Monday, December 7
1pm-2:30pm
ETIP/Consortium Energy Policy Seminar
John Heywood, MIT
Opportunities for Reducing U.S. Transportation’s Petroleum Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Fainsod Room (Littauer 324, HKS)
Monday, December 7
4:00 pm
China Project Seminar
Edward Cunningham, HKS
Governing China’s Energy Markets: How is the World’s Larges Energy Producer Managed?
Maxwell Dworkin 119, 33 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
The demise of retail giant Filene's Basement may have a positive effect on proponents of vertical urban farming and algae biofuels alike. Since 2007, the developers of a Filene's site in downtown Boston have been unable to find funding to move the project forward. But now Höweler + Yoon Architecture and their partner Squared have put forth a proposal to erect a temporary vertical, modular, algae bioreactor high-rise in its place.
Called the Eco-Pod, the project leaders intend it to immediately stimulate "the economy and the ecology" of downtown Boston simultaneously. Eco-pod is a temporary modular structure made of individual pods that can be disassembled if and when the Filene's project actually gets funded. According to the developers of Eco-Pod, each pod will produce biofuel and act as an incubator for scientists and companies to do research on growing algae and producing biofuel. The structure will also have open common areas to form a network of public parks and gardens.\
Taking advantage of the fact that algae can be grown vertically on non-arable land, the Eco-Pod expands on the idea of urban vertical farming and takes it one step further with a vision to make fuel locally in an urban setting. By placing the structure in the middle of a city, the developers hope to stimulate public interest in algae biofuels as well as create an interaction between the public and researchers.
The Eco-Pod's modules can be reconfigured as necessary to meet the changing demands of the structure by means of a "robotic armature powered by the algae biofuel." If the Filene's project ever takes off, the modules can be taken down by the robotic arm and redistributed to other parts of the city to infill other empty sites.
As with most projects of this type, this one seems designed by people who have little practical experience with the needs of scientists and the viability and profitability of making algae biofuels with current technology. While I appreciate the creativity of the venture, I think it is a bit too pie-in-the-sky to ever see the light of day. Sure it could be done, but it would likely be a money-losing venture-far from the economic stimulus that the developers envision.
Reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0
In his presentation at the weekly meeting on September 23, David Cushing posited that $1 of consumption is approximately equal to 1 lb. of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. From Mr. Cushing: "It is interesting to note the calculation below, which suggests that a cheeseburger is estimated to emit between 6 and 7 pounds of CO2, which is about the average price of a cheeseburger in dollars."
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In a report titled The Cheeseburger Footprint, Jamais Cascio estimates that the average cheeseburger generates between 6.3 to 6.8 pounds of CO2 emissions. He references Fast Food Nation, among other sources, to approximate the number of cheeseburgers consumed per American annually- roughly 150. Multiply that by a population 300,000,000, and the resulting collective carbon footprint of the American appetite for cheeseburgers is (conservatively) 195,750,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (remember cows create methane which is a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2).
Cascio goes on to calculate the global warming impact of driving SUVs in comparison to eating cheeseburgers. He concludes, “the greenhouse gas emissions arising every year from the production and consumption of cheeseburgers is roughly the amount emitted by 6.5 million to 19.6 million SUVs. There are now approximately 16 million SUVs currently on the road in the US.”
All things considered, our food choices may be as important, if not more, than our transportation choices when it comes to climate change.
Open call for volunteers - International policy research project
The Collegiate Energy Association (http://collegeenergy.org/) is conducting a multi-disciplinary international policy research project under the guidance of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Association of American Universities. This approximately one semester long project will:
(1) Provide an overview of practices employed by universities around the world to support energy R&D, education, and technology commercialization in order to identify promising university approaches to these problems,
(2) Provide an overview of R&D and innovation policies being employed by various governments in order to identify promising practices at the national level, and
(3) Provide a rationale for government support of university R&D and innovation in energy in order to motivate recommendations for policy changes and/or new policy directions
The CEA has secured interest in the product of this project from various universities, the White House OSTP, the AAU, the US Department of Energy, and staffers from various Congressional committees. Participation in this project is open to all energy club members around the world (non-US students are especially encouraged to join!). If you wish to participate, please contact Kevin Huang at kjhuang@mit.edu by October 14.
1) Everything you always wanted to know about the Waxman-Markey energy/climate bill (Grist) | link
2) Summary of International Provisions (EDF) |pdf
3) Cap-and-trade: How it works and why it's been the option of choice (Cleantech Blog) | link4) The American Clean Energy and Security Act: By the Numbers (House Energy & Commerce Committee) | pdf
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
2) The essential pillars of a new climate compact (The Boston Globe)
| link
If you are interested in attending this event but don't have transportation, talk to any TEF board member and we'll try to find you a ride.
The tour will go from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM on Tuesday, September 29th, rain or shine. Meet at the Office of Sustainability (back of Miller Hall, across the parking lot from the entrance to Hillel).
Bring comfortable walking shoes and dress for being outside.
If you are interested, please RSVP to Tina.Woolston@tufts.edu.
NOTICE: THIS EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY THE TUFTS OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, AND IS NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH TUFTS ENERGY FORUM. TIMES AND LOCATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
For those of you who were there, we're glad you could make it (and help us finish off 12 boxes of pizza). For those of you who couldn't make it, here are some highlights:
• TEF has a lot of activities planned for the term, from debates and guest lectures to field trips and movie screenings. As always, all are welcome.
• The TEF board is at your service--if you have requests for speakers or events, want to do research, or just have suggestions, just come talk to any of us.
• By an overwhelming majority, the discussion topic for next week was voted to be: "national and international energy legislation in the upcoming 6 months."
• Between the conference committee and our numerous events, there are lots of ways to get involved at TEF. Come to weekly meetings to find out more.
Hope to see you all next week!
