Letter from the Chair
Hello COTE Community!
Last year, Ralph Keeling speculated that 2015 might be the last time we would see atmospheric CO2 concentrations below 400 ppm. This May, typically the month with the highest levels, CO2 reached 407.70 ppm. |
![Paula McEvoy, AIA, LEED Fellow](http://info.aia.org/blast_images/kc/McEvoy_BW_Photo_sm.jpg) |
That’s well above May 2015's 403.94 ppm and May 2014's 401.88 ppm. And May 2016's average global temperature was the highest in the 137-year record, climbing more than 1-degree Celsius over the 20th Century average. Not great news when we remember that the Paris Agreement at COP21 pledged to keep atmospheric warming to less than 2-degrees Celsius.
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That's why it’s exciting to see the giant leaps in solar research and development. From bionic "Leaves" that produce liquid fuel, ultra-thin and wearable PV cells and solar paving on the iconic Route 66, to peer-to-peer solar networks and mandatory installation of photovoltaic systems on new buildings, we are poised to begin seriously upscaling use of our largest, free energy source. In fact, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) predicts that as solar costs decrease and scalability increases, solar power generation could jump from 2% of global energy generated to 13% by 2030. Deploying solar electric to meet the increasing energy demands in developing countries could push that number even higher. We’ll need radical changes to global energy productions in order to avoid the 2-degree temperature increase. These innovations are making the future look pretty bright.
Regards,
![Paula McEvoy signature](http://info.aia.org/blast_images/kc/Paula McEvoy Signature.jpg)
Paula McEvoy, FAIA, LEED Fellow
2016 Chair, AIA Committee on the Environment Advisory Group |
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