al w & w 2008 11 05
Post on 17-May-2015
695 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Saving Water,Saving Energy
The Alabama Environmental Council
The Alabama Rivers Alliance
World Wildlife Fund
The River Network
The Alabama Environmental Council
The Alabama Environmental Council works for a healthy environment with an emphasis on clean air, efficient and renewable energy, and
improved waste reduction practices. We provide a voice for Alabama now and for the future.
From the low and gentle mountains of the north to the pure white sands of the coast, we breathe Alabama's air, drink Alabama's water and
depend on Alabama's land. We recognize the positive link between a strong economy, a clean environment and a healthy, proactive citizenry.
www.aeconline.org
The Alabama Rivers AllianceOur purpose is to protect & restore Alabama's rivers.
To do this, we advocate smart water policy, organize at the grassroots level, and teach citizens how they can
protect their water. Our goal is to achieve healthy rivers, healthy people, and a healthy system of
government for the state of Alabama.
www.Alabamarivers.org
World Wildlife FundSoutheast Rivers and Streams Initiative
It is the vision of WWF to protect and restore the ecological health of the region’s rivers and
streams to safeguard natural processes, conserve native species and reach a balance between the
needs of people and nature.
www.worldwildlife.org
The River NetworkRiver Network’s vision is to improve the quality of all fresh waters
in the U.S. and the health of all people and ecosystems dependant upon them
Through their new Saving Water, Saving Energy project, River Network is working to show how much water and energy we can save, how we can do it, and how everyone of us can get
started today.
www.therivernetwork.org
Saving energy by saving water is one of the best strategies available to
decrease climate change impacts!
Only 1% Fresh Water
97% Salt Water
2/3 of 1% is underground1/3 of 1% is rivers, streams, and lakes
2% frozen in ice
According to data collected by NASA and the World Health Organization, 4 billion people will face water shortages by 2050.
Water is life.
There is no substitute.
It is our obligation to ensure its protection for the generations who will inherit our
planet.
Photo: Hunter Nichols
Alabama’s unique biodiversity in our rivers and streams runs deep.
Our state has over 77,000 miles of rivers and streams
Photo: Nelson BrookeBlack Warrior River
The Cahaba River is home to more species of fish than any other river of its size in North America.
Photo: Hunter Nichols
Alabama: #1 in states for Alabama: #1 in states for freshwater diversity, i.e. freshwater diversity, i.e. the number of species the number of species that live in our rivers and that live in our rivers and streamsstreams
•species of freshwater fishspecies of freshwater fish
•species of musselsspecies of mussels
• species of freshwater snailsspecies of freshwater snails
•species of freshwater turtlesspecies of freshwater turtles
•species of crayfishspecies of crayfish
•species of damselfliesspecies of damselflies
SE rivers a global priority of World SE rivers a global priority of World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy,
National Geographic, and othersNational Geographic, and others
Particular emphasis on Particular emphasis on Tennessee, and Mobile Tennessee, and Mobile River BasinsRiver Basins
Dr. Randy Haddock,
Cahaba River Society
Are Alabama’s water resources effected by the changes in our planet’s
climate?
Effects of Climate Change happening now:
•Sea levels are rising•Arctic sea ice is melting•Glaciers and permafrost are melting•Sea-surface temperatures are warming•Heavier rainfall cause flooding in many regions •Extreme drought is increasing•Ecosystems are changing•Hurricanes have changed in frequency and strength •Heat waves more frequent •Warmer temperatures affect human health
Alabama Temperature Trends
Alabama Precipitation Trends
How will Alabama change as the climate changes?
Two models:
Hotter & dryerWarmer & wetter
Impacts:
More floods & erosion?More droughts & drinking water shortages?
No peaches grown in Alabama?
Ground-water monitoring wells
Drought conditions 2008
Provided by: Alabama Geological Survey
Photo: Hunter Nichols
The Cahaba River 2007 Trussville
Lake Martin 2007 Kowaliga Marina
Lake Martin 2007
Veasey’s Marina
Chattahoochee River Photo by Mike Neilsen
Water Wars
The Natural Human Tendency“We never know the worth of water until the well runs dry.”
– Thomas Fuller
Source: Office of Water Resources
Four simple questions
1. What are our greenhouse gas emissions in Alabama today?
2. Where do they come from?
3. How many of them are water-related?
4. How much energy could we save by saving water?
Alabama’s Greenhouse Emissions - Carbon Dioxide
(CO2)
1990 = 108 million tons
2005 = 142 million tons(13th highest in the country)
23% increase in CO2 emissions since 1990
source: Federal Energy Information Administration
Where do Alabama’s CO2 emissions
come from? Alabama CO2 Emissions Sources
Commerical
Electric Power
Residential
Industrial
Transportation
55%
25%
16%
2%
1%2004
AL’s CO2 emissions from electricity – 55%
US Total CO2 emissions from electricity – 39%
source: Federal Energy Information Administration
Where does our electricity come from in Alabama?
56% of our electricity comes from coal
16%
14%
Energy Sources for electricity in Alabama
Coal
Petroleum
Natural Gas
Other Gases
Nuclear
Hydroelectric
Other Renew ables
23%56%
14%
5%3%
source: Federal Energy Information Administration
What is Alabama’s main electric utility company doing about its
CO2 emissions?
Not what you expect.
Here are some facts:
•Southern Company (Alabama Power’s parent company) is the top CO2 polluting company in the
US and the 4th worst in the world
•Spent $14,500,000 on lobbying expenses in 2007
•Strongest opponents of legal requirements to reduce air pollution.
Outdated, dirty, coal-fired power plants are a problem
About ½ of the nation’s power plants (548) are responsible
for emitting:
91% of CO2 emissions
98% NOx emissions
99% SO2 emissions
Some of the worst plants are in Alabama
Widows CreekColbert
Why are the old, dirtiest power plants
still in use? • The Clean Air act was
written in 1970
• Congress had a loophole which “grandfathered” these plants from new pollution standards
• They are still using pollution control technology from the 1950s and 60s, emitting 80-
90% more emissions than a new plant
James Miller Plant in west Jefferson county on the
Black Warrior River
5th largest producer of CO2 in the nation
3rd largest producer of Mercury in the nation
Photo: Black Warrior Riverkeeper
Saving Energy by Saving Water
• Savings potential surprising, substantial
• Quicker, cheaper and more reliable results than most potential strategies
• Only environmental impacts are positive
Consider:
In five minutes, a hot water faucet uses as much energy as a 60-watt bulb uses in 14 hours.
Source: US EPA
U.S. electricity used for residential water heating = More
than 104 billion kWh
US EIA 2001
U.S. electricity used for residential water heating = More
than 104 billion kWh
Comparison: All residential lighting, indoor and out =101 billion kWh
US EIA 2001
Municipal water/sewer plant energy use
• U.S. annual total* = 75 billion kilowatt hours per year
• Equal to entire residential electricity demand of California
• More than entire energy-intensive pulp/paper and petroleum sectors combined
• Public bill = Already $4B/yr. Increasing.
Sources: Pacific Institute & NRDC* 60,000 drinking water treatment plants + 15,000 sewage treatment plants
Other water-related energy use includes…
• Groundwater pumping• Interbasin transfers• Pumping water to drinking water treatment
plants and from there to homes• Heating water in homes, businesses and
institutions• Heating and cooling water in industries• Pumping water to sewage treatment plants and
discharge points• Etc.
California’s annual water-related energy use
• 19% of all electricity
• 30% of natural gas*
• 88 million gallons of diesel fuel
Source: California Energy Commission
* Natural gas figure excludes that used by power plants
We estimate total current U.S. water-related energy use to be at least 360 billion kWh per year.*
* Includes water-related energy other than electricity (i.e., natural gas) in kWh equivalent.
How much is 360 billion kWh?
U.S. EIA
?
How much is 360 billion kWh?
• 9% of all U.S. electricity use
• Entire residential electricity use of nearly 90 million Americans
(Alabama’s population times 20!)
How much is 360 billion kWh?
• 33% more power than is generated by all U.S. dams in a year
U.S. EIA
How much is 360 billion kWh?• More than is generated by 100 typical coal-fired
power plants
• …So, if we only reduced our water-related energy use by 1% per year….We could retire (or leave unbuilt) one coal-fired power plant per year
Colbert Power Plant in northeast Alabama on Tennessee River
8,350,545 tons of CO2 emissions in 2006
Each year, a typical coal-fired power plant…
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists; Federal Energy Information Administration
…emits 3.7 million tons of CO2 (equivalent to cutting down 161 million trees)
James Miller Plant in west Jefferson county on the Black
Warrior River
Emitted 22,890,070 tons of CO2 in 2006
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
…emits 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide – SO2 (which causes acid rain and a host of human heath problems)
E.C. Gaston Plant in Wilsonville on the
Coosa River
Emitted 130,494 tons of SO2 in 2006
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists, EPA
…emits 170 pounds of mercury
(1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury deposited on a 25-acre lake can make fish unsafe to eat)
Barry Plant in Bucks on Mobile River
CO2 emissions in 2006: 13,345,578 tons
39 bodies of water in Alabama have Mercury advisory warnings in 2006. Many are in the Mobile/Baldwin county area
Each year, a typical coal-fired power plant also emits…
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
• 500 tons of small airborne particles
• 720 tons of carbon monoxide
• 220 tons of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds which form ozone
• 225 pounds of arsenic
• 114 pounds of lead, 4 pounds of cadmium, and trace amounts of uranium
Other coal impacts• Mining impacts to
land and water• Other air pollution
– Sulfur dioxide– Nitrogen oxide– Carbon monoxide– Mercury– Arsenic– Lead
• Water use in electricity generation
Acid mine drainage – Hurricane Creek
Photo: Friends of Hurricane Creek
Strip mining on Sipsey Fork
Photo: Friends of Rural Alabama
Thomas Edison once said that burning fossil
fuels for power production is like burning
your front door for heat.
Reducing our electricity use is crucial in addressing the Climate Change issue for
the health of our planet and ALL its inhabitants.
• If we cut our water use in half, we cut our water-related energy use by about half
• We can easily cut per capita water use – By well more than 10% in just a few
years– By well more than 50% over the next 50
yearsIf we set our minds to it…
Premise
How much water can we save?
(Aren’t we using more water all the time as our population
and economy grow?)
Source: US Census, 2005
AL Population Growth
4,200,000
4,300,000
4,400,000
4,500,000
4,600,000
4,700,000
4,800,000
4,900,000
5,000,000
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Source: USGS & Office of Water Resources
Alabama total water withdrawlsTotal withdrawals were 9,942 Mgal/d (almost 10 Billion gallons per day)
2005
Mining<1%
Commercial / Industrial
6%
Self Supplied<1%
Public Supply
8%Irrigation
2%
Aquaculture<1%
Livestock<1%
Thermal-Cooling
83%
In 2000, total U.S. water use was estimated at 408 billion
gallons per day
In Alabama, total water use was estimated at 10 billion gallons
per day
Total Water Withdrawls
Source: AL Geological Information Survey and Office of Water Resources
National Water Use
Easily achievable water use reductions could allow us to
• Retire hundreds of dirty power plants much sooner
• Give us cleaner, healthier air to breathe
• Significantly advance overall effort to reduce greenhouse gas reductions
• Keep much more water in streams and lakes where it belongs
What we aren’t talking about
We are talking about arevolutionary change in water use
and management in Alabama
In phases
3-5 years 5-25 years 25-50 years
Old water model
• Single large source in an entire region• All water from that source treated to drinking
water quality• Little of that water actually used for drinking• All “wastewater” (and a lot of rainwater too)
conveyed to central point for treatment• All discharged to single surface water point
Old water modelSource
Treatment
Use
Treatment
Discharge
Old water modelSource
Treatment
Use
Treatment
Discharge
Leaks
More leaks
Inefficient use
Centralizedcollection
Single-pointdischarge
Old water modelSource
Treatment
Use
Treatment
Discharge
Leaks
More leaks
MajorEnergyUse
Inefficient use
Centralizedcollection
Single-pointdischarge
Pumping?
Pumping?
Pumping?
Saving WaterA comprehensive, integrated approach
Conservation
ReuseEfficiency
Conservation
ReuseEfficiency
Conservation = Reducing Waste
• Does not have to mean hardship
• Does mean changing some behavioral habits
Drought Tool: short-term relief
Planning Tool: lessen gap between demand and available supply, lessen the system peak, provide water for future growth
Environmental Tool: provide more water for aquatic habitat and flows for water quality and reduce energy usage
Economic Tool: defer capital facilities for drinking water and wastewater treatment
Multiple Benefits of Conservation
Advancing Conservation
• Education• Incentives• Laws• Pricing
Significant conservation potential virtually everywhere
Should be the foundation of our water planning
To maximize, we should use all the tools
Penalize or prohibit profligate
waste
Encourage and reward
stewardship
Conservation
ReuseEfficiency
Efficiency = Getting more performance out of every drop used
• No hardship at all
• Saves resources and money
• Payback periods quick
• Tremendous existing potential
Homes
• Toilets
• Faucets
• Showerheads
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Hot water heaters*
* Tankless models save little or no water, but save a lot of energy
EPA Labeling Program
• Helps consumers ensure they are buying high-performing water-efficient devices
• Perform as well or better than water-wasting devices
• http://epa.gov/watersense/
Home efficiency potential
• “Water Sense” EPA-certified are at least 20% more efficient than similar devices currently in marketplace – and much more efficient than many older devices still in homes
• If just 10% of existing fixtures were replaced with devices just 20% more efficient, could save 128B gallons/year – enough to supply water to 3.5 million people
* Source: US EPA
Outdoor use• Better targeting of use
– Location– Timing
• Better methods of use– Drip irrigation– Etc.
Of the 7 billion gallons of water used outdoors on the average day, as much as 50% is wasted due to wind, evaporation, improper system design, installation or maintenance. – US EPA
Infrastructure efficiency
• Repairing, maintaining and operating systems– Leaks
• In U.S., more than 20% of water is lost in infrastructure leaks before it ever reaches homes or businesses
• In developing world, figure often more than 50%
– Pumps• Better pumps don’t save water, but save much energy
• Smaller-scale, decentralized systems– Appropriate technology in many situations– Can be managed centrally
Businesses & Institutions• Efficiency potential usually as great or
greater than residential
• Payback periods faster (because multiple users)
• Financing easier
Industry and agriculture
• Some industries have already improved dramatically
• Almost all still have significant potential
• Most still have enormous potential
Advancing Efficiency
• Education
• Standards
• Requirements
• Phase-outs
• Incentives
• Retrofit programs (utility-sponsored)
Water and energy utilities can help
• Many water utilities need paradigm shift– Purpose isn’t to sell more water– It’s to meet customers’ real water needs better
• Many energy utilities do too– Many have long run effective retrofit programs for
light bulbs, etc.– Water efficiency retrofits make at least as much
sense
• Water and energy utilities should work together on water efficiency programs
Conservation
ReuseEfficiency
What could happen if we did all these things and if we quit thinking of stormwater and wastewater as problems and began thinking of
them as resources?
Imagine for a moment that
Some day we will all have easy access to treated drinking water and 1-2 other sources of water...
Alternate sources already exist in some places
• Rainwater “harvested” on site• Stormwater detained near site • Graywater from dishes, washing
machines, etc.• “Wastewater” treated to levels adequate
for re-use– Sometimes higher levels– Often lower levels than required for surface
water discharge
Problems with today’s stormwater approach in populous areas
• During/right after storms– Pollution– Flooding
• During dry spells– Lower flows– Higher pollutant concentrations
• In general– Less groundwater recharge– Radically altered flow regimes
Forest cover
ShallowInfiltration Deep
Infiltration
SurfaceRunoff
After typical development
ShallowInfiltration
DeepInfiltration
SurfaceRunoff
After typical development
ShallowInfiltration
DeepInfiltration
SurfaceRunoff
Can we turnthese “problems”
intosolutions?
There are many home systems for rainwater harvest
• Small to large scale
• Simple to very sophisticated
SmartStorm
Rainwater harvesting system in Springville, AL Provides 100% of household use water
With strong conservation efforts, this family of 2 only needs rainwater!
Underground Rainwater Harvesting System in Argo, AL
Seattle’s King Center
• 1600 employees
• Rainwater harvesting meets >60% of entire facility’s water needs
• Saves >1.4 million gallons of drinking water per year
• Also keeps runoff from entering storm sewers
Jenkins Brick Moody Facility
Jenkins Brick Moody Facility
Detained stormwater
Treated wastewater
Many potential uses of treated “wastewater”
San Antonio wastewaterrecycling
• Already has large-scale reuse program
• Primarily commercial and industrial purposes today, served by 80 miles of delivery pipeline
• Source is cheaper and more reliable
• Already reducing demand on Edwards Aquifer and region’s rivers by 29 million gallons per day
For more info: http://www.saws.org/our_water/recycling/
Dos Rios recycled water outfall
So, we can easily imagine that some day we will all have easy access to treated drinking water and 1-2 other sources of water.
How would we use it?
Highest quality water
• Drinking, cooking and bathing account for less than 1/3 of indoor residential water use
• Almost all other uses could be met as well with captured rainwater or other sources– Other residential– All outdoor– Most industrial
Residential Indoor Water Use
Toilet26%
Clothes w asher
22%Show er17%
Faucet16%
Other19%
Other uses of re-used water
“New model keeps water in our streams, coal in the ground, carbon out of the air, money in our pockets”
-Don Elder, Former Director of the River Network
What can I do?
What can I do?
What can I do?
What can I do?
What can I do? Remember to change your lightbulbs
What else can I do?
• Get your family involved – make a water use graph
• Start harvesting your rain water
What else can I do?
•Talk to your water utility. Find out where your water is coming from
•Talk to your friends about the water-energy connection
•Identify groups to give this presentation to: churches, civic organizations, etc.
•Write a letter to the editor
What else can I do?
•Let your elected officials know you care
–Tell the Joint Legislative Committee on Water Policy Management that we must make Conservation, Efficiency and Reuse a priority
–Tell the Energy Committee that water is an important component in energy usage. (And that renewables must be a priority)
What else can I do?
•Join efforts of a local environmental group
www.aeconline.org www.alabamarivers.org
Climate change is the exact opposite
•We have the technology
•We have the knowledge
Let’s get started
Climate Change is no longer a technology or science issue. It is a matter social and political will.
Saving Energy by Saving Water
Conservation
ReuseEfficiency
Saving Water,Saving Energy
The Alabama Environmental Council
The Alabama Rivers Alliance
World Wildlife Fund
The River Network
top related