Energy Archives - Page 2 of 3 - World Ocean Project

The power in promoting renewable energy certificates

Posted by Bill Mott on October 8, 2013

The announcement of our innovative solutions grant program seems to have sparked renewed discussion among our partners about the actions that visitors can take to help conserve the ocean. One particularly hot option, no pun intended, is to ask visitors to choose green power as this not only helps the ocean and its animals by reducing the pollution associated with climate change and ocean acidification, but it is much easier for visitors to do than one might imagine. This is especially true when it comes to encouraging the purchase of renewable energy certificates, which can be purchased with a quick click. Each of these certificates is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity generated from an eligible renewable energy resource like solar or wind. Conveniently, 1,000 kWh is near the average monthly use of a typical American home. So a visitor who buys through a visitor engagement program can claim to be using green power for 100% of his/her home electricity usage. It’s a simple process, does not involve any change in utility provider and often serves as the first step in a deeper commitment to renewables (e.g., installing solar panels on their roof). For more on RECs, visit the EPA's Green Power Partnership website. Recently, The Ocean Project partnered with Greenlight Energy to help our partners both obtain and promote renewable energy. For ZAMs that want to purchase RECs to help them meet their sustainability goals, Greenlight is now offering our partners low-cost (In some cases 20x LESS than what local utilities were charging!), Green-e certified RECs. Both the product and the volume purchased are determined by the partner, providing flexibility with any budget, and, not to be forgotten, REC purchases qualify for recognition in the EPA Green Power Partnership. Beyond helping ZAMs green their operations, Greenlight has developed the foundation on which partners can create customized visitor engagement programs. Designed to enable visitors to take direct action and make a difference by buying renewable energy, it also includes a give back component in the form of a “Watt for Watt” option and/or earning 10% of the total program proceeds. Note that this is a 'turn-key' visitor engagement program available to all partners! Visitors will be able to, for example, simply text a code and receive a link to enroll in a recurring green power program without ever leaving your site. Greenlight manages all billing, customer service and contractual fulfillment, and can provide a Welcome Kit for each enrollee per partner preference. Please don't hesitate to contact Kelly Bennett of Greenlight for more! In addition to the promise in promoting RECs, other options are also being explored by partners as ways to get their visitors to support green power. These include linking visitors to utility-sponsored programs, connecting them to information on solar installation, and, last but not least, generating support for "community choice aggregation" efforts, which we love as, in essence, "community choice aggregation" is a long-winded way of saying a city is going to green power on behalf of all of its citizens. Stay tuned!

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Communications medley: the messenger makes the message meaningful

Posted by Bill Mott on October 4, 2013

In this week's round up: the messenger makes the message meaningful, and Americans have energy highs and lows. If you’re a science communicator or educator at an informal science center (such as a zoo, aquarium, or museum) trying to encourage conservation action – this is the round up for you! Every week we break down the most interesting recent news and best resources to help you frame the issues as effectively as possible. Some of these resources will be practical communications and framing tips, and others are great starting points for brainstorming future strategies. Green, yes please! Environmentalism... no thanks. This article on perceptions of "activist" environmentalists emphasizes how important messengers like interpreters at zoos, aquariums, and museums are for encouraging green action. To sum it up: people are willing to change their behavior, but less if they suspect you're a 'stereotypical' environmentalist. As The Ocean Project's research has found, informal science centers are trusted sources of information about environmentally-friendly behavior for Americans. Furthermore, visitors actually want this information as part of a satisfying visit to a zoo, aquarium, or museum. So stay cool, friendly, and give visitors plenty of tips for how they can help the planet. They'll listen to you! Energy surge and slump Recent energy news in America has been a mixed bag - good and bad. Let's start with the bad so we can end on a positive note: U.S. stands out as among the least concerned about climate change Pew's new survey found 40% of Americans and 39% of Chinese (two of the biggest carbon polluters on Earth) say climate change is a major threat to their nation. For comparison, a median of 54% of people in the surveyed 39 countries identify climate change as a major threat, and in some countries like Greece and Korea over 80% of people are concerned. U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions Down 11 Percent Since 2007 Despite that previous distressing bit of news, there are still good things happening. Since 2007 US emissions have fallen by 11%, the equivalent of taking 77 million cars off the road. Why? People are driving less, and cars are getting more efficient with gas. Also - emissions from burning coal have fallen 20% since 2005. Obtaining 25% Of Energy From Renewables Would Save Billions More wind and solar, even if it would only account for 25% of the electricity in the Western US, would save $7 billion and reduce carbon pollution by 34%. This study is one of the first to use real-world hourly emissions data from power plants in the Western US, with serious implications for economically minded folks.

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