2007 Predicted To Be Hottest Year On Record

The following is an exceprt from the UK's Met Office annual report on global temperatures.

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2007 is likely to be the warmest year on record globally, beating the current record set in 1998, say climate-change experts at the Met Office.

Each January the Met Office, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia, issues a forecast of the global surface temperature for the coming year. The forecast takes into account known contributing factors, such as solar effects, El Nino, greenhouse gases concentrations and other multi-decadal influences. Over the previous seven years, the Met Office forecast of annual global temperature has proved remarkably accurate, with a mean forecast error size of just 0.06 degrees C.

Met Office global forecast for 2007
Global temperature for 2007 is expected to be 0.54 degrees C above the long-term (1961-1990) average of 14.0 degrees C;
There is a 60% probability that 2007 will be as warm or warmer than the current warmest year (1998 was +0.52 degrees C above the long-term 1961-1990 average).

The potential for a record 2007 arises partly from a moderate-strength El Nino already established in the Pacific, which is expected to persist through the first few months of 2007. The lag between El Nino and the full global surface temperature response means that the warming effect of El Nino is extended and therefore has a greater influence the global temperatures during the year.

Katie Hopkins from Met Office Consulting said: "This new information represents another warning that climate change is happening around the world. "

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Read the full report here.
(UK Met Office)

Need a good New Year's resolution? Switch to Green Power.

The following is an excerpt from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office web site InfinitePower.org about Green Power programs.

Switching to Green Power is probably the most effective single step one can take to reduce fossil fuel emmissions, and unlike most other New Year's resolutions, this one will last all year.

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What is Green Power?
The term "green power" generally refers to electricity supplied in whole or in part from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower, and various forms of biomass. Increasingly, electricity customers are being given electricity supply options, either as retail power markets open to competition or when their regulated utilities develop green pricing programs. Many electricity customers now have an option of purchasing a green power product directly from their electricity supplier or by switching to a supplier with a green power product. If such an option is not available, customers can support renewable energy development through the purchase of renewable energy certificates.

Why Buy Green Power?
By choosing to purchase a green power product, you can support increased development of renewable energy sources, which can reduce the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Greater reliance on renewable sources also provides economic benefits and can improve our national energy security. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's web site provides additional discussion of the benefits of renewable energy.

How Do I Buy Green Power?
Depending on where you live and who supplies your electricity, you will be able to buy green power in at least one of the following ways:

1. Switch to a retail electric provider that offers green power. This option is available to Texas electricity customers located in deregulated areas of the state. To see if switching is an option for you, visit the Texas Electric Choice website maintained by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas. After you enter your ZIP code, this site will tell you whether you can choose a retail electric provider, and, if so, what options are available. Another way to compare the green power offerings against each other and against other offerings is to visit the Power Scorecard, a web-based information tool created by a coalition of environmental groups that lets consumers compare the environmental impacts of green power and conventional power products.

2. Request a green power option from your current electric utility. If you can't switch, your current electricity provider may have already created a green power option. Some municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities now offer a green power option. The U.S. Department of Energy keeps a list of so-called "green pricing" programs by state.

3. Purchase renewable energy certificates independently of your electricity. A number of companies offer renewable energy certificates (also called "RECs," "green tags," "tradable renewable certificates," or "TRCs") that can be purchased by anyone. These certificates represent the environmental attributes of electricity generated by renewable power plants. Purchasing them gives developers of those power plants additional revenue for the "green-ness" of the power they generate. It also gives electricity customers anywhere a means to ensure that their electricity consumption is being offset by production of an equal amount of green power. Green-e maintains a list of certificate providers in Texas available to residential and business electricity customers. They also have a nice page describing what green tags are and answering frequently-asked questions.

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Go to the web site for more information.
From the Texas State Energy Conservation Office web site (InfinitePower.org)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006 was an outstanding year for the renewable energy industry in the United States, with historic milestones achieved in tax legislation, market support, and technological innovation.

We still, however, have a long way to go if we are going to tackle the climate change problem. Success will require solid leadership from policymakers. Here are a few of the most important policy actions of the year:

January - "Energy Policy Act of 2005" went into effect, providing federal rebates for renewable energy and energy conservation projects to homeowners and businesses across the U.S.

August - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the "Million Solar Roofs Bill" into law, providing for 3,000 megawatts of clean energy capacity.

December - President George W. Bush signed the extension of renewable energy tax credits through 2008 with the "Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006".

These were great achievements but long over due. If there is one action industry stakeholders and citizens at large can all take in 2007 to address climate change, it's to push for a more comprehensive solar incentive program to make solar affordable to every American. So write your congressional representative and let your voice be heard!

All of us here at Verde Energy wish you a happy, safe and prosperous New Year!