April 22, 2022

Did you know that Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 to bring attention to the need for environmental protection for the planet? Yet our challenges have continued to increase to the point that we are all staring at a global crisis.

The positive side of this crisis that so many people want to be part of the solution by contributing their skills to help their communities and workplaces to make a difference. Here at Leaders in Energy (LE), our community is working to help each other grow and share innovative solutions via our network to make an impact, both locally and globally. For example, LE member Carole Douglis, has just co-authored a new book on Climate Restoration which is based on natural processes that pull CO2 out of the air.

Additional positive news is that companies and multiple levels of government are pouring money into the mass deployment of renewable energy, grid electrification, regenerative agriculture, ocean conservation, emissions reduction and carbon removal. In 2021, an article in Fast Company reported that climate tech start-ups raised a record of $32 billion.

In terms of personal action, it is great when local government can help their residents to do the right thing. For example, Arlington County, Virginia recently instituted a food waste composting program for its residents by providing small composting bins (left). According to Project Drawdown, reducing food waste is a top way to reduce carbon emissions. Composting can help us to walk the Earth Day talk every day!

In this post, you will learn:

Let's get started.

This animation was created by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio and presents a fascinating one minute video on how the Earth's global temperatures have changed over the years from 1880 to 2021.

It has been six years since I met Leaders in Energy’s Executive Director, Janine Finnell, and joined this wonderful organization. Today I’m thrilled to be able to offer fellow members some seriously good news on climate.

Good news? In the wake of the new IPCC report on fire, floods and other climate emergencies?

Why yes! Few know it yet, but we now have the ability to restore a pre-industrial climate by 2050. In fact, climate restoration is eminently doable both financially and technically. To show how, physicist and entrepreneur Peter Fiekowsky and I wrote Climate Restoration: The Only Future that Will Sustain the Human Race. It’s to be officially released on Earth Day, April 22; it already has rave advance reviews from Publishers Weekly Lifebook and Kirkus Reviews.

Net-zero alone will lead to disaster (you probably knew that). We dare to call the Paris Accords a “Suicide Pact.” With more than a trillion tons (1,000 gigatons) of CO2 already aloft in the atmosphere, even if we do reach net zero by 2050, we’ll then have a climate fit for dinosaurs, not our grandchildren.

Over a decade of research, Fiekowsky ferreted out scientists and entrepreneurs who, working mostly under the radar, have pioneered ways to remove massive amounts of CO2 and store it permanently and safely. All the climate restoration methods are based on natural processes that pull CO2 out of the air all the time, especially in the transition from Hothouse Earth to ice ages. (Don’t fret, we’re not in danger of plunging into a new ice age.)

Rather than costing megabucks to store CO2 underground, these “biomimicked” methods result in products with large markets: seafood, from ocean restoration, and concrete from manufactured, carbon-negative limestone. Therefore climate restoration can be financed by investors and the market, without waiting for government outlays that might never come.

For instance: the San Francisco Airport is now using carbon-negative concrete for new construction. This concrete uses synthesized limestone, manufactured by mimicking the way oysters absorb CO2 to build their shells. If used for paving and building on a global scale, making synthetic limestone alone could absorb the excess CO2 over 30 years. Other methods include restoring large-scale photosynthesis in the oceans, which is a low-cost to also revive fisheries and the global fishing industry.

Take a look and please spread the word. Pre-ordering or ordering the book will prompt the algorithms to promote it. Please leave a review if you like it. In addition to Amazon, you can find Climate Restoration through Indiebound, Barnes and Noble, and our publisher, Rivertowns Books.

Climate Restoration also testifies to the magic of Leaders in Energy! Networking at LE events eventually connected me with Peter. Neither of us could have written this alone. Thank you, Janine and all LE members!

May 11th 6:30 - 8:00 pm ET - The Circular Economy Working Group will have a dedicated session to discuss progress on the DMV roadmap. This session will review the organization of data that will be used to make recommendations for the roadmap. 

If you haven't participated in previous sessions, this is a great meeting to join as we will be assessing progress and discussing the timeline for the next 6 months. All interested parties are welcome. This meeting will take place virtually. Please click the following link to register for this meeting.

April 25-29, 2022 - Transition to a Sustainable World, Global Electrification Forum, Edison Electric Institute. Virtual/Free. Register here. (U.S. Special Envoy on Climate, Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Joins Opening Conversation)

April 27, 2022 - Green Hydrogen Webinar, Energy and Environmental Study Institute (EESI) Briefing Series - Scaling Up Innovation to Drive Down Emissions, 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT, RSVP here. (Virtual/Free)

April 27,2022 - "Energy for Today and Tomorrow," 8 am - 6 pm EDT. 25th Annual Conference of the National Capital Area Chapter, U.S. Association for Energy Economics (NCAC-USAEE). Co-hosted with George Mason University, Center for Energy Science and Policy. Venue:  George Mason University, Arlington Campus, Van Metre Hall, 3351 Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22201 (Registration will close on April 24th). Register here. (In-person/Registration fee)

May 12, 2022 - Ecosystem Services: Green Infrastructure Utilized, Resilient Virginia Academy Series, 1:00–2:30 PM EDT, Register here. (Virtual/Members free)

Director of Building Electrification, DNV, Arlington, VA

Call for Climate Experts, Palladium, Washington, DC

Energy Engineering Senior Analyst, The Cadmus Group. Portland, Oregon

Senior Level Energy Programs Economist, Prosidian, Washington, DC

Senior Project Manager, Conservation International, Arlington, VA

Vice President, Climate Change Practice Leader, Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, DC

Project Finance Analyst, Summit Ridge Energy, Arlington, VA

Please let us know your interests by filling out our volunteer form at the link below. We also have positions posted here. We look forward to hearing from you and to meeting you!