IFG Programs: False Solutions

IFG PROGRAMS: FALSE SOLUTIONS

PUBLICATIONS SERIES

We continue with our False Solutions publication series, and just released our fifth publication in June 2011, now extremely timely, a 100-page report, Nuclear Roulette citing the intrinsic problems of nuclear power, from dangers to costs to unreliability.

With global atmospheric carbon already surpassing the threshold of 350 ppm that many eminent scientists claim is the outer limit to prevent catastrophic meteorological events, the rush to find solutions that are reliable, timely, cost effective, and carbon-free is accelerating. In fact, there is real hope that this challenge will bring forth much needed innovations in carbon free technologies and inspire powerful new commitments to a serious reduction of consumption, an increase in conservation and ever more effective means of using energy efficiently.

Others, unfortunately, are using the seriousness of our predicament to promote false, outdated solutions, playing upon the very real fears of those who understand the necessity to reduce atmospheric carbon. Of these, the nuclear power industry is perhaps the most pernicious and the least deserving. This report identifies 10 reasons why development of more nuclear power is not a panacea for solving the climate crisis and why the nuclear power promoters should not be allowed to steal public funding and loan guarantees from “real” solutions available today. read more

nuke report
Hard copies of the report are available for $16 order form

Press Release

First Rave Review:
"Nuclear Roulette: new book puts a nail in coffin of nukes"

IFG has become a prominent convener, publisher and voice in identifying and de-legitimizing “false solutions” to climate change and global resource depletions while also naming and presenting viable clean, safe and economically sound alternatives.

The primary endeavor of our False Solutions/Alternative Energy/Scientific Working Group is to research and prepare a series of popular reports on False Solutions and to prepare a landmark report on the net energy comparisons of “traditional” and new and renewable energy sources. We plan, in 2009, at least two (and possibly four) new titles in our False Solutions series that was first launched in 2007 with publication of the highly comprehensive Manifesto on Global Economic Transitions, which has since been endorsed by hundreds of activist groups, and The False Promise of Biofuels. Both of these have been widely distributed to thousands of NGOs and public policy advocates with over 4000 copies of each downloaded from our website in 2008 alone.

The False Promise of Biofuels was authored by Working Group Chair Dr. Jack Santa Barbara, and was released in Washington, DC at our Triple Crisis Teach-In in September 2007 to much interest by policy makers, activist leaders, the general public and the media. Only three months after its publication, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the club of richest nations, came out against all uses of biofuels as causing far more harms than they cure. Since then, two other major international reports have done the same, practically walking the identical line of research logic as we did nearly two years ago.

Santa Barbara has recruited some of the leading experts on net energy analysis between renewables and more conventional polluting and otherwise harmful energy sources. This group is very far along in developing a report or series of papers comparing the pros and cons of competing alternative and renewable energy systems. Among the key scientists involved are David Pimentel (Cornell), Charles Hall (Syracuse), Cutler Cleveland (Boston University), Sergio Ugliati (University of Naples), Jeremy Leggett (Solar Century), Tadeusz Patzek (University of California, Berkeley), and seminal thinker and author Richard Heinberg.

In 2009, planned extensive media work and distribution strategies in order to ensure that our publications got out to policymakers, thinkers, writers, the press and the general public in order to significantly inform the debate.

searching for a miracle publication image

In 2009 we published:

Energy Return on Investment (EROI) — Comprehensive Net Energy Comparisons Report

This publication is the culmination of two years of research and study by IFG committees evaluating all the currently proposed alternative energy ideas – wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, wave, hydro, etc. – as to their potential “net energy” contribution, or EROI and their direct environmental and social effects. They will also be compared with oil, coal, nuclear, etc. in terms of EROI (energy return on investment, i.e., which of these uses the least amount of energy to produce the most amount of energy, while causing the least amount of negative ecological impact?). Most alarmingly, this report will show that there is no mix of alternative energy sources that can possibly replace the current global use of fossil fuels without massive increases in conservation and energy efficiency. We also plan to produce a striking poster/wall chart graphic representation of the results of this report that will make clear why no energy mix will do the job, even with alternatives and renewables, without a major “powering down.”

Future plans include the publishing of:

International Investment Rules to Address Climate Change

Others have suggested we have space to talk about the need to establish a clear and compelling framework to ensure that private capital plays its part in quickly capping greenhouse gas emissions in order to eliminate them within decades. Carbon markets may offer incentives to investors but inherent design issues stand to limit their effectiveness and, even if successful, they will not even make 50% of the necessary cuts in carbon emissions. IFG’s initial “climate convening” in November 2008 included top specialists who influence energy investment decisions of big banks and international financial institutions. A “private capital policy-team” organized at IFG’s meeting produced six proposals for new instruments in a global climate deal that could rapidly shift international energy investment away from fossil fuels and toward conservation, efficiency, and renewables. We want to explore these ideas further, and where they could be advanced internationally, not only via UNFCCC but also within financial institutions including the G20 process and the UN Stiglitz Commission.