Environment: October 2009 Archives

When you think of Oklahoma, you may think of the Boomer Sooner. Or you may think of Conoco Phillips. Or you may remember tragedies and remember the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in what was then the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.

But you probably never thought of, nor heard of the Oklahoma Wind Power Institute.

NPR recently did a story on this organization. It told the story of someone who used to work in the oil fields but who got tired of the boom and bust cycle of oil. He was looking to provide for his family, and he decided that wind would be the way to go.

As you probably can guess by the lyrics to the Rodgers and Hammerstein song Oklahoma!, the wind blows in Oklahoma. And if you check out the maps provided by the Oklahoma Wind Power Institute, it blows a lot.

Oklahoma's gas and oil industry obviously dwarfs the wind power industry. But the oil and gas industry is dealing with declining fields. The more you pump out, the less you have, and the harder it is to get.

On the other hand, wind is a relatively untapped resource.

This is another case where going green creates green. It also creates jobs, something needed in this tough economy. It is difficult for relatively low skill labor to find jobs that pay as well as those in the oil industry. Wind power, as Oklahoma is finding, can provide some of those jobs.

Green energy is going to be a big field, especially with new legislation such as cap and trade and the requirements of many states that a certain percentage of electricity come from non-fossil sources. Study it and invest accordingly.

In the meantime, enjoy this video.

What do Apple, PG&E, Exelon, and PNM Resources have in common?  Trick question, right?  Other than being publicly traded companies, what could the producer of iPods and Macs have in common with three utilities?

The answer is that all have left the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to protest its position on climate change.  The Chamber opposes the cap and trade bill in currently working its way through Congress, saying that it will destroy the economy and that since it's not international, it won't address the problem.  We'll ignore for a moment the fact that Congress writes laws for the United States, and that other sovereign nations don't have to obey laws it writes.  You would think that the Chamber, which claims to be "the voice of business," would understand this, since it's got a lot of highly paid lobbyists on its payroll.

A speech given by the head of the Chamber apparently was the last straw for Apple.  In response to that speech, Apple said that it "supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and it is frustrating to find the Chamber at odds with us in this effort."

Apple leaving the Chamber over climate change legislation is one thing.  While seen as an innovative company to emulate, Apple doesn't have to produce electricity, a process that still remains highly dependent on the burning of fossil fuels. 

But New Mexico based PNM Resources is a utility that generates most of its electricity from burning coal.  Despite this, PNM supports the climate change legislation that passed the House earlier this year.  And in explaining its decision to leave the Chamber, PNM said "we've been a member of the chamber for eight years. We had hoped to work within the chamber to influence other members and influence the chamber's position itself.  But it became clear to us over time that that wasn't going to happen."

Naturally, environmental organizations applauded Apple's decision to leave the Chamber.  According to the National Resources Defense Council, Apple's actions means that "when the Chamber goes into an office now, the staff and the members are going to know that the Chamber is not speaking for the entire business community."

So did Energy Secretary Steven Chu.  Chu, who now has to share the distinction of being a Nobel Prize winner with his boss, said of Apple's defection from the Chamber "I think it's wonderful."

In response to the latest news, the head of the Chamber said that environmentalists are putting pressure on its members.  He said that the Chamber's members are hearing from environmental groups that want companies to push the Chamber to change its position on climate change legislation.

Does anyone else see the irony of a lobbying organization complaining about customers and environmental groups putting pressure on companies to act in a certain way?  What does a lobbying group do?  Isn't what environmentalists are doing with the Chamber's members exactly what the Chamber does with members of Congress?

Whining about environmental groups putting pressure on Chamber members is not a good way to win the public relations battle.  It makes the Chamber look like a petulant child complaining to his mother that his sister is picking on him.

Here is an NPR report on Apple's decision to leave the Chamber.