[GWSG] Plane fuel; sills vs. SLR; more rivers to flood; net-zero in CA; net-zero in the EU; net-zero relocation

[Tilley, Al]

1. The Port of Seattle has set a target of 50% locally-sourced sustainable aviation fuels by 2050, the first governing agency to set such a target. It is the most stringent target allowed by current regulations.   https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/port-of-seattle-commission-becomes-first-us-port-with-10-year-goal-to-transition-to-sustainable-aviation-fuels



2. The most unstable glaciers have fronts below sea level and are undermined by warmer currents. A sill of debris on the sea floor could block those currents and buy significant time before the glacier contributed to sea level rise. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/a-new-geo-engineering-proposal-to-stop-sea-level-rise/550214/



3. Coastal waters are not the only flooding danger from global warming. "More than half of the United States must at least double their protection level within the next two decades if they want to avoid a dramatic increase in river flood risks." Increased rainfall is the cause, and the problem is general to the world's rivers.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180110141317.htm



4. Last May Santa Monica, CA, became the first city in the world to require that all new single family residential construction be zero net energy. The city discovered that the increased construction costs are recovered twofold in savings by both the homeowner and the city. CA required in 2007 that by 2020 all new residential construction be net-zero and all commercial construction by 2030. Several other cities and regions are following the lead. https://ilsr.org/zero-is-the-hero/ The article mistakenly substitutes Santa Clara for Santa Monica in the second paragraph. We should tolerate a little confusion in such a significant article by an undergraduate at St. Olaf College.



5. The European Union requires that all new buildings be nearly net-zero by 2020. The deadline for new public buildings passed on Jan. 1, 2018. https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-efficiency/buildings/nearly-zero-energy-buildings



6. Prefabricated, net-zero energy homes have received a lot of interest from hurricane-damaged areas recently. https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02102017/hurricane-rebuilding-net-zero-energy-solar-construction-florida-keys-virgin-islands

Pre-fab, net-zero construction could play a role in the sustainable communities we need to plan as we relocate at-risk populations. EcoSteel does not do individual homes but will undertake larger projects. (Thanks to Tom Tilley for the lead.) http://ecosteel.com/custom-examples/  Easy House is a Florida company able to undertake individual or group prefab energy smart projects. http://www.easyhouseusa.com/?page_id=38&lang=en Local builders such as Jacksonville's net-zero focus TerraWise will know the area well and would probably welcome the chance to try building a community, prefab or not.  http://terrawisehomes.com/ ?

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