Active Roster
Media
Sponsors
Active Roster
Media
Sponsors
Title search: ✖
In the September 18, 2020, issue of The Nett Report, we asked readers to take a survey in regard to leadership. One of the questions asked was “How should we compare candidates to make a decision on who to vote for?”
This question resulted in a range of comments, from frustration with the current leadership to philosophical and practical alternatives. While the number of respondents was small (36 respondents) and certainly not scientific, our readers submitted insights were informative, thought-provoking and worthy of additional dialogue. Please feel free to contact me directly with additional thoughts or comment on this blog. Thanks to all who contributed!
Here’s what our readers said we should think about in comparing candidates:
Share: https://www.nettstrategies.com/About/Blog13/Survey-results-how-should-we-compare-candidates-to-make-a-decision-on-who-to-vote-for
What should we do to promote civil dialogue?
In the September 18, 2020, issue of The Nett Report, we asked readers to take a survey in regard to leadership. One of the questions asked was: “What should we do to promote civil dialogue? How do we return to a time when our leaders are able to rationally compromise on solutions – something that historically has been the very essence of the democratic process in the U.S.? In other words, how do we become one again?”
This question resulted in a range of varied and thoughtful comments. Two themes stood out to me: finding common values to focus on and restructuring social media. I did note that some comments could be perceived as having crossed the line in terms of civil dialogue while trying to address civil dialogue!
While the number of respondents was small (36 respondents) and certainly not scientific, our readers submitted insights were informative, thought-provoking and worthy of additional dialogue. Please feel free to contact me directly with additional thoughts or comment on this blog. Thanks to all who contributed!
Here’s what our readers said we should think about in promoting civil dialogue:
Share: https://www.nettstrategies.com/About/Blog12/Survey-results-what-should-we-do-to-promote-civil-dialogue
Between August 7 and August 20, 2020, readers of The Nett Report and others on social media were invited to participate in a survey that asked the following three questions:
The survey is not scientific or statistically relevant, but draws on a group that Nettleton Strategies considers to be well-informed and who follow current affairs. There were 130 respondents. The results are provided below.
When do you think the pandemic will be over, and we will get back to normal?
This question was intended to capture the pulse of when the pandemic will be behind us. As you can see from the graphic, almost half (44%) think things will return to normal by the second half of 2021, a year away. 23% were more hopeful, thinking it will happen by the end of this year or in the first half of next. 33% think it will take longer, if ever, to return to normal.
When will we be able to attend group gatherings like sporting events, movies, concerts, etc.?
Respondents were marginally more hopeful about when group gatherings will be allowed, with 47% thinking it will happen in the second half of 2021. Again, another group (24%) think it will happen sooner. 29% think it will be in 2022 or beyond, if ever. Note:the red numbers add up to 30% not 29%, but the math is accurate since the individual categories were rounded up but in total only add up to 29%.
What do you think needs to be done to end the pandemic?
Nettleton Strategies reviewed the open-ended text responses to this question and categorized how many mentioned certain kinds of solutions. For instance, any solution that required a government mandate or change in elected official was placed in the "Leadership or Political" category. "Personal Actions" were solutions that individuals take responsibility for themselves (i.e. wear your mask, wash your hands). The leadership category topped the list with 52% thinking that actions by leaders or the electorate are required. Next came vaccines at 47%, followed by personal actions at 28%. A full list of the responses is provided at the end of this blog. I recommend taking the time to scan through it.
Note: the word cloud at the top of this blog was created by analyzing all the words in the open-ended survey responses found below.
Complete list of survey responses
February 26, 2018
San Diego Press Club Executive Director Terry Williams presents Carl Nettleton with the best magazine story award in the environment category that also won best in show for all magazine stories in this 2017’s Excellence in Journalism competition.
Never having entered a writing competition before, even though I have been writing since high school (sports editor at La Jolla High and correspondent for the La Jolla Light while a student), I was surprised and honored that the San Diego Press Club honored me with two Excellence in Journalism awards for a story I wrote for Fortune in July 2016.
I entered the competition on a lark, thinking I might take third place in a category. Instead I was surprised and honored for the best environmental writing in a magazine and for “Best in Show” for more than thirty categories of magazine writing.
The awards were both based on a July 26, 2016, article in Fortune, “What the U.S. Presidential Candidates Are Missing in the Immigration Debate.” The story examined the role that climate change and drought will play in civil unrest and the development of factions like ISIS using the Syrian drought and conflict as an example.
For more of my stories on subjects ranging from sustainability to politics, click here.
Share: https://www.nettstrategies.com/About/Blog1/Nettleton-Earns-Best-of-Show-for-Magazine-Writing-in-Press-Club-s-Excellence-in-Journalism-Awards
September 21, 2016
Climate change, clean technology, the economy and jobs. While you wouldn't know it from the presidential campaigns, great gains are being made in the clean energy economy. An August 8, 2016, report by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), “District Economic Facts From Climate Policies (California),” assessed the economic impacts of climate policy on each of California’s assembly districts. E2 says that $37 billion has flowed into the California cleantech economy since 2006, resulting in 500,000 jobs. This makes clean energy the fastest growing industry sector in the state, and California is the fastest growing economy in the country (tied with Oregon but California’s GDP is bigger). In a March 2016 report, “Clean Jobs America,” E2 determined that on the national level the U.S. now has 2.5 million clean energy jobs. A related story in GreenTechMedia asks why the mainstream media doesn’t seem to know clean energy jobs are growing rapidly in America.
Water innovation. Water continues to be of concern in the west, but the innovation economy is stepping up to the challenge. From low-flow showerheads to collecting water from the air, innovators are gaining ground. Some examples:
Is a true multi-party system in the works? Could the rancor in the Republican Partyand the push and pull between the two wings of the Democratic Party make it likely that one or more new parties will emerge after the elections? Could moderate Republicans and Democrats come together as a middle-of-the-road party? Will there be a Trump Party if the Donald doesn’t win in November and traditional Republicans are able to take back their hijacked brand? Will Bernie Sanders lead a new Progressive Party given that the non-profit Our Revolution has formed, led by his former campaign manager? Evangelicals (think Ted Cruz) and Tea Party activists (Ron Paul) are other potential groups that could form parties. Even the Libertarians are gaining strength that could be a factor if the U.S. system becomes truly multi-party rather than a two-party system. See my May 16 story in Huffington Post about this subject.
Climate change and global civil disruption. The fighting in the Middle East has no end in sight, but international leaders are failing to recognize the role that climate change has played in that part of the world and will play elsewhere as climate impacts grow. The drought that began in Syria in 2006 resulted in the country becoming a net importer of wheat when previously it had been an exporter. More dangerously, 1.5 million people from farm communities migrated to camps outside of cities, most with no jobs, making them susceptible to recruitment by the Islamic State. See my story in Fortuneaddressing the issue and what could happen in other parts of the world as climate change creates drought, sea level rise, extreme storms and other impacts.
Trade benefits San Diego, the U.S. and Mexico. While trade and Mexico are both volatile topics on the campaign trail, San Diego, the U.S. and Mexico all continue to benefit from trade. The Wilson Institute says that forty cents of every dollar the U.S. spends to buy manufactured goods from Mexico comes back to the U.S. through the logistics chain. Every Toyota Tacoma in the U.S. is made in Tijuana, and on September 14 Toyota announced it plans to invest $150 million in Tijuana to make 50,000 more Tacoma pickups each year. This comes on the heels of the September 12 announcement by ICON Corporation that it will build a facility in Tijuana to manufacture composite airframe components for the company’s A5 aircraft, creating 1,000 jobs. This is all part of the annual $6 billion in cross-border trade between Tijuana and San Diego. See my April 30 story in Huffington Post about trade benefits.
Recently Published Stories
Carl Nettleton
Carl Nettleton is an acclaimed writer, speaker, facilitator, and analyst. Nettleton Strategies is an environmental policy firm that specializes in oceans, all things water, energy, climate, and U.S./Mexico border issues. Carl also founded OpenOceans Global, a non-profit linking people to the world's oceans. He serves on the national and California advisory councils for Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national, nonpartisan group of business owners, investors and others who advocate for policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. He is also active with the international Eye on Earth initiative and other business and environmental organizations. He regularly writes for the Huffington Post, the Independent Voter Network (IVN), and other publications.
April 5, 2016
A Godzilla El Niño; Where Was the Rain and Snow?It was a Godzilla El Niño after all. Water temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific (which define an El Niño) were tied with the 1997-1998 El Niño as the largest ever at 2.3 degrees centigrade above average. However, snowpack was still below average in the Sierras where it was needed the most and also drier than normal in Southern California. What happened? There have been 24 El Niños since 1950 (water temp .5 degrees centigrade or more above average), but there is little more than a 50/50 chance that there will be above average precipitation during an El Niño. Expectations of gully-washing precipitation came from the only two El Niños where the equatorial ocean temperature was greater than two degrees centigrade above average (1982-1983 and 1997-1998). Those events produced huge amounts of precipitation. However, two data points turned out to not be enough to base a forecast of Godzilla precipitation even if the 2015-2016 El Niño ultimately lived up to expectations as one of the two largest in history. We learned this year that large El Niños are not necessarily predictors of record rainfall. The good news is that El Niño was discussed by television weather reporters, leading to more public understanding, even though some weather people continued to confuse El Niño as a precipitation event instead of an equatorial ocean water temperature event. Cuttent forecasts predict a La Niña condition by fall (ocean water temperature at the equator .5 degrees centigrade or less than average). More insight can be found here. 17-Year Drought Pattern Continues in CaliforniaDespite average precipitation 25% Water Conservation Goal: a Near Miss
Key Snowpacks All Slightly Below Average
|
|
March 16, 2016
As a professional facilitator, I have been disappointed by the failure of moderators to better manage the 2016 presidential debates. A clear set of rules could help to avoid the disrespectful banter that has dominated the dialogue.
While recognizing the debates have become a source of entertainment, there is still time for a meaningful debate, if the media and the candidates are willing.
Two primary rules should be followed:
Candidates would be allowed to respectfully say “I don’t agree with the way the U.S. is handling this issue.” They would not be allowed to disrespectfully say “he is lying about that.”
To maintain respectful dialogue, the moderator should be able to mute the microphone of each candidate. The first time a candidate violates any rule, he or she is cut off for five minutes. The second time, the penalty is ten minutes. Five minutes would be added for each violation thereafter.
Given the disrespectful tenor of the past debates, these two additional rules should also apply:
These are the questions and the progression of the debate that would make it work.
The issues would be listed on the screen in the order that they were most frequently mentioned and discussed in that order. Each candidate be asked to list the three most important steps they would take to address the issue.
During the remaining time, candidates would debate the ideas for each issue, testing each other’s responses, but not personalizing them.
Closing comments would be limited to describing what they learned during the debate that will help them present their viewpoints to the American people during the rest of the campaign.
The debate should not be a party-centric. There are eight candidates remaining, three Republicans, three Democrats, one Green, and one Libertarian. Democrat Roque De La Fuente is on the ballot in all fifty states but has been ignored. Libertarian Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, and Green candidate Jill Stein have also been invisible in the media.
De La Fuente, Johnson, and Stein have no chance of becoming president, but perhaps they have knowledge or points of view that would inform the dialogue. For example, De La Fuente is a major landowner on the Mexican border at San Diego and Johnson was the governor of a state bordering Mexico. They might provide some intelligent observations about border issues. Likewise, Jill Stein is a physician who might have thoughtful views on health care.
This debate format might attract and hold less viewers than those to-date, particularly those viewers who have been watching primarily to gape at the juvenile banter, but it would tell us more about the candidates and their ideas than we know now.
Two questions remain:
NOTE: This post first appeared in the Huffington Post on March 16, 2016.
Share: https://www.nettstrategies.com/About/Blog2/The-Greatest-Debate-the-Best-Presidential-Debate
March 3, 2016
As the presidential election cycle ramps up, the usual polarizations are apparent: blue states and red states, Tea Party vs. liberals, and right-to-life vs. choice. The new anti-establishment trend has firmly established itself with Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump gaining unexpected support.
However, another trend has gone unexplored by campaign analysts: the lack of candidates from the West.
The above map of all 2016 presidential candidates locates their city of residence and shows the South and the Northeast are well represented with well-known candidates, but the West doesn’t even have one with name recognition.
As defined by U.S. Census Bureau, the West has a population of 76 million, nearly 25 percent of the nation. Except for the Libertarian Gary Johnson from New Mexico and Democrat Roque De La Fuente from California, there are no candidates from the western half of the country. Both De La Fuente and Johnson are virtually unknown, have no access to debates, and might not be representative of the West even if they were to be heard. But we haven’t heard from them, so we don’t know.
As of February 21, 2016, ten candidates remained, and the map above of those remaining shows even more clearly the representation of candidates with name recognition from the South and the Northeast.
Every sitting president must take into account the needs of the populations of all the states. However, that accounting is shaped by the dialogue of the campaign season. Without strong, recognizable voices competing in the presidential campaign, even voices unlikely to win, the interests, issues and opportunities that come from the West will be less likely to be heard. As a result, western issues will be less likely to gain traction with the next administration.
“Without strong, recognizable voices competing in the presidential campaign, even voices unlikely to win, the interests, issues and opportunities that come from the West will be less likely to be heard.”
A good example is the immigration/border issue. The national agenda has focused on illegal immigration, closing the border, and striking fear into working class audiences about how illegal immigrants are taking U.S. jobs. A California point of view might ask how could the border be more open, how could we better take advantage of the synergies between our two economies, and how we can create programs that allow legal status to workers needed to fill seasonal positions so they aren’t considered criminals?
There are those who argue that U.S. workers won’t take jobs that are filled by immigrant workers. The discussion about how immigrant workers take low paying jobs does not rise to an understanding that workers who have crossed the border illegally have no way to object to low pay. There is no discussion about how pay levels might improve if those workers had legal status, even to the point where more U.S. workers would take some of those jobs. Whether these points of view are right or wrong the dialogue to bring clarity is missing.
Consumers and the businesses who hire undocumented immigrants likely benefit through lower labor costs and a resultant lower cost of goods and services, but at the expense of creating an illegal class of marginalized workers. This discussion is not on the table, in part because there are no candidates from the West who understand the immigration issues in a different way.
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. is the largest import market for Mexico with $293 billion coming to the U.S. and Mexico is the second largest export market to the U.S. with $243 billion being exported to Mexico. Every dollar spent by the U.S. in trade with Mexico returns forty cents to the U.S. because the products Mexico exports to the U.S. contain a high percentage of U.S. components. Compare this to the exchange with China where only six cents is returned to the U.S. for each dollar spent on Chinese goods exported to the U.S. Where in the presidential debates is the dialogue on the importance of bringing manufacturing in China back to Mexico which would boost the economies of both Mexico and the U.S.? In addition, there would be global benefits in reducing carbon emissions and benefits to the U.S. companies outsourcing manufacturing because they would be closer to the manufacturing facilities. Who is talking about that?
The current relationship between the U.S. and Mexico has been forged through the High Level Economic Dialogue, an effort to place national priorities on cross-border transportation infrastructure, security, education and other issues of mutual importance. The educational initiative has a goal of 100,000 students from each country studying in the other country by 2020. This is intended to increase long-term relationships, cultural understanding and trade over time. With no western candidates, there are no voices to explain the strategy behind these initiatives or discuss whether it is important to the nation’s future.
From climate change and energy policy to water rights, there are viewpoints in the West that deserve focus in the campaign dialogue, but without western candidates to voice them, the silence is deafening.
NOTE;This article first appeared on LinkedIn on February 29, 2016, and later the same day on IVN.
Share: https://www.nettstrategies.com/About/Blog3/Where-In-the-West-Are-the-Presidential-Candidates
April 19, 2015
As California moves into the 16th year of a drought pattern, it is more important than ever to stay up-to-date on the status of water and what is being done to address the impacts of low water supplies to the economy, the environment, and ability of various sectors from all regions to work together toward both short and long-term solutions. This special edition of “The Nett Report” is designed to give clients and friends an overview of the subject. Nettleton Strategies specializes in water and other issues relating to sustainability and resource use. If you need media relations, government relations, communications, or facilitation services regarding water or other issues, please contact us at: info@nettstrategies.com.
The State of the State’s Water
On April 1, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown announced a mandatory 25 percent reduction in water use throughout the state, excluding agriculture. Depending on past levels of conservation, communities will be required to achieve water savings of between 10 and 35 percent. The specifics of the proposed cutbacks can be visualized on this New York Times Interactive map. Some communities are likely to protest the levels of cutback. The details of the restrictions to help achieve these reductions can be found in this story from VOX. NBC San Diego created a short quizto help its viewers become aware of the restrictions. The photo at left is at the site of the press conference where Governor Brown made the announcement regarding the restrictions. The location where he is standing is adjacent to where the state’s snow pack is measured every year. April 1 is considered the date when the snow pack in the northern Sierras is at its peak. In a normal year, there would be five to six feet of snow on the ground where he is standing (see graph below).
How Low is California’s Snow Pack?As shown in the photo with Governor Brown above, the snow pack is essentially non-existent. There is some snow in the Sierras, approximately 5 percent of average, but the graph below shows how this year compares to an average year, last year, the year before, the previous worst year (1976-1977), and the wettest year (1982-1983). A foot of snow fell in the Sierras early on the week of April 6 which will provide a small amount of additional supply (image courtesy of Department of Water Resources, California Data Exchange Center).
Understanding Reservoir Capacities
Media reports often use local reservoirs as a backdrop for drought stories, giving the impression that the levels of these reservoirs are indicative of the status of available water supply. While local reservoirs play an important role in capturing San Diego’s limited rainwater, their primary role is as storage for the imported water that supplies more than 85 percent of the region’s supplies. To gain a sense of the relative size of reservoirs that are important to San Diego, please see the chart below displaying the capacities of four representative reservoirs and how imported water flows to and through them.
Both Lake Mead on the Colorado River and Lake Oroville in the northern Sierras provide water to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. One of the reservoirs receiving that water is Diamond Valley Lake, built in 1999 to help bolster Southern California reserve capacities. Diamond Valley is connected by aqueduct to San Diego, and the San Vicente Reservoir has recently been expanded to provide the largest local storage capacity. From this chart, you can see that the reservoirs with the greatest water storage capacity are Lake Mead and Lake Oroville, however, each reservoir throughout the state’s water system plays an important role in capturing, storing and transferring water.
Where Are Reservoir Storage Levels Now?
Storage in Lake Mead on the Colorado River is hovering above the shortage level. Because that level has not yet been reached, California is receiving its full allocation of Colorado River water. Snow pack in the Rockies was below average this year, but not at record lows. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects there is a 21 percent chance the water level in Lake Mead will drop below the shortage level in 2016 and a 54 percent chance in 2017. Even if shortage rules go into effect, Arizona and Nevada are required to take the first cuts in supply. However, it is likely that California will help its neighboring states should that occur. Lake Oroville, the primary storage reservoir for the State Water Project, is at 66 percent of average and 51 percent of capacity. These numbers are not shocking in themselves except that with snow pack at an historic low, containing only five percent of average water content, there will be little snowmelt to replenish Oroville as the reservoir is drawn down during the summer. The graphic below illustrates the issue (image courtesy of Department of Water Resources, California Data Exchange Center).
Colorado River Concern About Future Water Levels Results in New Hoover Dam Turbines
Although Colorado River supplies are not yet at shortage levels, last year the New York Times reported that the Colorado River and reservoirs from the Rockies to southern Arizona “are being sapped by 14 years of drought nearly unrivaled in 1,250 years.” Last year, for the first time, water released from Lake Powell to Lake Mead was decreased by ten percent, but those cutbacks did not affect Lake Mead allocations. The Times said that “studies now show that the 20th century was one of the three wettest of the last 13 centuries in the Colorado basin. On average, the Colorado’s flow over that period was actually 15 percent lower than in the 1900s. And most experts agree that the basin will get even drier.” Five new turbines have been installed in the Hoover Dam to keep the power plant working with less water in the reservoir.
Is It a Four-Year Drought or a 16-Year Drought?
.
Most news outlets have reported California is entering its fourth year of drought since 2011, a year with well above average precipitation. However, many climate scientists agree that California has been in a drought pattern since 1999. Since that year there have been only two water years that have been significantly above average: 2011, as mentioned above, and 2006. To illustrate the situation, the image below shows Sacramento River runoff between 2002 and 2015. The 2000 and 2001 water years were also below average (image courtesy Metropolitan Water District of Southern California).
Is the Drought Due to Climate Change?
While climate change is projected to significantly change future weather and precipitation patterns, the current drought does not appear to be climate related. Most climate scientists attribute the drought to variability in annual precipitation patterns. In addition, there appears to be no linkage between either oceanic or climatic conditions that could account for the last two years of very limited precipitation. The culprit is a persistent high-pressure system (see image on the left) that has blocked storms from reaching Northern California and most of the West Coast. Known as the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge, this high-pressure system has forced storms north into the Arctic, and they have found their way back into the continental U.S.. creating the severe cold weather that has brought record-breaking snow to the eastern U.S. However, scientists admit that two consecutive record-breaking dry years is unusual. It is clear that climate change has exacerbated the drought. Record warm temperatures have caused what precipitation has reached the state to fall as rain rather than snow, contributing to the minimal snow pack. In addition, the heat dries the soil and vegetation, creating a greater chance of fire danger and increasing water use for irrigation in both urban and rural areas (image courtesy NOAA).
To further inform the conclusion that the last two years of historically low precipitation and the current drought are not part of a climate pattern, scientists also analyzed tree ring research which shows there have been a number of drought periods in history not unlike the current dry period. Here are some highlights of that research:
This historical data was gathered from tree ring studies going back to 900 A.D., researched and published by the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree Ring Research.
Finding Your Water Use Restrictions and Tips for Conserving Water
To find water use restrictions your water agency has implemented, the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) has created an agency locator. A link to each agency will take you to the page with the water restriction rules currently in place. You can also find information about ways to conserve water at the SDCWA web site and at each agency’s site. One quality product is the Water Authority’s “Guide to a WaterSmart Lifestyle.” This 140-page digital book is an interactive resource to water conservation and can be accessed on computer, tablet, or smartphone. The guide is in a flipbook format that allows you to move through the pages as if it were a real book. Interactive features allow users to share ideas on Facebook, electronically “pin” plant and garden photos for their followers, watch videos, and scroll through a library of images. The eGuide includes plant finders, interactive maps, animated graphics, landscape design tools, and details about rebates and incentives. The San Diego Union-Tribune has published a story, “33 Ways You Can Save Water Now,” that can also be helpful.
Nettleton Strategies Out and About on the Water IssueWith more than 30 years of experience with water issues, Nettleton Strategies continues to participate in water-related activities. Here are some of the more recent highlights.
Nettleton Strategies serves on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Energy and Water Committee and on the leadership group for the Water Conservation Action Committee. Other current activities include working with clients or partners on municipal water conservation projects,financing concepts for water recycling, and developing a data analysis tool related to water, emissions and energy. If you need assistance with water regulations, moving your water-saving technology into the mainstream, or just connecting with the right people in the right places, please contact Nettleton Strategies (see below).
July 29, 2013
"Nettleton Insights" shares information coming across our desktops with our clients and friends. We encourage you to share this report with your friends. For facilitation, analysis, insight, communications and connections, Nettleton Strategies is ready to help you! Please contact us at info@nettstrategies.com.
The Living Coast Discovery Center is only seven minutes from downtown, but many people aren't even aware of its existence. On August 3, this unique and unforgettable organization on San Diego Bay will host Chef Andrew Spurgin and a host of regional restaurants and breweries with a Farm to Bay feast not to be missed. While you are there, you can visit Franklin the bald eagle, see Raptor Row, get up close with sea turtles and leopard sharks, and enjoy the company of people who value San Diego Bay and our unique coast. See Caron Golden's recent foodie blog about the Discovery Center and Channel 8's Shawn Styles report that tells the whole story. Click here for tickets.
Nettleton Strategies has recently been helping our strategic partners in Sacramento, Clean Tech Advocates, gain support for Senate Bill 64 Last year, the Legislature enacted and the Governor signed into law the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Investment Plan and Communities Revitalization Act to provide a framework for use of the greenhouse gas auction revenues. SB 64 is an important step, proposing a Clean Technology Investment Account within the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to ensure a portion of future auction revenues is available to fund development of innovative technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Nettleton Strategies participated in a public forum on the nexus between water, energy and emissions presented by the Conservation Action Committee on July 8, 2013, at SDG&E's Energy Conservation Center. Presentations ranged from a discussion of how to optimize energy use to incentives for water and energy conservation. The Nettleton Strategies presentation provided an overview of how policy decisions in water affect energy and emissions and vice versa. An example focused on the priority rights to Upper Colorado River Basin water held by interests that plan to develop oil shale in the Colorado, Utah and Wyoming high country.
Nettleton Strategies has joined the South County Economic Development Council. This highly-effective non-profit organization was formed in 1989 by a group of South San Diego County business and community leaders, to promote education and encourage economic development in the South San Diego County Region. Member cities include Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City, San Diego, San Diego County, and the Port of San Diego. The organization works with partners in Baja and promotes bi-national economic development with the cities of Mexicali, Tijuana, Tecate, Rosarito, and Ensenada. Among its many programs, the organization is undertaking a project to shape a vision for the South County region.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography has appointed a new leader. San Diego's pre-eminent ocean research organization named Dr. Margaret Leinen as Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Dean of the School of Marine Sciences. Dr. Leinen is a highly distinguished, award-winning oceanographer and an accomplished executive with extensive national and international experience in ocean science, global climate and environmental issues, federal research administration, and non-profit startups. She is currently the Vice Provost for Marine and Environmental Initiatives and Executive Director of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a unit of Florida Atlantic University. She is a researcher in paleo-oceanography and paleo-climatology. Her work focuses on ocean sediments and their relationship to global biogeochemical cycles and the history of Earth’s ocean and climate. Leinen replaces Tony Haymet, who served as UC San Diego Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences from 2006 until his retirement from the administrative post at the end of 2012.
Each year 15,000 people gather at the San Diego Convention for a week at the Esri conference, including a competition between map makers competing to be the best in their category. This year, the competition resulted in the City of San Marcos taking first place for the map of its general plan. The map was created by the City's Mettja Kuna. Mettja's map took First Place in the “Map Series or Atlas – In-House Copy” category and was also the “Best Overall.” Esri is the world leader in mapping software and "inspires and enables people to positively impact the future through a deeper, geographic understanding of the changing world around them."
December 12, 2012
Nettleton Insights Is Back! We've been on hiatus for a number of months, but now the Nett Report is back in a new simpler-to-read format, both for smart phones and browsers. We've also created a new Nettleton Strategies web page where you can: where you can:
Please remember that for facilitation, analysis, insight, communications and connections, Nettleton Strategies is ready to help you!
What does climate change have to do with baseball? In baseball, batters using steroids hit more and longer home runs. No individual home run can be attributed to steroids since the baseball players were capable of hitting homers without the assistance of steroids. In the same way, no given storm can be attributed to climate change. But statistically, the intensity and number of storms will likely be more because of climate change, just like baseball players on steroids hit more home runs and hit them farther. This Business Week story places more light on the subject of "theweather-on-steroids." Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher Dr. Richard Somerville also shared the story on KPBS.In baseball, batters using steroids hit more and longer home runs. No individual home run can be attributed to steroids since the baseball players were capable of hitting homers without the assistance of steroids. In the same way, no given storm can be attributed to climate change. But statistically, the intensity and number of storms will likely be more because of climate change, just like baseball players on steroids hit more home runs and hit them farther. This Business Week story places more light on the subject of "theweather-on-steroids." Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher Dr. Richard Somerville also shared the story on KPBS.
Interactive Sea Level Map. The New York Times recently published an interactive map that shows how sea level rise could affect various cities if the rise was anywhere from 0 feet to 25 feet. The State of California’s official projections assume a 55 inch rise by 2100, nearly five feet.
OpenOceans Global. We spent most of the summer and fall focused on developing funding for OpenOceans Global, the non-profit, non-advocacy organization dedicated to creating an international, cross-sector ocean community focused on aggregating and creativly displaying the world's ocean data. Please check out the web site and blog and consider an end-of-the year contribution to the development of this international institution!
Human Genome Project for the Ocean. An OpenOceans Global article, "From Fear to Hope, A Human Genome Project for the Ocean," recently appeared in Hydro International, a global ocean industry publication reaching 20,000 readers in addition to its online reach. The article focused on the importance of the use of maps to tell the stories of ocean research.
Hawaii Ocean Research and Economic Development. We recently visited the Natural Energy Laboratory on the Big Island of Hawaii. The 322-acre facility brings 41 degree (Fahrenheit) water from 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean and warm surface water ranging between 76 to 81 degrees to the facility. The original intent was to create energy from the temperature differential, but now the facility has expanded to 40 tenants, ranging from alternative energy, to aquaculture, to research and more. The state facility next to Kona International Airport generates more than $45 million in annual economic impact, creating more than 300 jobs and high value exports.
The Perpetual Ocean. If you are interested in the ocean and haven’t seen the Perpetual Ocean video by NASA, it is sure to intrigue you. The video combines several years of data to visualize current patterns on the world’s oceans.
Floating Windmills Off California Coast? The Department of Energy (DOE) is scheduled to make a decision on whether to allow a pilot program using floating wind turbines off the coast of California. DOE in March unveiled a six-year, $180 million research initiative to support deployment of offshore wind technologies that have potential for lowering the cost of energy below 10 cents per kilowatt hour. This is the threshold at which DOE believes the sector can compete with other regional generation sources without subsidies.
Solar Boat Sails Into the Record Books. A Swiss adventurer has circumnavigated the globe in 585 days on a 98-foot yacht powered solely by the sun. Raphael Domjan’s boat, "Turanor," has enough photo-voltaic panels to cover two tennis courts.The journey was designed “to show the world that this technology is not science fiction, it is very real and it can help us change how we do things now rather than in the future," Domjan said.
E2 Reports. Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national community of business leaders who promote sound environmental policy that builds economic prosperity, has released several reports in recent weeks addressing biofuels and energy jobs. These include: "The Econonomic Benefits of Military Biofuels," "Third Quarter Clean Energy Jobs Roundup," and "An Advanced Biofuel Market Fact Sheet and Report."
Energy Resources Web Sites. Two web sites we recently learned about provide valuable information regarding the status of various energy resources around the world. Developed in part by National Geographic, Energy Realities is a site that provides visualizations about the world’s energy resources. Domestic Fuels has created a mapping report: “State by State Resource for Renewable Energy.”
Rains and Lake Oroville. Recent rains in Northern California have begun to have an effect on water supplies. Because of its prominence in the State Water Project system, Lake Oroville is a good indicator of the status of water supplies for the coming year. Recent northern California rainfall has spiked the reservoir water levels upward from a drought projection back to more average water levels. The Department of Water Resources projects 30 percent of requested deliveries will be provided by the State Water Project next year, an estimate that could increase depending on precipitation.
Water Privatization Pro and Con. The Wall Street Journal recently published a thoughtful pro and con article about privatizing water utilities. Neither of the two policy experts saw privatization as a panacea, but each discussed the benefits and downsides.
1972 Report Might be Right. A Smithsonian analysis of a 1972 report called “The Limits of Growth,” says there is validity to the report’s projection that the world economy could collapse by 2030. At the time, economists disagreed with the report. The new analysis by Australian physicist Graham Turner says that “we are not on a sustainable track” but that could change “if governments forged policies and invested in technologies to regulate the expansion of humanity’s ecological footprint.”
July 12, 2011
Quote of the Week - "If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters." - Garfield the cat
"Nettleton Insights" shares information coming across our desktops with clients and friends of Nettleton Strategies LLC. In turn, we encourage you to share this report with your friends and associates. If "Nettleton Insights was forwarded to you, please sign up by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. You can also remove your name from the Nettleton Insights" list if you don't want to receive it in the future. Your comments are welcome at info@nettstrategies.com.
February 9, 2011
Quote of the Week - "Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy........than to fumble THIS football" - John Heisman
"Nettleton Insights" shares information coming across our desktops with our clients and friends. We encourage you to share this report with your friends and associates. Your comments are welcome at info@nettstrategies.com.
Free Diving with Great Whites
In case you need a little more excitement in your life, perhaps free diving with great white sharks in Baja California at Guadalupe Island would take care of that urge. Fortunately for your loved ones, the providers of this video are not offering the opportunity commercially.
Meeting Jane Goodall in Abu Dhabi
While attending a recent environmental data conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Carl Nettleton had a chance to meet Jane Goodall. Dr. Goodall wowed the crowd with her encouraging talk about teaching environmental education to students. She tells students to reach for the stars. "Even if you don't make the stars, you might make the moon!" she said. Dr. Goodall is internationally respected for her research work with chimpanzees in Africa and has extended that work to environmental education.
San Diego Lead Task Force Honored by USEPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored the Lead Poisoning Prevention Citizen’s Advisory Task Force for ensuring the protection of children from the threat of lead-based paint and dust in San Diego.
Presidential Primary Updates Available at IVN
The Independent voter Network (IVN.us) publishes a daily update about the status of the presidential candidates as well as other political news. With the new California Open Primary coming up in June, IVN's parent, the Independent Voter Project, has published an open primary guide for voters and a guide for candidates. The candidate guide is extremely timely since the filing period for candidates opens on February 13 and, for the first time, candidates in the June primary are not officially affiliated with parties but only indicate their party preference, if any.
Solar Zones Suggested to Encourage Industry Growth
A San Francisco venture capital firm has suggested that creating solar zones could spur development of the solar industry.
Forbes Criticizes Wall Street Journal Climate Coverage
A recent Forbes article takes on the Wall Street Journal for editorial bias when writing about climate change.
San Diego Visioning Deadline Extended
The deadline for the San Diego Foundation's visioning process (Show Your Love for a Greater San Diego Vision) has been appropriately extended to Valentines Day, February 14, 2012.
Study Finds Emissions Reporting Ups Stock Value
A U.C. Davis study has found that the stock value of public companies goes up when they disclose green house emissions and carbon reduction strategies.
Growth Council Releases 2012-2014 Plan
The State of California's Strategic Growth Council has released its Strategic Plan 2012-2014. The plan calls for "a profoundly different" future than the past.
Reports Say Iran Electricity to Go to Iraq and Others
According to reports on the Global Energy Network Institute website, agreements to move electricity from Iran to Iraq have been been made by those nations. Another report says that Iran will be sending electricity to the European Union through a new electricity line passing through Armenia and Georgia. A power line to Russia is also being considered.