Just how green is California? Deep green. Very deep green, according
to a new California Green Innovation Index compiled by Silicon Valley
venture capitalist F. Noel Perry’s non-profit Next 10 foundation.
That might be taken as so much environmental chest-thumping by Golden State partisans, but the report
— the product of Next 10 and public-interest consultants Collaborative
Economics — offers some persuasive statistics about the role green
innovation has played in California’s fortunes.
"The index analyzes key economic and environmental indicators,"
writes Perry, "including energy consumption and efficiency, economic
growth and carbon emissions, to help us better understand the role
green innovation plays in achieving two goals critical to California’s
future: 1) reducing the absolute level of the greenhouse gas emissions
that cause global warming, and 2) increasing the state’s gross domestic
product, which is the basis for our economic vitality "
The conclusion echoes one repeatedly championed by green tech
proponents, from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to Silicon Valley venture
capitalists: environmental innovation and economic prosperity go hand
in hand.
Here’s some interesting data points from the report:
- "If California’s annual statewide electricity bill was the same
fraction of GDP as Texas…Californians would be paying almost $25
billion more for electricity." - California holds 44% of United States patents in solar technologies and 37% in wind.
- The Golden State has 36 percent of the U.S.’s green tech venture capital investment.
- "California utility efficiency programs….reduced the need for 24
power plants between 1975 and 2003….The California Energy Commission
estimates that building and appliance standards alone have saved
residents and businesses $56 billion through 2003 and are projected to
save another $23 billion by 2013." - "More Californians recycle than vote" (More than 50 percent of Californians recycle.)
- "Per capita CO2 emissions in Texas are double those of California.
Per capita emissions levels in California today are slightly lower than
they were 15 years ago." - California has about 90 percent of the market for energy-efficient
dishwasher and about 50 percent of the market for energy-efficient
refrigerators and washing machines
Concludes Next 10: "The growing distance between the trend lines of
GDP rising and emissions dropping represent the delinking of GHG
emissions from economic growth."
Green Wombat 
Strange that more Californians recycle than vote! Hopefully, increasing numbers of people will realize the importance of voting to get environmentally-minded politicians in office.
Strange that more Californians recycle than vote! Hopefully, increasing numbers of people will realize the importance of voting to get environmentally-minded politicians in office.
Strange that more Californians recycle than vote! Hopefully, increasing numbers of people will realize the importance of voting to get environmentally-minded politicians in office.
Strange that more Californians recycle than vote! Hopefully, increasing numbers of people will realize the importance of voting to get environmentally-minded politicians in office.
Strange that more Californians recycle than vote! Hopefully, increasing numbers of people will realize the importance of voting to get environmentally-minded politicians in office.
Almost all wars and terrorism in the world can be stopped. Almost all dictators and tyrants can be rendered powerless. All we have to do is to stop paying them. An alarming amount of the money Western nations pay for oil is going into the coffers of people who terrorists and dictators. All we have to do defund the world’s most violent criminals is to become energy independent.
In the first phase of energy independence we get as much energy as possible from resources which we own or which are in the hands of friendly, stable nations. First we build new nuclear power plants in every state. If the French can make nuclear work what excuse do we have? In addition, we drill for oil off all our coastal waters and we build new refineries and pipelines in every state. Existing energy companies are making plenty of money in the current climate of false scarcity. We will have to find away around them. Usually way around greedy energy companies would require political will. However, almost all existing politicians are in the pocket of the energy companies. This includes democrats and republicans. So every politician currently in office needs to be thrown out. Anyone who works for or who owns an existing conventional energy company is in my view disqualified for public office. We already know from the Bush/Cheney experience that such politicians will work in a way contrary to the national security of the United States and will start pointless wars for oil.
Merely having new politicians willing to clear the legal minefields laid down by oil bought senators and congressmen might not be enough. We might have to get a little bolder. Therefore I suggest that we build terawatts of new nuclear power plans and miles of new oil refineries in Mexico and that we send the power back to the states via pipelines, power lines, hydrogen, or whatever works. This will provide work for Mexicans and energy for us. The Mexican government will have a large incentive to make the plants secure and this increased security might even spill over to the borders and make our borders more secure.
While phase one is going on we need to start on phase 2. In this phase we bring online as many green and renewable technologies as are currently viable and put as much money as is needed into producing more. I would suggest that the model cities be built in the west and south—anywhere that it does not get cold enough to snow. The idea is to build small towns or cities that will go cold turkey. There will be no fossil fuels of any kind allowed in these cities. All vehicles and houses will be powered by wind, solar and bio-mass. The best locations would be those that have year around wind, sun and enough farming in the area to produce the bio mass. These experimental towns would be off the power grid. The only way to get power to them would be to make the green and renewable technologies work. Volunteers who truly believe that the future is green would be invited to apply for residency. We would probably take engineers and farmers over other types because we would need people who were skilled in keeping the power conversion machinery going and others who don’t mind the get your hand dirty hard work of farming.