Seminar Series, Fall 2010

David Hoppock, Research Analyst at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, and Dr. Dalia Patino-Echeverri, the Gendell Assistant Professor of Energy Systems and Public Policy at the Nicholas School of the Environment present their work on comparing the benefits of distant and local wind resources as a renewable source of energy.

Etan Gumerman presents on his recent work using a customized version of the National Energy Modeling System to examine the environmental and economic impacts of expanded and updated estimates of clean energy resources on Southern states. This modeling focused on aggressive energy efficiency, renewable policies, and possible legislation implementing a Renewable Portfolio Standard or a price on Carbon. Among the renewable resources, wind, biomass, and hydro are anticipated to provide the most generation potential. As the integration of renewable sources expands through the modeled time horizon, wind gradually out-competes biomass in the renewable electricity market. Cost-effective customer-owned renewables could also contribute significantly to electricity generation by 2030 in the South, under supportive policies.

While sustainability initiatives in the corporate world have begun to take off, efforts to infuse sustainability concepts into the agricultural sector have largely resulted in small, niche efforts that are either related exclusively to organic or small, local “farmers market” outlets. More mainstream, conventional farmers often view the term “sustainability” with hostility. Increasingly, advances in technology and market demands for “sustainably-derived” products are bringing mainstream agriculture in more direct contact with the sustainability issue. Because of advances on both the equipment and seed side, farmers are increasingly more able to meet production goals more sustainably than was previously possible or affordable. Much the way corporations have discovered sustainability as a business-growth tool in addition to providing environmental and societal benefits, Harper believes the conventional agricultural sector can and ultimately will also see the value in sustainability.