From economist Mike Nickerson:

Due to the approaching election, it is
timely to introduce a program to advance a Genuine
Progress Index (GPI) for Canada. We are looking
for volunteers to raise this topic with candidates.

For our associates outside Canada, you may
find that the materials offered here are adaptable for
use in your area.

An improved measure of progress is essential.
As long as the costs arising from social and
environmental disasters are added to the GDP,
helping to make it grow, the economic growth
focused establishment will not recognize them as
problems. A Genuine Progress Index (GPI) would
improve our prospects by distinguishing between
regrettable expenditures and positive ones and by
adding measures of social and environmental well-
being to the familiar economic ones. Read the complete Post.

NY Times
August 27, 2008
The Energy Challenge
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Original article

VPO note – this article talks about the political and economic challenges of expanding North America’s electrical grid, but still ignores the physical limits – for instance, there’s a worldwide copper shortage. Where will the stuff (including oil) needed to build the grid come from? And at what price, if available?

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.

That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore’s hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.

The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not. Read the complete Post.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:51pm EDT
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
Original article

VPO note – in addition to perpetuating inefficiencies, fossil fuel subsidies also perpetuate governments. Also note the passing reference to demand destruction. Presumably the rich will get by fine without these subsidies. And instead, the poor will…? Another conundrum of Overshoot.

ACCRA (Reuters) – Abolishing subsidies on fossil fuels could cut world greenhouse gas emissions by up to 6 percent and also nudge up world economic growth, a U.N. report showed on Tuesday.

Subsidies on oil, gas or coal are meant to help the poor by lowering the price of energy but the report, issued on the sidelines of a 160-nation U.N. climate meeting in Ghana, said they often backfired by mainly benefiting wealthier people.

The study estimated that energy subsidies, almost all for fossil fuels, totaled about $300 billion a year or 0.7 percent of world gross domestic product (GDP).

“Cancelling these subsidies might reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 6 percent a year while contributing 0.1 percent to global GDP,” it said. Read the complete Post.

Original post with slideshow

Some people get a little concerned about more electrics and electric-hybrid cars. That’s because 50% of electric power in the U.S. comes from coal-burning power plants. And, just about every state wants to build more power plants to meet peak demand.

The big automakers are working on coming up with plug in hybrids. By the end of 2010, G-M and Toyota plan to have cars you can plug in to charge up batteries, backed up with small gas powered engines. Lester Graham reports there are concerns about whether pollution from power plants will be any better than pollution from tailpipes:

A related article from USA TODAY
A related blog post from TreeHugger

Producer: Lester Graham
Release Date: August 25, 2008
Running Time: 3:11

by Staff Writers
New York (AFP) Aug 25, 2008Original article

VPO note – global warming and peak oil connect to create food shortages that are soon going to both trump and worsen political and religious conflicts between countries. Good example.

Wracked by drought, Iran has turned to the United States for wheat for the first time in 27 years, marking a setback for Tehran’s search for agricultural self-sufficiency.

According to a recent US Department of Agriculture report, Iran has bought about 1.18 million tonnes of US hard wheat since the beginning of the 2008-2009 crop season in June.

The number, which has been growing steadily all summer, already represents nearly 5.0 percent of US annual exports forecast by the USDA.

The last time Iran imported US wheat was in 1981-1982. Read the complete Post.

By Christopher Swann
BLOOMBERG NEWS
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Original article

VPO note – this is what happens when you don’t think of the Big Picture of Overshoot and all its consequences. The solution to one problem (like addressing poverty) makes another problem (like global warming) worse.

Once the new Tata Ultra Mega power plant in western India is fired up in 2012 and fully operational, it will become one of the world’s 50 largest greenhouse-gas emitters. And the World Bank is helping make it possible.

A year after World Bank President Robert Zoellick pledged to “significantly step up our assistance” in fighting climate change, the development institution is increasing its financing of fossil-fuel projects around the globe.

The $4.14 billion, coal-powered Ultra Mega plant will emit more carbon dioxide annually than the nation of Tunisia, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The World Bank in April agreed to provide $450 million in loans and guarantees for the project and also may buy a $50 million stake in it.

“The World Bank’s lending record does not match up to Zoellick’s rhetoric,” says Heike Mainhardt-Gibbs, a consultant to the Bank Information Center, a Washington watchdog group. “The institution is simply not slowing down its significant funding to fossil-fuel projects that will emit greenhouse gases for 20 to 40 years.” Read the complete Post.