What are we going to do about the energy crisis?
By: Christopher Hill
Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Opinion
The best scientists are intellectually ambitious, rigorous and creative. They are independently minded and instinctively look for weaknesses and alternative explanations in the work of others.
Therefore, when scientists in a large and dynamic field reach a consensus, their opinion should be taken seriously.
So it is with global climate change, where strong scientific consensus states human activity is causing changes that are likely to be serious and possibly catastrophic within the lifetimes of current U students. This realization makes action to minimize the effects of climate change an inescapable ethical obligation for individuals and institutions.
The good news about climate change is that the problem is conceptually simple and everyone can make a positive contribution. We know it is caused by increasing amounts of CO2 and the solution involves reducing emissions.
Conservation is essential, and every day we each make decisions that collectively have a substantial impact. The U is making significant progress in areas of transportation and reduced energy consumption on campus. Larger-scale conservation challenges, such as the urgent need to preserve and restore rainforests, may require action at the intergovernmental level.
Another part of the solution is to substitute fossil fuels with our abundant sources of renewable energy such as solar, geothermal and wind. Electricity generation is of particular concern because it causes 40 percent of the CO2 pollution in the USA, 50 percent of the CO2 produced in Utah and 55 percent of the CO2 produced by the U.
Coal-fired power plants contribute to poor air quality and are responsible for 40 percent of the United States' mercury pollution. Renewable electricity could largely replace petroleum and natural gas for ground transportation and building heating.
Wind turbines are a mature and affordable technology that can make a major contribution. North America has the greatest wind potential of any continent, although currently just 1 percent of our electricity is made by wind. In contrast, some other countries plan to make 50 percent of their electricity by wind, and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates wind could provide more than 150 percent of our electricity (www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_potential.html).
Wind turbines make efficient use of land. Most of our electricity could be supplied by installing them on farmland, as agricultural areas are often windy sites and the turbines do not interfere with farm activities.
The U runs a wind energy program (windpower.utah.edu) that began in 2005 when ASUU started donating $1 per student per semester to make almost 9 percent of the U's share of grid electricity come from new wind sources. This program accepts additional donations from faculty, staff and other individuals.
Consequently, the U purchases wind power offsets that exceed 14 percent of the U's total electricity consumption. Because of the economy of scale associated with this program, it is highly cost-effective. Three dollars funds one MWh of new wind electricity for the western U.S. grid. For reference, the average U.S. household uses 10 MWh/year.
The U's contract is managed by Orfeo Kostrencich (Plant Operations), who ensures that purchases are independently validated by third-party accounting. Donations are made to the U's development office, which provides simple ways for donations to be deposited by check, online credit card or payroll deduction. They will even send a card to someone if you want to make a donation in their honor.
A novel feature of the U's program is its organization into campaigns, which allows groups such as academic departments or administrative offices to achieve realistic goals such as making their share of grid electricity come from new wind sources.
Finally, anyone currently struggling to meet the April 15 deadline for Federal and State taxes might be interested to know that donations to the U's program are tax-deductible.
Although there are many things that should be done to combat climate change, the U's wind energy program empowers individuals to make a significant contribution. One hundred percent of the U's share of grid electricity would come from new wind sources if the ASUU donation were increased by $10 per student per semester, each faculty and staff member donated $30 per year or the administration contributed less than 0.04 percent of total U revenue.
The fact of climate change is firmly established. Perhaps the most important remaining question is, what are U going to do about it?
Christopher Hill is a professor of biochemistry at the U.
Therefore, when scientists in a large and dynamic field reach a consensus, their opinion should be taken seriously.
So it is with global climate change, where strong scientific consensus states human activity is causing changes that are likely to be serious and possibly catastrophic within the lifetimes of current U students. This realization makes action to minimize the effects of climate change an inescapable ethical obligation for individuals and institutions.
The good news about climate change is that the problem is conceptually simple and everyone can make a positive contribution. We know it is caused by increasing amounts of CO2 and the solution involves reducing emissions.
Conservation is essential, and every day we each make decisions that collectively have a substantial impact. The U is making significant progress in areas of transportation and reduced energy consumption on campus. Larger-scale conservation challenges, such as the urgent need to preserve and restore rainforests, may require action at the intergovernmental level.
Another part of the solution is to substitute fossil fuels with our abundant sources of renewable energy such as solar, geothermal and wind. Electricity generation is of particular concern because it causes 40 percent of the CO2 pollution in the USA, 50 percent of the CO2 produced in Utah and 55 percent of the CO2 produced by the U.
Coal-fired power plants contribute to poor air quality and are responsible for 40 percent of the United States' mercury pollution. Renewable electricity could largely replace petroleum and natural gas for ground transportation and building heating.
Wind turbines are a mature and affordable technology that can make a major contribution. North America has the greatest wind potential of any continent, although currently just 1 percent of our electricity is made by wind. In contrast, some other countries plan to make 50 percent of their electricity by wind, and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates wind could provide more than 150 percent of our electricity (www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_potential.html).
Wind turbines make efficient use of land. Most of our electricity could be supplied by installing them on farmland, as agricultural areas are often windy sites and the turbines do not interfere with farm activities.
The U runs a wind energy program (windpower.utah.edu) that began in 2005 when ASUU started donating $1 per student per semester to make almost 9 percent of the U's share of grid electricity come from new wind sources. This program accepts additional donations from faculty, staff and other individuals.
Consequently, the U purchases wind power offsets that exceed 14 percent of the U's total electricity consumption. Because of the economy of scale associated with this program, it is highly cost-effective. Three dollars funds one MWh of new wind electricity for the western U.S. grid. For reference, the average U.S. household uses 10 MWh/year.
The U's contract is managed by Orfeo Kostrencich (Plant Operations), who ensures that purchases are independently validated by third-party accounting. Donations are made to the U's development office, which provides simple ways for donations to be deposited by check, online credit card or payroll deduction. They will even send a card to someone if you want to make a donation in their honor.
A novel feature of the U's program is its organization into campaigns, which allows groups such as academic departments or administrative offices to achieve realistic goals such as making their share of grid electricity come from new wind sources.
Finally, anyone currently struggling to meet the April 15 deadline for Federal and State taxes might be interested to know that donations to the U's program are tax-deductible.
Although there are many things that should be done to combat climate change, the U's wind energy program empowers individuals to make a significant contribution. One hundred percent of the U's share of grid electricity would come from new wind sources if the ASUU donation were increased by $10 per student per semester, each faculty and staff member donated $30 per year or the administration contributed less than 0.04 percent of total U revenue.
The fact of climate change is firmly established. Perhaps the most important remaining question is, what are U going to do about it?
Christopher Hill is a professor of biochemistry at the U.
Be the first to comment on this story