Subject: Viridian Note 00071: Greening the US Govt. Key concepts: US Government energy consumption, CO2 emissions in USA, Kyoto Accords, Serbia, national security, secondary price tags for environmental costs Attention Conservation Notice: Bill Clinton orders more green energy for domestic American government. Contains large choking wads of federal wonk-speak. Is 1,600 words long. Entries in the Viridian Power Banner Contest: http://www.ugrad.cs.jhu.edu/~rmharman/img/viridian/warn.fo ssil.gif http://www.subterrane.com http://www.netaxs.com/~morgana (note dino animation at bottom of page) http://www.phuq.com/viridian http://www.freeyellow.com/members6/vandewater/banner.gif http://humlog.homestead.com/viridianart/index.html http://www.powerbase-alpha.com/bigmike/banner.html http://www.stewarts.org/users/stewarts/sunservr.html http://www.dux.ru/digbody/viridian/vir.htm http://members.aol.com/stjude/viridian http://www.id.iit.edu/~chad/viridian/viridian_banner.htm http://www.dnai.com/~catnhat/viridianbanners.htm http://www.erols.com/ljaurbach/Banners.htm http://members.aol.com/saintware/inhalt.htm http://www.thespace.org/ads/viridian.gif http://www.nonsensical.com/viridian/ http://www.saunalahti.fi/~jtlin/viridian/01.html http://www.msys.net/reid/main.html The winner of the Viridian Power Banner Contest is: Becky Jollensten (morgana@netaxs.com^^***?). Becky Jollensten's entry at: http://www.netaxs.com/~morgana was judged "the perkiest," while it also had "the largest sprays of blood." Her richly deserved contest prize is a Freeplay Wind-Up Radio. "Clinton Orders Government Energy Cuts" June 4, 1999 WASHINGTON, Associated Press "President Clinton is issuing an executive order calling on the government to use less energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, administration officials said Wednesday. (...) "The federal government is the world's largest user of energy, more than $8 billion worth a year. About half is used to heat, cool and light its buildings. "Government agencies will be required to increase efforts to cut energy use for lighting, heating and cooling to achieve a 35 percent reduction by 2010, compared to 1985 levels. About half of that goal already has been accomplished. (((My math suggests that this is a whip-cracking rate of 1.7 percent reduction per year. Not exactly a frantic charge at the Kyoto barricades, but still, it surely beats an *increase,* and has to be seen as good Viridian news.))) "Agencies also would have to show they're on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2010, officials said. It is the first time the government has tied energy conservation programs to specific greenhouse gas reduction targets. (...) "The Kyoto climate agreement reached in December, 1997, calls for the United States to reduce greenhouse gases 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12. "Although the administration signed the Kyoto treaty, the White House has come under increased criticism in recent months from environmentalists for not moving more aggressively to curtail heat-trapping emissions. The treaty has not been ratified by Congress." (((The Republican Congress would rather publicly barbecue and eat their own flesh than permit Clinton to be seen doing something useful. There is no chance the Republicans will pass the Kyoto Accords, which is why we unfortunate Americans are having shooting wars and crucial international treaties carried out by diktats from the Oval Office.))) (...) "'The government is the biggest energy consumer in the world,' said David Nemtzow, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a private advocacy group. 'The stakes are very big. And if the Feds can make it work, anybody can make it work.'" (((Truer words were rarely spoken, since the radically dysfunctional Feds are still reeling and barfing from the world's first pornography-based coup d'etat. When it comes to efficient, goal-based behavior, the Feds can't be trusted with a burnt-out match.))) "Nemtzow said that Clinton's latest initiative appears to map out a series of 'realistic steps' that may, in fact, produce substantial energy use reductions. 'They're trying to show this is not just a piece of paper.' "Under the order, agencies will be directed to (...) install more efficient lighting systems, boilers and cooling systems, improve building insulation and make wider use of renewable energy technologies. (...) "The directive does not apply to energy uses for transportation, or many military or other activities tied to national security, officials said. (((That oversight is too bad, but on the other hand, one may well note that current American military activities have specialized in *blowing up carbon-based electrical generators* and, especially, *petrochemical plants.* The US Air Force probably burned far more fuel bombing those Serbian plants than the plants themselves were producing, but what the heck, it's a healthy start. You see, ever since the attack on Serbia, carbon-based energy has become a military national-security risk. Henceforth, any country with a petrochemical plant has to worry seriously about this big, ugly, risky, single-point failure in its national energy system.))) "Officials also said the government by the end of this month will sign a contract with a private energy-use consulting company to upgrade energy efficiency in 837 buildings at five military installations in the Washington area. (((Wow! Green Pork! Hallelujah!))) According to the White House analysis, energy use will be cut by 17 percent, saving $219 million a year, and greenhouse emissions will be reduced by 24,000 tons at the five facilities." Copyright 1999, Associated Press (((Some details of the Presidential directive itself are rather intriguing.))) "WASHINGTON, June 3 The following was released today by the White House (Part 2 of 4): "GREENING THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH EFFICIENT ENERGY MANAGEMENT" (...) "Sec. 307. Public/Private Advisory Committee. The Secretary of Energy will appoint an advisory committee consisting of representatives from Federal agencies, State governments, energy service companies, utility companies, equipment manufacturers, construction and architectural companies, environmental, energy and consumer groups, and other energy-related organizations." (((No Congressmen need apply. Why bother to pass laws in Congress when you can simply issue a Presidential directive, electronically networking every conceivable interested party? I'd bet anything this "Advisory Committee" has a website, and if we Viridians just had a better letterhead, we could probably just join right on in. We need to be *friends* with these people.))) (...) "Sec. 401. Life-Cycle Cost Analysis. Agencies shall use life-cycle cost analysis in making decisions about their investments in products, services, construction, and other projects to lower the Federal Government's costs and to reduce energy and water consumption. Where appropriate, agencies shall consider the life-cycle costs of combinations of projects, *particularly to encourage bundling of energy efficiency projects with renewable energy projects.*" ((("Hi, we're here to install the windmills for the IRS!" What a fantastic prospect! Maybe there *is* such a thing as benevolent dictatorship!))) (...) "(2) GSA and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), with assistance from EPA and DOE, shall create clear catalogue listings that designate these (((energy-efficient))) products in both print and electronic formats. "In addition, GSA and DLA shall undertake pilot projects from selected energy-using products to show a 'second price tag', which means an accounting of the operating and purchase costs of the item, in both printed and electronic catalogues, and assess the impact of providing this information on Federal purchasing decisions." (((This 'pilot project' may sound obscure, but it is potentially a very important breakthrough: environmental *second price tags*, researched, created and distributed electronically by the Federal government. With this imaginary Federal web catalog, a bar-code scanner, and a web-linked Palm Pilot, you could swiftly and visibly see the embedded energy and resource costs of all your purchases. (((This would create a digital para-economy of environmental price tags. Not everyone would take part, obviously. But if this practice moved competitive advantages even ten or fifteen percent, it would swiftly bankrupt the most egregious offenders in manufacturing. (Of course, we should also look at the underside: there is the distinct possibility of *counter-para-economics*. For instance, a pro-coal website sponsored by the evil and despised "Global Climate Coalition" or the unspeakably sinister "Greening Earth Society," where suicidal consumers could be encouraged to buy items that spew as much carbon-dioxide into the air as possible. But why borrow trouble? If Al Gore is in office, we might be able to make these net.antics illegal and get the other side jailed.))) (((And, in a final note of good cheer:))) "(h) Off-Grid Generation. Agencies shall use off-grid generation systems, including solar hot water, solar electric, solar outdoor lighting, small wind turbines, fuel cells, and other off-grid alternatives, where such systems are life-cycle cost-effective and offer benefits including energy efficiency, pollution prevention, source energy reductions, avoided infrastructure costs, or expedited service. (((Primarily of interest because massive Federal purchases might cause clean energy prices to plummet.))) "Sec. 404. Electricity Use. To advance the greenhouse gas and renewable energy goals of this order, and reduce source energy use, each agency shall strive to use electricity from clean, efficient, and renewable energy sources. An agency's efforts in purchasing electricity from efficient and renewable energy sources shall be taken into account in assessing the agency's progress and formulating its score card." (((So, when you're reading Viridian Notes in your dismal federal cubicle (instead of actually serving the public), you'll be able to append a proud "solar powered email" signature to your comments! It's almost enough to make me want to get a government day-job. I mean, in case this Papal thing doesn't work out.))) O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O THE WORLD'S LARGEST ENERGY CONSUMER WANTS TO BE GREEN O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O O=c=O