Alberta Premiere to Fight for the Fossil Fuel Industry and the Federal Conservatives

The newly elected premiere of Alberta Jason Kenney has threatened the Federal Liberals, the province of BC, environmentalists and anyone who opposes fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry was a central campaign issue for the new premier. Kenney uttered a bizarre warning for environmentalists who he outlandishly claimed are part of a foreign conspiracy to undermine Alberta's fossil fuel industry.

In a Trump style public relations move meant to pander to his base Kenney claimed he will launch a public inquiry into the matter. He is scapegoating environmentalists and going after well respected groups like the David Suzuki Foundation and the Tides Foundation. These are cynical political ploys meant to undermine those that oppose his dirty energy agenda.

Kenney has also threatened to pass legislation that will cut the flow of oil to BC to punish the province for its resistance to the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

At an April rally in Fort McMurray Kenney said the UCP government is ready to take on both the province of BC and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.

He has said he will go to court in a bid to kill national carbon pricing schemes and he has also vowed to try to make it difficult to impose carbon taxes in the future. He has also promised to work to get the federal Conservatives elected.  On April 11th Andrew Scheer, the leader of the federal Conservatives, secretly met with oil industry executives in a day long meeting to discuss strategies to win the federal election.

The meeting included leaders of four oil companies, conservative organizers and the president of Canada's largest oil patch lobby group, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. It also included an oil advocacy group called the Modern Miracle Network.

There is some question as to whether the lack of transparency associated with this meeting contravenes Canadian laws pertaining to anti-collusion with third-party groups and political parties. When Scheer was called out for the secret meeting he responded in a Facebook post saying, "I will not apologize for standing up for Canada’s oil and gas workers and to defeat a government that is intent on phasing them out."

Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna responded on Twitter saying:

"Straight from Harper's playbook: Andrew Scheer has been caught scheming behind closed doors with wealthy executives to gut environmental protection laws, silence critics, and make pollution free again...We're working with Canadians everywhere to find common ground and put solutions into action that protect nature and fight climate change. Meanwhile, Scheer and his powerful friends plan to slap critics with lawsuits and smear campaigns."

Scheer replied by reposting a December, 2018 video of himself participating in a pro-oil truck convoy in Alberta. He wrote, "While Justin Trudeau's Liberals want to phase out Canada's energy workers, I am not ashamed of fighting for them – and it's no secret."

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The Ongoing Prodigious Growth of Renewables

Clean energy is responsible for two-thirds of the new power added in 2018 and one third of the world's power is now being generated by renewable energy. These are some of the conclusions contained in a recent International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report. Last year saw the largest annual increase in global renewable generation capacity ever. New solar capacity alone was more than the combined total of new coal, natural gas and nuclear power.  In the last five years the growth of renewables has made it hard to deny that clean energy can and will replace fossil fuels. In fact the transition is already underway. We saw tremendous growth in renewable energy in 2015 and in 2016 we added 161 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity.

Solar and wind power continue to grow at a prodigious rates. According to IRENA, the world passed 1,000 GW of cumulative installed wind and solar power last year. 10 years ago, there was less than 8 GW of solar. In 2018 solar energy increased by 94 GW and wind energy increased by around 49 GW.

Both the UK and Germany set new records, however, the growth of renewables is not just a western phenomenon, in fact developing nations are leading this prodigious growth. The International Energy Agency said 120 million people gained access to electricity last year and much of this increase occurred due to the installation of renewables in remote locations in the developing world. Asia has seen an 11 percent increase in renewable energy and Africa has seen an 8 percent increase.

There have also been notable increases in geothermal energy which increased in Turkey, Indonesia and the United States. However, 90 percent of the new renewable energy sources in the US were either wind or solar power. This represents a five fold increase in these two clean power sources (57 million megawatt hours in 2008, and 301 million megawatt hours in 2018). According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) between 2008 and 2018 renewable energy has doubled in the US. In 2018, renewable generation provided the US with 742 million megawatthours (MWh) of electricity which translates to 17.6 percent of the nation's electricity generation.

There is still a lot of room for growth as wind provides only 6.5 percent and solar 2.3 percent of the nation's electricity. Hydroelectric power leads renewables providing slightly more energy than wind. Nuclear plants provided 19 percent of U.S. electricity in 2018 but 63.4 percent came from fossil fuels. According to Grist at the current rate of growth the US could get all of its electricity from carbon free sources by 2050.

Forecasts suggest that renewables will just keep growing. In 2015, Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s New Energy Outlook, predicted a $6.9 trillion investment in new renewable electric power generation over the next 25 years. A 2016 report by Ceres, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, and Ken Locklin, predicts that there is a $12.1 Trillion Investment Opportunity for Renewables.

"Renewables will have the fastest growth in the electricity sector, providing almost 30% of power demand in 2023, up from 24% in 2017. During this period, renewables are forecast to meet more than 70% of global electricity generation growth, led by solar PV and followed by wind." (IEA)

These forecasts are being backed up by ambitious commitments from the world's most populace countries. China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, revised its renewable energy target upwards, committing to 35 percent clean energy by 2030. India is adding 150 GW of wind and solar in the next four years to meet its 28 percent target by 2022 .

Led by impressive growth in both wind and solar renewable energy shows no sign of slowing down. This growth will continue to increase as we come to terms with the fact that we cannot tackle climate change without arresting our use of fossil fuels. It is both obvious and inevitable that to meet our climate goals we will need to accelerate our adoption of emissions free energy.

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Event - Solar Canada Annual Conference & Exposition

Solar Canada Conference and Exhibition will take place May 8-9, 2019 at the BMO Centre, in Calgary, Alberta. This event is Canada's largest and most important solar energy conference and a must-attend event for solar energy professionals, stakeholders and advocates.

Calgary provides an excellent backdrop to discuss Canada’s clean energy future. With recent solar projects going forward at an average contracting price of less than five cents per kilowatt-hour, Alberta is leading the country with the lowest rates on solar energy.

"Utility-scale solar is now cost competitive with natural gas, and this is transformative for our industry," says John Gorman, CanSIA President & CEO. "Achieving Alberta’s 30 per cent by 2030 renewable electricity target has just become a lot more cost-effective. This sends a clear signal to energy consumers and governments across Canada that solar is a clean and low-cost energy option." 

Attendees will gain insights into Canada’s changing energy markets and policies; discover revolutionary research and technologies; network with solar innovators; and, receive updates from jurisdictions across Canada.

Highlights

High-profile speakers including the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Rabia Ferroukhi, Acting Director of the Knowledge, Policy & Finance division at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

An expo hall that brings together the entire solar industry supply chain and includes educational sessions, case studies, a dedicated section for startup companies, electric cars and more.

Top Reasons to Participate - Network and build relationships with Canada’s most important solar energy professionals at networking events that connect industry stakeholders and encourage business development and partnerships. - Discover the latest innovations, technology, trends, and visions the industry has to offer - Promote your brand as a key player in the solar energy industry

Speakers

• Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources, Government of Canada
• Michael Lohner, Partner, Crestview Strategy
• Gurbuz Gonul, Director, Country Support and Partnerships, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
• Elizabeth Moore, Vice-President, Commercial, Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)
• Chris Warwick, Mayor, Town of Hanna, Alberta
• Guy Bridgeman, SVP, Water Canada, EPCOR
• Katharine Hayhoe, Professor - Climate Change Center, Texas Tech University
• Jay Khosla, Assistant Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada

About CanSIA

Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) is a national trade association that represents the solar energy industry throughout Canada. Since 1992, CanSIA has worked to develop a strong, efficient, ethical and professional Canadian solar energy industry with capacity to provide innovative solar energy solutions and to play a major role in the global transition to a clean-energy future. Learn more at www.cansia.ca.

About Hannover Fairs (Canada) Inc.

Hannover Fairs (Canada) is a subsidiary of Hannover, Germany’s Deutsche Messe – one of the world’s largest and most active organizers of industrial technology events. Hannover Fairs helps companies expand domestically and internationally through exhibit and sponsorship opportunities at Deutsche Messe’s worldwide portfolio of events, including Energy at HANNOVER MESSE and Canada’s premier wind energy event, CanWEA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Visit http://www.hfcanada.ca for more information.

Click here for the program
Click here to register

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The Shift to the Right and Hope on the Road to Ruin

Prioritizing economic growth at the expense of the environment is a defining feature of modern day conservatives. In many parts of the world the right are untied in their contempt for science, resistance to climate action and disregard for environmental protections. Under the guise of being pro-business they systematically eliminate regulations designed to protect the public. It is often said that reality has a liberal bias and conservative governments the world over seem committed to proving this point. Brazil's new government under Jair Bolsonaro is a case in point as are electoral outcomes across Europe. Conservative federal governments including those in the US and Australia have flouted science and crushed the climate efforts of their predecessors. It is not surprising that the US and Australia are two countries with significant climate protest movements.

In 2013 Australia's green government died after climate champion, Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced out as leader of her party and Tony Abbott subsequently defeated Labor in a general election. Since then climate change has been a political football in the country.

In 2016, with the help of Russian interference, Republican nominee Donald Trump narrowly defeated Hilary Clinton to become President of the United States. Soon after he was inaugurated he began to dismantle Barack Obama's climate legacy. Since then the Trump presidency has proven to be a nightmare.

We have seen the same process play out in Canadian provincial elections. In 2018 Doug Ford defeated Kathleen Wynn in Ontario reversing one of the most progressive provincial climate agenda's in the country.  Ford's victory was followed by the recent electoral victory of Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party (UCP) in Alberta. Kenney defeated Rachel Notely and he has promised to end the policies of the greenest provincial leadership Albertans have ever known.

Right wing governments come to power by promising tax cuts but once in power they benefit the 1 percent and dirty energy. They appeal to the lowest common denominator as they leverage the politics of fear and division. They pander to nationalist sentiments that often include xenophobia and racism. Trump is well known for his Charlottesville defense of Neo-Nazis. Kenney's candidates included white nationalists and those that harbor anti-LGBTQ and anti-Islamic sentiments.

Like other conservatives Kenney won with a dishonest economic message that prioritizes the fossil fuel industry, jobs and the economy. Kenney cast aspersions on the green economy and ignored market realities. Conservatives are willfully blind to economic assessments that clearly favor climate action over inaction. Such agenda's hurt the economies of the nation's they lead. In Australia Abbott's pro-coal agenda spooked investors and Trump's tax cuts have massively increased the national debt.

Nonetheless, conservatives claim to be focused on the economy and business. In fact they all use the same catch phrase, "we are open for business" which is code for we will dismantle protections to serve an anti-environment agenda.

"Today our great province has sent a message to Canada and the world that Alberta is open for business." Kenney said after learning he would be the next premiere of Alberta.  Less than a year ago Ford said, "Ontario is open for business," during his victory speech. These are the same words as those uttered by President Trump. "America is Open for business," he told an audience at Davos in 2018.

Make no mistake about it whenever conservative politicians say, "we are open for business," they are in effect signalling an assault on climate and the environment.

It is interesting to note that right of center men are defeating left of center and centrist women (Abbott beat Gillard and Trump beat Clinton). A similar theme manifested in Canada with Ford's victory over Wynn and Kenney's win over Notley. There are no more women serving as premiers in Canada and provinces east of the Rockies through to Quebec are all represented by conservative majority governments. As it now stands Conservatives have won provincial elections in Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario and most recently PEI.   

However, the conservative win in PEI gives us reason to hope that conservatism does not need to be anti-science and anti-environment. The victory of Progressive Conservative leader Dennis King suggests that conservatives can win with a platform that includes climate action. 

In Ontario and Alberta conservative governments have killed environmental leadership, but PEI is a different story. As explained by the National Observer, the new premiere of the province may be  "[King] is a distinctly different leader than premier-designate Jason Kenney of Alberta or Premier Doug Ford of Ontario. Unlike other conservatives in the country, King has not pledged to fight the federal carbon price, and has even pledged to turn P.E.I. into a carbon-neutral society."

However, other conservatives are not as receptive to the facts. Our times require change but this is the one thing that conservatives have trouble doing. Conservatives that continue to refuse to incorporate reality into their policy agendas may find themselves out of a job.  

In the 2018 midterm elections the electorate in the US delivered a stunning rebuke to the Trump administration and Republicans when the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in a blue wave. In the forthcoming general elections scheduled for May 18th polls indicate that Australian voters appear poised to turf the ruling party and vote for climate action. Climate change may also be a key election issue in the Canadian national elections that will be held on October 21st.

The day will dawn when conservatives will be forced to renounce their cynical resistance to the facts about climate change.  However, with less than 12 years before we run out of time, that day cannot come soon enough.

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Trees Really Are as Close to a Panacea as it gets

Forests offer a wide range of benefits. It is hard to overestimate the power of trees to improve our world.  They are an important part of the solution to the climate crisis and they are one of the most powerful tools we have to combat air pollution.

The 3 trillion trees in the world today combat climate change by sequestering 400 gigatons or about a quarter of the carbon humans produce each year. A single tree can reduce particulate matter air pollution by 24 percent. They not only clean the air they also clean both water and soil. They protect fresh water and they enrich the earth.

Forests provide habitat for a wide range of biodiversity and they moderate our weather by stabilizing precipitation patterns, cooling the planet and mitigating against drought. They help us to manage disasters like storms and floods, they combat erosion and they reduce the likelihood of landslides.

Trees are a source of aesthetic beauty and recreational interest the world over. Forests and nature are known to provide a wealth of health advantages including both physical and mental benefits. They reduce stress, contribute to our sense of well being and elevate our mood. They not only make us happier they also make make us smarter.

Trees provide economic and employment benefits along with a wealth of ecosystem services like food, shelter, and oxygen.  According to FAO there are more than 1.5 billion people that are dependent on forests for their livelihood. Trees provide sustenance and allow people to earn their livings through things like fruits, nuts, timber and medicine. Trees are also linked to food security and farm productivity. 

The United Nations’ recognizes the importance of forests which is why they advocate tree management. The Paris Agreement recognizes that forests play an important role in meeting climate goals by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon in trees and soils.

Much of the life on this planet depends on forests and reforestation offers an extraordinary ROI in terms of ecosystem services and carbon sequestration. Tree planting can also be incorporated into a cap-and-trade, or emissions trading scheme (ETS) program.

There is a multi-faceted wisdom behind efforts to restore forests and protect existing forests.

Related
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Our Forests are Being Decimated but they can be Reborn
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Another Conservative Win? Think Again - Think Green

The electoral outcome in PEI on April 23rd demonstrates that conservative political leaderships can win with a positive message that prioritizes the environment and climate action. By virtue of the Green Party's very close second place finish it is fair to say that PEI may be the greenest provincial electorate in Canada. Premier Wade MacLauchlan's Liberals failed to secure a fourth term despite delivering strong economic leadership and a promise of more of the same. The Progressive Conservatives (PCs) won 12 seats with 37 percent of the popular vote, the Greens won 9 seats with of 31 percent of the popular vote, and the incumbent Liberals won 5 seats with 29 percent of the popular vote. There is a great deal of overlap between the first and second place parties with the platforms of both the PCs and the Greens emphasizing environmental stewardship and climate action. They also share a common focus on social issues.

Clean green campaigns

The election politics were polite and respectful and the campaigns were civil as was the debate. The PCs ultimately won with positive messaging focused on people and as a minority government status ensures that the parties will have to work together in order to form a government. In an acknowledgement of the political reality PC leader Dennis King said he would refrain from partisanship and engage in positive governance.

Green Party leader Peter Bevan-Baker said the legislature would be a "cooperative" one, and he called King, "a good friend". This is in sharp contrast to what Bevan-Baker called the "rancour and nastiness" seen in "other" elections.

In addition to running mean campaigns focused on fear and division, conservative provincial leaders like premier-designate Jason Kenney of Alberta or Premier Doug Ford of Ontario oppose environmental protections, resist climate action and ignore science. Conversely, PEI's PCs have stressed the importance of the environment, climate action and science.

As explained by the National Observer, King is a "distinctly different leader" than either Kenney or Ford. "Unlike other conservatives in the country, King has not pledged to fight the federal carbon price, and has even pledged to turn P.E.I. into a carbon-neutral society."

As reported by Huff Post, King said the strong performance by the Greens showed that Island voters want their politicians to work together. "It shows that Prince Edward Island wants the parties to put partisanship behind them ... to do what's best for Prince Edward Island," he said.

Based on the electoral outcome Island voters appear to believe that green leadership is what is best for them.

Green Tories

The PEI PC's have woven sustainability into their constitution.  Their vision focuses on providing, "a healthy economy, society, and environment allowing the capacity for all of its citizens to achieve happiness and prosperity." They also have a socially progressive mission and they prioritize Stewardship which they define as, "passing on a natural environment to future generations that is the same or better than the one we inherited".  As explained by King: "This generation of youth is so well-informed about the effects of climate change. We have to commit to doing better—for them."

Their policy platform states that they are "mindful of the challenges that lie ahead" including climate change which "threatens our coastlines, our crops, and the lives of future generations of Islanders."
They are concerned about threats to PEI's water land and air. They regard themselves as stewards of the island's precious resources, which implies that they "understand their value and respect their fragility".

"The state of Mother Earth speaks for itself—on a local and global scale. It is our duty to do whatever we can to offset the impact humans have had on the world," the PC platform states. "A commitment to monitor the health of our environment is essential to ensuring necessary measures are being taken to address its evolving state....In order to mitigate any further detrimental impacts, government must put the needs of the environment first."

The solutions proposed by the PCs include the following:

• Implement, with local environmental groups, a reforestation plan that would plant one million trees each year in environmentally-sensitive areas for the next four years $125,000
• Establish a working group in partnership with UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering and local watershed groups to undertake evaluations and make recommendations on matters affecting our bays, streams, and rivers
• Develop a solar energy rebate and electric vehicle incentive program
• Add more electric vehicles to the government fleet as replacements are required
• Work with Islanders to make a commitment to achieve a carbon-neutral society. That commitment will include targets for consuming a fixed percentage of our energy from renewable sources
• Respect and restore the spirit and intent of the Lands Protection Act
• Work with Island producers to ensure compliance with three-year crop rotation under the Agriculture Crop Rotation Act

Green gains

There may be a Tory minority government but the Green party will be the official opposition for the first time in any provincial legislature in Canada. After the results were announced Bevan-Baker said, "Islanders responded by granting us a record number of seats by far the most seats ever by a Green party in Canada."

Their campaign was marred by a canoeing accident that caused the deaths of Green party candidate, Josh Underhay, and his young son. The tragic events delayed voting in the charlottetown riding and a by-election will be held within the next few months. Bevan-Baker paid hommage to Underhay and his son in his post election address.

The Greens ran on a platform that prioritized the environment and a wide range of social issues. The fact that the Greens won only two less seats than the PCs mean they may even have a shot at forming the next government. However, given the significant overlap between both parties’ platforms, the most likely scenario will be a partnership between the PCs and the Greens.

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Energy Jobs and the Economy: Kenney's Plans for Alberta

Alberta's new premiere Jason Kenney claims that by prioritizing the fossil fuel industry he can increase jobs and grow the economy. This was the central plank in Kenney's United Conservative Party (UCP) election platform. It is also an oft repeated refrain from conservative politicians.  However, this view fails to acknowledge that market forces are powering the demise of traditional energy.

There is mounting evidence demonstrating that macroeconomic trends are driving the transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.

Despite the politically motivated rhetoric of conservative politician, the evidence shows that the fossil fuel industry is dying. Alberta is not immune as evidenced by the fact that the province has seen a steady stream of oil industry job losses. As reported by the CBC, the 2019 labour market update, from PetroLMI says direct employment in Canada's oil and gas sector will fall by more than 12,000 jobs this year, mostly in Alberta. More than 50,000 jobs have been lost in the Canadian oil and gas sector in the last five years representing a decline of 23 percent. In 2014 there were 226,500 oil and gas jobs and by the end of 2019 there will be 173,300 such jobs.

Fossil fuel jobs are expected to keep declining while the employment and economic opportunities in clean energy sector are expected to keep increasing.  The evidence appears to vindicate the assertion that the number of fossil fuel related jobs is declining while the number of green energy jobs is on the rise. As reported in a Globe and Mail article, a recent report indicates that 23,700 Canadians work in green energy organizations which is more than the 22,340 whose work relates to the oil sands.

The UCP makes the questionable claim that the repeal of the carbon tax will create 6,000 jobs by 2024. However, they refuse to acknowledge the sectors of the economy that are growing and providing jobs. They conspicuously ignore the 1000 new jobs already created by wind power in the province over the last two years and they bury the fact that Alberta's green energy industry has grown 500 percent in the last three years.

They ignore market realities including the fact that wind is actually cheaper than oil and gas. At the end of 2017 the province made history with its first wind auction that proved renewable energy could compete with coal and natural gas in Alberta. At 3.7 cents per Kilowatt hour this was the lowest price ever seen for wind power in Canada. The second and third round prices in 2018 were near record levels at 3.9 and 4.0 cents.

Before Kenney was elected premiere investors were lining up to take advantage of clean energy costs that are half the cost of new natural gas. Alberta's current slate of wind projects could generate 1,363 Mw of emissions-free electricity when they are completed. That is enough energy to power more than half a million homes. As Alberta Program Manager Joshua Buck wrote a 2018 Environmental Defence article titled The Future is Wind, "The numbers are clear, Alberta’s electricity could be generated by wind cheaply and cleanly".

Despite Kenney's criticisms of the provinces carbon tax program, the province's carbon tax program all evidence suggests that it was working well. The UCP plans to ignore Notley's intent to raise carbon taxes from $30 per tonne to $50 per tonne and Kenney has indicated he will introduce an anemic $20 per tonne levy that will go to an innovation fund.

Despite Kenney's promises to the contrary, this election will cost Albertans dearly. In 2019 you cannot hope to build your economic hopes around a dying industry. This is economic malpractice or at the very least an unconscionable degree of ignorance.

Kenney and the UCP will increase Canada's emissions profile and this imperils far more than just Alberta's economy.

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Kenney to Kill Climate Action in Alberta

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The Nature Champions Summit and Canada's Biodiversity Conservation Efforts

The Nature Champions Summit (NCS) will take place on April 24-25, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The goal of the NCS is to build a high-ambition coalition to advance global nature protection. This event explores nature conservation efforts and focuses on strategies for mitigating biodiversity loss and maintaining crucial carbon stores. It will address on-the-ground solutions to make biodiversity healthier and more resilient. The summit will specifically highlight Indigenous leadership and the role of various levels of government to forge a new biodiversity conservation agenda.

NCS is being convened by Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna. A March 14th, government of Canada press release announcing NCS points to the growing awareness that we need to do more to protect biodiversity. Canada is second largest nation in the world it is also the country with the largest coastline. The nation's vast forests, massive lakes and long rivers are sewn into the fabric of Canada's national identity.  Through legislation and regulation Canada is working to honor its biodiversity conservation treaty commitments, including the Aichi 2020 targets.

NCS will bring together philanthropists, business leaders, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, Indigenous leaders and environment ministers from around the world. Participants will showcase commitments and develop new partnerships for advancing nature protection.

This event is the first in a series of multilateral meetings focused on building momentum towards 2020, when leaders will come together for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in China. Nature protection will be a central theme of the forthcoming G7 meeting in France.

Key Themes of the NCS

• Identifying and overcoming barriers to nature protection
• Indigenous partnerships and incorporating Indigenous wisdom in stewardship activities
• The intersection of nature, oceans and climate change
• Innovative financing for nature-based solutions

Carbon storage

Canada's wilderness is not only a place of natural beauty it is also a vast carbon sink. Canadian Carbon storage banks are one of the nation's most significant biodiversity features. Over thousands of years Canadian peatlands, soils, permafrost and trees have stored more than 200 billion tonnes of carbon. This is the equivalent of up to 36 years’ worth of global carbon emissions. The release of sequestered carbon in peatlands and permafrost are serious tipping points that could end any hope of keeping temperatures below the prescribed upper threshold limit of 2.0 Celsius.

Existing strategies in Canada

Protected areas is one of the best strategies we have for conserving biodiversity. In 2013 Environment Canada defined protected areas as, "lands and waters where development and use is restricted by legal or other means for the conservation of nature."

The Alliance for Zero Extinction Sites (AZEs) is a joint NGO initiative that includes 76 members. AZE sites in Canada include efforts to protect the endangered Vancouver Island Marmot (less than 200 left in wild) and the endangered Whooping crane (about 431 left in wild)

Canada is also working on large scale conservation projects that focus on connectivity. This includes the Yukon to Yellowknife (Y to Y) a 1 300 000 km2 stretch of land. Another large transnational conservation project is the Algonquin to Adirondack (A to A)  which encompasesses 93,000 km2 in Ontario, Quebec, and New York. Other connectivity focused conservation projects include the Baja, California to the Bering Sea (B to B) and the Wildlands Network.

Species at risk

Canada's largely intact boreal region supports grizzly bears, wolves and wolverines. Canadian waterways contain healthy populations of salmon and trout and sturgeon. The country is also a temporary home to billions of migrating birds.

However, as in many other parts of the world a wide diversity of species are at risk in Canada. Some of the country’s most iconic animals are under threat. This includes mammals like bison, polar bears and caribou.

Indigenous governments

NCS is focused on the leadership of Indigenous governments and it is being held in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.  In Canada First Nations People play an increasingly important role complimenting science and enhancing Canada's conservation efforts. This is a stewardship vision that balances protection and development. NCS is a reflection of Canada's recognition of the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

TEK is defined as, "a cumulative body of knowledge, practice and belief evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings … with one another and with their environment" (Berkes et al. 2000, p.1252).

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), recognizes traditional ecological knowledge and TEK is found in Article 8 (j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is also contained in Canadian legislation including the Fisheries act.

Canadian biodiversity preservation legislation

 

• Canadian Wildlife Act (1985)
• Plant Protection Act (1990)
• Health of Animals act (1990)
• Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA; 1992)
• Migratory Bird Convention Act (1994)
• National Marine Conservation Areas Act (2002)
• Fisheries act (1985, 2012, 2018)
• National Parks Act (2000)
• Species at Risk Act (SARA, 2002) 
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (2012)

 

International biodiversity treaties that Canada is committed to

 

• International Plant Protection Convention (1952)
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2004)
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1975)
• CITIES: Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Fora (1975)
• CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
• NA Migratory Bird Treaty (1916)
• North American Bird Conservation Initiative (1998)

 

Canada's achievements

Through a combination of easements, covenants, servitudes, funding programs, as well as multilateral and bilateral efforts Canada has made progress in its efforts to protect land and conserve species. Canada has 39 national parks, 8 reserves, and 4 marine conservation areas. Under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands  Canada has protected 37 Wetlands of International Importance, comprising around 13 million ha, which is second in area only to Bolivia.

The Canadian federal government has invested over $1.3 billion over five years in biodiversity protection. Canada has made progress towards the Aichi 2020 Targets through its Pathway to Target 1 efforts. Thus far Canada has protected 7.75 percent of it's marine habitat which is close to the 10 percent Aichi target and 11 percent of terrestrial objectives. However, this is 6 points below the Aichi target of 17 percent.

Canada will nearly double protected areas by 2020 in order to reach the goals it is committed to under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Reaching that goal will be cause for celebration and NCS is a helpful part of the process.

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Easter and the Environment: The Call for Spiritual and Cultural Transformation

The symbolism of Easter offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the natural world and the shift of consciousness required for the survival of life on this planet. If we are to find a way forward we urgently need to address climate change and environmental degradation.  To alter our perilous trajectory we need to assume responsibility for the state of our world. Science alone will not take us where we need to go. We need a transformation that will enable us to address the wide range of human activities that are adversely impacting the Earth's geology and ecosystems. Science alone cannot solve the crisis we face, to do that we will need a spiritual and cultural transformation.

"I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy...to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation - and we scientists don't know how to do that."

- Environmental advocate James Speth.

The egg is a prominent symbol of Easter and a fitting metaphor for the Earth. An egg symbolizes both fragility and the promise of new life. However, Easter is more than just a festival celebrating the return of spring. As a Christian event Easter calls us to remember the cycles of renewal and the interconnectedness of life and death.

For Christians, Easter is a celebration of Christ's resurrection, the ultimate symbol of rebirth. Easter's known pagan origins date back to the 8th century, specifically an Anglo-Saxon fertility goddess known as "Eostre," whose name may be derived from "eastre," meaning spring.

Easter eggs are rooted in Celtic and Teutonic pagan traditions. Eggs are directly associated with springtime festivals in many older texts and narratives. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection.

Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.

Judaism celebrates Passover around this time of year and it commemorates the Hebrews' escape from Egyptian enslavement. This is metaphorically relevant to ecology as a symbol of freedom from the bondage of environmental destruction.

From Judeo-Christian and pagan perspectives Easter symbolizes renewal and this is precisely what is required as we engage the serious work of being better environmental stewards. With so many around the world seeking to renew our relationship to the Earth, Easter is particularly relevant in modern times.

Easter is an opportunity to reconsider our relationship to this planet, and a good time to reflect on the truly transformational work that lies ahead. Easter is also an aspirational homage to the possibility that we can live in harmony with our environment.

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Earth Day Everyday: Sierra's Efforts and Reasons for Hope

Earth Day takes place on Monday April 22. Over the years this event has grown from a consciousness raising exercise to a day of action. Now it is a day for people to commit themselves to environmental actions throughout the year.

There are thousands of events taking place on this day and team Sierra is among the organizations that are playing an active role. They encourage people to appreciate nature and they are raising funds to protect both the planet and species including the Gray Wolf. Sierra has a proven track record that includes protecting 250M+ acres, hosting 15k outings a year, retiring 287 coal plants, and helping 119 cities transition to clean energy.

Some of those people who are supporting Sierra's fundraising efforts are are hosting outdoor cleanups. "I’m fundraising for Earth Day to promote awareness of our natural resources and to raise funds for the important work undertaken by Sierra Club. We must work even harder given the current administration and political climate," said one of the people taking part.

This is Team Sierra’s 3rd annual fundraiser in honor of Earth Day, and in some respects it may be the most challenging. It takes place against the backdrop of a litany of environmental and climate insults from the Trump administration. Its emphasis on fossil fuels is but one of the factors that makes this administration a climate killer.

However, it is not all bad news. The courts have challenged Trump and the transition from dirty to clean energy is well underway. Fossil fuels are dying and the dream of 100 percent renewable energy is still very much alive.

We also have reason to hope as young people are taking their place as leaders. Youth like Greta Thunburg are challenging the insanity of the existing order and the school strikes that she started have become a global phenomenon. 

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Kenney to Kill Progress on Climate Action in Alberta

The election of Jason Kenney's United Conservative Party (UCP) means the end of the line for the most climate friendly government Albertans have ever known. On April 16th Rachel Notley's NDP was defeated by Kenney's UCP. The end of Notley's tenure as premiere spells certain death for the province's Climate Leadership Plan. This includes a carbon tax and a commitment to get 30 percent (5,000 MWs) of the province's energy from renewables by 2030. Kenney has vowed to repeal the carbon tax and do everything he can to bring as much fossil fuels to market as possible.

Notley's defeat comes after she spearheaded some record setting achievements in the clean energy space. Now Alberta's green energy industry, which had grown 500 percent in the last few years, is on the chopping block. Under Notley the NDP proved that renewable energy is not only competitive it can actually be cheaper than fossil fuels. The province's first wind auction saw prices of 3.7 cents per Kilowatt hour, that is half the price of gas.

Alberta's wind projects would have generated 1,363 MWs of emissions-free electricity. That is enough energy to power more than half a million homes. As Alberta Program Manager Joshua Buck wrote a 2018 Environmental Defence article titled The Future is Wind, "the numbers are clear, Alberta’s electricity could be generated by wind cheaply and cleanly".

Wind is not the only up-and-comer in Alberta's energy mix. Solar was also getting government support and four months before the election Notley announced that she was increasing solar rebates. The UCP will ax the province's carbon tax program, caps on oil sand emissions and regulations designed to reduce methane emissions by 45 percent by 2025.

Albertans punished Rachel Notley for having pragmatic foresight. However, they also punished themselves by electing an energy Luddite who is in the pocket of the most corrupt industry on Earth. 

Related
Energy Jobs and the Economy: Kenney's Plans for Alberta

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The History of "Progress" and the Dawn of the Anthropocene

The story of human progress is closely tied to transportation technologies and the sources of energy we use to power them. Energy is critical to life on earth and for better and for worse our species is defined by it.  More than a million years ago our ancestors learned how to wield fire. By 5500 BCE, we had harnessed the power of the wind and more than six thousand years later the Vikings made the first known transatlantic crossing to be followed by the European invasion that started in 1493.

Steam power

It was not until 1698 that the first crude steam engine was invented. It was built by Thomas Savery, of England to pump water out of coal mines. The first steamboat patent was filed by English physician John Allen in 1729 and the earliest known steam-powered automobile was created in 1769 by French inventor Nicolas Cugnot. The first sea-going steamboat was built by Richard Wright in 1813. Later in the century ocean liners began making regularly scheduled ocean crossings.

Combustion engine

The world began its perilous spiral in 1859 with the invention of the first internal combustion engine. The first gasoline-fueled, four-stroke cycle engine was built in Germany in 1876 and ten years later Carl Benz began the first commercial production of motor vehicles and mass production began in the 20th century. Powered by cheap and abundant fossil fuels the combustion engine is king. In the 20th century the combustion engine powered the shift away from rail and water towards cars and planes. Since World War II, the number of vehicles on the road has risen from about 40 million to some 680 million.

Air travel

The first airplane was flown in 1903, by Wilbur and Orville Wright and eleven years later the first passenger flights began. in 1927, Charles Lindbergh would make his historic flight between New York and Paris and by the 1950 air travel was commonplace. In 2017 there were approximately 7,800,000,000 traveled by air and in 2016 that number is expected to be 4,100,000,000. Earth in the 20th century there were very few airplanes, today there are almost 40,000 planes excluding light aircraft.

Electric power

The first crude electric vehicle was developed more than a quarter century before the first combustion engines.  Although Robert Anderson is recognized as the inventor of the first electric engine in 1832, it would take more than 150 years before electric vehicles began mass production in the 1990s. Despite increased range and lower battery costs plug-in electric cars are less than half a percent of the vehicles on the road today. The world is dominated by engines that burn hydrocarbons. Powered by cheap and abundant fossil fuels the combustion engine is king.

Anthropocene

This reliance on 19th century technology is killing us. The climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels account for the majority of man made emissions. Cars and planes as well as other means of transportation are responsible for about 15 percent of man-made carbon dioxide.  The man made climate crisis is one of the reasons that sceintists have called our times the age of the Anthropocene.  Later this month scientists are expected to formally recognize the age of the Anthropocene. A 37 member committee of researchers from around the world will vote on whether the Anthropocene will be added as a new epoch to the Geological Time Scale.

Progress

By 2025 there will be a billion vehicles on the road and there is every reason to believe that these vehicles can be electrics. While electric air travel is a much bigger challenge we are seeing small scale examples that prove promising. We can expect to see clean energy assume a dominant role. Solar and wind are both century old technologies whose time has come. Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839 and Charles F. Brush created the first electricity-generating wind turbine in 1888.

Energy in the form of light and heat from the sun made life on earth possible and wind powered our earliest long range transportation technologies so it fitting that solar and wind have emerged as our great hopes for the future.

Energy and transportation have never been more important to the fate of human civilizations. Replacing fossil fuels with clean sources of energy and replacing the combustion engine with the electric engine are examples of progress in the truest sense of the word.

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The International Rebellion's Moment of Truth

An International Rebellion is scheduled to start on Monday April 15th. People are coming together in cities all around the world to stage non-violent acts of civil disobedience. Armed with the facts about the climate crisis they are boldly challenging the existing order and demanding action. They are telling governments to immediately declare a state of ecological emergency.

The Rebellion is taking place in cities from Auckland to Accra, Mexico City to Vancouver. The epicenter of the movement is London, where on the weekend before the big launch organizers began preparing for the big day. On Monday morning participants began blocking five London locations - Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square and Piccadilly Circus.

The family friendly event has been described by the organizers as a, "full-scale festival of creative resistance". It includes people’s assemblies, art actions, stage performances, talks, workshops, and food.

Organizers went to great pains to emphasize that this is a nonviolent act of civil disobedience. "Civil disobedience works when it’s peaceful, respectful, disruptive and undertaken en masse," the organizers explained, adding, "We don’t want to disrupt people, but our Government's failure over the last 30 years leaves us no choice. If we had functioning democracies we wouldn’t need to. We’ve tried petitions, marches, letters, reports, papers, meetings, even direct actions; and emissions have continued to rise. Governments prioritize the short term interests of the economic elites, so to get their attention, we have to disrupt the economy. They have left us with no other option."

The Extinction Rebellions 3 Demands

1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice. 

If their demands are not met by Wednesday April 17th the action will be expanded. As one of the organizers said, "we will shut down the city".They promise open rebellion for as long as it takes.
As the organizing explained, "we will tell the truth about the severity of the climate and ecological emergency, as the Government and media are failing to."

"Only rebellion will prevent catastrophe!" George Manibot said. "The world is rising up today! The International Rebellion begins today! Join us around the world! Come to stay."

This is a whole new form of protest. Get ready for a day of truth, as the Extinction Rebellion presents a circus of art, discussions, dancing and DJs.

"We rise like the oceans."

For more information click here.
___________________________________

Extinction Rebellion: (abbreviated as XR) A socio-political movement which uses nonviolent resistance to avert climate breakdown, halt biodiversity loss, and minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse.

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Event - Lawyers and Climate Change Conference

The third National Conference of Lawyers Committed to Addressing the Climate Emergency will take place on April 18, 2019. This multi-site online conference will include a group of leading lawyers and law professors. They will convene in person to discuss the problem of climate change and the role of lawyers in advancing solutions.

This year’s conference will feature leading experts addressing the most important aspects of the climate crisis from a legal perspective. The conference will also address ways in which lawyers can work to make a difference on this subject of grave concern to our well-being and future.

Speakers include:

• Washington Governor and U.S. Presidential Candidate, Jay Inslee
• U.S. Senator Ed Markey
• U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch
• Prof. Michael Mann

Topics include:

• 100% Clean Energy Future
• The Green New Deal
• Carbon Pricing as a Key Solution
• Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization
• Voluntary/Market-based Decarbonization Initiatives
• Environmental Justice
• How Can You Take Action on the Climate Crisis

Conference locations:

• Washington, D.C
• Orlando, FL
• Chicago, IL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Raleigh, NC
• Eugene, OR
• Portland, OR
• Albuquerque, NM
• New York, NY

A Call to the Bar: Lawyers for Common Sense on Climate Change (www.calltothebar.org) is a nationwide, nonpartisan, nonprofit group of lawyers, law professors, law students, and citizens dedicated to engaging lawyers and the legal community in the fight for common sense solutions to this critical problem facing all of us. Click here to read their statement of mission, principles, and plan. info@calltothebar.org.

Click here to register.

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Trees are Key to Combating the Climate Crisis

No problem is more pressing than climate change. To combat climate change we need to reduce emissions and trees are ideally suited to do this as they remove about a quarter of the carbon emissions we produce each year. In the urgent bid to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, countries around the world are planting trees.

The Independent recently reported on a study that suggests trees are, "our most powerful weapon in the fight against climate change". According to an assessment from ecologist Dr Thomas Crowther, forest restoration could erase ten years worth of CO2 emissions. According to this research planting 1.2 trillion trees in parks, woods and abandoned land across the planet would be the most effective single thing we can do to combat climate change.

"There’s 400 gigatons now, in the 3 trillion trees, and if you were to scale that up by another trillion trees that’s in the order of hundreds of gigatons captured from the atmosphere – at least 10 years of anthropogenic emissions completely wiped out," Dr Crowther said, adding trees have the, "potential to tackle the two greatest challenges of our time – climate change and biodiversity loss."

The IPCC has estimated that between 100 and 1,000 gigatonnes of CO2 will need to be removed from the atmosphere to meet the Paris goals. There is a lot of talk about geoengineering solutions and developing technology that would remove carbon from the atmosphere. However, trees are the most powerful, efficient and cost-effective carbon-capture system on the planet. It has been broadly agreed that the most important natural "carbon sinks" are the world's forests. 

As reported by the Guardian, a group of scientists said that halting deforestation "just as urgent" as reducing emissions by ending fossil fuels. The statement was issued by a group of 40 scientists from five countries. The said protecting and restoring forests would reduce 18 percent of emissions by 2030 and help us to stay within critical upper threshold temperature limits. Right now the Earth's forest have locked away more than 3 trillion tons of carbon dioxide.

"We must protect and maintain healthy forests to avoid dangerous climate change and to ensure the world’s forests continue to provide services critical for the well-being of the planet and ourselves," the statement reads. "Our planet’s future climate is inextricably tied to the future of its forests".

Natural climate solutions (include reforestation as well as the restoration of peatlands, salt marsh and seagrass) in North America can help us achieve 37 percent of our climate target, even though they currently receive only 2.5 percent of public climate financing.

Trees are an amazingly efficient way to remove carbon from the atmosphere. One tree can store an average of about 48 pounds of carbon dioxide in one year and recent research shows intact forests are capable of storing the equivalent of the carbon dioxide emissions of entire countries such as Peru and Colombia. According to a Drawdown estimate the increased investment in the multi-strata agroforestry area could help sequester up to 9.28 gigatons of carbon dioxide, while saving a net $709.8 billion by 2050. Landscape restoration could potentially sequester up to 1.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide every year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The climate benefits associated with trees are also complimented by social benefits. In less-developed, rural areas community-based sustainable forest management programs can alleviate poverty while reducing deforestation to virtually zero.

We will need a wide range of different solutions including sophisticated technological innovations, however, low tech readily available trees go a long way towards addressing the crisis we face.

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The World is Planting Trees and We are Seeing Results

All around the world countries are planting trees in an effort to combat climate change, fight air pollution, reduce flood damage and address a host of other problems.

Cities are also playing a leadership role. Melbourne, Australia, doubling its tree canopy to reduce carbon pollution by 40 percent. The city of Seoul, South Korea has planted 2,000 trees and gardens. Athens, Greece, planted trees to reduce flood damage. Milan, Italy is planting 3 million trees by 2030 to combat air pollution. New York, New York, United States. City planners planted 1 million trees in 2015 in response to research that showed trees help to make people happier and smarter.

The United Nations initially ran a project known as the Billion Tree Campaign but it has been renamed the Trillion Tree Campaign. It has already planted 13.64 billion trees around the world. The Billion Tree Program was inspired by the Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Wangari Maathai, whose Green Belt Movement planted 30 million trees in Africa. Trillion Trees is an unprecedented collaboration between three of the world’s largest conservation organizations - WWF, BirdLife International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

With the support of the UN Environment Programme, Plant for the Planet encourages individuals, schools, businesses and organisations to make pledges and get directly involved in tree planting. Plant for the Planet recently bought 33,300 acres (13,500 hectares) in Campeche province of Mexico and they plan to plant 10 million trees by 2020.

People are finding creative ways of planting trees including a search engine called Ecosia which devotes all of their profits to planting trees. They have planted 30 million trees so far.

Sweden's forests have doubled in the last century, now more than 70 percent of the country is covered by trees. Sweden also uses a sustainable forest model to manage its timber industry. The country plants more trees than it cuts down every year (annual growth is 120 million forest cubic metres, and each year around 90 million forest cubic metres is harvested. Since the nation's first Forestry Act was passed in 1903 and in 1993, Sweden made its forests "a national resource".

In 2016 Norway became the first country to ban the clear cutting of trees to combat deforestation. Norway also fights global deforestation. In 2008 they gave $ billion to Brazil that resulted in a 75 percent reduction in deforestation in seven years.

China is creating massive forests the size of Ireland. Forty two percent of China's greening comes from from programs to conserve and expand forests and 32 percent comes from crops. China has enlisted the help of its army to plant trees to create new forests.

India is right behind China as a leading source of vegetation. However, it should be noted that 82 percent of the greening seen in India comes from intensive cultivation of food crops. Nonetheless India has been aggressively planting trees. In 2017 India broke its own world record for the most trees planted after volunteers planted 66 million saplings in only half a day.

Early in 2018 Pakistan hit its target of planting 1 billion trees and later that same year they announced that they would be planting 10 billion more. The country has also succeeded in virtually eliminating timber smuggling and they have stepped up efforts to combat corruption.

Vietnam represents the world's largest commitment of new natural forests, at 14.6 million hectares and New Zealand is planning on planting one billion trees

African countries (Ethiopia, Niger, Mali, etc.) are reforesting degraded land and Nigeria has the most agroforestry, with 15.7 million hectares under cultivation. Latin American nations are supporting reforestation efforts in the Amazon.

According to recently published research in the Journal Nature Sustainability, it appears to be working. A recently published study shows the Earth is greener today than it was 20 years ago. This was the finding in new satellite research from NASA Earth Observatory. In less than two decades there has been an increase of two million square miles of green leaf area per year, which amounts to a 5 percent increase.

Rates of deforestation are still a major concern in Brazil, Central Africa and Indonesia. However, as a whole this data offers hope that we are getting serious about planting trees. 

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Trump's Bottomless Presidency

Trump has abdicated his role as leader of the free world and taken the presidency to lows never before thought possible. Trump is at war with reality, anyone with even a casual interest in the facts can easily find themselves in his cross hairs.This man has revoked more the 40 regulations designed to protect the health and safety of Americans.

Although it reads like a belated April Fools joke Trump is apparently about to try to sell his environmental accomplishments. The administration is trying to rebrand the president by touting "success stories" like cleaner air and greenhouse gas emissions. What they will not say is that whatever progress was made on these fronts was due to the work of his predecessor Barack Obama. Nor will they mention that on Trump's watch fossil fuel extraction has increased as have the nation's emissions.

To add to the irony, Trump recently added to long list of gifts he has given to the fossil fuel industry. At the end of March he resurrected TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline by signing a presidential permit that sidesteps the courts. On April 10 Trump signed a couple of EOs that will reportedly restrict states’ ability to oppose fossil fuel pipelines even if it is to protect the health and safety of American citizens.

On April 8 Vanity Fair's Bess Levin summarized Trump's environmental insults as follows:

"he’s pulled out of the Paris climate agreement; loosened regulations on toxic air pollution; announced plans to weaken Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards; encouraged the Interior Department to approve coal mining on federal land; and moved to replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan with “regulations” that would turn the planet into a polluter’s paradise and kill up to 1,400 Americans a year."

Trump has not concealed his contempt for science, he and his administration have purged scientists and buried research. The White House is even setting up a panel to whitewash the scientific consensus on climate change. Trump is so bad that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin recently trolled him as a climate denier.

It is hard to know what Trump is going to do next because he has no policy agenda. It would appear that ruling from his gut precludes a coherent strategy (who knew).  It would be generous to describe the Trump presidency as an ideological anomaly. A more honest assessment reveals a confusing maelstrom of opportunistic addenda.

Trump cannot be described as a traditional conservative in fact he has repeatedly acted in ways that contradict the right's core convictions. His trillion dollar deficit is antithetical to the fiscal responsibility that lies at the heart of conservative lore.

The one thing that Trump has made clear is that he has an anti-globalization agenda. His disdain for global bureaucracies is shrouded in the pretext of protecting American sovereignty.  Trump rejects multilateralism and he has undermined venerable international institutions at every turn.

Trump does not want to be beholden to treaty obligations that force him to defend his allies. He does not want to honor global agreements like the Paris Climate accord nor does he respect the authority of the International Court. 

Trump refuses to support global economic trends even if they represent multi-trillion dollar opportunities.  Despite the tremendous opportunity associated with energy efficiency Trump has adopted a policy of energy inefficiency and his energy agenda is as insane as his presidency. It is the understatement of the year to say that Trump has been an impediment to sustainability

Trump's failure to invest in climate resilient infrastructure degrades the nation's economy as do his tax cuts. 

The Trump administration wants to appear strong but as evidenced by the response to his comments at the UN, he is a laughing stock. Worse still his trade wars, disdain for science and failure to incentivize the green economy are making the US less competitive every month he is in office.

The latest attempt to try to convince the American public that he cares about the environment is about as cynical and dishonest as it gets. There is no bottom for this president. Every time we think he could not possible get worse he manages to descend to new lows.

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Declining Battery Storage Costs are Helping Renewables

BNEF Graph from a March 26, 2019 report titled:
Battery Power’s Latest Plunge in Costs Threatens Coal, Gas

Energy storage solves the intermittency problem of renewable forms of energy like wind and solar. Only a few years ago battery technologies were too immature to support widespread, large-scale deployment of renewables.  Now less expensive storage technologies are making renewables far more attractive. Despite the uneven allocation of subsidies, the plummeting price of energy storage has made it possible for clean energy to out-compete fossil fuels.

When they are partnered with some form of battery, renewables can power the world.  However, the amount of energy that will need to be stored is vast. Utility scale batteries are part of the answer but so are alternatives like pumped hydro.

A new study suggests pumped-hydro energy storage is a scalable inexpensive solution. Researchers identified 530,000 sites worldwide suitable for pumped-hydro energy storage. This would allow for a storage capacity the far exceeds the power requirements of the entire planet. These sites have the capacity to easily store at least 22 million Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy.

Led by Tesla, the profile of battery storage has increased dramatically in recent years. Price declines in energy storage are contributing to this increased competitiveness of renewable energy.

A recent Bloomberg report says the cost of energy storage is plummeting and it can now compete with gas and even coal in many markets. The cost of lithium-ion batteries has fallen 35% to $187 per megawatt-hour since the first half of 2018. Batteries also have an added benefit. When storage batteries are not in use during periods of peak power demand they can help regulate the flow of power on electrical grids.

According to a 2017 BNEF report, the global storage market will double six times by 2030 and another BNEF report, a year later suggests that energy storage is a $620 billion investment opportunity to 2040.  The study predicts that the global energy storage market will grow to a cumulative 942GW/2,857GWh by 2040.

"Our analysis shows that the LCOE per megawatt-hour for onshore wind, solar PV and offshore wind have fallen by 49%, 84% and 56% respectively since 2010. That for lithium-ion battery storage has dropped by 76% since 2012, based on recent project costs and historical battery pack prices." Lithim-ion costs have fallen 35 percent in the past year alone

The good news continued into 2019 with ongoing cost improvements in lithium ion batteries. According to Jon Moore, Chief Executive of BNEF, the most recent New Energy Outlook report predicts even faster growth this year.

The more renewables/storage are scaled the most price competitive they will be. The price of batteries are expected to keep declining for the foreseeable future. According to a 2019 BNEF report, growing EV adoption will also help drive the cost of lithium-ion batteries down 73 per cent by 2030.

Declining prices make microgrid systems a very attractive opportunity. There are a number of practical illustrations of the real world viability of storage options. The Blue Lake Rancheria's 500-kilowatt solar array and storage system saved a California tribe $200,000 a year and makes them more self-sufficient. Tesla recently installed the world’s largest lithium battery in Australia and it has a payback window of only three years.

Related
Energy Storage Market Overview

EV Batteries: Declining Cost and Improving Energy Density (Videos)
The Declining Cost of Stationary Energy Storage
Renewable Energy Storage
13 Applications of Tesla Batteries that are Revolutionizing Renewables 
Renewable Energy Storage by Donald Sadoway (Video)
The Crucial Role of Public Private Private Partnerships in the Development of Energy Storage

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