Investing in Clean Energy and Sustainable Land and Resource Use

The last few weeks in Arizona, we have experienced higher than normal temperatures. Well, of course we are in Arizona, what would you expect? I am hearing from the longer term residents, about 10 degrees lower. It is not terribly hot. just unusual. I believe we face a greater danger from the building of more Chip manufacturers which appear to like AZ. The quick and short run down on this?

TSMC’s Arizona fabrication complex (Fab 21) in north Phoenix is a highly water-intensive project, with the first facility initially using approximately 4.75 million gallons of water daily. However, the company is investing in a major Industrial Reclamation Water Plant (IRWP) aiming to recycle at least 90% of its water, with projections to reduce net usage to roughly 1.2 million gallons per day or less.

The water conservation sounds great. Except there are other manufacturers who wish to build in AZ also. TSMC already has another plant near Casa Grande. This is one of those “not so many” in my backyard issues. Who does the state block?

The article does not comment on the Chip manufacturing. However, the issue is similar with regard to sustainable land and resource use. If I get some time, I will tackle the water issue.

“Invest in Clean Energy and Sustainable Land Use,”

 Matt Sedlar at CEPR

The climate is undergoing a significant and well-documented warming trend, driven primarily by rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Rising global temperatures present a multifaceted challenge with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, human societies, and the planet. The primary contributor to elevated CO2 levels is the burning of fossil fuels (i.e., coal, oil, and gas) for energy, industrial processes, and transportation. Another major contributor is deforestation. Forests absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, and their removal releases this stored CO2 back into the atmosphere.

Solution: Build Clean Energy, Strengthen Policies to Reduce Pollution

Addressing this issue requires a concerted effort at both the federal and state levels to reduce green-house gas emissions by transitioning towards sustainable solutions — which include investing in renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable land-use practices. 

• Reinstate federal grants and permits for clean energy projects, including offshore wind projects in the North Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.
• Reinstate Biden-era regulations requiring new and existing coal and natural gas plants to either capture 90 percent of their carbon emissions by 2032 or retire by 2039.
• Strengthen the Clean Air Act and other environmental regulations to mitigate the impacts of high-energy-consumption facilities, such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. 
• Support zero-net-deforestation pledges across the public and private sectors.
• Implement just transition policies to support workers in the coal and gas sector, as well as the communities and economies that depend on them.  

Polls Show Growing Concerns Around Climate Risks 

Americans’ views on the risk posed by greenhouse gases have changed over the last decade. In both the 2010 and 2021 editions of the General Social Survey, respondents were asked for their views on the environmental impact of greenhouse gases. The specific question posed was, “Do you think that a rise in the world’s temperature caused by climate change is . . . ”.

The world is facing a significant warming trend caused by unsustainable greenhouse gas concentrations. This comes primarily comes from burning fossil fuels and deforestation. The US is a major contributor to green-house gas emissions.

Solutions are needed at both the federal and state levels, including investing in renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, promoting sustainable land use through zero-deforestation commitments, and developing carbon capture technologies.

Specific actions include:

• Reinstating federal grants for clean energy,
• Enforcing regulations requiring coal and natural gas plants to capture carbon or retire,
• Strengthening environmental regulations for high-energy-consumption facilities such as AI data centers,
• Supporting zero-net-deforestation pledges, and
• Implementing just transition policies for workers in the coal and gas sectors.

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