Feb 27, 2022·edited Feb 27, 2022Liked by Bill McKibben
YES! This is a fantastic win-win idea. Brilliant non military, but very relevant response. Can we start a Third Act action to move this from a solo op-ed idea to something the White House is hearing about constantly?
Yes! I will write to Biden, my two senators (Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar) and my Representative Betty McCollum and ask them to invoke the DPA for this purpose (Biden) and to urge Biden to do so (senators and representative). What a great idea!
Thank you, Bill, for this brilliant call to action! What a great way to fight against Putin and his corrupt petrostate autocrats. Getting millions of European homes to switch to clean, all-electric heat pumps for heating and cooling is such a clever way to reduce their dependence on Russian gas and cripple the Putin regime.
I love your idea of asking President Joe Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to get American manufacturers to start producing electric heat pumps at scale, to lower costs and support a massive transition away from natural gas -- both in Europe and at home. Would it be helpful for us to call our representatives and ask them to support that proposal? Or should we put direct pressure on Biden for now?
Here in the U.S., installing heat pumps in our homes is also a wonderful way to fight against global warming AND the corrupt fossil fuel industry. We will be taking the plunge this year, to stop using natural gas in our homes — by replacing our dirty gas furnace with a clean heat pump heater/cooler. We also plan to replace our gas stove with an all-electric induction cooktop and convection oven -- as well as ditch our gas dryer for an electric one.
Replacing dirty natural gas appliances with clean all-electric appliances should be a priority for every household that can afford it. It will be a major topic in our upcoming "Electrify Everything" Meetup, hosted by our climate action network GreenChange.net this July, which will take us through the steps needed to electrify our lives and keep fossil fuels in the ground. Stay tuned.
Feb 27, 2022·edited Feb 28, 2022Liked by Bill McKibben
A great leader, with courage and vision could make this happen, but we lack visionary leadership. Much as massive grassroots protests in support of Ukraine has forced action by EU leaders, we need a massive grassroots movement in the US. Is there a way to have a joint declaration of support of this proposal by the membership of all environmental, humanitarian, and pro-democracy groups?
Superb idea! This could jumpstart the transformative moment our nascent heat pump industry needs. Yes, HVAC, but also HP water heaters! This move should help drive costs down, and help us implement the strategy that we should all be embracing: no new fossil fuel devices. It’s come to that. Let’s roll!
Heat pumps available in the US still use HFC refrigerants with a global warming potential of 2,000 and higher, and our HVAC contractor here in Minnesota says non-HFC refrigerants won't be available here for a few years. The California PUC has determined that the average heat pump will leak 12 pounds of HFCs over the course of its lifetime, the majority of which come when the device is destroyed at the end of its useful life. That's the near-term climate impact of 23 metric tons of carbon dioxide. We want to convert to a heat pump as soon as possible but are really concerned about making the climate problem worse by converting now, with HFC refrigerants. From a climate standpoint, it seems like the better approach may be a couple of additional years of heating with gas and then switching to a non-HFC heat pump. This issue seems to have gotten lost in the big push for heat pumps.
We need to demonstrate that this can work to gain support in order to scale it through the Defense Production Act. Here are some fast action steps.
1. Raise a seed fund from supporters to purchase and ship heat pumps (or purchase them in Europe) for use in Europe now. Maybe get heat pump manufacturers to donate units.
2. Use a proven supply chain charity (for example, Direct Relief) to get them to homes in need and quickly installed.
3. Use success to support effort for larger Defense Production Act program.
I posted an article on these themes in “Let’s Be Energy Freedom Fighters” (see below) on Tuesday 3/8 on LinkedIn and it’s been picked up by some media.
***
"Let’s Be Energy Freedom Fighters"
While we wring our hands over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are not powerless to make a difference. The Ukrainian people are fighting with their lives, but we can fight with how we choose to live.
The world’s dependence on oil and gas gives Putin the resources and leverage for his power grab. Oil and gas sales account for 60% of Russian exports and 30% of its federal budget. European countries rely upon Russian oil and gas for 20% to as much as 100% of their fuel. Thus, unlike the U.S., which derives 10% or less of its supplies from Russia, they can’t readily support Ukraine with a ban on imports from Russia.
So, what can we do in the U.S.? Let’s become Energy Freedom Fighters. If businesses and households in the U.S. reduce usage by 10% or more or use renewable alternatives, we can tilt the tables on the Russians and save at the gas pump. Maybe we could sell our saved energy to allies who could combine those supplies with their own conservation efforts so they too could ban Russian energy imports.
The battle for democracy is a battle for energy freedom. As consumers, we have power.
There is also something called Dual Fuel technology, where air-sourced heat pumps get backup heat when the temperatures fall below 40 degF. Hot water from gas, solar, or even wood stoves is pumped through a hydronic coil to augment the heat, rather than expensive electric strip heaters. I participated in their evaluation for major utilities and they are very effective.
YES! This is a fantastic win-win idea. Brilliant non military, but very relevant response. Can we start a Third Act action to move this from a solo op-ed idea to something the White House is hearing about constantly?
Yes! I will write to Biden, my two senators (Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar) and my Representative Betty McCollum and ask them to invoke the DPA for this purpose (Biden) and to urge Biden to do so (senators and representative). What a great idea!
Thank you, Bill, for this brilliant call to action! What a great way to fight against Putin and his corrupt petrostate autocrats. Getting millions of European homes to switch to clean, all-electric heat pumps for heating and cooling is such a clever way to reduce their dependence on Russian gas and cripple the Putin regime.
I love your idea of asking President Joe Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to get American manufacturers to start producing electric heat pumps at scale, to lower costs and support a massive transition away from natural gas -- both in Europe and at home. Would it be helpful for us to call our representatives and ask them to support that proposal? Or should we put direct pressure on Biden for now?
Here in the U.S., installing heat pumps in our homes is also a wonderful way to fight against global warming AND the corrupt fossil fuel industry. We will be taking the plunge this year, to stop using natural gas in our homes — by replacing our dirty gas furnace with a clean heat pump heater/cooler. We also plan to replace our gas stove with an all-electric induction cooktop and convection oven -- as well as ditch our gas dryer for an electric one.
Replacing dirty natural gas appliances with clean all-electric appliances should be a priority for every household that can afford it. It will be a major topic in our upcoming "Electrify Everything" Meetup, hosted by our climate action network GreenChange.net this July, which will take us through the steps needed to electrify our lives and keep fossil fuels in the ground. Stay tuned.
Thank you, Bill, for all you do!
A great leader, with courage and vision could make this happen, but we lack visionary leadership. Much as massive grassroots protests in support of Ukraine has forced action by EU leaders, we need a massive grassroots movement in the US. Is there a way to have a joint declaration of support of this proposal by the membership of all environmental, humanitarian, and pro-democracy groups?
Superb idea! This could jumpstart the transformative moment our nascent heat pump industry needs. Yes, HVAC, but also HP water heaters! This move should help drive costs down, and help us implement the strategy that we should all be embracing: no new fossil fuel devices. It’s come to that. Let’s roll!
For a brief description of heat pumps and how they work, see https://www.climateaction.center/e-building-hvac-heat-pump
I'll be adding more info about the cold weather designs and the HFC/Global Warming Potential issue in the next few weeks.
Great piece Bill. I was just finishing a piece on my blog: https://climatecareermoves.com/dont-just-hope-and-pray-this-is-the-time-to-commit-to-a-career-that-literally-takes-the-power-from-dictators/ when I got yours. I decided to put a heat pump image at the front and of course it won't load at the moment. I tagged you in the piece too! Keep up the good work and pressure on Biden. He's slow on the BIG OIL biz, more entrenched than we knew!
Heat pumps already dominate the heating market in some European countries, like Sweden... However, market share is still low in Germany, Poland, UK, IRL, etc. See: Market Penetration data in: https://climatecrocks.com/2022/03/07/want-to-push-back-on-russia-get-a-heat-pump/amp/
Also, here's a thesis describing how Sweden converted to heat pumps:
Johansson, Petter. “A Silent Revolution: The Swedish Transition towards Heat Pumps, 1970-2015.” KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2017. http://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1151181/FULLTEXT01.pdf.
*And* heat pump water heaters.... which, when operated as serious thermal batteries, also offer a powerful way to make optimal use of intermittent renewables. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353902434_Toward_Carbon-Free_Hot_Water_and_Industrial_Heat_with_Efficient_and_Flexible_Heat_Pumps
Heat pumps have a track record in cold European climates. Over 40% of homes in Sweden and Finland are already heated by heat pumps and 60% in Norway https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-how-heat-pump-sales-are-starting-to-take-off-around-the-world
Heat pumps available in the US still use HFC refrigerants with a global warming potential of 2,000 and higher, and our HVAC contractor here in Minnesota says non-HFC refrigerants won't be available here for a few years. The California PUC has determined that the average heat pump will leak 12 pounds of HFCs over the course of its lifetime, the majority of which come when the device is destroyed at the end of its useful life. That's the near-term climate impact of 23 metric tons of carbon dioxide. We want to convert to a heat pump as soon as possible but are really concerned about making the climate problem worse by converting now, with HFC refrigerants. From a climate standpoint, it seems like the better approach may be a couple of additional years of heating with gas and then switching to a non-HFC heat pump. This issue seems to have gotten lost in the big push for heat pumps.
We need to demonstrate that this can work to gain support in order to scale it through the Defense Production Act. Here are some fast action steps.
1. Raise a seed fund from supporters to purchase and ship heat pumps (or purchase them in Europe) for use in Europe now. Maybe get heat pump manufacturers to donate units.
2. Use a proven supply chain charity (for example, Direct Relief) to get them to homes in need and quickly installed.
3. Use success to support effort for larger Defense Production Act program.
I posted an article on these themes in “Let’s Be Energy Freedom Fighters” (see below) on Tuesday 3/8 on LinkedIn and it’s been picked up by some media.
***
"Let’s Be Energy Freedom Fighters"
While we wring our hands over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are not powerless to make a difference. The Ukrainian people are fighting with their lives, but we can fight with how we choose to live.
The world’s dependence on oil and gas gives Putin the resources and leverage for his power grab. Oil and gas sales account for 60% of Russian exports and 30% of its federal budget. European countries rely upon Russian oil and gas for 20% to as much as 100% of their fuel. Thus, unlike the U.S., which derives 10% or less of its supplies from Russia, they can’t readily support Ukraine with a ban on imports from Russia.
So, what can we do in the U.S.? Let’s become Energy Freedom Fighters. If businesses and households in the U.S. reduce usage by 10% or more or use renewable alternatives, we can tilt the tables on the Russians and save at the gas pump. Maybe we could sell our saved energy to allies who could combine those supplies with their own conservation efforts so they too could ban Russian energy imports.
The battle for democracy is a battle for energy freedom. As consumers, we have power.
***
Would you like to collaborate?
And another thing not discussed is biogas, which could help offset the loss of Russian oil over time....but would require infrastruce.
There is also something called Dual Fuel technology, where air-sourced heat pumps get backup heat when the temperatures fall below 40 degF. Hot water from gas, solar, or even wood stoves is pumped through a hydronic coil to augment the heat, rather than expensive electric strip heaters. I participated in their evaluation for major utilities and they are very effective.
Ari Melber's interview with Bill McKibben keyed me in to this article.
Yes but we have to organize a mass letter or petition for multiple organizations to send around. Not a fee individual letters