Harm
Harm Identification & Acknowledgement
(Case Study: First Universalist Church Denver)
Was the Church Facility Doing Harm?
Response: Unequivocally Yes. Prior to the 2017 renovation project, operating the church facility was causing measurable harm by burning fossil fuel, creating gaseous waste, and dumping over 100 metric tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.
At that time, the electric power for operating the facility was purchased from Xcel Energy – a ‘for-profit’ regulated monopoly that generated 80% of its electrical power by burning ancient hydrocarbons/ fossil fuels (50% from coal; 30% from natural gas). At the time, ten natural gas furnaces were being used to heat the church facility. As a result, over 100 metric tonnes of CO2 (and other GHG emissions) were created as gaseous waste and deliberately dumped into the Earth’s atmosphere. Since 1859, when John Tyndale conducted an experiment in an English lab that demonstrated CO2, water vapor, ozone and other hydrocarbons (even in small quantities) strongly absorbed infrared light and transformed this light into heat, we have known about global warming linked to CO2 and other greenhouse gases. (ref: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Tyndall/). Yet for the past 160 years, we ignored this early warning. Since 1958, when Dr. Charles Keeling first began to accurately measure the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere and display this information graphically for everyone to see, we have placidly watched the Keeling Curve continue upward daily as if we were immobilized in an ecocidal trance. As long as the Keeling Curve indicates more CO2 is being added to the atmosphere, Mother Nature will continue to respond with an increasing atmospheric and surface temperature. Yet we do nothing to respond. Since the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) report was published in 2014 that influenced the 2015 Paris Agreement and then was updated as the IPCC Special 1.5°C Report in October 2018, we have known the correlation between global warming and amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Since 2014,we have known that to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, we must stay below a certain CO2 level in the atmosphere referred to as the remaining carbon dioxide budget. It is found in Table 2.2 of the IPCC report. Yet it was not until Nov 6, 2016 that the congregation decided to take action to address this existential issue and install a new 21st century sustainable energy system (that uses renewable energy) to operate the church facility. On July 23, 2019, Greta Thunberg, a 16 year-old at the time, reminded the National Assembly in Paris (French Parliament) what this carbon budget is. “A lot of people, a lot of politicians, business leaders, journalists say they don’t agree with what we are saying. They say we children are exaggerating, that we are alarmists. To answer this I would like to refer to page 108, chapter 2 in the latest IPCC report. There you will find all our “opinions” summarized because there you find a remaining carbon dioxide budget. Right there it says that if we are to have a sixty-seven percent chance of limiting the global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees, we had on January 1st, 2018, 420 gigatons of carbon dioxide left in our CO2 budget. And of course, that number is much lower today. We emit about 42 gigatons of CO2 every year. At current emissions levels, that remaining budget is gone within roughly eight and a half years. These numbers are as real as it gets, though a great number of scientists suggests that they are too generous, these are the ones that have been accepted by all nations through the IPCC. And not once, not one single time have I heard any politician, journalists or business leader even mention these numbers. It is almost like you don’t even know they exist, as if you haven’t even read the latest IPCC reports on which the future of our civilization is depending.” On Jan 1st 2018 the remaining carbon budget was 420 gigatons of CO2; On Jan 1st, 2019 the carbon budget was 378 gigatons of CO2; In July 2019, when Greta spoke, there would have been around 357 gigatons of the budget left. As a result, there were 8.5 years remaining as she indicated. On Jan 1st 2020 the remaining carbon dioxide budget for a 1.5 °C warmer planet was 336 gigatons. This budget will be consumed in 8 years if we do not reduce our current emission rate of 42 gigatons /year. The 336 gigatons of CO2 are equivalent to 43 ppm of CO2. (using 1 ppm of CO2 = 2.13 gigatons C = 7.8 gigatons CO2.) Since the Keeling Curve indicates we are currently at 415 ppm of CO2, we must limit the concentration of CO2 to 458 ppm to have a 67% chance of limiting warming to 1.5 °C. As indicated by the redlines in the figure below.) Today the first of February 2020, the Keeling Curve shows the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere continues upward, indicating we are not reducing our CO2 emissions one bit. We are on a path of Mass Extinction – despite all the political and environmental rhetoric, the political lobbying by well-meaning climate advocates, the marches, the protests, the many city & state “Roadmaps for Reducing GHG Emissions,” the well intentioned offset ventures to plant more trees, the many “Renewable Energy Standards” that have been legislated, the carbon “cap & trading” schemes, and the disingenuous “greening” of a few utility companies. Based on the latest IPCC report, the glide path to zero GHG emissions required for every individual, every family, every organization, business, corporation, every city, every state, every nation on the planet is to reduce their GHG emissions by at least 50% within 10 years (by 2030) and reach zero emissions before 2050. None. Why is this behavior so egregious?
Recent Updates
Action Required Based on Science
Exemptions
Fortunately, a small group of environmentally aware congregants recognized this behavior was harmful and knew how it could be avoided with a new 21st century sustainable energy system that did not burn carbon.
The church’s solid waste and liquid waste are treated differently (more sustainably) than gaseous waste. Solid waste is separated into two categories and either placed in a dumpster to be recycled or in a dumpster to be transported to a landfill. Liquid waste goes into the city sewer system for appropriate treatment and water recycling.
How can you identify, visualize, quantify, and monetize the harm your facility is causing?
Identify Harm. If you are buying any form of energy (electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, …) from a ‘for-profit’ utility company, you are probably causing harm to life on our planet.
Anthropogenic harm is threatening the very existence of complex life on planet Earth. The use of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Global Warming are now considered the top two threats to our existence – the former could happen and the latter is happening now. ‘Burning fossil fuel’ has become an existential threat to the habitability of our planet. We can now observe that the harm caused by burning fossil fuel as a source of energy has metastasized and mutated into many forms: extreme weather, ocean acidification, polar ice melting, sea level rise, and a growing number of species that are going extinct to name a few concerns. Barclays, a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, headquartered in London and considered in the top five banks of the UK, published a comprehensive list of Environment and Social Risks associated with the Oil & Gas Industry for their investors. This 12 page table examines the life cycle of oil & gas products – from exploration to decommisioning of facilites used in the processes. The assessment identifies environmental & social issues that could be financial liabilities for their investors. Climate change and other issues associated with the actual burning of oil & gas are not even included in the risk assessment. Epstein, et.al. completed a study several years ago entittled, “Full Cost Accounting for the Life Cycle of Coal” that examines some of the externalities (ignored costs) of electric produced by coal-fired generating plants. Specifically they monetized the following harm created by the coal -fired plant: A detailed study by Epstein et.al.86F86F[1] (Harvard Medical Center) identified and monetized a dozen ignored costs linked specifically to coal-generated electricity: The harm caused by burning fossil fuel is now evident throughout our social system and planetary life system; greenhouse gas emissions must STOP. Based on today’s consciousness, anything less is unethical if not immoral.
Quantify harm. Our eyes cannot detect GHG gases, but we can learn how to quantify GHG invisible emissions. There are several perspectives that can be used.
1) by how much the emissions weigh (e.g., humans are dumping 42 gigatonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere annually.) [1 gigatonne = 1 billion tonnes = 109 tonnes]. The IPCC Carbon Budget for limiting global warming to 1.5°C is expressed as 336 gigatonnes
2) by the number of GHG molecules compared to the number of air molecules (e.g., humans are burning things and adding 5.4 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 to the atmosphere annually.) The Keeling Curve that displays the history of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere indicates the current level of CO2 is around 415 ppm.
3) by the volume of the GHG emissions (e.g., humans are dumping 42 gigatonnes of gaseous waste CO2 into the atmosphere annually. If we were to disposed of this waste properly, it would be contained into a garbage bag that would fit on a land fill that is 5 miles by 5 miles in area and extend 5 miles into the sky. But humans do not dispose of this gaseous waste properly. We dump this greenhouse gas into our atmosphere where it mixes in with the nitrogen and oxygen and contributes to further global warming.) The volume perspective is rarely used. However when this perspective was applied to the Case Study, here is what they “saw.”
Before transitioning to renewable energy, the facility used energy derived from burning fossil fuel. This created 100 metric tonnes of CO2 annually or 2 tonnes per week. 1 tonnes created by Xcel Energy to generated their electric power (see the gray cube); 1 tonne created by the 10 natural gas furnaces used to heat the facility (See the black cube). The CO2 “garbage bags” are to scale relative to the building. There were no CO2 “Garbage bags” for proper disposal, so the GHG waste was dumped into the air where it contributed to global warming.
The graphic below illustrates the volume of one (1) metric tonne of CO2. At standard pressure and 15 °C (59 °F) the density of carbon dioxide gas is 1.87 kg/m3 (0.1167 lb/ft3). One metric ton (2,205 lb) of carbon dioxide gas occupies 534.8 m3 (18, 885 ft3, 117,631 US gallons). It would fill a cube 8.12 meters high (26’ 8” or 28’ 5” adjusted for 5,280’ altitude (14.7/12.15 psi)) or a sphere 10.07 meters across (33’ of 40’ adjusted for 5,280’ altitude) Ref: http://www.carbonvisuals.com/projects/usa-specific-image-set Ref: The combustion of one US gallon of gasoline in a passenger car results in emissions of 8.872 kg CO2(e). At standard pressure and 15 °C (59 °F) the density of carbon dioxide gas is 1.87 kg/m3. 8.872 kg occupies a volume of 4.744 m3 (167.6 ft3) which would fill a cube 5’ 6” high or a sphere 6’ 10” across.
(Ref: http://www.carbonvisuals.com/projects/usa-specific-image-set)How Large is a Metric Tonne of CO2
How Much CO2 is Created by Burning 1 gallon of gasoline?
Source: Greenhouse Gas Protocol Ref: (http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/alltools ) accessed via AMEE:
Visualize harm. Our eyes cannot detect GHG gases (i.e. these gases are invisible). If our vision extended into the infrared portion of the spectrum of light, we could see them. Nevertheless we can depict GHG emissions graphical to remind us where they exist.
Although not commonly used because of the cost involved, hand-held cameras are available that can photograph the presence of many greenhouse gases including: carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, methane and other hydrocarbons, sulfur hexafloride and refrigerants. Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) makes invisible gases visable. A FLIR GF-Series camera can document gas leaks that contribute to GHG emissions, create safety hazards, and violate human health standards. Optical gas imaging cameras can identify invisible gases as they escape, so you can find harmful emissions faster and more reliably than with sniffer detectors. “With FLIR OGI cameras, you can scan broad sections of equipment rapidly and survey areas that are hard to reach with traditional contact measurement tools. OGI cameras can also detect leaks from a safe distance, displaying these invisible gases as clouds of smoke.” (https://www.flir.com/applications/industrial/) Click here to see FLIR video of methane venting. “Unlike methane from oil and gas drilling, coal mine methane remains unregulated at both state and federal levels… methane is 85 times more active as a heat-trapping gas than carbon dioxide…But rather than working to capture the thousands of tons of methane West Elk emits annually, or at least destroying it to significantly reduce its global warming impact, the mine’s operators simply vent it into the atmosphere, where the only thing it’s heating is the planet.”
Example: Methane Venting from West Elk Creek Mine, Colorado
Using a FLIR camera to observe methane venting from the West Elk Creek coal mine near Somerset, CO.
Monetize harm. Because most of the harm created by burning fossil fuels is invisible, it is easy for the fossil fuel extraction / burning business to externalize the true cost of their products.
Nevertheless, there has been an attempt to identify and put a dollar value on some of the externalized, ignored, social costs of burning fossil fuels.
The largest single source of GHG emissions is linked to burning ancient hydrocarbons for generating electrical power. It has been known for some time that coal-fired power generating plants have hidden/ignored costs referred to as externalities that are not included in the true cost of coal-generated electricity. Each stage in the life cycle of coal (extraction, transport, processing, and combustion) generates a waste stream and carries multiple hazards for health and the environment. A detailed study by Paul R. Epstein et.al. (Harvard Medical Center) identified and monetized a dozen ignored costs linked specifically to coal-generated electricity: The Harvard study group then proceeded to monetize these ignored costs/ externalities. They found that the life cycle effects of burning coal cost the U.S. society $300B to $500B annually. “Accounting for the damages conservatively doubles to triples the price of electricity from coal per kWh generated, making wind, solar, and other forms of non-fossil fuel power generation, along with investments in efficiency and electricity conservation methods, economically competitive.” “Life cycle analysis, examining all stages in using a resource, is central to the full cost accounting needed to guide public policy and private investment.” “In order to rigorously examine these different damage endpoints, we examined the many stages in the life cycle of coal, using a framework of environmental externalities, or “hidden costs.” Externalities occur when the activity of one agent affects the well-being of another agent outside of any type of market mechanism—these are often not taken into account in decision making and when they are not accounted for, they can distort the decision-making process and reduce the welfare of society. This work strives to derive monetary values for these externalities so that they can be used to inform policymaking.” “Our comprehensive review finds that the best estimate for the total economically quantifiable costs, based on a conservative weighting of many of the study findings,…to be close to 17.8¢ /kWh …the upper bounds of electricity generated from coal could add close to 26.89¢ /kWh…These and the more difficult to quantify externalities are borne by the general public.” They concluded that the true cost of coal-generated electric should be increased from the current $0.11/kWh to around $0.33 kWh (a three-fold increase) to account for the known damage it causes society. A National Response is required to fix our broken Economic Social System and eliminate “externalities” (ignored costs) in the fossil fuel burning industry.Excerpts from “Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal”
The solution is simple. Anthropocentric greenhouse gas emissions are harmful and must be reduced to zero as quickly as possible – no less than 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050.
Some faith-based organizations have already initiated this transition to sustainable energy for operating their gathering and worship facilities – their buildings.
There are viable sustainable alternative sources of energy that do not add CO2 and other harmful materials into our common atmosphere. The transition from burning ancient hydrocarbons to harvesting renewable energy is not only feasible but it is less expensive and certainly less harmful to all of creation.