|
| |
http://pesn.com/2005/07/13/9600123_Sundance_Summit_mayors_climate_protection/
You are here: PureEnergySystems.com
> News > July 13,
2005 |
|
Climate Summit Emphasizes Profitability of Going Green
Mayors from around the U.S. meet to learn more about problem of climate
change and to get armed with solutions that they can implement at the most local
level of government.
| "Clean
energy does not have to be subsidized, but can compete and be
profitable." |
|
-- Jeff Sterba
(July 12, 2005)
Head of PNM Resources, the parent company of PNM,
Texas-New Mexico Power, First Choice Power and Avistar. |
Contents:
Story Photo Essay Personal
Reminiscing Official
Press Release Related Coverage Official
Sites Photo
Album of Mayors Who Attended See also
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2005
 |
|
Photos by Sterling D.
Allan / PESN |
| Robert Gough of Native
Wind and Energy
Independence Day was one of the presenters at the
Summit. He gave a synopsis of the contribution that is being
made by the Native Americans to return to more Earth-friendly energy
solutions. Gough is secretary of the Intertribal Council On
Utility Policy, or Intertribal COUP. |
|
SUNDANCE, UT, USA -- Though only a fraction of the
mayoral body in the U.S., the 45 influential and motivated mayors who attended
the first Sundance Summit: A Mayor's Gathering on Climate Protection,
were confident that they could help transform the nation and world by setting a
leadership role in reducing carbon emissions and embracing alternatives that are
not only clean but often even economically preferable.
Venue and Participants
The three-day summit ended Tuesday at the Sundance Resort in Utah, the same
resort that is host to the internationally acclaimed Sundance Film Festival,
both of which have the famed actor and environmentalist, Robert Redford,
providing vision and leadership.
In addition to Redford, the event was also hosted by the International Council
for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), as
well as by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. Former Vice President Al
Gore spoke on Monday.
Though directed to U.S. mayors, participants harked from places as remote as New
Zealand, and nearby as Canada. Two presenters came from the U.K.
The Trip to Sundance
Photo essay by author, Sterling D. Allan
(PESN), who lives about a 1½-hour drive from the venue. He
has skied at the resort and camped on and climbed the mountain
several times, as well as having worked on one of the log homes not
far from Robert Redford's residence.
Sundance is situated behind Mount
Timpanogos (elevation: 11,750
feet), visible throughout
Utah Valley as the prominent landmark.
Approaching Provo Canyon, with Timp on the left.
Timp on the left, still on the Utah Valley side.
Rounding Timpanogos
On the right is Bridal Veil falls. A tram used to run from
base to peak, but was damaged in a rock slide. It wasn't until
recently that I realized that the reason for the name for these
falls was due to the resemblance to the namesake.
Bridal Veil Falls.
Provo River on the right.
Tunnel just before Sundance turn-off.
The view of Timp immediately upon taking the Sundance road.
Small, winding road wends its way up a narrow canyon with a creek to
the left of the road.
The bubbling creek.
Sundance entry. "Sundance" is engraved on the rock at
lower right corner of photo.
Resort sits among the pines and quaking aspen, with Timp in the
background.
Arrived at the conference, day three. Small, cozy room.
Another angle on the conference room.
View out the doors and windows of the conference room.
Wide array of speakers on climate related issues. This is
Robert Gough, who gave a fascinating, informative, entertaining
presentation on the Native American role / interface.
Rocky Anderson, mayor of Salt Lake City, and one of three hosts of
the conference.
Bronze sculpture of Native American kneeling on river bank.
Photograph makes the water appear to go from polluted to clear.
Multitude of staff and volunteers made the conference a great
success. Pictured here are two members of Mayor Anderson's
staff.
Photo by Native
Wind
|
|
The mayors and other guests were treated to some of
the most beautiful natural surroundings that Utah has to offer -- or that are
found anywhere on earth so close to an international airport.
Profitability of Going Green
The mayors were given a wide array of resources necessary to implement policies
and actions to reduce global warming and improve the quality of life in their
respective cities. Both in the presentations given, as well as in the
individuals they met at the conference, they were inspired by numerous models of
success.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the conference was the amount of
evidence supporting the idea that the pursuit of cleaner alternatives is
actually financially beneficial, and that answers to global warming do not have
to come at the expense of economic growth and general prosperity. And when some
sacrifice is required, the team spirit that is evoked in coming together around
a common cause provides a powerful boost to morale. This human factor may be
worth far more than any added financial cost incurred.
Several of the presentations touched on the wealth of scientific evidences that global
warming or climate change is indeed occurring, and that we humans are the
primary culprits. According to presenter, Steve Howard, plants and soil absorb
about half of the CO2 that is being put into the air, but in 20 to 30 years the
plants and soil will have maxed their ability to absorb, and will begin dumping
CO2, exacerbating the warming. Other climate cycles also have a maximum
buffering capacity. Once that capacity is surpassed, then the changes are
much more drastic and deadly.
"People do not want to face the ominous facts, but would prefer to tune it
out," Mayor Anderson commented from the audience during the presentations.
The point was made several times that most people no longer need to be convinced
that climate change is already occurring, but that in general they are not sure
how to change the situation. The priority task is to give them a positive
vision, and clear, meaningful first steps that are readily achievable.
While humans are a primary contributor to the problem, they also hold in their
grasp the solution. Doing nothing, and letting the trends continue, will
result in seeing climate change explode in our generation. To the
solution-oriented mayors and other leaders assembled at the conference, inaction
is not an option.
Peter Cole, Salt Lake founder of Squatters' Pub Brewery boasted that his
business has benefited from customer loyalty when they learn of his company's
conservation policy. "They think its cool," and this results in
more repeat customers. Rather than use new materials in his building
construction, for example, he scavenged lumber from a decommissioned
bridge. He even confessed in the presence of the mayor to having
"stolen" some discard cobblestone from the City of Salt Lake, when the
bureaucracy of getting permission reached the point of being ridiculous for
something that to him was obvious.
Cole pointed out an example solution that any larger business or municipality
can implement immediately -- waterless
urinals. High traffic restroom benefit particularly from this new,
proven technology, which has received rave reviews by those who have implemented
them. Some have saved as much as 57,000 gallons of water a year.
This is but one of many examples of an environmentally friendly solution that
also saves significant money.
Jeff Sterba, head of several major utility interests, said that hybrids, which
are already a step ahead in their energy conservation, can be made even more so
by transforming them into plug-ins. He shared a vision of plugging the car
into the house at night while utility flow is typically low, then plugging the
car in at work to actually put power back into the grid during the day when the
load is high, to help equilibrate the average outlay thereby assisting the
utilities as a portable storage system.
 |
| Kim Jordan |
Kim Jordan, CEO of New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort
Collins, CO, told the story of how a green approach helped her company become
more successful. 35% of their thermal electric need is produced by
cogeneration from the methane left over from the brewing process. 90% of
their solid waste is diverted from landfills and used for fertilizer and such.
However, the largest gain has come in the form of boosted morale and the
increased productivity that has resulted. Back when her 120-employee
company was yet 75-80 people, she approached her employees with the idea of
using a wind power program that could put a 30% premium on their power
bill. She explained to them that this could result in a diminishing of
year-end bonuses. But considering the company mission statement that
includes emphasis on sustainable existence, to a person the employees opted to
go with the wind program. The company has flourished.
Now they are investing in a local BioDiesel company, using their windfall to
further promote clean energy technology.
 |
| Steve Howard |
Steve Howard and Jim Walker, a team from The
Climate Group based in England, discussed three "myths" that need
to be exposed. The third was that "Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will
kill the economy."
The team presentation pointed out specific examples of major corporations that
have saved hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing emissions. The top
eleven largest companies, for which savings data was available, reported a
combined five billion dollars (US) saved by taking measures to reduce
emissions. IBM reduced its emissions by 65% from 1990 levels and has saved
$791 million. "They were actually very cagey about talking about this
to us, because they view it as a competitive advantage," Howard said.
British TelCom cut their emissions by 71% from 1992 levels and have saved US
$200 million. With a US $20 investment, British Petroleum cut their
emissions by 18% between 1997 and 2001 and reaped savings of US $650 million.
Governments have reported the same kind of boon from taking carbon emission
reduction steps. Germany cut their emissions by 19% from 1990 levels and
saw the creation of 450,000 jobs, and has become a world leader in renewable
energy. London actually has a goal of going "off grid," moving
to cogeneration. After Arnold Schwarzenegger met with Japanese prime
minister, Japan announced a goal of 75% emissions by 2050. Not to be
outdone, Schwarzenegger had a pow wow with his staff and came up with a plan for
78% emissions by 2050.
"Leading organizations are moving and realizing
the benefits. It's about not being left behind," said Walker.
Native American Role
 |
| Robert Gough |
Robert Gough pointed out that when the national grid
was first constructed, it was a Federal project designed to connect the various
hydro dams being put in place. Now 80% of the energy being transmitted
comes from the burning of coal. A sample solution he pointed out was the
many locations in the U.S., especially on the plains, where wind energy could be
feasibly installed, reclaiming the grid with renewable energy.
He also pointed out that energy cost comparisons need to take into consideration
the hidden costs of fossil-fuel-derived energy, such as damage caused to living
systems forests, farms, and human health by acid rain, air pollution and
global warming. Coal-generated electricity might sell for four cents per
kilowatt-hour, but the hidden costs make it much more expensive -- in ways that
are felt by everyone on the planet.
Gough referred to a statement made by his friend, Winona LaDuke: "It
doesn't matter what boat you come here on, we are all in the same boat
now!"
Chicago Climate Exchange
 |
| Paula DiPerna |
Paula DiPerna, who worked for nearly 20 years with the
late Jacque-Yves Cousteau (famous ocean explorer and environmentalist), spoke
about the Chicago Climate
Exchange, where she is presently focusing her environmental
passion. The CCE is the only legal North American exchange for trading
emissions credits.
Present at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro, she witnessed the discussion
there about trading emissions credits.
The Chicago Exchange is a volunteer program in which cities and corporations can
register to commit by contract to reducing their emissions by 1% per year.
If they fall short of that goal, then they owe the exchange and are
"buyers". If they exceed that goal, then they have credit as
"buyers". The buyers and sellers then trade on the Chicago
Climate Exchange. For those who are likely to be buyers, the incentive is
that this is their way of contributing to the overall reduction of emissions on
the planet, though they themselves may not have been able to do so as much as
they wanted to in a given year. DiPerna estimated that approximately half
of the mayors' cities would come in as "buyers."
She recommended that all the mayors have their cities become participants in
this exchange. A motion of encouragement to this effect was apparently
presented at the conference. In addition to several municipalities such as
Boulder, CO and Portland, OR; current membership is multisectoral and include
entities such as IBM, Motorola, and the University of Iowa.
Advantages of membership include independent verification of emission levels and
improvement, annual true-up, pre-defined off-set projects, one-stop
implementation of environmental initiatives
DiPerna said the Chicago Climate Exchange baseline is approximately as large as
the EEC exchange, trading 226 million tons of carbon per year.
# # #
SOURCES:
- Attendance at event; private conversations with
attendees and presenters.
- Printed program from event.
- Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News
coverage
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2005
 |
| Sterling D. Allan |
I would like to speak in first person for a minute to express some sentiments
from my experience in attending the third day of this three-day summit.
On the right of this page you see a little photo essay as I show off what for me
is a local wonder of nature. I have spent days camping, hiking,
meditating, and even working on this mountain where this event took place.
As I drove to this conference, I took a few photos out my window to share with
you.
Presently I live about an hour due west of Mount Timpanogos. Sundance
Resort is about a half-hour drive up the canyon.
At the conference, I met the former Deputy Mayor of Vancouver B.C., where the
headquarters are of OSEN, the
non-profit entity with which we at PESN are presently in process of
merging. David Cadman is also ICLEI International Vice President and North
American Vice Chairperson.
I saw on the program that one of the attendees was the mayor of Boulder,
Colorado, where I grew up. Within a minute of my thinking I would like to
meet him, he walked right by me on his way out to make a cell phone call.
We had a nice chat. He's just one year my senior, at a young 42 years old.
Also, just a day or two before the conference, I had discovered the website http://energyindependenceday.com
when looking for a possible domain name for the Global Energy Independence Day
we at PESN had a hand in commencing. Having just composed a story about
the fact that Los Angeles County has now officially adopted this commemoration
to be held on July 10, Tesla's birthday, I sent an email to that site informing
them of our activities and suggesting that we work together.
Well, it so happens that the second speaker I heard upon arriving was the very
person who operates that website, Robert Gough -- of Boulder, Colorado! -- as
well as of Rosebud, SD.
I also met several other wonderful people, forging connections that will be
mutually beneficial in our common cause to help turn things around on this
planet for the good.
As I spoke with various people there, in lieu of a business card, I handed them
a brochure that was basically a print-out of our "Municipality
Resources" index page. It provides a list of directories of
technologies available for municipalities for moving to cleaner, greener energy
and other utilities, ranging from waste-to-energy to tapping pipe pressure for
energy. I also received permission from the conference organizers to place
the brochure on a small table they had for that purpose, picking up one copy of
each of the dozen or so other items stacked there. Watching out of the
corner of my eye, I was pleased to see it received with interest.
# # #
- Sundance Summit Official Press Release:
MAYORS
MAKE SUNDANCE SUMMIT ANNUAL EVENT - Mayors Commit to Actions to Stem
Climate Change While Saving Money, Protecting the Environment, and Improving
Citizen Quality of Life
- Salt Lake Tribune
,
2005)
Summit:
Mayors have key role in slowing global warming (July
12, 2005)
Mayors talk
climate in SLC, Sundance (July
11, 2005)
Rocky revered
outside Utah (July 10,
2005)
Rocky will
co-host green gab (July
9, 2005)
- Heating
up the global-warming issue - 45 U.S. mayors
attend Sundance Summit: A Mayor's Gathering on Climate Protection,
hosted by actor, Robert Redford. Discussed tangible steps that can be
taken and have been taken all across the country. (Deseret News;
July 12, 2005)
|
Former U.S. VP
Al Gore spoke
|
- Sundance
Summit: Robert Redford Fights Global Warming - Salt Lake City Mayor
Rocky Anderson is teaming up with Hollywood super star Robert Redford in a
project to fight global warming. The pair plans to set up an environmental
congress where local officials from across the United States can learn what
they can do to stave off global warming. The congress will be called the
Sundance Summit and open in July. Anderson, Redford staff members and the
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives are working on the
details. (UPI / Monsters and Critics; May 2,
2005)
From Google News
http://news.google.com/news?&q=sundance+summit+climate
As of July 14, 2005; 6:50 pm MDT
EP
mayor attends Sundance summit
Eden Prairie Sun
Current, MN - 10 hours ago
... t sure how or why she got invited to a
three-day summit on climate protection. But the Eden
Prairie mayor said the invitation to the Sundance Summit
in Utah ...
|
3
Colo. mayors join summit on global warming
Denver Post, CO -
Jul 11, 2005
... Aspen planned to attend the three-day Sundance
Summit in Salt Lake City and Sundance, Utah, which ends
Tuesday. "A Mayors' Gathering on Climate Protection"
was ...
|
Mayors
showcase Chicago, Seattle as 'green' cities
Provo Daily Herald, UT -
Jul 13, 2005
... also learned Tuesday about an emissions
trading brokerage, the Chicago Climate Exchange Inc ...
the council and Redford agreed to have the Sundance Summit
meet on ...
|
Williams
Expected to Head to Utah Monday
WJLA, DC - Jul
11, 2005
... warming. Williams is among dozens of mayors
who are taking part in the Sundance Summit: A Mayor's
Gathering on Climate Protection. ...
|
Mayors
talk climate in SLC, Sundance
Salt Lake Tribune, UT -
Jul 11, 2005
... Her group, the International Council for
Local Environmental Initiatives, helped organize the "Sundance
Summit: A Mayors' Gathering on Climate Protection."
The ...
|
Climate
issues heat up
Deseret News, UT -
Jul 9, 2005
... Vice President Al Gore descend on Utah's
capital to talk climate change. It's a large, powerful audience
brought together for the "Sundance Summit" by
Salt ...
|
Fort
Wayne Mayor to Participate in Environment Summit
Inside INdiana Business (press
release), IN - Jul 8, 2005
... Fort Wayne, Ind. Fort Wayne Mayor Graham
Richard will join over 45 mayors at the Sundance Summit: A
Mayors Gathering on Climate Protection, July 10-12 ...
|
From
Afar, Mayor Speaks Out
Washington Post, DC -
Jul 13, 2005
... Williams was in Salt Lake City on Monday to
attend the Sundance Summit on climate change, where
he informed the participants that "global warming is perhaps ...
|
Rocky
will co-host green gab
Salt Lake Tribune, UT -
Jul 8, 2005
... Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and
actor/activist Robert Redford co-host the three-day Sundance Summit:
A Mayors' Gathering on Climate Protection, beginning ...
|
Feel
the Warmth
Salt Lake City
Weekly, UT - Jul 6, 2005
On its face, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Andersons
upcoming July 10 Sundance Summit: A Mayors Gathering
on Climate Protection, is the perfect ...
|
Weird
Weather MISS
Salt Lake City
Weekly, UT - Jun 29, 2005
... Anderson might be right going on-and-on at
the United Nations about greenhouse gases changing the climate
and readying a July Sundance Summit for globally ...
|
EU
seeks Rocky's global-warming advice for forum
Salt Lake City Deseret
News, UT - Jun 22, 2005
... state governments in the United States are
doing to combat climate change. ... he may even be able to
present results from his Sundance Summit an
environmental ...
|
Conference
Host Sites
- www.ICLEI.org - International Council
for Local Environmental Initiatives. Also known as Local Governments
for Sustainability. It is an international association of local
governments and national and regional local government organizations that
have made a commitment to sustainable development.
- www.ci.slc.ut.us - Salt Lake City,
Utah
- www.sundanceresort.com -
Sundance Resort
Presenter Sites
Presenters' and participants' sites, in alphabetical sequence.
Mayor Sites
Sustainability
Task Force Begins Work - Commenced Wednesday,
June 22, 2005 by Mayor
Kitty Piercy
of Eugene, OR
Page created by Sterling
D. Allan July 12, 2005
Last updated July 18, 2005
| |
|
Feed