Summer reading recommendations from distinguished climate leaders

It’s summertime! The days are longer and the living is easier. The perfect time to spend warm, lazy afternoons lost in a good book while lounging on a chaise longue, or hammock, or beach towel. For these precise moments, we thought you might want to get some reading recommendations from distinguished climate leaders. We asked a few of our good friends to share their favorite and most recommended books. We hope that these titles will inspire and enthuse your summer reading!

Climate leader	Book recommendation
Len Hering Rear Admiral (U.S. Navy, retired); Executive Director, Center for Sustainable Energy	Book most often recommended to friends: “The Power of Losing Control” by Joe Caruso. It was a game changer for me. As a type A personality this book changed my life and my leadership style. It caused me to reflect on what was possible and what simply was beyond my control, and not lose sleep over it.Book recently enjoyed and inspired by: I am a history nut and haven’t read a novel in years. I can’t get enough of how our founding fathers acted, thought and shaped our beginning. With all we heard about our Founding fathers and the role religion has played, I found the book “Founding Faith: Providence, Politics and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America” By Steven Waldman to be fascinating. Favorite work of fiction or non-fiction: Again with all that is happening around the world much can be traced to the evils and mistakes of the past. If you want a good understand of why the Middle East is such a mess I would invite you to read “ A Peace to end all Peace” by David Fromkin is a must read. Book planning to read this summer: “The Writings of Abraham Lincoln”. To say the least, Abe Lincoln is the most impressive and yet troubled president of our country’s past. I hope to learn more of how he managed to hold a country so divided that it was willing to sacrifice thousands of its own for a cause, and hold out for even greater end. Lincoln completes the journey our Founding Fathers were unable to make.
Ken Alex Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Jerry Brown and the Director of the Office of Planning and Research	Book recently enjoyed and/or inspired by: “Signs Preceding the End of the World” by Yuri HerreraBook planning to read this summer: “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” by Richard Flanagan
David Heurtel Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Québec	Here are a couple of books I’m reading: “Cities for people” by Jan Gehl and “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” by Jon MeachamRecommendations and favorites: “The Plague” or “The Stranger” both by Albert Camus, and “The Dying Animal” by Philip Roth
Matt Rodriquez Secretary for Environmental Protection, California Environmental Protection Agency	Book most often recommended to friends: I have fond memories of reading “Lincoln” by Gore Vidal. I have recommended it to friends through the years.Book recently enjoyed and/or inspired by: Recently, I enjoyed reading “The Swerve” by Stephen Greenblatt. It’s a wonderful story about an interesting 15th century scholar who’s chance rediscovery of an early writing by the Roman philosopher Lucretious affected the development of western thought and culture. At a different level, I enjoyed “The Long Ships,” a swashbuckling bit of historical fiction by Frans Bengtsson about Vikings during the 10th Century. Favorite work of fiction or non-fiction: Fiction: I’ll admit to being a fan of Alexander Dumas and either “The Three Musketeers” or “The Count Monte Cristo.” Non-fiction: I recall many, many years ago reading “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing about Ernest Shackelton’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. More recently, I liked Ross King’s “The Judgment of Paris” about the birth on Impressionism. Book planning to read this summer: I anticipate it will take most of the summer to finish “The Prize,” Daniel Yergin’s book on the history of the oil industry. Next on the list are either “Embarrassment of Riches,” the history of Dutch Culture in the 17th century, or Amitav Ghosh’s “Flood of Fire,” the third novel in his trilogy about the opium trade and its effect in India in the 19th century.
Hector de la Torre Board Member, California Air Resources Board	Book most often recommended to friends: “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – A great example of Garcia Marquez’s magical realism, telling the multi-generational story of the Buendía family in Columbia. His writing is so matter-of-fact in describing events that are so fantastic that they seem entirely plausible, maybe because these are the events of everyday life – birth, love, life, death.Book recently enjoyed and/or inspired by: “In the Garden of Beasts” by Erik Larson – Historical fiction based in Berlin in the early 1930’s as Hitler consolidated his power within Germany. Told from the perspective of the US ambassador and his family as they tried to get an understanding of all that was taking place in the crosscurrent of politics and national interests, and then the more difficult question: what to do about it. Favorite work of fiction or non-fiction: “Yertle the Turtle” by Dr. Seuss – Whenever I am asked to read to children in schools or libraries, I bring this book because it is a fun parable of totalitarianism and human rights. Book planning to read this summer: “Three Who Made a Revolution” by Bertram Wolfe – Growing up in the Cold War and as an undergraduate and graduate student of international relations, the Soviet impact on foreign policy was a fundamental aspect of the post-war interaction between nations. The nature of the Soviet Union was shaped at the outset by its revolution and subsequent leadership. This book focuses on the personal histories and relationship between Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin in building the nascent Soviet Union – their founding fathers.
Wendy James CEO, The Better World Group	I’d like to recommend “The Great Race – The Global Quest for the Car of the Future” by Levi Tilleman. It’s a really good read, almost an action thriller, about the auto industry’s competition for new technology and markets. But the best part is the credit given to the policy drivers put in place by California that have resulted in these advanced technology vehicles being brought to market.The other book I am enjoying, prompted by a recent trip to San Francisco at the request of my 20-year-old great nephew, is pure summer enjoyment (nothing to do with work.) It’s the photography of Jim Marshall, called “The Haight – Love, Rock, and Revolution” and tells the story of Haight Ashbury during the 60s and the Summer of Love. The photos are quite spectacular, and if I close my eyes….

Grassland Project Protocol Version 1.0 adopted by the Reserve Board on July 22, 2015

New protocol creates a standardized, flexible path for high quality emissions reductions from grasslands

Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors adopts Grassland Project Protocol

SACRAMENTO, CA – The Board of Directors of the Climate Action Reserve, an environmental nonprofit organization and North America’s premier carbon offset registry, today approved the adoption of the Grassland Project Protocol Version 1.0, which provides a standardized approach for quantifying, monitoring and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions from permanently preventing the conversion of grasslands to croplands in the U.S. The availability of this protocol means grassland owners and project developers now have a standardized, streamlined and flexible way to earn offset credits that can be used in the voluntary carbon market now and potentially in California’s cap-and-trade program in the future. Additionally, adoption of the protocol brings co-benefits related to these projects, including the conservation of wildlife habitat, avoided soil erosion and increased area for open grazing.

The increased production of and profit in commodity crops has put more pressure on converting arable land to crop cultivation. From 2008-2012, 5.7 million acres of grassland were converted to cropland. When grassland is converted to cropland, GHG emissions increase from three sources: 1) belowground carbon from soil and biomass is released, 2) N₂O emissions from fertilizer application begin, and 3) CO₂ is released from the use of fossil fuels used to operate equipment. Current expectations are that individual grassland offset projects will cover thousands of acres, most likely in the Upper Midwest, Great Plains and California.

“Permanently preventing the conversion of grasslands to croplands will not only avoid the release of around one metric ton of CO₂-equivalent per acre per year but will also provide much needed co-benefits. Just as importantly, we know there is great interest in doing this. The Grassland Project Protocol is the result of contributions from experienced, knowledgeable stakeholders in this field and the high, regulatory quality standards incorporated into every Reserve protocol,” said Linda Adams, former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chair of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors. “This protocol would be a strong future addition to the family of protocols in California’s Cap-and-Trade Program.”

The Grassland Project Protocol incorporates lessons learned and feedback from other standards to create a new standard that allows for more efficient and economic offset projects while still maintaining high quality. The protocol development effort incorporated streamlining and standardizing wherever possible, which created an approach that balances accuracy, usability and conservativeness. For example, the protocol employs flexible options for monitoring, reporting and verification that will offer significant cost savings and allow for each project to be tailored to the needs of the landowner and project developer. Standardized eligibility screens allow projects to be more cost efficient, and a cooperative structure allows for the aggregation of projects. Additionally, the protocol features unique standardized emission factors that allow for much simpler project development and verification.

“The NRCS has a mission of getting more conservation on the ground. Voluntary and regulatory carbon markets provide farmers and ranchers with an opportunity to voluntarily implement conservation practices that reduce emissions and sequester carbon. When agricultural producers are compensated for the ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, we begin to recognize the full economic value of on-the-ground conservation. Agricultural conservation practices have numerous co-benefits such as water quality, soil health, wildlife habitat, and ambient air quality,” said Adam Chambers, Leader, National Energy and Environmental Markets Team at USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “It is encouraging to see the Climate Action Reserve recognize the value of voluntary conservation practices through the adoption of the Grassland Project Protocol.”

Grassland Project Protocol Version 1.0 to be presented to Reserve Board on July 22

Errata and Clarifications released for the U.S. ODS Project Protocol Versions 2.0 and 1.0, and the Article 5 ODS Project Protocol V2.0

Infographic: Rice Cultivation in California Cap-and-Trade

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently adopted the Compliance Offset Protocol Rice Cultivation Projects, which provides standardized methodologies for quantifying reductions in methane emissions from flooded rice fields. This is the first crop-based protocol in California’s program, and we are excited for rice farmers to have the opportunity to participate in California’s carbon market and earn a new revenue source while advancing climate solutions.

The Reserve participated in the protocol development and public comment process to help inform and serve as a reference for the complete, transparent, accurate, and conservative quantification of GHG emission reductions associated with a rice cultivation project. The Reserve is proud of the work we put into the development of the rice protocol and we support the current iteration for use in California’s compliance offset program.

For a quick overview of rice cultivation in California’s compliance offset program, please check out our handy infographic.

(Download PDF)

Ideas to green an (already green) office

A green office environment can boost employee health, morale, and productivity while supporting climate change solutions. We all know to limit our printing, recycle, buy eco-friendly office products, and enable Power-Save mode on our computers. But surely more can (and should) be done! Here are some creative ideas to green your (already green) office. We’d love to hear your ideas too! Please share in the comment section below.

Creative outside the box ideas to green an (already green) office

1. Rethink office lighting:
Ditch the officewide florescent lights and just use natural light + decentralized desk and floor lamps. Consider “day lighting” retrofits, such as daylight redirection and fiber optics, lowering partitions, and rethinking indoor shading.

2. Find every way to save energy:

Use laptops rather than desktops which helps save energy, use energy-star electronics in energy save mode, encourage staff to bring snuggies rather than turn up the heat, use lights on motion detectors.

3. Solar charger for cell phones:
Considering how we all have cell phones and often need to charge them in the office, consider investing in an office solar charger that staff members can use to charge phones or other small electronics. Or consider a bicycle-powered charger, if you don’t mind getting a little exercise.

4. Prize vault:
In an effort to reuse items and prevent waste, create an office prize vault where staff can donate items such white elephant gifts they’d never use or gently used items that are no longer wanted. At the Reserve, we also throw in the cool swag that staff picks up at conferences or received as gifts from vendors and clients (which we’re not allowed to keep personally per our conflict of interest policy). The prize vault helps prevent items from going to waste and can be used to incentivize green actions.

5. Casual dress:
Not wearing suits means much less dry cleaning, which is better for the environment, health, and finances.

6. Sustainable, used purchases:
Use reusable, recycled, FSC certified, fair trade, and biodegradable products when available. In addition, consider used furniture before buying new. (There is a glut of used office furniture out there!)

7. Reduce waste:

I’m sure we all only print when necessary and only print double sided when we do. Remember to use projectors during meetings instead of printing agendas, bring laptops to meetings for notes or to refer to files, reuse blank back sheets, use a paperless fax, and continue using electronics until end of life. Also, be sure to recycle e-waste and batteries. Encourage recycling by making sure all staff has a recycle bin at their desk. And keep the office kitchen stocked with glassware instead of bottled water and ‘real’ coffee mugs instead of paper. Buy sugar, milk etc. in bulk instead of single use packages.

8. Rearrange trash bins:
Consider removing trash cans from cubicles and offices, only retaining a recycling bin, forcing individuals to walk to a communal trash can for non-recyclable items. We’ve heard of successful organizations doing this, and people grumbled at first, but it did force people to think more about their waste, causing an increase in recycling and decrease in trash!

9. Tupperware for lunch outings:
Bring your own or have an office stash of Tupperware available to take to lunch if you think you will have leftovers.

10. Measure, report, and verify your carbon footprint:

The Reserve is a Member of The Climate Registry, and we use their software to measure, report, and verify the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our organization’s activities. The first step to reducing emissions is accurately measuring your emissions. Your emissions profile will help you identify inefficiencies and pursue appropriate actions to reduce emissions.

11. Then offset your carbon footprint:
We are a carbon offset registry! Of course we’re going to offset our own emissions. We created a Blind Trust to offset our Scope 1, 2, and 3 company emissions without a conflict of interest.

12. Green that commute! Or get rid of it altogether!

Subsidize public transit cards to promote transit ridership and reduce employee stress – I can’t imagine how grumpy I’d be if I had to drive in LA traffic every morning. Consider an office telecommute policy, which would allow for reductions in both greenhouse gas emissions and commute time. Here at the Reserve, staff may work from home up to 2.5 days per week. Also, consider developing an incentive program for replacing car commutes with bicycle commutes. For example, for every 10 car rides replaced with bicycle, the staff member could pick a prize from the office prize vault. Due to some staff working remotely or some commutes being impossible by bike, you could expand the program to any 10 car rides replaced, including errands on the weekend. (That is, if you trust your coworkers enough to use an honor system!)

13. Green meetings and webinars:
Rather than in-person meetings which require travel, have telephone meetings and online webinars as much as possible.

14. Indoor plants:

We work in a veritable urban forest with an average of 2 plants per employee workspace. Plants can be chosen specifically based on ability to improve local air quality: http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/photos/15-houseplants-for-improving-indoor-air-quality/a-breath-of-fresh-air

15. Form a sustainability committee:
Join fellow coworkers to brainstorm and research new sustainability initiatives for the workplace, find cool local green events that may interest staff, and coordinate eco volunteer events for staff to give back to the community.

Further reading:
http://www.nature.org/greenliving/gogreen/everydayenvironmentalist/green-your-office.xml
http://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-at-work.html
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/green-your-workplace/

Errata and Clarifications released for the Landfill Project Protocol Versions 4.0, 3.0, 2.1, and 2.0

Public comment period open for draft Grassland PIA and Appendix on Legal Instruments – comments due June 26

Mexico Boiler Efficiency Project Protocol development process underway: workgroup applications now available and due June 26