Due to popular demand, CEP has revamped a very important corner of our main website.
We heard from a lot of folks - and in addition to the blog coverage, they wanted an easier way to keep track of the research reports that we reference. (Blogs tend to be great for serializing information, but not centralizing it.)
Drum roll… tah dah! It is my very great pleasure to introduce CEP’s new RESEARCH BRIEFS. (The section is still a little beta, so be kind.)
You can access these briefs in three ways:
1) Thru the new Research Briefs section on our home page, www.climateandenergy.org. It’s located in the left column right under “Hot Topics.”
2) Thru the In the News section of our main website - see, the button there in the corner labeled “Research Briefs”
3) Or just skip straight to the briefs themselves, whatever works best for you.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
News Updates: Upcoming energy events in Kansas
April 22, 2008
WICHITA
Take Charge Community Energy Forum
An open public dialogue about energy issues - a rare opportunity for concerned citizens to hear their legislators’ positions on Kansas’ energy future, and to have their questions answered.
Sponsored by the Wichita State University Elliott School of Communication, the League of Women Voters-Wichita Metro, the Climate and Energy Project, and the Sierra Club Southwind Chapter. Moderated by the League of Women Voters.
Monday, April 28th - 7:00 PM
Wichita State University- Rhatigan Student Center, 3rd floor, East Ballroom
FREE and open to both students and the public
For more information, please click here for press release.
LAWRENCE
Energy in Kansas - Going to the Green Side?
A community discussion on energy with Sarah Hill-Nelson, Dan Nagengast, and Nancy Jackson.
Sponsored by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Zephyr Energy, CEP, and the Kansas Rural Center
Wednesday, April 23rd - 7:00 p.m., Lawrence Public Library
FREE and open to the public
For more information, please click here for press release.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Free, easy, online Earth Day Kit - download materials for your own community’s celebration
April 14, 2008
For your community’s Earth Day celebration, do you need information on climate and energy? CEP offers several handouts that can help.
To download the following, you will need Adobe Reader.
Go on a carbon diet - Lose a Ton! GREAT FOR KIDS!
Questions about CFL lightbulbs and Mercury
FAQs about the Kansas Coal Controversy
Find out for Yourself! Helpful Websites and Resources
Renowned Religious Leaders on climate change
Renowned Scientific Organization on climate change
REMEMBER - there are many experts in your community who can also help discuss these topics at Earth Day events.
Leaders of local faith communities. Many faith traditions have a long history of considering how humans interact with the natural world.
Extension agents. Your local extension agent has access to many earth-friendly resources, from energy saving tips, to help with soil and water conservation.
Master Gardeners. Gardeners are familiar with the earth on a very basic level, from soil quality to insect cycles. They can also suggest easy projects that you and your family can do at home.
HVAC experts and contractors. We use enormous amounts of energy to heat and cool our homes. Weatherizing and insulating can make a big difference to saving energy and saving money, too. These hands-on experts can help explain your options.
Mechanics. Ask a local mechanic to give tips on maintaining and driving your vehicles for better fuel efficiency.
Outdoorsmen, birdwatchers, and wildlife management professionals. These folks all spend a lot of time outdoors, carefully watching the environment.
Science teachers. From grade schools to community colleges, science teachers are an important community resource.
Legislators. After this last legislative session especially, your state legislators have heard a great deal about energy policy in Kansas. Invite them to your event and ask plenty of questions about current events - they are on break during April.
If you have any questions or if we can help, please just let us know! For a list of Earth Day events where CEP will appear, please check here.
— Eileen Horn and Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
The Kansas legislature takes a break during April - and the timing couldn’t be better for CEP! Now we can turn our attention toward Earth Day.
We’re participating in several area Earth Fairs this month, where we’ll have hands-on demonstrations of the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy alongside free and easy energy tips - things you can do today, to reduce your carbon footprint and help Kansas pursue a clean energy future.
Stop by, ask us your burning climate and energy questions, and pick up some great information!
CEP will be appearing at the following Earth Fairs near you:
- April 12 (10AM-3PM) Shawnee Mission East Earth Fair, 75th and Mission Rd., Prairie Village
- April 18 (11AM-1PM) Sprint Center Earth Day Celebration, 119th and Nall, Overland Park
- April 19 (10AM-2PM) KC Earth Day Fair, Shawnee Mission Park- Theatre in the Park, 79th and Renner Blvd.
- April 20 (3:30PM-5:30PM) Earth Day Fair, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 11100 College Blvd, Overland Park
- April 21 (11AM-3PM) Earth Fair, Johnson County Community College, Quivira and College Blvd. Overland Park
For more information, please contact Eileen Horn at “horn at climateandenergy dot org”
Need climate and energy information for an Earth Fair event in your own area? Check out CEP’s fact sheet page. Some of the offerings you might be interested in (the link will download in pdf):
- How to Save Energy
- Our Changing Climate
- The Difference Wind Energy Makes
- Energy and Water Resources
- Religious Leaders on Climate Change
- Major Scientific Organizations on Climate Change
- National Security and the Threat of Climate Change
Fishing for feedback
March 25, 2008
Hey all. It’s that time of year, when bloggers employed by nonprofits have to report to their bosses on the results of their activities, and quantitatively and qualitatively prove that said activities are productive, valid, and a good way to leverage charitable dollars for the highest possible return of social, cultural and environmental benefits…
This basically means - please help me out! If you have feedback on the CEP website or blog (positive, negative, constructive, all of the above, it’s all welcome) then please either leave a comment and/or shoot me an email at “hazlett at climateandenergy dot org.” (I write the email address out phonetically so as to avoid spam.)
Please be as specific as possible - do you want Nancy Jackson to write more? Eileen, should she chip in more often? More live blogging? More CEP Conversations, News Updates, whatever? Less of something? Do we rock? Do we stink? Does it depend on the day? Are there topics you are interested in that we are not covering? Etc.
Please let us know. Thanks in advance!
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Wind forum scheduled for Kingman County on March 26
March 19, 2008
Via Dan Nagengast - the Kansas Rural Center is kicking off one of many upcoming forums on developing the wind resources of Kansas. FYI, a very interesting article (I think maybe inspired by this press release?) on the wind boom appeared in the Hutch News.
Stop before you sign. Look both ways. Proceed with caution! There are easier ways to go about this process, and then there are harder ways. Educate yourself, and learn more. Attending one of Dan’s forums is a great place to start.
Release reprinted in its entirety:
For Immediate Release–
South Central Kansas Regional Wind Energy Event Planned for March 26
With talk of wind as an alternative energy source for south-central Kansas, a wind energy summit is being planned for area producers, wind energy enthusiasts, landowners, county commissioners, city commissioners and other interested parties.
The South Central Kansas Regional Wind Energy Summit will be held on March 26, 2008 at Kingman High School, Kingman, KS. This educational event will be from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please register by March 24, 2008 for an accurate lunch count. A variety of presenters and topics of discussion will be featured at this meeting.
Steve Errebo, Lincoln County Commissioner, will give an overview of an entire completed wind farm project. He is a member of the Kansas Wind Working Group formed by Governor Kathleen Sebelius and led by Lt. Governor, Mark Parkinson. His experience will be a valuable resource for the purpose of the summit.
Several individuals, businesses and communities have looked at or questioned the ability to produce wind energy from their own generators. Tom Wind (yes his real name) will be presenting a webinar. He is a co-developer of the Hardin Hilltop Wind Farm, which is the first community-owned wind farm to take advantage of the Iowa tax credit incentives passed in 2005. As a consulting engineer, he specializes in wind generation projects and in the integration of large wind turbines into the utility grid system. Tom is a member of the American Wind Energy Association as well as several other related organizations and will provide insight into developing community wind energy.
Once generators are in place, how will the energy be transmitted to the end user? Kimberly Gencur Svaty will discuss transmission lines presently in south-central Kansas and also statewide. Having worked in the energy and transmission industries for several years, she is familiar with the transmission picture in Kansas. Her presentation will help the audience understand this issue.
The summit will include two breakout sessions. One session will focus on landowner leasing issues. Mike Irvin, an attorney with the Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation will share the leasing picture from the landowner and legal perspective. Mike also serves on the Kansas Wind Working Group.
Another breakout session features Steve Errebo sharing from an elected official perspective. This session is open to any interested persons. His background with the Lincoln County Wind Energy project will help educate attendees about issues facing the development of wind energy in their counties and communities.
Across the state and nation, wind energy groups are creating coalitions to assure that best practices are utilized in new projects. Roger Masenthin, coordinator for Sunflower RC&D Area, Inc. will facilitate as the audience explores opportunities for building local coalitions that will provide leadership now and in the future for south-central Kansas wind development.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED BY MARCH 24 TO ATTEND AND FOR AN ACCURATE LUNCH COUNT. REGISTRATION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES OR BY CONTACTING ANY OF THE SPONSORS LISTED BELOW:
- Kansas Rural Center – www.kansasruralcenter.org
Sunflower RC&D – www.sunflowerrcd.net- Sumner County Economic Development Commission – www.gosumner.com
If you have questions, you may contact any one of the sponsoring agencies which include Sumner County Economic Development Commission 620-326-8779; Kansas Rural Center 785-748-0959; Sunflower RC& D 620-896-7378; Kingman County Farm Bureau 620-532-6721; and the Kingman County Economic Development Council 620-532-3694.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
New CEP program - Climate Stories
March 19, 2008
Everywhere we go, CEP finds that Kansans want to share their stories. Kansans’ firsthand accounts of climate change in their lives and landscapes – from earlier planting seasons to more unpredictable rains to new and different crop pests – have had a real impact on our program.
CEP would like to collect and share these stories. After all, the stories we tell do more than just recall the past climate of Kansas. They give us ideas and inspiration - and most importantly hope - as we learn to adapt to our changing environment.
Have you observed changes in your climate? Have you changed your habits? Created solutions? We’d love to hear about them.
Please email your story to: info@climateandenergy.org, and put “Climate Stories” in the subject line.
— Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org
votes, blog readers, and citizens
February 27, 2008
So far the conference committee meetings on the Holcomb bill have been a whole lot of nothing. I have heard many theories about the lack of substantive engagement on the major differences between the two bills. Any one of them could be true, of course. To some extent, they all revolve around the common knowledge that pressures are being applied to House members to change their votes, to make the measure veto proof. I guess that we will know when we know.
That reminds me, though - I checked out our blog stats for the quarter yesterday. For the most popular entry since January, we have a startling three-way tie (tied within ten votes or so):
Live blogging on the House floor debate re Holcomb/ energy bill - February 18, 2008
Live blogging on the Senate floor debate re Holcomb/ energy bill - February 13, 2008
Holcomb/ energy bill to date - and who voted how - (tallies and names for final votes on the measure) February 20, 2008
We get around 1,500 readers per week. At this point, literally thousands of people have read these entries (and the numbers aren’t falling off very much per entry as time goes by, either, which is unusual for blog posts). How do they find us? As the CEP webmaster - actually, I prefer webmistress - I can tell that, too: Around 40% of them come to the blog through clicking on a link in an email someone has sent them.
I have to assume that a good chunk of these readers are Kansans. I also conjecture that if they are interested enough to follow the issue (which is often confusing and tough to grasp), they probably are voters, and really care. I know from my email that many of them have never read a blog before, ever (FYI, this means they are probably older than the MySpace/ social networking generation - at 40, I qualify as a venerable old lady in the blog culture.)
This combined data represents great news for CEP. Part of our mission is to get everyday citizens involved in climate and energy conversations, and to educate and inform on ongoing relevant policy issues. Boy - has this ever happened. Clearly, we gotta keep on keeping on.
While I won’t get to it until after the legislative session is over, I hope to put together a spreadsheet of who voted how at what point on the measure and to make that accessible to our readers. There is obviously a demand to put as much information about this issue on the record as possible.
Also, thanks to the kindness of many people, especially Paul Snider of KCPL who keeps excellent track of details, I have probably 85% of the testimony from the House Committee hearings on their version of the bill (proponents and opponents both). Hopefully I will get that posted sooner rather than later.
I’ll be frank. When I agreed to blog for CEP, part of me screamed loudly at the other part - “You idiot! This is a hard topic to communicate! No one will read it! What are you THINKING don’t leave your steady job AGGGHH!”
I apologize for underestimating how many people care - and how much they care. You all have humbled me. I am so proud to be from Kansas.
Everyone who reads this stuff, and who forwards it on to their friends - please congratulate yourselves. You make a difference. You matter. You are being noticed, you are being counted, and we promise to let folks know that you care. You have gotten engaged in a major issue of critical importance to Kansans.
Thank you for getting involved.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
check out CEP’s sizzling new “Report Summaries” ! which are so much more interesting than that title.
January 31, 2008
Now posted on our website, due to popular demand - CEP’s fascinating “Report Summaries” ! What the heck are those (you may well ask)? Well, when we read cool stuff on climate and energy… sometimes we also write it up.
Primarily, we clip out the most relevant direct quotes and stick them in a summary so that you, dear reader, do not have to wade through the volume of paper that we do here at CEP. Then we stick the link in there so you can track back and read the original, if you so desire.
Currently offered in this exciting new series:
CNA Corporation, “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change” (.pdf, 84 KB)
Renowned Religious Leaders and Major Faith Traditions’ Statements on Climate Change (.pdf, 108 KB)
Renowned Scientific Organizations and their Conclusions on Climate Change (.pdf, 116 KB)
McKinsey & Company, “Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost?” (.pdf, 92 KB)
IPCC, Climate Change Synthesis Report Summary for Policymakers (.pdf, 92 KB)
Enjoy.
— Maril Hazlett
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
updated event information for Take Charge! CEP’s upcoming climate and energy panels
January 18, 2008
Updated event information is now available on CEP’s upcoming Take Charge! community forums in Salina, Overland Park, and Topeka (January 21, 22, and 23 respectively). Click thru to the press release on our home page for times, locations, and pdf fliers listing the names of panel members.
These panels are going to be so darn cool. The participating experts are listed below. CEP couldn’t be more delighted to have these folks participating:
Salina - Kansas Wesleyan University - Monday, January 21, 7-9 p.m.
Jim Ludwig, Westar Energy
Frank Costanza, Tradewind Energy
Carl Huslig, ITC Great Plains
David Schlissel, Synapse Energy
Wes Jackson, The Land Institute
Overland Park, JCCC - Tuesday, January 22, 7-9 p.m.
Bill Riggins, KCPL
Ezra Hausman, Synapse Energy
Mark Lawlor, Horizon
Kimberly Gencur, ITC Great Plains
Topeka, Washburn University - Wednesday, January 23, 7-9 p.m.
Jim Ludwig, Westar Energy
Johannes Feddema, IPCC Researcher
Mark Lawlor, Horizon Energy
Kimberly Gencur, ITC Great Plains
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
Take Charge! CEP sponsors community climate and energy forums
January 10, 2008
Press Release
Take Charge! Community Energy Forums
1/10/2008
Salina, Overland Park, Topeka, KS -
Climate and energy topics have been in the news a lot lately. Naturally, Kansans have a lot of questions.
To help Kansans sort through these frequently confusing facts, the Climate and Energy Project (CEP) is gathering panels of experts to answer questions. During January CEP will sponsor community energy forums in Salina, Overland Park, and Topeka.
The forums will offer rare opportunities for Kansans to interact with panelists from diverse fields – wind energy, energy efficiency, climate change, and carbon regulation. They represent industry, utilities, and universities.
“We won’t sort it all out in one night,” said Community Outreach coordinator Eileen Horn. “But we can make a good start. Information isn’t the only key for decisions about energy, but it is an important piece of the puzzle. So is having a civil, democratic, public discussion.”
The forums will offer Kansans more of the information they need to begin envisioning the state’s energy future, including possible responses to climate change.
“I am hardly the first to say that there is no silver bullet for this problem. But we’ve got silver buckshot,” said CEP Executive Director Nancy Jackson. “Our job is to give Kansans the ammunition they need to develop long-term climate and energy solutions that are right for their community and their environment.”
“We want our children and grandchildren to grow up in a healthy and prosperous Kansas, with plenty of viable natural resources. These forums are a step in that direction.”
Dates and locations:
- Salina at Kansas Wesleyan University on Monday, January 21st from 7-9 PM. Peters Science Hall (corner of Cloud & 4thSt.) Room 201
- Overland Park at Johnson County Community College on Tuesday, January 22nd from 7-9 PM. Regnier Center, RC101
- Topeka at Washburn University on Wednesday, January 23rd from 7-9 PM. Memorial Union (1700 SW College Ave.) Washburn Room
Take Charge! is being hosted by each university in collaboration with the Climate and Energy Project, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide balanced information and spur conversations about the impacts of climate change and energy opportunities in Kansas.
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For more information, contact info@climateandenergy.org, or horn@climateandenergy.org. Or call Eileen Horn at 913-708-3929.
For a .pdf of this press release, click here.
For a .pdf of the publicity flier, click here.
sick of the poll yet…?
January 4, 2008
Of course you aren’t! (Sick of the poll yet.) The following list of poll media coverage is probably not comprehensive because I had to eventually quit messing with it and go do other things. However, it should provide a nice snapshot of what is out there. I have also excerpted some quotables:
Dan Nagengast of the Kansas Rural Center, from the Hutch News (Harris) story:
“I think if you did a national poll you’d see similar results. There’s been a sea change in how people view this issue, and I think legislators would do well to listen and make policy that encourages wind farms.”
Rep. Pat George, R-Dodge City, from the Dodge Globe story:
“(George) said he’s discussed the decision with several of his constituents, and none of them agreed with it. ‘Nobody has approached me that feels he (KDHE Secretary Bremby) did the right thing,’ he said.”
Actually, one of the most interesting quotables came from a related energy article in the Salina Journal. Here is Kansas Representative John Svaty, D-Ellsworth, regarding House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, and the upcoming legislative session:
Neufeld already has issued an ultimatum, Svaty said.
“The speaker of the House has said that if we don’t do exactly what he wants to do with Holcomb in the first two weeks, he’ll essentially shut the Legislature down and we won’t get anything through,” said Svaty, whose first term started in 2003. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that compromise tends to rule the day, and shutting things down doesn’t tend to solve anything.”
Still, gridlock is looking like a distinct possibility, he said.
“What concerns me a little bit is that neither side, neither the speaker’s side nor the governor’s side, seems to be talking about this middle ground that we do need to find in order to move forward,” Svaty said. “That is where, hopefully, the (Energy and Utilities) Committee can find some sort of policy that can move the state of Kansas forward and will be in the best interest of all of the state, not just now but 30 years from now.”
Media coverage of poll results
Kansans say denial of permit was right thing (Salina Journal)
Survey shows support for KDHE decision, wind farms (Topeka Capitol-Journal)
Poll: Most Kansans support blocking construction of coal power plants (Dodge Globe)
Poll: Public backs wind energy, coal decision (Hutch News/ Harris)
Kansas voters agree with decision to block construction of coal plants, poll says (KCStar)
Kansans support decision to nix coal plants, want focus on wind energy (LJWorld)
— Maril Hazlett
Thoughts on the recent poll
January 4, 2008
by Nancy Jackson
CEP Executive Director
Most of you reading this post are by now probably aware of the poll results released yesterday - by a 2 to 1 margin, Kansans approve of the KDHE’s decision to deny air quality permits to Sunflower for building two 700 megawatt coal-fired power plants in western Kansas. In addition, 3 out of 4 Kansans also support more aggressive pursuit of one of our state’s most widely distributed natural resources - wind energy. (For more information you can also see yesterday’s blog post).
Since the poll’s release, CEP has received a lot of interest. One question that several people have asked - why was your organization curious about these issues?
Here’s the answer. It’s pretty simple. When we started the Climate & Energy Project last February, it seemed that everyone – inside and outside the state – had a lot of preconceptions about Kansans’ opinions on climate and energy issues. However, there was little to no hard data to back up these statements. CEP wanted to go beyond the stereotypes, establish a baseline of scientifically gathered information, and find out what Kansans actually DID think.
So, we saved our pennies and commissioned an independent, statewide poll – an objective snapshot of Kansans’ opinions and values regarding climate and energy. And when the results came in, we got two big surprises. When we saw that, 2:1, Kansans support the recent decision to deny permits to two coal-fired power plants – and that fully 75% of us favor more aggressive pursuit of wind energy – CEP had a decision to make.
We opted to release these results precisely because they were so surprising. Secretary Bremby’s decision had been characterized as risky, overreaching, and unpopular. Suddenly, CEP possessed objective, credible data suggesting otherwise. We felt Kansans – our friends, family, and neighbors – had a right to know that.
CEP feels that it is time for an honest, informed, broadly engaged dialogue about our energy future. Kansas needs a fully integrated energy plan. It should not be decided behind closed doors, but rather in a democratic, civil fashion.
There is a great deal at stake. Our energy independence and security as well as our economic resilience depend on the choices that we make today – so does our ability to preserve all that is best about Kansas for our children and theirs.
