Author: Schatz Center

California faces a forest management crisis, as severe drought, wildfire, and pest infestation worsen in the face of climate change. ​If managed properly, bioelectricity could help support sustainable forest management while advancing California’s renewable energy and climate goals. However, there are also legitimate concerns surrounding the climate and air quality impacts of these systems as they exist today. New research from the Schatz Center is shedding light on the net environmental impacts of using forest residues for bioenergy — and is supporting policymakers in deciding whether, and under which circumstances, these systems should be promoted.

Dr. Kevin Fingerman is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Management at Humboldt State University. His research employs life cycle assessment, geospatial analysis, and simulation modeling tools to evaluate the broad-based impacts of bioenergy and transportation energy systems. He has also worked extensively on the water/energy nexus and on bioenergy policy. Prior to joining HSU Kevin worked in Rome for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. He holds MS and PhD degrees from UC Berkeley’s Energy & Resources Group.

Jerome Carman is a graduate of the Environmental Systems master’s program at Humboldt State University (HSU), where he focused on energy systems engineering with an emphasis on thermodynamic analysis. Jerome has a diverse background: complimented by a bachelor’s degree in physics, he has published work in both high energy particle physics and atmospheric physics. Over the past seven years his professional career has focused on state and local government planning and policy, specializing in climate action planning, greenhouse gas life cycle assessment, and low carbon transportation.

Sustainable Futures Speaker Series

Our visiting speaker series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State.

Fall 2019 lectures will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm in Founders Hall 118.

• For additional details on upcoming events or to request accessibility accommodations, email serc@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-4345.

On Thursday, November 14, staff from Lighting Global will participate in a webinar on Sustainable Energy for Powering Household and Community Lighting Needs in Humanitarian Settings. This is the third of a four-part series on sustainable energy in humanitarian settings jointly organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, energypedia UG, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Representatives from Lighting Global and Oxfam will discuss which quality solar products are on the market for household use, and how humanitarian actors can assess which lighting solutions for households and communities are needed. In two case studies, Practical Action and Mercy Corps will share their experiences from a community needs assessment in Rwanda, and from delivering quality solar products in Afghanistan.

The webinar will be held on Thursday, November 14 from 3-4:30 pm CET / 6-7:30 am PST (check your local time), and is free and open to the public.

• Click here to register
  
• Learn more about this webinar series

The proposed wind farm at the Monument and Bear River ridges could generate about 400 GWh annually, which is equivalent to nearly half of Humboldt County’s electricity use. Anticipated project features include a significant contribution to north coast renewable energy generation and to California’s clean energy mandate; creation of local green jobs and technical expertise; and Humboldt Bay development. Concerns raised include impacts on bat and bird deaths; tree removal; effects on sites with cultural and ecological significance to Native American Tribes; erosion and sedimentation from sub-river drilling and road expansion; visual impacts; light and noise pollution; and traffic congestion.

This session provides an opportunity to discuss possibilities for wind energy development in Humboldt County, through a panel representing a diverse set of perspectives.

Panelists include:

• Lori Biondini, Director of Business Development & Planning, Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA)
• Adam Canter, Botanist, Wiyot Tribe
• Nathan Vajdos, Senior Director for Wind Development, Terra-Gen, LLC
• Tom Wheeler, Executive Director, Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC)
• Donna Wright, President/CEO of the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce

Schatz Center Director Arne Jacobson will moderate the evening’s talk.

Please note that this is a Wednesday. The event begins at 5:30 pm, and will be held in Founders Hall 118.

Sustainable Futures Speaker Series

Our visiting speaker series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State.

Fall 2019 lectures will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm in Founders Hall 118.

• For additional details on upcoming events or to request accessibility accommodations, email serc@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-4345.

— a Sustainable Futures Speaker Series talk with Jen Marlow and Michael Gerace —

Kivalina, Alaska, is pursuing planned community relocation as a comprehensive strategy to adapt to the realities of climate changed–world in the Arctic. Kivalina people have been pursuing relocation ever since the U.S. government forcibly consolidated the Kivalliñiġmiut onto a shifting barrier island at the coastal edge of their traditional 2,200-square-mile territory in 1905. Kivalina’s relocation plans encompass a comprehensive strategy to protect the village from present and future climate harms, and to improve current living conditions by providing more room to build new homes and alleviate overcrowding, provide access to water and sanitation services (homes in Kivalina still do not have running water or toilets), and expand economic opportunities by connecting village residents to the mainland.

Since 2012, Jen Marlow and Michael Gerace have directed Re-Locate, a series of projects designed to address a wide range of issues determined by Kivalina leaders to be among the most urgent or useful to the village’s relocation planning efforts. Re-Locate has co-organized local coalitions around projects with individuals and institutions from Kivalina, raised required project funds, recruited multidisciplinary partners who bring the expertise projects need to be successful, and managed the development and deployment of project outputs. Re-Locate is working toward creating the support these outputs need for their long term sustainment. This talk will explore this history and the sustainability, desirability, and success of such a process as a response to climate displacement.

Jen Marlow is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Science and Management Department. She teaches Environmental Law & Regulation and Environmental Conflict Resolution. Jen came to Humboldt State via Anchorage, Alaska, but is originally from upstate New York. Jen received a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a focus in literature from Middlebury College in Vermont, and a law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. She is licensed to practice law in Washington and Alaska, and her special research interests are in climate law, climate justice, and climate–induced displacement.

Michael Gerace is an ethnographic artist and designer currently making mobile and waterless sanitation infrastructure, participatory digital platforms, and residential architecture. Michael is the founder and co-director of Re-Locate, a group of multidisciplinary partners who work with the people and institutions of Kivalina, Alaska in support of a community-led and culturally specific relocation and he is co-owner of Re-Locate LLC, a business researching and developing non-sewered and mobile sanitation technologies.

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Sustainable Futures Speaker Series

Our visiting speaker series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State.

Fall 2019 lectures will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm in Founders Hall 118.

• For additional details on upcoming events or to request accessibility accommodations, email serc@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-4345.

Hello! I am a graduate student in the Energy, Technology and Policy option of the Environmental Systems program at HSU, and the first recipient of the Donald and Andrea Tuttle Fellowship for Clean Energy Studies. Currently, I am working on a team led by Dr. Sintana Vergara on characterizing greenhouse gas emissions from stored woody biomass. My thesis will be closely related to this topic, as my primary research interests are in waste, its potential reuse for energy, and climate impacts. 

I started attending HSU in the fall of 2018, a few months after graduating from CSU Bakersfield. There, I completed the coursework for a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Biotechnology. My past research work has involved various spectroscopic techniques for characterization of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme that creates connective tissue links between collagen and elastin, and plays a role in cancer cell metastasis. I am grateful for my time in biochemistry research, but I am excited to shift gears into renewable energy work. I am happy to be living in Humboldt County, where the community focus on sustainability and resource conservation is inspiring me to do my best work. 

~ Carisse Geronimo

Nicholas Lam recently attended the Pathways to Clean Cooking 2050 conference in Wexford, Ireland. The conference brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss strategies to increase access to clean and affordable residential energy services — in particular, ways to satisfy cooking needs without increased use of fossil fuels.

Nick presented on research we are conducting in Nepal to assess how the introduction of electric cooking appliances and biogas systems affects residential energy use, household air quality, and particulate exposure. This research project, Clean Cooking Nepal, is being conducted in collaboration with LEADERS Nepal in Kathmandu, with financial support from the Clean Cooking Alliance.

The conference culminated in the development of a declaration outlining sectoral needs and commitments — calling for, among other items, a prioritization of initiatives that provide immediate emissions reductions and social benefits through sustainable cooking to the communities most vulnerable to climate change.

On June 17-18, Arne Jacobson and Kim Thorpe, along with colleagues from CLASP, represented the Lighting Global Quality Assurance team at the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association’s (GOGLA) annual member conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands. GOGLA is a trade association with over 150 members from the off-grid solar industry. 

During the conference we met with company representatives from new and established companies to discuss current and future changes to the Lighting Global Quality Assurance program.  We also attended sessions on GOGLA’s policy advocacy work and consumer protection efforts, and new technologies being developed for pay-as-you-go providers.

On June 19, Kim and Arne attended the Efficiency for Access roundtable in Amsterdam. This meeting brought together industry leaders involved in supporting the off-grid household and productive use appliance market — with a focus on fans, televisions, refrigerators and solar water pumps. Results from Dalberg’s 2019 State of the Off-Grid Appliance Market report were presented, followed by small group meetings to identify market research gaps and next steps. (The full report will be available in July through the Efficiency for Access site.) The Efficiency for Access team also introduced a new data platform, Equip Data, that compares performance data for major off-grid appliances. During the session, Arne delivered a presentation related to our Off-Grid Refrigeration Systems (OGReS) research, which is being carried out jointly with 60 Decibels with support from the Energy Savings Trust.

On May 13, Schatz Center Director Arne Jacobson will present on proposed changes to the Lighting Global Quality Standards / IEC 62257-13-1. The proposed changes include increased battery and PV safety requirements, and additional labeling and performance reporting requirements. Following the presentation, Dr. Jacobson will be joined by Jit Bhattacharya of Fenix International and Stephan Lux of Fraunhofer ISE for a panel discussion. A Q&A session will close the webinar.

This event is cohosted by Lighting Global and GOGLA, and will be live from 16:30 – 18:00 CEST.

• Click here to join the webinar (scroll to bottom of page).

Lighting Global has opened a call for stakeholder comments on the proposed changes through May 17. The proposed changes and survey response link are included in the document below:

• Call for Comments on Proposed Changes to the Draft Quality Standards Under Review by the IEC – April 2019

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• Learn about our solar products test lab
• Learn about our work with Lighting Global

On Friday, May 3, experts from natural resource and energy agencies, the wind industry, and fisheries and environmental groups will gather in Eureka to discuss how fisheries and wildlife might coexist with offshore wind farms along California’s coast. Mark Severy, Senior Research Engineer at the Schatz Center, will speak about our current wind feasibility analysis for Northern California, funded by the California Ocean Protection Council.

The May 3 discussion is being convened by Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Mark Stone.

Attendance is free and open to the public. The hearing will be held from 11-2 pm at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center and will be live streamed.

• For additional details and background information, visit the event website (scroll to the bottom for resources).
• Learn more about the Schatz Center’s work with offshore wind…

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Announcement from the
Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture
May 3, 2019 Hearing Background

Senator Mike McGuire, Chair of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (JCFA), and Assemblymember Mark Stone, Vice Chair, are hosting California’s Fisheries and Wildlife: How will they co-exist with Offshore Wind Energy Development? The hearing will be held Friday, May 3, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, Room 203, in Eureka, California.

The hearing will provide our legislators, their staff and the public an opportunity to learn more about California’s developing offshore wind energy industry from agency and industry leading experts. The JCFA will also hear testimony from environmental and fisheries leaders about their perspectives and concerns. The presenters will emphasize the need to incorporate fish and wildlife needs during the development process. The hearing will be live streamed and recorded.

Presentations and discussion will focus on why wind energy is important to the State’s energy supply, how to mitigate potential environmental impacts on land and sea, balancing the need for green energy while protecting our environment, and how wind energy and protecting California’s fisheries can be compatible.

The agenda features presentations by state and federal agency and wind energy industry representatives as well as environmental advocates and fishing industry representatives.

Testimony will be provided by representatives of the Bureau of Energy Management, the California Energy Commission, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Coastal Commission, Principle Power, Schatz Energy Research Center and American Wind Energy Association.

The hearing will also include testimony from the Audubon Society, the Surfrider Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance.

Additional information including links to: the agenda, press releases, articles about the hearing, live stream links, and presenter biographies may be viewed at the committee web site under the “2019 hearings” heading.

The public is welcome to attend and there is no fee for admission. The hearing will include a public comment period.

Please contact Tom Weseloh, Chief Consultant, Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture for more information.

5:30 pm Thursday, April 4 in Founders Hall 118

Humboldt State University has set ambitious climate action goals, including a target to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 levels by 2040. This panel will highlight the challenges and opportunities at HSU for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The discussion will include an overview of energy use patterns on campus, current approaches for reducing energy use and emissions, and possible future strategies to make progress toward the campus’ climate action goals. The panel will be moderated by Schatz Center Director Arne Jacobson.

• Andrea Alstone is an Energy Planner and Analyst in Facilities Management at HSU, where she is responsible for tracking campus energy use and planning for its future. Her prior work on energy issues includes projects at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and the Schatz Center.
• Morgan King is a Climate Action Analyst in Facilities Management at HSU, where he facilitates climate action and resiliency planning, advises students, and furthers the infusion of sustainability into campus operations and academics. Morgan has over 20 years of experience working in sustainability, environmental education and green workforce development.
• Gwelen Paliaga is the Technical Director within TRC’s Research and Technology Commercialization practice. He has 15 years of experience in commercial building energy efficiency and building science research, with expertise in design and operation of high performance buildings, research and emerging technology, and codes and standards development.
• Oona Smith is a Senior Planner for the Humboldt County Association of Governments — a Regional Transportation Planning Agency — where she promotes public transit, walking, and bicycling. She earned a Master’s degree in International Development Technology from HSU.

The Sustainable Futures Speaker Series stimulates interdisciplinary collaboration around issues related to energy, the environment, and society. All lectures are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Schatz Center, the Environment & Community graduate program, and the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at Humboldt State.

Spring 2019 lectures will be held on Thursdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm in Founders Hall 118.

• For additional details on upcoming events or to request accessibility accommodations, email serc@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-4345.
• Sign up for the latest Schatz Center info, including speaker events, on our news page.