is taking their message to the readers of the New Yorker Magazine with a full page ad in the September 10th issue. As circulated via the architecture 2030 newsletter, the ad will read (in stark black and gray times roman text centered on the page):
GLOBAL WARMING
Think You’re Making a Difference?
Think Again.
There are 151 new conventional coal-fired power plants
in various stages of development in the US today.
HOME DEPOT
Home Depot is funding the planting of 300,000 trees in cities across the US to help absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions... The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized (500 MW) coal-fired power plant, in just 10 days of operation, will negate this entire effort.
WAL-MART
Wal-Mart is investing a half billion dollars to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of their existing buildings by 20% over the next seven years. If every Wal-Mart Supercenter met this target… The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized coal-fired power plant, in just one month of operation each year, would negate this entire effort.
CALIFORNIA
California passed legislation to cut CO2 emissions in new cars by 25% and in SUVs by 18%, starting in 2009. If every car and SUV sold in California in 2009 met this standard… The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized coal-fired power plant, in just eight months of operation each year, would negate this entire effort.
EVERY HOUSEHOLD
If every household in the US changed a 60-watt incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent… The CO2 emissions from just two medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.
EDUCATION
The Campus Climate Challenge calls for all college campuses in the US to reduce their CO2 emissions to zero. If every college campus building in the US met this challenge… The CO2 emissions from just four medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.
NY, ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI, PA, NJ, DL, MD
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative effort by 11 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce their CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2014... The CO2 emissions from just 13 medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year will negate this entire effort.
CONGRESS
Congress is considering many climate change bills this year to reduce US carbon dioxide emissions... The CO2 emissions from any new coal-fired power plants work to negate these efforts.
THERE IS A ‘SILVER BULLET’ FOR SOLVING GLOBAL WARMING…
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
NO MORE COAL
Without coal, all the positive efforts underway can make a difference.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Over an 11-year period (1973–1983), the US built approx. 30 billion square feet of new buildings, added approx. 35 million new vehicles and increased real GDP by one trillion dollars while decreasing its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. We don’t need coal, we have what we need: efficient design and proven technologies.
Today, buildings use 76% of all the energy produced at coal plants.
By implementing The 2030 Challenge* to reduce building energy use by a minimum of 50%, we negate the need for new coal plants.
Make a Difference: Protect Your Efforts.
* Issued by:2030, Inc./Architecture 2030 • The 2030 Research Center • www.architecture2030.org
NOTES
1. Emissions Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2005.
2. Building Sector Data Source: 2006 Building Energy Databook, EIA.
3. 1 Quad (quadrillion Btu) = approx. 60.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MMT CO2).
4. One medium-sized (500 MW) conventional coal-fired plant emits approx. 3.2 to 4.0 MMT CO2 a year.
5. One billion square feet of existing building area in the US is responsible for approx. 7.68 MMT CO2/yr.
6. Home Depot: Home Depot has funded the planting of 300,000 trees in cities across the US. Each tree will absorb and store approx. one-third of a ton of CO2 over its lifetime.
7. Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart, the largest “private” purchaser of electricity in the world is investing half a billion dollars to reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their existing buildings by 20% over the next 7 years. "As one of the largest companies in the world, with an expanding global presence, environmental problems are our problems," said CEO Lee Scott.
a. Total US building area for all Wal-Mart Supercenters: 437,019,000 square feet (sf).
b. Total US building area for all Wal-Mart stores: 630,494,000 square feet (sf).
8. Every Household:
a. There are 110 million households in the US today.
b. Changing one 60-watt incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent saves approx. 156.6 pounds of CO2 each year.
9. Education:
a. The Campus Climate Challenge, a growing student movement in the US, states that global warming “is our problem, and it’s up to us to solve it, starting right here on campus, right now.”
b. Assumption: 3.5 billion sf of existing college campus building in the US.
10. California:
a. California, which makes up over 10% of the country’s new vehicle market, passed legislation to cut GHG emissions in new cars by 25% and in SUVs by 18%, starting in 2009.
b. A 25% reduction of emissions in cars and 18% in SUV’s sold in California in 2009 is approx. 2.3 MMT CO2.
11. ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI, NY, PA, NJ, DL, MD: The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a ‘cap and trade’ cooperative effort by eleven Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2014.
a. Carbon dioxide emissions in 1990 equal 842.04 MMT CO2.
b. Carbon Dioxide emissions in 2003 equal 889.42 MMT CO2.
12. Real GDP (Year 2000 dollars) in 1973 was $4.341 trillion and in 1983, $5.423 trillion. (Source: Economic History Services)
13. Number of vehicles in operation in 1973 was 111.217 million and in 1983, 147.104 million. (Source: US Energy Information Administration)
14. From 1973 to 1983 approx. 19.7 billion square feet (bsf) of residential building and 13.3 bsf of commercial building were built. (Source: US Census, EIA)
15. Total US energy consumption in 1973 was 75.7 quadrillion btu (Qbtu) and in 1983, 73.0 Qbtu. (Source: EIA)
16. Total US CO2 emissions in 1973 was 4685 million metric tons (MMT) and in 1983, 4331 MMT. (Source: EIA)
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6 Comments
Ummm - coal is the greatest natural resource in terms of embodied energy besides nuclear, and rather than having such a negative attitude you should be applauding the advances in clean coal burning technologies before trying to scare everyone
maybe this confrontational nihilistic scary approach is needed to nudge/bludgeon the coal industry towards a truly cleaner method of extracting the energy embedded in our fossilized peat.
I'm not sure about the point above stating 151 dirty coal plants as opposed to modernized ones are in development around the US. And especially love how Barry paints wal mart and Home Depot as green saviors. I'd love to send them pictures of black sludge rivers near wal marts distribution plant where most of the mfr facilities congregate around. Theres nothing wrong with coal, dont believe the hype.
evil-
it's not just the burning of coal that is dangerous. the entire process is an environmental nightmare - if you don't believe me we can go to my cousin's house in west virginia.
and it wasn't barry that painted wal mart and home depot as green saviours, it was ed mazria - only he wasn't making them out to be green saviours, but showing that what these companies are doing to help the environment will never outpace the damage those coal plants will be doing.
Holz-
if your talking about strip mining sure - it is enviromentaly disasterous, not to mention the mining industry leaves behind all kinds of contaminated runoff - but thats not to say coal is wrong. Coal gives us tremendous BTU's of energy for its mass and our technology today only lets us harness something like 50% at best of a burned piece of coal. No doubt alternative energy methods reduce pollution but they come nowhere near the energy gain. We shouldnt be villifying the coal industry, we should be exciting people abvout the future of this amazing and plentiful resource and pressuring them to be cleaner. Our future depends on it proper use not ending its use. Im in Illinois, a big coal state and also a big nuclear state. Coal is not looked as "evil" here. I can think of one coal plant in Chicago and its really only running one of its generators currently. Theres also a couple high efficiancy coal plants going up downstate. I think the biggest obstacle to the capital investment needed to upgrade these facilities is the scare monger tactics like this advertisement that prevent capital inflow to a "targeted" industry, or worse yet, divert capital flows out of america to easier markets like China where they burn what ever they want however they want so Wal Mart can sell some cheap markers and poster boards for these zealout's placards. Out of sight/ out of mind.
Having been in Beijing last year, I saw probably the worst pollution I have ever seen in my life. It was so bad that you could not see the sun during what was supposed be sunset. On top of that the sun that did show during the day cast an eerie diffused yellow light, which in a way made the city look bigger and more mystical. Not only was the sky not blue (kinda green-grey) but you could feel it in your throat and nose. I stayed there for three weeks, by the end of the first week I was hacking loogies every 30 minutes when outside. All around you can hear that sound, blending in with the sound of bikes and buses.
THEN IT RAINED,and the sky the next day was blue, and the light was pure white... Kinda like LA only the difference is about four times greater.
The main source of Air pollution in China are their COAL power plants, not automobiles, as with the US. The particulate pollution from their coal powered plants is so bad, that 1/3 of the air polluon in Los Angeles has been traced back to China. Coal sucks, end of story. No matter how efficient, or how much you scrub the emmisions from a coal plant, they still let off CO2, which neither you or I can breathe.
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