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Check out the list below for our most up to date headlines!!

ERIC BAERREN: A climate-change skeptic confirms global warming

Published: Friday, October 28, 2011

There were, if you were paying attention last week, headlines that read essentially, “The thing that we knew all along is true, after all!”

The sad fact is that the confirmation was, in fact, the real news. It was a statement on the sad statement of how the Land of the Free perceives science.

A Berkeley physicist with the last name of Muller had assembled what he called a crack team of scientists, and with money that came in part from the infamous Koch brothers, declared his intention to finally settle the matter of whether the data supported the notion that the globe is warming.

Thanks to Muller’s past contrarian-sounding statements and the infusion of money from the ignorati, there was the distinct possibility that the eternal game of whack-a-mole that drives climate politics in this nation would continue, but with a more respectable sheen. This was a matter of concern for climate scientists and people who generally don’t believe that they are part of a massive global plot to shackle mankind in communist slavery; it was a matter of barely concealed delight among contrarians. Anthony Watts, one of the most prominent and vocal of climate contrarians, in fact vowed to accept Muller’s findings.

Well, Muller released his findings last week, and the only thing surprising about them is that anyone expected him to find that climate scientists have gotten everything wrong. In fact, he said that they’ve gotten things mostly right. A new and fresh look at the data failed to turn up anything out of order. Dog bites man.

Watts, a vocal critic of the peer review process right up until the announcement, announced that he was not able to accept Muller’s findings until they’d gone through proper peer review. In other words, he’ll wait around until a conclusion that doesn’t make him look like an utter fool is reached … even if one never presents itself.

For the rest of you, the results of Muller’s findings can be distilled to this: The atmosphere, of course, is warming.

Savvy contrarians were nonplused. Of course the world is warming. Everyone knows that. The question is whether mankind is driving it. It was as if it was silly for anyone to suggest otherwise.

Except that as recently as six months ago, climate contrarians were mostly arguing that we were in the middle of a cooling cycle, that things weren’t getting warmer but instead cooler. It’d been going on since 1998, and with sunspot activity expected to reach a low point in its 12-year cycle it was going to get even cooler. Between then and now came the disturbing news that last year was one of the hottest in recorded history, and that this year could well rank right up there.

If all that sounds inconsistent or even incoherent, it’s because consistency and coherence never have been hallmarks of climate contrarians. The unifying idea of their argument is that we need not change our behavior because of global warming. Anything that suggests the contrary is heresy; anything that abets it is welcome.

How they arrive at their destination changes depending on the day, possibly by the position of the sun and however their own internal sense of paranoia is affected by changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. Either the atmosphere is not warming, or it is not warming significantly or it is warming due to natural fluctuations. Sprinkled in between you can be assured of hearing that someone talked about global cooling in the 70s, that there was a bigger area of ice this year than last, or that Al Gore is fat and once flew on a jet. Take one from menu A and one from menu B, and make sure you get your complimentary egg roll before walking out the door.

Muller’s findings have been followed by what has become a familiar flow of editorial pieces: The contrarians are increasingly isolated, and that it’s time to have an adult conversation about climate and energy.

Of course we ought to do that, but the contrarians have been isolated for a very long time. The problem is that they don’t know it, and don’t know how alone they really are when it comes to support from scientists (from across basically every discipline). People who are unaware of how out-of-touch they are with reality aren’t going to give up just because they are once again told that they’re living in a fantasy world. In fact, since last week, contrarians have turned on Muller, suggesting that he was a sort of climate Manchurian candidate all along.

To longtime observers of the issue, this was something to be expected. Climate contrarians operate in their own echo chamber, and those who depart from it are considered worse than the enemy. They are considered apostates of the cause. A mere objective analysis of the evidence isn’t going to change their minds. In fact, it’s just evidence that the game has been fixed against them all along.

Eric Baerren is a Morning Sun columnist. He can be found at www.michiganliberal.com and can be reached at ebaerren@gmail.com.

Original Link: http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2011/10/28/opinion/doc4ea9a149367a4444496959.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Green Path Transfers Speeds Past 100

ELECTRIC-BUS STARTUP CHARGES AHEAD

 

Analysis by Nic Halverson 
Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:32 PM ET 
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With a gallon of diesel costing a dollar more than it did a year ago, bus companies are getting gouged every time one of their fleet members pulls up to the tank.

Enter Proterra, an electric-bus startup company that uses relatively small, low-cost lithium titanate battery packs that are intended to be frequently recharged at rapid-charging stations in 10 minutes of less.

BLOG: Ginormous Bus Straddles Road, Drives Above Traffic

Proterra’s EcoRide BE35 bus only has a range of 30 to 40 miles per charge, which makes it more practical as a transit bus that runs predictable routes and can regularly pull into FastFill Charging Stations.

DNEWS VIDEO: FUTURE OF CARS AND TRANSPORTATION

As they pull into these fully automated charging stations, buses communicate wirelessly with an overhead charging arm that links the bus to a high capacity charger without driver involvement. As passengers load and unload, the bus is rapidly charged in 5-10 minutes.

Proterra CEO Jeff Granato believes each bus will save a transit company $600,000 in fuel costs over the 12-year life span of the vehicle, plus another $70,000 to $95,000 in maintenance costs. The bus costs about 18 cents per mile to charge, compared with about $1 a mile for diesel fuel. In the long run, Granato says these savings make the total cost of the electric bus comparable to that of a diesel bus even thought the electric bus is more expensive up front. (The company has not yet released how much the electric bus costs.)

CURIOSITY.COM: When Was the First Electric Car Built?

Proterra has raised $30 million in new funding, including $6 million from GM Ventures, which the company plans to use to increase production capacity. So far, Proterra has manufactured 10 buses, which are being used by transit agencies in California and Texas.

[Via TechnologyReview]

Credit: Proterra

ZeaChem signs biomass supply deal for Oregon cellulosic biorefinery

ZeaChem, Inc., has signed a long-term binding term sheet with GreenWood Tree Farm Fund (GTFF), managed by GreenWood Resources (GWR), to supply hybrid poplar woody biomass for its first commercial cellulosic biorefinery.

The combination of GTFF’s existing tree farms in close proximity to the biorefinery, GWR’s world leadership in development and management of tree plantations, and ZeaChem’s highly efficient biorefinery technology will enable the supply of low-cost fermentable sugars used in the production of advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals for years to come, it said.

ZeaChem will integrate feedstock from a portion of GTFF’s residual fiber with local agricultural residue suppliers to achieve feedstock costs 50% less compared to Brazilian sugar cane and 80% less compared to corn based processes.

Through this combination of forest and agricultural residuals, ZeaChem has secured 100% of the feedstock supply for the first commercial biorefinery.

Under the agreement, GTFF will be the primary feedstock supplier for ZeaChem’s first commercial biorefinery. GTFF will supply cellulosic biomass from its existing poplar plantations to the biorefinery, offering new markets for its wood products.

ZeaChem’s first commercial biorefinery is expected to have capacity of 25M gallons per year (GPY) and to be located in Boardman, Oregon.

“This landmark feedstock agreement represents a major milestone on the road to developing ZeaChem’s first commercial production facility and to become the world leader in low cost production of advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals,” said Jim Imbler, president and chief executive officer of ZeaChem.

“We are proud to have GreenWood Resources, a leading supplier of economical and sustainable cellulosic feedstock, as a partner in our commercial operation. The model we have developed provides a significant strategic advantage and is something that GWR and ZeaChem will seek to replicate around the world.”

“This agreement with ZeaChem is a significant step for GTFF and for GreenWood Resources into new markets and end-uses that closely align with our sustainability goals,” said Jeff Nuss, president and chief executive officer of GreenWood Resources. “We believe that hybrid poplars are the ideal feedstock for advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals and look forward to continuing to grow with ZeaChem.”

ZeaChem is currently constructing a 250,000 gallon-per-year demonstration-scale biorefinery in Boardman, Ore.

An existing GTFF hybrid poplar tree plantation near Boardman supplies feedstock to the facility, minimizing the transportation and logistics costs of cellulosic biofuel and bio-based chemical production. Hybrid poplar trees are an excellent cellulosic feedstock because of their high yield per acre, short rotation and ability to regenerate after harvest, providing superior economic and environmental benefits.

Additional advantages of woody biomass include the ability to aggregate forestry land and the forestry industry’s common practice of signing long-term contracts.

ZeaChem’s demonstration plant in Boardman, Ore. will begin to come online in 2011. The company is now developing commercial biorefineries for the production of advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

GWR, founded in 1998, is a global timberland investment and property management company specializing in the acquisition, development and management of high-yield, short-rotation, sustainable tree farms.

Next-generation biodiesels don’t pressure food supply, emissions

FARGO, N.D. — Amyris and Gevo are two of the highest-flying stocks in the biofuels sector in 2011. Each has posted spectacular gains since January. Both firms are intriguing because their emphasis is on the production of advanced biofuels.By: Cole Gustafson, Cole GustafsonFARGO, N.D. — Amyris and Gevo are two of the highest-flying stocks in the biofuels sector in 2011. Each has posted spectacular gains since January. Both firms are intriguing because their emphasis is on the production of advanced biofuels.Advanced biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent under the nation’s renewable fuel standard program. Amyris is unique in that it is focusing on the production of biodiesel using specialized yeast that utilizes sugarcane as its feedstock.First-generation biodiesels were derived from transesterification of agricultural oils, especially soybean and canola oils. More recently, corn oil obtained from additional fractionation of corn entering ethanol plants also has been used as a biodiesel feedstock.Not the sameProducing next-generation biodiesel or “renewable diesel” is a completely different process than the production of traditional biodiesel. Instead of relying on chemical catalysts, these new diesel fuels are produced from biohydrocarbons obtained from inedible plants, algae or waste streams and then processed into biodiesel using proprietary bacteria. This reduces the pressure on global food production and tailpipe emissions. Furthermore, they are designed to be “drop-in” true diesels that can be placed in a pipeline and used without any limitations on how much can be used.Minnesota, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington have state biodiesel blending requirements. Minnesota’s statute, which was enacted in 2005, has been waived several times because of biodiesel quality problems. However, the law is in effect again.Last year, Amyris announced that it had surpassed critical ASTM testing and received Environmental Protection Agency approval to raise its registered blend level of ultralow sulfur diesel from 20 to 35 percent, which is the highest blend rate approved for either ethanol or biodiesel.Gevo is constructing a plant in southern Minnesota to produce biobutanol from sugar beets. The common denominator between Amyris and Gevo is the use of sugar instead of cellulose. Sugar is abundant in many other crops, including sweet sorghum.Producing biodiesel from algae has garnered much public attention during the past couple of years. However, recent studies have questioned how ready the industry is for commercialization. For example, the Energy Biosciences Institute categorized the effort as a “nascent industry” that will require more substantial long-term research, development, demonstration and deployment.

EnviroMedia Celebrates Earth Day by Continuing its Commitment to Offset CO2 Emissions through Purchases from Green Mountain Energy Company

EnviroMedia will offset 100% of its carbon emissions by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets from Green Mountain

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Green Mountain Energy Company is proud to have EnviroMedia – an organization dedicated to helping promote the environment – as a customer, and applauds its leadership and commitment to clean energy by offsetting its CO2 emissions.

Austin, TX (Vocus/PRWEB) April 14, 2011

Two Austin, Texas-based companies are continuing their partnership this Earth Day to support the environment and to leave a smaller carbon footprint. EnviroMedia, a public relations and advertising agency dedicated solely to improving public health and the environment, announced today that it will continue purchasing Green e-Energy certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and Climate Action Reserve certified carbon offsets from Green Mountain Energy Company, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions.

Over the past three years, EnviroMedia has tracked and offset 100 percent of its estimated annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and has committed to fulfill its environmental goals for another year. EnviroMedia will track and offset the annual CO2 emissions from electricity usage in its offices, corporate air travel, employee commuting, and corporate vehicles owned or leased by EnviroMedia. Green Mountain assisted EnviroMedia in developing its carbon footprint calculations using the World Resources Institute’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

“Two-thirds of our carbon footprint is from the electricity we consume in our Austin and Portland offices, another quarter is from our employee commuting, and 10 percent is from air travel, based on Green Mountain’s calculations,” said Valerie Davis, co-founder and CEO of EnviroMedia. “We try to do all we can — our company vehicle is a hybrid, we offer telecommuting and rail passes to our employees, and we recently switched to a website host powered by renewable energy. But we still have a carbon footprint, and Green Mountain’s offset program is the next best thing to help minimize our business’s environmental impact.”

EnviroMedia’s commitment to offset 100 percent of its carbon emissions over the past three years helps the company remain in sync with the needs of its environmental and public health clients.

“Green Mountain Energy Company is proud to have EnviroMedia – an organization dedicated to helping promote the environment – as a customer, and applauds its leadership and commitment to clean energy by offsetting its CO2 emissions,” said Scott Martin, vice president of Commercial Services, Green Mountain Energy Company. “We are excited to continue our partnership with this company that is making a difference in a city where many of our employees live, work, and play.”

To date, EnviroMedia has offset 960 metric tons of CO2 by purchasing 560 metric tons of carbon offsets along with 671,000 kWh of renewable energy credits. That’s like:

•     Taking approximately 190 cars off the road for one year
•     The amount of CO2 absorbed by over 125,000 trees in one year
•     1,670 houses turning off all their lights for one year
•     Recycling over 5 million aluminum cans
•     Recycling a stack of newspapers over 70,000 feet high!

 

About Earth DayFriday, April 22 is the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, an event many people around the world will celebrate by focusing on ways to reduce pollution, protect nature and lower their personal impact on the environment. Earth Day began in 1970 as an annual day to recognized the wonders and beauty of our planet and has evolved into a week-long – and in some cases, month-long – celebration.

About EnviroMedia Social MarketingEnviroMedia formed in 1997 as the nation’s first full-service marketing firm focused solely on creating authentic public education campaigns for environmental and public health clients. Offices include headquarters in Austin, Texas, and a West Coast branch in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit EnviroMedia.com.

About Green Mountain Energy CompanyGreen Mountain, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 “to change the way power is made.” The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of clean electricity products from renewable sources, such as wind, as well as a variety of carbon offset products. Green Mountain’s largest customer is the “world’s most famous office building,” the Empire State Building in New York City. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 11.3 billion pounds of CO2 emissions. As a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, Green Mountain is backed by one of the nation’s largest renewable power producers. For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.

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Report: Oregon farmers eager to save energy

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A new report says Oregon farmers and ranchers are eager to try alternative sources of energy and renewable energy projects to become more energy efficient.

But the Oregon Department of Agriculture report says many are having trouble getting started because of the cost of some projects and improvements.

Oregon farmers say energy typically costs them less than other production costs such as labor, but it’s still a significant and often unpredictable factor.

The state report includes a number of examples of agricultural energy efficiency projects, including growing biofuel crops.

Farmers and ranchers say they have gotten support from incentive programs offered by the state, utility companies, and national energy programs.

But the report says the up-front costs of energy efficiency projects are still a significant barrier to additional projects.

Read more: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/default/article/Report-Oregon-farmers-eager-to-save-energy-1335215.php#ixzz1JT3Daxe0

California is expanding its carbon-trading program to 3 Canadian provinces

 

 By MARGOT ROOSEVELT - Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES California officials announced Tuesday that the state will expand its newly adopted carbon-trading program to three Canadian provinces, creating the largest regional cap-and-trade system in North America.

California will be joined by British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario in a cap-and-trade program aimed at limiting planet-heating greenhouse gases from industrial plants and transportation fuel, and that allows companies to buy and sell emissions allowances among themselves to cut their costs.

The Western Climate Initiative, launched by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was originally designed in 2008 to engage seven Western states and four Canadian provinces in a trading program. That program, it was hoped, would eventually fold into a broader federal cap-and-trade system to be enacted by Congress.

But since then, support for curbing global-warming emissions has ebbed, and the economic downturn has cut into business profits. Federal cap-and-trade legislation was passed by the House in 2009 but stalled in the Senate.

Arizona, New Mexico Washington, Oregon, Utah and Montana had signed on to join the initiative but have pulled out of the trading plan.

Quebec is expected to join California’s program when it is launched in January, with British Columbia and Ontario finalizing their rules within a year. Manitoba is also considering signing on.

“We hope this will evolve into a broader North American program,” said Michael Gibbs, deputy secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. “Just how it gets there is an open question.”

The initiative comes as studies show climate change is taking a toll on the Western region of the U.S. and Canada. Scientists say that without dramatic cuts in the burning of fossil fuels, Western states will suffer from water shortages, severe wildfires, coastal flooding and the loss of animal and plant species.

Even without other U.S. states, the new trading program will cover two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions of the original 11 states and provinces, because California and Ontario are the largest regional economies by far. The Western initiative also will be three times larger than a program mounted by Northeastern U.S. states, which covers only electrical plants, Gibbs said.

Harvard University economist Robert Stavins, an authority on cap-and-trade systems, said that despite the defection of the other Western states, California “is leading the way toward a national carbon-pricing policy.” He added that the “demonization” of cap-and-trade by conservatives in Congress, who branded the system “cap-and-tax,” makes the Western regional system “of the greatest importance in influencing future congressional debates.”

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/12/1965382/california-is-expanding-its-carbon.html#ixzz1JQHptolj

Professional sports teams from six leagues join forces for unprecedented ‘Green Sports Alliance’

Teams from U.S. and Canadian professional sports leagues join with national environmental group in committing to promote greening initiatives in the sports industry; Commissioners from major professional sports leagues, EPA Administrator support Alliance - Alliance to Host Inaugural Green Sports Summit in Portland, Oregon in August 2011 -SEATTLE, WA (March 21, 2011) — An unprecedented coalition of professional sports teams and sporting venues gathered today at Seattle’s Safeco Field to launch the Green Sports Alliance (GSA), a non-profit organization that will help lead the effort for professional sports leagues, teams and facilities to reduce their impact on the environment. With endorsement from league commissioners and the support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is the first time that teams from Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Major League Soccer (MLS) have collaborated on a common environmental agenda.Founding members of the GSA include MLB’s Seattle Mariners, NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, WNBA’s Seattle Storm and MLS’ Seattle Sounders FC. Members of the GSA representing sporting facilities include Safeco Field (Seattle), Qwest Field and Qwest Field Event Center (Seattle), KeyArena at Seattle Center (Seattle), the Rose Garden (Portland) and Rogers Arena (Vancouver). These organizations are working in close partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the U.S. EPA, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and Portland State University to identify and adopt innovative environmental initiatives and share information about opportunities to measure and reduce their impact on the environment.The idea of forming an inter-league alliance focused on environmental stewardship was originally conceived and initiated by representatives of Paul G. Allen’s sports teams and the Natural Resources Defense Council in the fall of 2009. Mr. Allen owns the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers and is co-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC.The announcement of the organization has been enthusiastically received by sports’ league commissioners, including MLB’s Allan H. (Bud) Selig, NFL’s Roger Goodell, the NBA and WNBA’s David Stern, the NHL’s Gary Bettman and MLS’ Don Garber.The GSA offers an opportunity for leagues, teams and venues to build on individual greening initiatives by working together to implement effective, science-based and measurable environmental programs.”The commitment by these six professional teams, from six different leagues, to enhance their environmental profile in a meaningful and public way marks a watershed in the history of professional sports,” said Allen Hershkowitz, Senior Scientist for NRDC and environmental advisor for professional sports. “This type of inter-league collaboration is unprecedented. The Green Sports Alliance is showing its commitment to making real environmental progress by systematically evaluating their members green impacts – just like sports stats. All professional leagues should follow their lead.”The GSA has been endorsed by the following professional sports commissioners and received a statement of support from the Administrator of the EPA:”Major League Baseball applauds the leadership shown by the Seattle Mariners’ environmental efforts. Their participation in the Green Sports Alliance demonstrates the commitment made by MLB and our Clubs to act in environmentally-sensitive ways. We support all the members of the professional sports community working to advance this important cause and wish the Green Sports Alliance the best of success.”- MLB Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig”The NFL is proud to support the greening efforts of the Seattle Seahawks. Environmental stewardship is important to the NFL and all our clubs, and the Seattle Seahawks are a leader in this area. Enhancing the sustainability of professional sports is a worthy goal, and we wish the Green Sports Alliance great success.”- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell”The Seattle Storm and the Portland Trail Blazers are helping to lead the way on the greening of professional sports and the NBA and WNBA are grateful for their leadership. Their participation in the Green Sports Alliance holds the potential to further the greening of professional sports nationally and we wish the GSA the best of success in this important endeavor.”- NBA Commissioner David Stern”The NHL strongly supports the greening efforts of the Vancouver Canucks. Their participation in the Green Sports Alliance brings teams together from all professional leagues in the Pacific Northwest and aligns with the NHL’s environmental initiatives. This effort holds the promise of even further greening of professional sports.”- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman”Major League Soccer and MLS W.O.R.K.S. are proud of the tremendous work Seattle Sounders FC are doing in conjunction with the Green Sports Alliance. Our league prides itself on giving back to the communities that support our clubs, and enhancing the environment is an initiative that all of us at MLS support.”- MLS Commissioner Don Garber”EPA commends the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance for recognizing the importance of protecting the environment and stepping up their green game. We thank them for their commitment to protecting our health and the environment. We hope that their efforts and the work toward environmental innovation will inspire their many fans and fellow teams to make choices that protect our people and our planet.”- EPA Administrator Lisa P. JacksonHeadquartered in Portland, Oregon and led by Executive Director, Martin Tull, the GSA will host an annual conference, the Green Sports Summit, which will bring together facility managers, event producers and marketing directors with environmental leaders such as NRDC to share best practices and discuss opportunities and challenges the teams face in their respective cities. The inaugural Green Sports Summit is scheduled for August of 2011 in Portland.”The sports industry represents a vast opportunity to make meaningful strides towards environmental responsibility and sustainability,” said Tull. “The founding members of the Green Sports Alliance have already implemented programs and policies that have significantly reduced their environmental impact and enhanced the experience for fans. We look forward to expanding the Alliance to include teams and venues across North America so that we can help each other reduce our environmental footprint and create positive change in our communities.”The GSA encourages all teams and venues to measure their environmental impacts and seek ways to reduce them. Specifically, organizations are urged to initiate strategies that reduce energy and carbon emissions, conserve water, increase recycling, and promote renewable energy and alternative transportation policies. Teams and venues are also encouraged to promote their greening initiatives throughout their respective leagues and surrounding communities. Alliance members will submit quarterly reports sharing results on their greening initiatives. The GSA will aggregate results across teams and report annually on collective progress.About the Green Sports AllianceThe Green Sports Alliance is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon with a mission to reduce the environmental impacts of professional sports and inspire others to do the same. The founding members of the Alliance are from six different professional sports leagues: Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Major League Soccer (MLS). GSA supports professional sports leagues in further advancing and coordinating their work on behalf of environmental stewardship. For more information visit www.greensportsalliance.org.About the Natural Resources Defense CouncilThe Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org

Can Portland’s Congestion Pricing Program Lead to Sustainable Transportation? by Kenny Key

Original URL

March 18th, 2011by rohlf@lclark.edu

 

A large part of “greening” built cities has to do with creating more sustainable transportation by shifting current needs and habits away from single-passenger commuting. Modern cities, such as San Francisco, London, Stockholm, and Milan, are increasingly looking into congestion pricing to create market-based incentives for community members to shift their transportation habits.^[i] Congestion pricing has been defined as “charging drivers a user fee to drive in specific, congested areas or corridors, and using the revenue generated to fund transportation improvements, such as better transit service, road improvements, and bicycle and pedestrian projects.”^[ii] However, these programs do not come without resistance, and fears from the business community.^[iii] As Portland and other major cities look for ways to reduce the carbon footprint from the transportation sector, congestion pricing could play a major role in the transportation transformation. This post will examine case studies of cities implementing congestion pricing and analyze Portland’s current action under the requirements of the Jobs and Transportation Act (JTA) which was passed by Oregon’s legislature in 2009.^[iv] While Portland has taken positive steps towards congestion pricing, its planned implementation fails to take into account the lessons learned from other cities.

            First, why is Portland looking into congestion pricing? Beyond the health and environmental reasons for such action, the JTA required the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to implement at least one congestion pricing pilot program by September 28, 2012.^[v] To meet this end ODOT established the Congestion Pricing Advisory Committee (CPAC) in July 2009.^[vi] CPAC has narrowed down the pilot projects to three proposals: Cornelius Pass Road, OR 217 onramp, and City of Portland parking management.^[vii]None of these proposals will meet the goals of the law or the sustainability objectives that should be its focus.^[viii] Instead, they aim to target areas of high congestion that do not have reliable public transportation options, which will only divert traffic rather than reduce the number of cars on the road.

           Case Studies: Comparisons and Lessons

            Overseas, other cities have successfully implemented congestion pricing and Portland should learn from their lessons to become a leader of this policy in the United States. The two most studied cities that have implemented congestion pricing are Stockholm and London. These programs differ slightly, but each has seen traffic reduction, local economic benefits, and increased public transit ridership.^[ix]

             In Stockholm, the pricing system works during the weekdays and has variable charges depending on the time of day. After initial public animosity, the pilot program was implemented and public support rose to two-thirds of the population.^[x] The program was able to create 18 new bus lines and 2,800 new park-and-ride spaces. More importantly for long term success, the program was shown to have economic benefits for businesses inside the charge zone (this was a major concern before the program began^[xi] and is an issue that needs to be addressed with local businesses if the program is to be successful in Portland). Sales for these businesses increased 5% as residents were encouraged to shop locally since the congestion charge was for both traffic entering and exiting the city center. Further, the local businesses were able to increase their deliveries by 25% due to the reduction in traffic.^[xii]

             London had similar success with a slightly different system. Travelers to central London were charged a flat fee during weekdays.^[xiii] The revenues from the program have led to road improvements and 14,000 new bus seats. Businesses inside the charge zone are growing twice as fast as comparable businesses outside the zone and the health effects of the reduction in cars has been estimated to have saved 1,888 years of life of London residents so far.^[xiv]

            Both of these programs show the potential of congestion pricing models. Stockholm and London have reduced traffic by 22% and 30% respectively and gained net yearly revenues of $100 million and $216 million respectively. At the same time, local businesses have grown and greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 14% and 16% respectively.^[xv] With a proper program, Portland has the chance to see similar results and continue to be a leader in US sustainability efforts. However, every city will have varying effects from congestion pricing and should tailor the system to the needs of the city. How the program is implemented can have a huge effect on the efficacy of system and the acceptance by users.

Portland’s Current Efforts: The Best Intentions . . .

            Congestion pricing in Portland is being worked on by the ODOT’s CPAC and is mentioned in the Portland Plan.^[xvi] A policy assessment of the Portland Plan suggests further developing ideas for congestion pricing and including them in the overall plan, but lays out no specific recommendations as to where congestion pricing should be implemented.^[xvii] As reductions in single-passenger automobile transportation will be key to meeting some of the sustainability goals of the city,^[xviii] the hope would be that the committed groups working on the Portland Plan will push for a well-designed congestion pricing plan for Portland’s future.

            Currently, the CPAC is the most active group working on implementing congestion pricing. However, there are a few issues with their current proposals that could hinder the acceptance of congestion pricing in the areas that need it most. As shown in the case studies mentioned above, the most successful congestion pricing models have been developed to encompass a city center. For Portland this would mean implementing pricing stations at the major entrances to the downtown metro area.

            The currently proposed pilot sites, while aimed at areas of high congestion, are not in areas that have the holistic landscape to support the congestion pricing goals of lessening reliance on automobiles and increasing public transportation options. As the preliminary findings in the CPAC report suggest, due to the pilot’s location there will be the unintended consequence of higher traffic on other roads as drivers will adapt to find the least expensive route.^[xix] This demeans the ultimate goal of reducing the amount of cars on the road by only reducing the amount of cars on a specific road. While this might raise revenues for the state and be more efficient for some drivers, it is not a model that can be supported by all stakeholders. Without having congestion pricing in areas that have reliable alternative transportation options (mass transit, biking, carpool, park and ride) car use will not be reduced, but rather an upset citizenry will be resourceful and use alternative routes or rebel against the fee added to their commute.

            The language in the law could be one reason why this is the case. The law states that the pilot program is needed to study the effects of congestion pricing on “reducing traffic congestion.”^[xx] This is a great starting point, but to meet the sustainability needs of the region the language needs to be much more specific.^[xxi] Language that aims to reduce traffic congestion “by reducing the total number of cars on the road,” or “by increasing public transportation ridership,” or “by reducing the amount of miles travelled per day per capita,” would all be preferred. The current language does not allow lawmakers the overall perspective necessary to achieve the sustainability goals, shown by the pilot program choosing options in areas that will only cause traffic to be diverted, not reduced.

            Further, the language of the law does not have a dedicated source where the funds generated from congestion pricing must be expended,^[xxii] such as on mass transit infrastructure projects. This allows congestion pricing to be viewed as another revenue-generating option for the city instead of as a funding source for sustainable transportation options. As a revenue source alone, the incentives for lawmakers would be to place the toll centers in the areas where they can raise the most revenue, without factoring in whether the benefits to the users will ever be manifested. The predictable outcome will be public resentment toward such “taxes” on their driving because they will not be able to see the added benefits^[xxiii] (such as those shown in the case studies mentioned above).

            Whatever the outcome of the pilot program, Portland should seriously consider congestion pricing in the downtown area as one means of helping reduce congestion and creating a more sustainable transportation network. Local businesses and industries need to get on board and realize that congestion pricing can have positive economic effects on downtown commerce. There no longer needs to be a choice between business growth and sustainable transportation measures. As shown by the case studies above, and a study done by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority,^[xxiv] the effects of congestion pricing can both benefit business interests and improve the health of residents and the environment.

^[i] San Francisco is considering implementation by 2015. London, Stockholm, Santiago, Singapore and Milan already have successful programs. S.F. County Transp. Authority, Mobility Access, and Pricing Study, Fact Sheet: Case Studies: Stockholm and London 1–2 (Nov. 2010) [hereinafter Fact Sheet]. Singapore has had a successful program since 1975. Chin Kian Keong, Singapore Land Transportation Authority, Road Pricing Singapore’s Experience 2 (Oct. 2002).  New York City is also considering resurrecting plans for congestion pricing. See http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/01/26/congestion-pricing-rises-from-the-dead/.

 

^[ii] Fact Sheet, supra note 1, at 1.

^[iii] See Glen Weisbrod & David Williams, Framework and Process for Economic Impact Assessment of Potential Highway Congestion Pricing and Tolling Schemes 4 (Nov. 15, 2010) (stating that the logical concern is that some people will shift their routes and thus shift where they spend money).

^[iv] 2009 Or. Laws c. 865 (2009).

^[v]  Id. § 3,4 (also found as note to Or. Rev. Stat. § 184.866 (2009)).

^[vi] Or. Dept. of Transp., Congestion Pricing Pilot Program Report 1 (Nov. 30, 2010) [hereinafter ODOT].

^[vii] Id. at 2.

^[viii] City of Portland, Bureau of Planning, Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 45, 68 (Nov. 2003) (stating the goal is to “lesson the reliance on the automobile” and that congestion pricing should be implemented “where high-quality transportation alternatives to driving exist”).

^[ix] Fact Sheet, supra note 1, at 1.

^[x] Id.

^[xi] Id. (stating that before implementation two-third of the public were against congestion pricing).

^[xii] Fact Sheet, supra note 1, at 1.

^[xiii] Id. at 2.

^[xiv] Id. (the study also found that people taking public transportation or walking tended to spend more after the congestion charge was implemented then automobile drivers).

^[xv] Id. at 1–2.

^[xvi] The Portland Plan is aimed to analyze the problems the city faces now and in 25 years and come up with solutions. For more information go to http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/.

^[xvii] Sustainability Tech. Working Group, Portland Plan: Existing Policy Framework Assessment 1 (Jan. 9 2008).

^[xviii] See supra note 6 and accompanying text.

^[xix] ODOT, supra note 4, at 2–4.

^[xx] 2009 Or. Law. c. 865 § 3(1).

^[xxi] In fact, the bill was passed with the goal of transportation sustainability. Id. at pmbl. ¶ 5. Further other aspects of the bill call for reducing GHG emissions from light duty vehicles. Id. § 37 (2)(a).

^[xxii] Id. at § 3(4)

^[xxiii] As an example, see the comments following a news article about a congestion pricing expert’s presentation in Portland. Ari Phillips, What One Expert Thinks About Congestion Pricing in Portland, Willamette Week (Dec. 1, 2009) available at http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-2867-what_one_expert_thinks_about_congestion_pricing_in.html.

^[xxiv] In the study economic impacts of congestion pricing were said to be neutral to positive. S.F. County Transp. Authority, Fact Sheet: Mobility, Access, and Pricing Study 1–2 (Dec. 2010) (finding that in San Francisco congestion pricing would reduce the costs associated with time lost due to congestion for individuals and businesses by over $2 billion dollars. Further, stating that increased foot traffic would lead to more retail activity).