Scientific Conservation Inc. uses software to manage energy consumption by comparing current commercial building market energy usage to predicted system efficiencies. Fireman’s Fund is an insurance company that specializes in casualty and property protection.

The companies will offer U.S. commercial policyholders discounted fees, premiums and maintenance costs. The key to success is in SCI’s signature product SCIwatch, which offers predictive diagnostics that will predict changes in building systems before they fail. This will lead to positive results for policyholders, as money and energy will be saved by catching changes in energy/assets before they occur.

Less energy and lower risk, this sounds like a great foundation!

Ban Ki-moon will still be involved with international climate change negotiations, and recently called on the world’s major powers to stop playing politics and reach a climate change agreement. “Consumption without consequences” needs to end, and climate change shows that the old model is dangerous, Ban reportedly said at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

But after Copenhagen 2009 failed, Ban realized that the solution may be in addressing the issue at ground level. Before Cancun 2010, he suggested that financing efforts against climate change and on forestry may be better (read: easier) than reaching a global agreement.

This basic shift of his attention from the problem to solutions is a good one. We can’t afford to wait for the world’s leaders to agree on action if they stall any longer. Let’s help the people who are bringing solutions to the table, such as clean energy. Our world needs it.

The waters between Baffin and Devon Islands are feeding and breeding territory for mammals such as walruses, seals, polar bears, narwhals and belugas and bowhead whales to feed and breed. Large numbers of seabirds nest in the region. Protecting the richness of Lancaster Sound is essential to the health of Canada’s Arctic and also shows Canada’s commitment to combating climate change.

Earlier this summer Inuit leaders and environmentalists everywhere were shocked when the Canadian federal government gave permission to scientists to begin seismic testing of the area’s ocean floor. Two years ago the United States Geological Survey estimated that 90 billion barrels of oil at the bottom of the ocean floor. In August the Nunavut Court of Justice, however, granted an injunction that prevented the seismic exploration since the testing posed too many dangers to northern mammals.

The federal government has now decided to spend the time and money to protect the area from future exploration. The Environment Minister John Baird has even gone as far as stating that the government may even widen the drilling ban after consultation with the Inuit groups, the government of Nunavut and environmental groups, reports the Toronto Sun.

The federal government’s announcement comes just days before Mr. Baird’s departure to Mexico, where Canada is working with Japan and Russia to battle an extension of the Kyoto Accord. After Canada’s poor performance in Copenhagen, Mr. Baird recently stated that this announcement sends a clear signal to the world that Canada is committed to the environment.

The outcome of the recent climate change conference in Cancun was an agreement for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement’s not binding, and even letting the world’s temperature increase by 2 degrees is going to negatively impact millions and millions of people, animals, and ecosystems.

Much work will have to be done to save lives and wild spaces. Let’s remember to drop the jargon as much as possible and connect better with the donors and supporters who will help determine what actually gets saved.

UNEP’s projects include green passports for sustainable tourism, successful reforestation in Panama, greening East African tea plantations, and carbon financing in Africa, reports News Blaze. From community-based programs to large entrepreneurial endeavors, the solutions that UNEP is presenting embody innovation and creativity, and provide benefits to the people they serve as well as help to reduce global emissions, writes UNEP.

We agree with UNEP that clean and renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency must lie at the heart of nationally appropriate climate change mitigation actions. This can range from creating mass markets for solar water heaters to improving vehicle efficiency to using waste for energy or installing energy-efficient cooking stoves.

One example of these case studies is in the power of a cup of tea. Growing tea is energy intensive, and given the unreliable power sources of East Africa many growers have installed diesel generators. However, the tea farms are in hilly areas with high annual rainfall and all-season river flows, which makes them ideal sites for small hydropower projects. Up to 6 small hydropower stations will be built as demonstration projects that will provide energy to the farms with any surplus providing electricity for nearby villages that currently have no grid connection. I’m not sure what the villages are currently using, but in some parts of Africa they use energy from wood burning. The hydropower would be an improvement.

UNEP’s 30 case studies prove that solutions to combat climate change are available, accessible and replicable. The program is part of the lead up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled from November 29 to December 10 in Cancun, Mexico.

There are some positive signs in energy conservation. Investments in clean energy are growing, and fuel-efficient hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles are increasingly appearing on our roads. High performance buildings, such as Manitoba Hydro Place which I wrote about last month, are managing energy smartly. Altogether, these efforts are creating jobs for the new economy and helping energy conservation, while giving us hope that we might be able to tackle climate change before it’s too late.

How much awareness do you have about efficient energy management?  While it can be as simple as switching off unused lights, some confusion exists over actions like whether leaving a computer really takes less energy than starting it up again. In case you’re wondering, turning off and powering down your computer is much more energy efficient. If you feel like testing your knowledge, CannonConnections.com has a quiz on their website with this and other questions.

Energy conservation is becoming the law in places like Cleveland Ohio. As Cleveland.com reports, Ohio gas companies must by law help their customers conserve. Their program includes home energy audits, free weather stripping, caulking and low flow shower heads and up to $1,250 in rebates for improvements made based on the audit. The energy audit itself includes a furnace and hot water tank combustion check, free low flow shower heads and programmable thermostats. Now is a good time to get your furnace and hot water checked, before winter comes.

Kahn argues that climate change is a reality and that people must adapt to a hotter future.  Computer models predict that Los Angeles County will be 13 degrees F warmer on average in July by 2070.  This means that water will become even scarcer in the region, which will boost demand and create major shortages.

A sense of urgency and market pricing signals are key components of the awareness strategy that is vital in order to protect the citizens of LA and other cities against climate change and shortages, according to Kahn.  He goes on to explain that the current low water prices (less than one cent per gallon) in LA will exacerbate the water shortage, as people are less likely to reduce water usage when they lack incentive to do so.  Kahn suggests that the prices of water and electricity should reflect their true scarcity.

By reducing the supply of available water, climate change will create an imperative, forcing reluctant governments to recognize that water prices must reflect the basic fundamentals of supply and demand.  Already, California households are offered a variety of rebates for “green” appliances, including high-efficiency clothes washers and toilets, rotating sprinkler nozzles and irrigation controllers.  Although these rebates are beneficial, they are not enough according to Kahn, who suggests that rising water prices would trigger innovation and lead to scientific advancements in water conservation.

However, the Winnipeg Free Press reports that critics argue the plan is not cohesive and will allow existing oil, natural gas and logging operations to continue on the classified conservation land that will stretch from east of Edmonton to the Northwest Territories.  The land contains almost all of Alberta’s proven tar sands oil reserves and generates $1.4 billion from forestry.

The document outlining the plan states that there will be varying degrees of protection for different parts of the landscape in the conserved areas and that land currently being used for oil and gas production will be permitted to continue.  Also, large parts of the areas being proposed for protection overlap with current forestry management areas and mineral leases.

The tar sands are located in the middle of Canada’s Boreal forest, one of the largest carbon storehouses in the world and home to countless plant and animal species as well as extensive wetlands.  The Sierra Club refers to the tar sands, which cover a landmass of 140,200 km2, as one of the most destructive industrial projects in the world and argue that the Sands must be included in a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

Indeed, after monitoring 60 sites along the Athabasca River and its tributaries, University of Alberta ecologist Dr. David Schindler has come to the conclusion that the tar sands have added carcinogenic toxins to the area environment, according to the Sierra Club.  The study focuses on 13 toxic substances explicitly linked to tar sands development, which contradicts industry and government claims that the toxins are naturally occurring.  The Sierra Club is calling for the government to cease new tar sands approvals.

Each of the one million trees to be planted will be added to Earth Day Network’s Billion Acts of Green program as well as pledged towards the UN Environmental Program Billion Tree Campaign, a worldwide tree planting initiative by the UN Environment Programme.  Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will insert a unique code inside the Avatar Blu-ray/DVD which lets fans adopt one of the one million trees being planted.

Tree Canada will work to reforest almost 2,000 acres of pine forest in southeastern Manitoba that were destroyed by hurricane force winds in 2005.

In the UK, The Woodland Trust will provide free tree packs and online support to communities as part of their More Trees, More Good campaign.  The UK has only 4% native woodland cover, but the Woodland Trust suggests that at least twice as many native trees and woods are needed to maintain healthy populations of wildlife and people, and to combat climate change and improve the environment.  Clive Anderson, Sean Bean, and Barry Davison are among the British celebrities who are supporting this program.

In the United States, the tree planting will be sponsored by three organizations.  MillionTreesNYC in New York focuses on increasing green spaces and the urban health environment for low to middle income neighborhoods.  In San Franciso, Friends of the Urban Forest help citizens plant and care for street trees and sidewalk gardens, particularly in low income areas.  And in Los Angeles, TreePeople improves city life by planting trees, including fruit trees which will provide a free source of fruit to help low-income citizens eat healthier.

For information about the other 12 countries involved in the Avatar Home Tree Initiative, see Earth Day Network’s press release.

The June 2010 “Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook” report provides a detailed and practical blueprint for reducing carbon emissions while achieving economic growth by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and energy efficiency.  This phase-out of fossil fuels offers substantial benefits such as energy security and independence from world market fuel prices, as well as the creation of millions of new green jobs, reports Repower Alberta. 

A sustainable future for our planet involves investing in people and local communities who can establish and maintain renewable energy sources.   The vision includes decentralised energy systems, smart interactive grids, and super grids for offshore wind and solar power transportation.  Renewable micro grids for people living in remote areas could reach almost 2 billion people who today lack electricity, Greenpeace reports.  Highlights of the report are available on Greenpeace’s website.

The report offers three scenarios.  The most advanced one allows carbon emissions to increase and peak in 2015, after which they would drop by more than 80% by 2050 when the energy supply would be generated mostly by renewable energies.  Under this scenario, 95% of electricity could be produced by renewable energy by 2050, reports Repower Alberta. 

Meanwhile, Sierra Club Prairie and Greenpeace have been travelling around Alberta as part of RePower Alberta, a campaign aimed at persuading the Alberta government to develop a Green Energy Strategy.  The two NGO’s are organizing and presenting a series of Green Energy and Green Jobs events to educate people about Alberta’s potential for a green economy.  Alberta is the only Canadian jurisdiction currently building a new coal-fired power plant, and the government recently allocated $2 billion for Carbon Capture and Storage.  Increased greening is needed!