Energy conservation Pacific Northwest style

Wednesday, September 26, 2001
By Environmental News Network

The conservation of energy is more important than ever, as the resources of
America are directed toward rebuilding in the wake of the terrorist attacks
on Sept. 11.
To promote conservation, the Bonneville Power Administration and the
Northwest Public Power Association are conducting a three-day energy
conservation conference and trade show that began on Monday.

More than 450 representatives from Northwest utilities; federal, state, and
local governments; end users; tribes; and contractors will join with national
and regional experts to discuss conservation's role in solving energy
problems.

People are demonstrating the latest in conservation technologies, including
compact fluorescent lighting. Many compact fluorescent light bulbs now carry
the Energy Star label. These bulbs last up to 10,000 hours and save $25 to
$45 over the life of the bulb.

Fuel cells that produce no harmful air-polluting emissions are being
showcased. Demonstrations on the trade-show floor feature energy consumption
controllers for vending machines, low-energy concepts for commercial and
residential room ventilation, and energy efficient refrigerators,
dishwashers, washers, and dryers.

The power companies have managed to motivate their customers to reduce their
electricity use immediately by means of the Community Conservation Challenge
electricity savings pledge-a-thon.

More than 5,000 Northwest families across Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and
Washington have met the challenge by pledging to install more than 20,000
compact fluorescent lights; to turn off computers, televisions, and stereos
when they are not in use; and to use the air-dry feature on dishwashers.

The Community Conservation Challenge was created in response to the energy
crisis and volatile electricity market. Conservation is a key component in
controlling electricity rate increases and protecting the region's reliable
service. Estimates of the initial pledged annual savings amount to 1.5
million kilowatt-hours.

"This is a tremendous early response to our call for conservation," said John
Pyrch, Bonneville Power Administration acting vice president for energy
efficiency. "The Community Conservation Challenge is a great example of BPA
working in partnership with its utility customers to reduce the need to buy
additional power and help protect system reliability for the region."

Utilities across the Northwest are supporting the challenge by making pledge
cards available to their residential customers. Utilities representing the
four Northwest states are distributing more than 220,000 pledge cards in
September and October monthly electric bills.

Utility participation in the Community Conservation Challenge has tripled
since late August when the challenge began.

Midstate Electric Cooperative in central Oregon was one of the first
utilities to support the Community Conservation Challenge electricity savings
pledge-a-thon. Midstate is distributing the challenge pledge cards in 13,000
bills.

The pledge cards describe simple and immediate savings actions that
residential electricity customers can take. Participants are encouraged to
pledge additional savings and to send in their own creative savings tips.

Every pledge card sent in by residents of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and
Washington before Dec. 1 is entered into a drawing to win a Honda Insight
hybrid car. Pledge cards are available through participating utilities'
monthly bills, at state and county fairs, at community events, in newspaper
inserts, and online at Bonneville Power Administration Community Conservation
Challenge.

Copyright 2001, Environmental News Network
All Rights Reserved

Report predicts radical climate change for SA
From Independent Online:
http://www.iol.co.za/
September 25 2001 at 12:29PM
 

By Bill Blumenfeld

South Africa will soon start feeling the effects of an atmosphere polluted by
the by-products of progress, according to a recently released publication on
the impact of climate change.

The report titled "The Heat is On" exposes how climate change threatens to
make vast areas of South Africa uninhabitable for the plants that have
thrived here for millennia.

The publication was funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature SA and produced
by Dr Guy Midgley and Dr Mike Rutherford of the National Botanical Institute,
and Professor William Bond of the University of Cape Town.

The effects of climate change on Karoo succulents will be devastating
"Ignoring global climate change will not make it go away," said Midgley.

"Mounting evidence demands that we start taking climate change seriously,
both individually and collectively."

According to the publication, higher temperatures were predicted over the
whole of South Africa with January temperatures expected to increase most in
the central interior and least at the coast.

Summer rainfall will decrease by between five percent in the northern regions
to 25 percent in the eastern and southern Cape.

Climatic conditions in the rest of the country will be unlike anything
experienced today, and within the next 50 to 100 years fynbos, succulent
Karoo, grassland and forest might well be reduced to between 35 and 55
percent of their present extent.

The publication says the effects of climate change on Karoo succulents will
be devastating, as only the hardiest plant will be able to survive.

The Great Karoo will become drier and more desert-like, particularly in the
west.

"The timing and extent of global climate change are uncertain, and as a
result our actions need to be pragmatic," said Midgley.

"Plans to conserve South Africa's rich plant diversity must take account of
future climate change scenarios."

The chief executive of the World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa, Dr Ian
Macdonald, expressed gratitude to the group of leading scientists who
provided a reasoned projection of how climate changes will affect South
Africa.

He said South Africa should play its role in the community of nations to
reduce rapidly the emissions of harm greenhouse gasses into the global
environment.

"Every alternative to these emissions must be carefully evaluated and
implemented wherever possible," said Macdonald. - Sapa

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