Reference Material

Leaning About Climate Change

The industrial revolution blossomed on easily-accessed fuels – fossil fuels. Those fuels are all carbon-based. They all produce lots of easily-accessed energy when burned to produce carbon dioxide (CO2).

Humans didn’t know it to begin with but a carefully-controlled amount of CO2 is necessary to maintain a climate that is friendly to life as we know it. The earth, sometimes called “Mother Earth”, and sometimes called “Gaea” developed a cooperation between different parts of its environment to keep CO2 at a level that kept the climate in control for thousands of years.

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Methane

We know that the natural methane cycle involves natural sources of methane stemming from the anaerobic decomposition of decaying matter that is found in wetlands together with animal and termite digestion. The methane itself decomposes into CO2 with a 12-year half-life. Before industrialization, the global methane source-sink balance was stable.

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Transmission Systems

To facilitate the development of large renewable sources, it is important that the regional transmission system has the capacity to deliver power to load centers. Electrical utilities need to identify potential generation sites and ensure that the surrounding grid has sufficient capacity to receive renewable power. It is also important that generation developers are able to construct transmission lines from the generation site to tie into the electrical grid in a reasonable time.

The inability to deliver power from the generation site to the proposed load center can make many otherwise attractive renewable generation projects impossible to develop. Federal, state, and local laws must recognize this and ensure that laws and regulations are such that transmission interties can be constructed in a reasonable time. We are familiar with attempts to construct transmission lines on more than one occasion have taken up to 15 years because of delays in gaining construction approval.

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US Energy Trends

The attached PowerPoint summarizes the trends in our use of Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Power and Renewable Energy. It summarizes the advantages of renewable power and the disadvantages of fossil fuels. The future of electric vehicles is also discussed.

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Carbon Offsets

Carbon offsets can be purchased to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are controversial but if included in a portfolio of approaches, it will make an impact. It is one tool in the toolbox.

The offset should have additionality. It should be approved by a verifying body. Preferably the offset should be completed before 2030.

Additionality is a term used in markets for tradable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions (carbon offsets or Carbon Credits). It means that a project or activity that reduces GHGs would not have happened without the offset buyer or collective buyers in the market.

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DISCUSSION OF CARBON OFFSETS AND VERIFYING BODIES by the Bonneville Environmental Fund
CARBON OFFSET SOURCES by the Bonneville Environmental Fund
CARBON FOOTPRINT CALCULATION

Additional Presentations

INDUSTRIAL LOGGING AND CLIMATE CHANGE: IMPACTS AND ECONOMIC POLICY INTERVENTIONS

Date: February 9, 2023
Presentation: focused on greenhouse gas production from industrial logging and then moved on to a discussion of economic policy interventions.
Speaker: Dr. John Talberth, Center for Sustainable Economy (CSE)

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ORSTED, OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY

Date: June 14, 2022
Presentation: focused on ORSTED’s US efforts to develop, build, and operate onshore and offshore renewable energy facilities and how they do it sustainably.
Speaker: Ryan Dela - Operations Engineering Director for ORSTED Onshore.

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PRESENTATION

ELECTRIFY NOW – ACCELERATING THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY

Date: January 11, 2022
Presentation: Accelerating the Transition to a Clean Energy Economy.
Speaker: Brian Stewart - retired Vice President of Sustainable Innovation at Nike Inc. and cofounder of Electrify Now.

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PRESENTATION
VIDEO PRESENTATION

PACIFICORP, INTREGATED REOURCE PLAN

Date: December 14, 2021
Presentation: PacifiCorp’s 2021 Integrated Resource Plan.
Speaker: Will Shallenberger - Managing Director of Renewable Generation at PacifiCorp

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EARTHQUAKES IN OREGON, ARE WE READY FOR THE BIG ONE?

Date: November 9, 2021
Presentation: Earthquakes.
Speaker: Dr. Scott Burns - Professor of Geology at Portland State

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OREGON COAST ENERGY ALLIANCE NETWORK (OCEAN), WIND ENERGY

Date: October 12, 2021
Presentation: Oceans.
Speaker: Shannon Souza - Sustainability Consultant located in Coos Bay.

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VIDEO PRESENTATION

NW POWER AND CONSERVATION COUNCIL

Date: September, 2021
Presentation: NW Power and Conservation Council.
Speaker: John Fazio - systems analyst for the Pacific Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

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PRESENTATION
VIDEO PRESENTATION

NUSCALE - SMALL MODULAR REACTORS

Date: August, 2021
Presentation: NUSCALE small modular reactor (SMR)
Speaker: Kenny Anderson - a nuclear engineer with roughly 15 years of experience in a wide variety of roles in the nuclear industry.

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PRESENTATION
VIDEO PRESENTATION

HYDROGEN, NET-ZERO EMISSIONS ECONOMY

Date: July, 2021
Presentation: Hydrogen
Speaker: Dr. John Perona - Professor of Environmental Biochemistry at Portland State University.

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PRESENTATION

NORTHWEST POWERPOOL

Date: May, 2021
Presentation: Northwest PowerPool
Speaker: Frank Afranji - President of the Northwest Power

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PRESENTATION