Comments on: Sustainability commission unveils green recommendations http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/01/09/sustainability-commission-unveils-green-recommendations/ A New York City Subway Blog Fri, 25 May 2012 15:17:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Climatarians http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/01/09/sustainability-commission-unveils-green-recommendations/#comment-60580 Climatarians Sun, 03 May 2009 14:23:50 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1971#comment-60580 I personally agree with mr Barnett.... but one of the most important things is that we, all the people in the world, establish a price for CO2 output in Copenhagen this coming winter.... then we can tax it! Meanwhile.... if you want to promote your (sustainable) website or content please go to our <a href="http://climatarians.org/en/directory/index.html" title="sustainability directory" rel="nofollow"> I personally agree with mr Barnett…. but one of the most important things is that we, all the people in the world, establish a price for CO2 output in Copenhagen this coming winter…. then we can tax it!

Meanwhile…. if you want to promote your (sustainable) website or content please go to our

]]> By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » » Overreacting to a Green MetroCard program http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/01/09/sustainability-commission-unveils-green-recommendations/#comment-58236 Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » » Overreacting to a Green MetroCard program Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:43:19 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1971#comment-58236 [...] the Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability and the MTA unveiled its 148-page draft recommendations last week, the news coverage was decidedly mixed. It’s no small feat to digest and present a [...] [...] the Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability and the MTA unveiled its 148-page draft recommendations last week, the news coverage was decidedly mixed. It’s no small feat to digest and present a [...]

]]> By: Doc Barnett http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/01/09/sustainability-commission-unveils-green-recommendations/#comment-58200 Doc Barnett Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:54:41 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=1971#comment-58200 I don't think this is a good idea: "the report calls for the MTA to draw 80 percent of its operating energy from clean, renewable energy sources." Pledging to get electricity from certain sources for certain things is a shell game, with transit riders as its marks. It raises costs for us, while suburban and exurban residents can spend less per kilowatt to power their large, single-family houses on zero percent renewable. To the extent that such efforts expand renewable power at all, they do it on the backs of people that are already thanklessly living responsibly. Wind turbines that are going to be built anyway can send their feeble output to transit instead of somewhere else, and somebody's spreadsheet may look better, but overall carbon output keeps going up... hooray. Carbon tax: it's the only way to promote renewable energy that is effective and fair. Which, I hear, the commission also recommends. It sounds like a good report overall, with some green fluff around the edges to please fans of conspicuous green consumption—a trend that has graciously been waylaid by the financial crisis, if the Times' and Post's mocking write-ups on the Green MetroCard are any indication. That part of it just feels behind the times. I don’t think this is a good idea: “the report calls for the MTA to draw 80 percent of its operating energy from clean, renewable energy sources.” Pledging to get electricity from certain sources for certain things is a shell game, with transit riders as its marks. It raises costs for us, while suburban and exurban residents can spend less per kilowatt to power their large, single-family houses on zero percent renewable. To the extent that such efforts expand renewable power at all, they do it on the backs of people that are already thanklessly living responsibly. Wind turbines that are going to be built anyway can send their feeble output to transit instead of somewhere else, and somebody’s spreadsheet may look better, but overall carbon output keeps going up… hooray.

Carbon tax: it’s the only way to promote renewable energy that is effective and fair. Which, I hear, the commission also recommends. It sounds like a good report overall, with some green fluff around the edges to please fans of conspicuous green consumption—a trend that has graciously been waylaid by the financial crisis, if the Times’ and Post’s mocking write-ups on the Green MetroCard are any indication. That part of it just feels behind the times.

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