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Just recently it seems that I’ve found a number of interesting stories that illustrate the role that government can play in aiding environmental measures or conversely where funding is being cut which impacts the ability to regulate or stimulate renewable energy/reduction of emissions appropriately. The tides of change vary from nation to nation but this story is a positive one from the UK.

The British government have announced that significant subsidies will be granted to homes, businesses and schools that are using or converting to renewable heating systems throughout the country. One of the most common methods is a conversion to woodchip burners for heating rather than a continued reliance on fossil fuel heating systems which of course also provide additional pollutants. The new scheme is to begin shortly with more than £850 million ($1.4 billion US/CA) earmarked over the next four years. It’s expected that most of the subsidized funds will be directed to hospitals, schools and community housing simply due to the size of the equipment involved. Nevertheless it’s a positive and encouraging step by a coalition government who have had their green credentials challenged and selection last year. It’s another step toward the EU target for renewable energy reaching 20 percent in the years to come, although the UK has set a lesser target of 15 percent at present.

Solar panels on a brick home in the UK

Additional incentives are in place for homeowners who add solar power to their homes or heat pumps in the ground for the purpose of heating water. There is an interesting migration in concepts around reducing emissions taking place in the UK also as analysts are documenting that more emissions are caused by heating homes and businesses than from generating electricity in the first place. This in turn may result in a new strategy that focuses on transforming the infrastructure of existing buildings. I must say that in reality as important as new green building is, the investment and commitment to try and upgrade existing structures especially for heating surely provides more benefits overall.

This new scheme in the UK is being lauded as a first of its kind, but much work has to be done to move the ratio of low-carbon heating supply in the country from its current lackluster 1% and closer to the European average of 10%. Such statistics speak volumes about the lack of previous investment and incentives. At present the island nation is reliant on gas for 70% of heat, a figure that the government will be wanting to reduce as soon as possible. In economic terms the subsidies are expected to prompt larger investment into green energy businesses which stand to prosper from the changing conditions.

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I drink a lot of coffee, probably too much, but I afford myself this guilty pleasure fairly safe in the knowledge that there are much worse things I could be doing on a daily basis. If, like me, you drink enough coffee daily you can’t help but have seen coffee prices accelerating recently at a rate that makes gasoline increases look rather tame. Coincidentally, the fundamental reason for what has now been a 12 month spike in the price of coffee turns out to be climate change. Talk about inspiring me even more to combat global warming issues!

Seriously though, the recent coffee inflation has been primarily due to low crop yields and enforced movement of much coffee farming due to recent dramatic shifts of weather patterns in the regions where the morning brew is primarily grown. The perfect coffee bean is a little like the perfect grape needed to make good wine, only a relatively small piece of the planet is ideal for making the best and warmer temperatures have changed those perfect locations to higher altitudes. As you know the higher above sea level you go the cooler the weather will then become. The regions on Earth that yield the most coffee have traditionally been plantations located between 3,500 and 6,000 feet in altitude but a trend that has been ongoing for the last six years has seen many farmers needing to transform the hillsides to provide crops at about 7,000 feet just to find the ideal growing conditions.

Naturally enough the industry can’t be moved overnight and in the meantime yields have been dramatically down recently as coffee beans simply will not mature properly if the temperature variations are too extreme. Heavy rain has also contributed to the most recent price increases to exacerbate the situation even more notably. Scientists that study climate change have realized that tropical plants are more sensitive to changes in weather and are less adaptable, naturally enough coffee production is centred within tropical or subtropical regions. It’s been frustrating for growers to watch as the problems are not even consistent; some trees have just withered away whilst others flower far too early, while in other areas the plant appears to be going through normal annual cycle that is simply not returning a full harvest. Overall yields are down by 26 percent over the last decade and many farmers are not in a position to relocate the crops (assuming the local geography even allows for it) and some areas that previously were used for coffee plantations are now being transferred to other types of farming or cattle. One potential solution is the introduction of hardier coffee plants that will be more resistant to weather change but that still do not provide an immediate solution.

It’s unknown whether coffee prices will begin to return to what we considered to be normal just a year or two ago but the next time you’re in a drive-through queue waiting for your espresso or latte behind four or five gas guzzlers, perhaps tap on their windows, ask them to park their cars and walk into the coffee shop instead. It might even bring the prices down.

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Even though we are currently sitting at the very opposite of a construction boom, eventually you will see a return to more normal levels of residential and commercial construction over the next year or two. When that happens I hope that more cities, provinces, states or jurisdictions are incorporating green construction methods by choice however legislation ultimately will assist with that ratio improving. Energy-efficient buildings made with the most sustainable resources are most certainly going to be a key component of the global commitment to combat climate change. Whilst new construction is currently in the doldrums it seems a very opportune time for local municipalities to review their construction laws. Similarly in many cases plenty of buildings will be eligible for retrofits and green codes can also be applied to those initiatives.

Fortunately regulations are also being reviewed and implemented in certain towns and counties with many electing to adopt new green building codes for new projects. It’s exciting news then that an entire state – Maryland – has passed laws that make it the first state to fully adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) for all works to be carried out by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Develpment. These guidelines significantly impact the way building are designed, constructed and then operated.  Stuart Kaplow, Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council Maryland added:

“This is the most significant environmental legislation adopted in Maryland this year. The IGCC is at the confluence of pro business and pro environment … it is what is best about the modern environmental movement.”

The IGCC came into being in 2009 with a set of codes created in partnership with the International Code Council. These agreements were made with participation by the American Institute of Architects; ASTM International; the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; the U.S. Green Building Council; and the Illuminating Engineering Society. The IGCC allows for marked improvements not only in the design and construction standards but perhaps most importantly looks at the long term performance attributes of a building. That performance over a period of time will be of the greatest environmental importance in terms of energy use. These statistics about what buildings in the US are responsible will either confirm what you already know or startle you:

US Buildings are responsible for:

  • 40% of energy consumption
  • 39% of CO2 emissions
  • 13% of water consumption
  • 15% of GDP per year

The new code is expected to reduce energy use by as much as 50% and reduce CO2 emissions by almost 40%. These are significant strides forward and I’d hope that Maryland will just be the first state of many to adopt the IGCC. You can learn much more about the IGCC by visiting this site.

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