuels from photosynthetic cyanobacteria, which use sunlight to produce energy and don’t compete with food supplies. Specifically, she and her research partners are working on how to make a certain type of cyanobacteria more salt- tolerant, so it can grow in water with high salinity.

Julie Bond is project manager at the Center for Urban Transportation Research in Tampa, FL.

Nigel Zeid sells Nissan Leafs for a dealership in Boulder, CO.

THE FACES BEHIND OIL SOLUTIONSTHE FACES BEHIND OIL SOLUTIONS


Why does this matter? Because Earth’s freshwater is limited, using saltwater to grow cyanobacteria would help reduce the resources needed to produce this biofuel, making them an even more sustainable energy choice. Viji plans to investigate other ways in which applied science can be used to develop low-carbon, efficient, and effective alternatives to fossil fuels.

big fuel savings for big rigs

Many long-haul truck drivers keep their engines idling when they pull into truck stops to sleep. Running the engine all night long provides the cab with heating, cooling, and electricity—but consumes as much as 1,400 gallons of diesel each year. Roger Southall is working to reduce the fuel use, emissions, and engine wear and tear associated with extended idling: his company, American Idle Reduction of Sarasota, FL, allows truckers to turn off their engines and hook up to an AireDock station when they arrive at rest stops.

Powered by electricity, AireDock stations provide drivers with Internet access, temperature-controlled fresh air, and power for onboard appliances, all controlled through a simple panel that fits on the truck window. In addition to reducing idling-related pollution, AireDock stations lower fuel costs for heavy-duty vehicle owners and operators. In Roger’s eyes, that makes the technology a true win-win.

encouraging a smarter commute

Julie Bond is changing the way Americans get to and from work, and increasing the safety and efficiency of our transportation at the same time. One of the programs she coordinates for the Center for Urban Transportation Research is “Best Workplaces for Commuters,” a public-private partnership at the University of South Florida that recognizes companies for providing employees with incentives to adopt oil-saving transportation options like carpooling, bicycling, or public transportation. By reducing the number of vehicles on the road, Julie’s work helps decrease traffic and vehicle wear and tear, while improving air quality and combating global warming.

As these stories show, scientists, engineers, advocates, and entrepreneurs are helping to bring the U.S. transportation sector into the twenty-first century, reducing oil use and emissions while creating jobs and strengthening our economy. To learn more about the Half the Oil plan and how you can be part of the solutions to our oil use, visit www.halftheoil.org. {C}

Joshua Goldman is a policy analyst in the UCS Clean Vehicles Program. Lucy Litvak is outreach associate in the program. Read more from Joshua on The Equation at http://blog.ucsusa.org.

Viji Sitther is a plant molecular biologist at Morgan State University in Maryland.

Roger Southall is the CEO of AireDock, a Florida company developing fuel-saving technology for trucks.

THE FACES BEHIND OIL SOLUTIONSTHE FACES BEHIND OIL SOLUTIONS


[ how it works ]

Wind Power Generation Americans have generated electricity from the wind for nearly

a century, but in recent years this clean energy resource has become an important part of our power system, nearly quadru-pling in capacity from 2007 to 2012. Today, wind generates enough electricity for some 15 million average homes.

Modern wind turbines have more in common with jet aircraft than the iconic windmills of yesteryear. Like an airplane wing, a turbine blade uses an airfoil shape that creates lift and helps the blade move through the air; the wind, rather than pushing against the blades, actually pulls them. The blades are also slightly twisted from center to tip, which optimizes lift.

The mechanical energy of the spinning blades is converted into electrical energy in the nacelle, the box on top of the tower. In the most common design, the blades are attached to a spinning shaft that enters a gearbox; the gearbox increases the speed of rotation to a level high enough to generate electricity: for example, from about 60 revolutions per minute (rpm) for the first shaft to 1,800 rpm for a second shaft spinning inside the generator. Other equipment inside the nacelle monitors wind speed and direction, rotating the turbine into the wind for optimal perfor-mance and stopping the blades in high winds to prevent damage.

Illustration: © TurboSquid.com/Artist Rendering

C

D

EF

B

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GWind Turbine Components

A Blades B Nacelle C Low-speed shaft D Gearbox E High-speed shaft F Generator G Tower

catalyst spring 2014 | 13Photo: © iStockphoto.com/Stanleystunning

Wind is the largest source of non-hydro renewable energy in the United States. It accounted for 3.5 percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2012, and supplied almost one-quarter of Iowa’s and South Dakota’s electricity and more than 10 percent of the electricity in seven other states. Wind power is not limited to the central United States, of course; wind farms can be found in 39 states and Puerto Rico. Even regions with lower wind potential have

benefited from wind power development: the Southeast, for example, is home to dozens of manu-facturing facilities that supply some of the 8,000 components that make up the average wind turbine.

Wind energy’s growth is far from done. The U.S. Department of Energy and grid operators found that expanding wind power to 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030 is both feasible and afford-able, would significantly reduce global warming emissions and water use, and would not affect the reliability of the nation’s power supply. Integrating large amounts of wind power may make managing the electricity grid more challenging, but not to an insurmountable degree (as we explain in “Final Analysis,” p. 15). It would appear that the sky’s the limit for wind.

Careful siting is important to a wind turbine’s success because generating electricity depends on a number of factors including:

• Wind speed. A turbine’s power output is proportional to the cube of the wind speed. For example, a doubling of wind speed from 10 miles per hour (mph) to 20 mph yields eight times the power.

• Tower height. Trees, structures, and even the ground itself slow winds down, so taller towers improve power output. For example, a 12 mph wind 30 feet above the ground might be a 15 mph wind 150 feet above the ground, which would double the power output.

• Blade length. The longer the blades are, the larger an area they “sweep” to capture energy. Doubling the length of the blades can yield four times as much power.

• Air density. The denser the air, the more power the wind holds. Density is affected by temperature, so cold winter winds in Minnesota will carry more power than warm summer winds of the same speed in California.

turbines go high-tech

Lighter, stronger materials, more sophisticated electronics and wind forecasting tools, and improvements in manufacturing and transport have dramatically improved wind turbines’ gener-ating capacity. Compared with a decade ago, today’s land-based turbines are about twice as powerful, with capacity ratings (maximum output under ideal conditions) averaging between 1.5 and 3 megawatts.

Capacity factors (power produced over a period of time, divided by capacity rating) are rising as well: about 25 percent higher today than a decade ago. This means that a typical two-megawatt turbine with a 300-foot tower and 130-foot blades generates about 5.5 million kilowatt-hours per year—equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 500 average homes.

Other technologies are being pursued that will allow wind power to play an even greater role in the U.S. electricity sector, including offshore turbines (which can have at least twice the capacity of land-based turbines and are already being used extensively in other countries) and land-based turbines capable of operating at lower wind speeds. Continued investment in research and development, along with further improvements in siting, cost, and energy policies, will help secure wind’s place in our clean energy future. {C}

John Rogers is a senior energy analyst at UCS. Read more from John on our blog, The Equation, at http://blog.ucsusa.org.

Both the government and grid operators have found that getting 20 percent of our electricity from the wind is feasible and affordable.

How Far Can Wind Take Us?



[ member profile ]

An Insider’s Perspective on OilTom Wyman is on another mission. Nearly 70 years after serving in World War II on the USS Lexington, he wants elected officials and industry leaders to get serious about our

fast-depleting oil reserves.

And Tom knows oil: the 86-year-old UCS member spent 42 years working for Chevron. He has testified before Congress and represented the oil industry at United Nations meetings. In recent years, he has written about the inevitable collision of rising oil demand and decreasing supply. “People need to realize that petroleum is a finite resource,” he says.

Tom’s family was digging in the earth before he was born. His father was a manager of a remote Tennessee mine who died when Tom was eight. Following the war, Tom earned a bach-elor’s degree in geology and a master’s in mining engineering from Stanford University. He eventually went to work for Standard Oil Company of California (later renamed Chevron) and quickly got his hands dirty. “I started as a roustabout and then worked as a roughneck on the derrick floor,” he recalls.

Four decades later, Tom says the days of easily accessible oil are fast coming to a close, and the sources that remain are harder to reach, dirtier, and too costly to be a smart bet.

“It’s derelict to not be working on other sources of energy,” he says, which is why he has supported UCS for the past decade.

“I don’t command a large audience, but UCS does. It’s an essen-tial message that needs to be communicated.”

Defend Science. Become a Partner for the Earth.Help expose corporate-sponsored misinformation. Challenge climate change deniers. Stand up for independent science.

Give monthly.For as little as $10 per month you can make an ongoing commitment to the UCS scientists and activists who are working to solve our planet’s most pressing problems.

As a Partner for the Earth making automatic monthly contributions to UCS:· You receive less mail· Your gifts are put to work faster and more efficiently

for our most pressing campaigns

· You receive special updates on our work, in addition to our magazine Catalyst and newsletter Earthwise

· Your membership is always current—saving time, hassle, and paper

Join more than 6,000 of our members who provide regular monthly support to UCS, and become a Partner for the Earth today. Contact us at [email protected] or (800) 666-8276.

After 42 years of working for Chevron, Tom Wyman knows the days of easily accessible oil are fast coming to a close.


[ final analysis ]

Proposals to increase our use of clean energy are often met with concerns about the U.S. electricity grid. Skep-tics argue that inte-grating large amounts of renewables will be difficult because these

resources have variable output (that is, the wind is not always blowing) and genera-tion sites are sometimes located far from population centers.

While it’s true that adding this power to the grid would require major upgrades to the way we generate, transport, and store electricity, what is often overlooked in these discussions is the fact that our power grid—a piece of infrastructure whose func-tion is vital to our modern economy—has barely changed in more than 100 years. Major upgrades will be needed to ensure it keeps working whether or not we add more renewable energy.

Of course, we do have a compelling reason to shift to renewables: reducing the global warming emissions associated with the energy sector’s burning of fossil fuels. And research shows that upgrading the grid to handle more clean energy would also be a wise financial investment: a study from the University of Minnesota

estimates this approach would cost $21 billion per year for the next two decades, but ultimately save between $79 billion and $94 billion per year by avoiding interrup-tions in service.

There are several ways in which grid operators can adjust their operations to better accommodate renewables. For example, they can use advanced weather forecasting tools to anticipate when the wind will blow or when clouds will pass over a solar array. They can also increase the frequency with which power is

bought and sold (the standard practice is just once per hour), enabling them to tap into renewable power when it is avail-able, and turn to other generation options when it is not.

The time is right to upgrade the grid in a way that supports clean energy develop-ment. Nearly 30 states have enacted policies that establish renewable energy investment goals, many of which must be met between 2020 and 2030. This provides adequate time for us to make cost-effective initial investments in a cleaner grid, while sending a strong market signal that additional inno-vation is needed. Given the urgency of climate change, the retirement of coal-fired power plants around the country, and the falling cost of both wind and solar power, we should not wait to get moving. {C}

Laura Wisland is a senior energy analyst at UCS. Read more from Laura on our blog, The Equation, at http://blog.ucsusa.org.

WANTED: A Greener GridBy Laura Wisland

Our power grid—a piece of infrastructure whose function is critical to our modern economy—has barely changed in more than 100 years.

Strong renewable energy standards not only help combat climate change but also provide an economic boost. To see how, go to www.ucsusa.org/resbenefits.

Photos: © Corinne Dunster (Tom Wyman); © Shutterstock/Creative Travel Projects (left); © Brian Sweets (Laura Wisland); © Shutterstock/Alfgar (outlet)


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Documents

Catalyst Spring 2014