EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare

Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.

The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.

“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This pollution problem has a solution – one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”

As the proposed endangerment finding states, “In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”

EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world. The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate.

The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to:

· increased drought;
· more heavy downpours and flooding;
· more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
· greater sea level rise;
· more intense storms; and
· harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.

In proposing the finding, Administrator Jackson also took into account the disproportionate impact climate change has on the health of certain segments of the population, such as the poor, the very young, the elderly, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone and/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources.

In addition to threatening human health, the analysis finds that climate change also has serious national security implications. Consistent with this proposed finding, in 2007, 11 retired U.S. generals and admirals signed a report from the Center for a New American Security stating that climate change “presents significant national security challenges for the United States.” Escalating violence in destabilized regions can be incited and fomented by an increasing scarcity of resources – including water. This lack of resources, driven by climate change patterns, then drives massive migration to more stabilized regions of the world.

The proposed endangerment finding now enters the public comment period, which is the next step in the deliberative process EPA must undertake before issuing final findings. Today’s proposed finding does not include any proposed regulations. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.

More information: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

EPA Publishes Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report

(Washington, D.C. – April 15, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2007 increased by 1.4 percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007, is the latest annual report that the United States has submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2007 were equivalent to 7,150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 17.2 percent from 1990 to 2007.

The increase in emissions in 2007 was due primarily to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The following factors were primary contributors to this increase: (1) increased demand for heating fuels and electricity due to cooler winter and warmer summer conditions in 2007 than in 2006; (2) increased consumption of fossil fuels to generate electricity; and (3) a significant decrease (14.2 percent) in hydropower generation used to meet this demand.

EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2007. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils.

Information on the greenhouse gas inventory report: http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html

Blue Sky Research Reveals Increase in Global Air Pollution

A University of Maryland-led team has compiled the first decades-long database of aerosol measurements over land, making possible new research into how air pollution affects climate change.

Using this new database, the researchers show that clear sky visibility over land has decreased globally over the past 30 years, indicative of increases in aerosols, or airborne pollution. Their findings are published in the March 13 issue of Science.

“Creation of this database is a big step forward for researching long-term changes in air pollution and correlating these with climate change,” said Kaicun Wang, assistant research scientist in the University of Maryland’s department of geography and lead author of the paper. “And it is the first time we have gotten global long-term aerosol information over land to go with information already available on aerosol measurements over the world’s oceans.”

Wang, together with Shunlin Liang, a University of Maryland professor of geography, and Robert Dickinson, a professor of geological science at the University of Texas, Austin, created a database that includes visibility measurements taken from 1973 – 2007 at 3,250 meteorological stations all over the world and released by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Visibility was the distance a meteorological observer could see clearly from the measurement source. The more aerosols present in the air, the shorter the visibility distance.

According to the researchers, the visibility data were compared to available satellite data (2000-2007), and found to be comparable as an indicator of aerosol concentration in the air. Thus, they conclude, the visibility data provide a valid source from which scientists can study correlations between air pollution and climate change.

Aerosols, Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change
Aerosols are solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air. They include soot, dust and sulfur dioxide particles, and are what we commonly think of when we talk about air pollution. Aerosols come, for example, from the combustion of fossil fuels, industrial processes, and biomass burning of tropical rainforests. They can be hazardous to both human health and the environment.

Aerosol particles affect the Earth’s surface temperature by either reflecting light back into space, thus reducing solar radiation at Earth’s surface, or absorbing solar radiation, thus heating the atmosphere. The variable cooling and heating effects of aerosols also modify properties of cloud cover and rainfall.

Unlike aerosol particles, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are transparent and have no effect on visibility. Sunlight passes right through them, just as it does through the oxygen and nitrogen that are the main constituents of our atmosphere. Though present in the atmosphere in relatively small amounts, greenhouse gases cause global warming because these “trace” gases trap solar energy absorbed at the earth's surface and prevent it from being radiated as heat back into space.

While the climate warming impacts of increased greenhouse gases are clear, the effects of increased aerosols are not. Studies of the long-term effects of aerosols on climate change have been largely inconclusive up to now due to limited over-land aerosol measurements, according to Wang and his team. However, with this database researchers now can compare temperature, rainfall and cloud cover data from the past 35 years with the aerosol measurements in the new database.

Global Dimming
According to the authors, a preliminary analysis of the database measurements shows a steady increase in aerosols over the period from 1973 to 2007. Increased aerosols in the atmosphere block solar radiation from the earth’s surface, and have thus caused a net “global dimming.” The only region that does not show an increase in aerosols is Europe, which has actually experienced a “global brightening,” the authors say.

The largest known source of increased aerosols is increased burning of fossil fuels. And a major product of fossil fuel combustion is sulfur dioxide. Thus, the team notes, that their finding of a steady increase in aerosols in recent decades, also suggests an increase in sulfate aerosols. This differs from studies recently cited by the Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change showing global emissions of sulfate aerosol decreased between 1980 and 2000.

Climate Change Research at Maryland
Visit the University of Maryland's Climate Change Microsite to find the latest climate news from around the world; information on the university's climate change research and partnerships with NOAA, NASA & DOE; and links to leading U.S. and international sources of climate information. http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/micro/index.cfm

EPA Proposes First National Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

(Washington, D.C. – March 10, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States.

“Our efforts to confront climate change must be guided by the best possible information,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Through this new reporting, we will have comprehensive and accurate data about the production of greenhouse gases. This is a critical step toward helping us better protect our health and environment – all without placing an onerous burden on our nation’s small businesses.”

In developing the reporting requirements, EPA considered the substantial amount of work already completed and underway in many states, regions and voluntary programs.

Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, are produced by the burning of fossil fuels and through industrial and biological processes. Approximately 13,000 facilities, accounting for about 85 percent to 90 percent of greenhouse gases emitted in the United States, would be covered under the proposal.

The new reporting requirements would apply to suppliers of fossil fuel and industrial chemicals, manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines, as well as large direct emitters of greenhouse gases with emissions equal to or greater than a threshold of 25,000 metric tons per year. This threshold is roughly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from just over 4,500 passenger vehicles. The vast majority of small businesses would not be required to report their emissions because their emissions fall well below the threshold.

The direct emission sources covered under the reporting requirement would include energy intensive sectors such as cement production, iron and steel production, and electricity generation, among others.

The first annual report would be submitted to EPA in 2011 for the calendar year 2010, except for vehicle and engine manufacturers, which would begin reporting for model year 2011.

EPA estimates that the expected cost to comply with the reporting requirements to the private sector would be $160 million for the first year. In subsequent years, the annualized costs for the private sector would be $127 million.

EPA is developing this rule under the authority of the Clean Air Act. The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Two public hearings will be held during the comment period.

More information on the proposed rule: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

(Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2009) EPA is seeking public comment on the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007 draft report. This report will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

The draft report shows that overall emissions during 2007 increased by 1.4 percent from the previous year. This trend was due primarily to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were about 7,125 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Overall, emissions have grown by 17.1 percent from 1990 to 2007.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2007 at the national level. The gases covered by this inventory include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.

This annual report is prepared by EPA in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report will fulfill the annual requirement of the UNFCCC international treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

Information on the draft report and how to submit public comments: http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html

California Proposes Regulation Targeting Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fuels

New standard would lead to the widespread production and distribution of low-carbon fuels for vehicles

SACRAMENTO - Today the Air Resources Board released a proposed regulation that would implement Governor Schwarzenegger's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a policy to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from California's transportation fuels by ten percent by 2020 and more thereafter. Today's release of the proposed regulation allows 45 days for the public to review the language and provide comment before the item is considered at the April 23 ARB hearing.

The proposed regulation released today would diversify the variety of fuels and boost the market for alternative-fuel vehicles. It is one of the most important early actions called for under AB 32, California's pioneering climate change legislation, and will achieve 13.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020.

"The real strength of this standard is that it takes a comprehensive 'cradle to grave' approach that accounts for greenhouse gas emissions from production, transport and tailpipe emissions," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "The new standard will promote the development of alternative fuels that can provide economic opportunities, slash greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce criteria pollutants and toxic air contaminants. It will help consumers by injecting competition into the transportation fuel market and set California on a course to benefit from technological innovation, energy diversification and economic development."

Governor Schwarzenegger issued the LCFS Executive Order in early 2007 directing the state to drive down greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels. The transportation sector alone accounts for 40 percent of the state's total greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative is designed to increase the use of alternative fuels, replacing 20 percent of the fuel used by cars in California with clean alternative fuels by 2020, including electricity, biofuels, hydrogen and other options.

The proposed regulation requires providers, refiners, importers and blenders to ensure that the fuels they provide for the California market meet an average declining standard of 'carbon-intensity'. This is determined by examining the sum of greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with the production, transportation and consumption of the fuel, also referred to as the 'fuel pathway'. Market-based mechanisms will allow fuel suppliers to choose the most cost-effective clean fuels - those with the lowest carbon intensity - giving California consumers the widest variety of fuel options at a reasonable price.

While developing the regulation, ARB staff addressed the issue of how the production of some fuels impact land-related emissions. Certain fuel pathways result in the release of additional greenhouse gas emissions through the conversion of forestlands and other carbon-containing habitats worldwide. ARB staff is using internationally-accepted models to predict how land use change would occur due to increased demand and will include those emissions in the relevant fuel pathways.

To enhance private sector and federal investment into alternative fuel production and distribution, California is providing funding to assist in the early development and deployment of the most promising low-carbon fuels. The Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (AB118, Nunez, 2007), managed by the California Energy Commission, will provide approximately $120 million dollars per year over seven years to deploy the cleanest fuels and vehicles.

AB 32, signed by the Governor in 2006, is California's Global Warming Solutions Act that set in law aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets (1990 levels by 2020). AB 32 set the goals, but the solution is prescribed in the Scoping Plan which utilizes a mix of a cap-and-trade program, along with complimentary measures. The LCFS is included in the Scoping Plan as one of the solutions for California to meet its AB 32 goals.

ARB will hold a public workshop the week of March 23 to accept public comment on the proposed regulation. The proposed LCFS regulations can be found at http://www.arb.ca.gov/

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

EPA Revisits California Waiver Decision

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reconsider its decision denying California permission to set standards controlling greenhouse gases from motor vehicles.

The waiver request was made by California on December 21, 2005, to allow the state the right to control greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. The request was denied by then-EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson on March 6, 2008.

On January 26, shortly after taking office, President Barack Obama requested that EPA revisit the matter of the denial.

“EPA has now set in motion an impartial review of the California waiver decision,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “It is imperative that we get this decision right, and base it on the best available science and a thorough understanding of the law.”

The Clean Air Act gives EPA the authority to allow California to adopt its own emission standards for motor vehicles due to the seriousness of the state’s air pollution challenges. There is a long-standing history of EPA granting waivers to the state of California.

EPA believes that there are significant issues regarding the agency’s denial of the waiver. The denial was a substantial departure from EPA’s longstanding interpretation of the Clean Air Act’s waiver provisions.

EPA received on January 21, 2009, a letter from California outlining several issues for Administrator Jackson to review and reconsider about the previous denial of the waiver. Many other states are interested in adopting California’s standards. Stakeholders and the public have expressed concerns.

EPA will take public comment concerning the reconsideration of the waiver for a period of 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. There will also be a public hearing to be held in March in Washington, D.C.

More information about the California waiver: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/ca-waiver.htm

CARB Asks EPA to Reconsider Denial of Waver on GHG Emissions

Wednesday, ARB Chairman Mary Nichols sent a letter to Lisa Jackson, the new designated Administrator of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requesting that she revisit the decision by the previous EPA administrator that denied California the waiver it needs to enforce its clean car law.

"We feel strongly that under its new leadership, EPA will recognize that the decision made by the former administrator to deny California the waiver to enforce our clean car law was flawed, factually and legally, in fundamental ways," said Nichols.

Should the EPA grant the waiver, California, and 13 other states will begin a program to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles 30 percent by 2016.

The letter points out that the decision by the previous EPA administrator improperly evaluated California’s need for greenhouse gas standards in complete isolation, without also considering the context of California’s complete motor vehicle emission control program. This created a new set of hurdles and test that no other waiver request had triggered.

The letter also indicates that California believes that the EPA can reconsider its decision in a manner that fulfills its public notice and comment obligations without undue delay. This is because the issues to be reconsidered are limited in scope, and there has already been extensive comment input by stakeholders and the public on the waiver request.

The letter can be found at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/arbwaiverrequest.pdf

Background:
The regulations in question were developed under California’s
2002 landmark vehicle greenhouse gas emissions reduction law AB
1493 (Pavley). ARB adopted the regulations in 2005.

In 2005, ARB requested a waiver from the EPA to enforce the regulation, as required under the Clean Air Act. Despite the fact that no waiver had ever been denied over a 40-year-period, the then Administrator of the EPA sent Governor Schwarzenegger a letter in December, 2007, indicating he had denied the waiver.

On March 6, 2008 the waiver denial was formally issued in the Federal Register. Governor Schwarzenegger and several other states immediately filed suit against the federal government to reverse that decision.

To date, 13 states have also adopted, and three others are in the process of adopting, those same regulations. Together, California and these 16 states constitute close to half of the nation’s new vehicle sales.

The letter also indicates that since all manufacturers can already comply with California’s 2009 model-year greenhouse gas fleet average under the regulations, all manufacturers would obtain credits for future years. This would allow the regulations to be implemented as planned using the model-year 2009 to 2016 timetable.

The reductions achieved by the Pavley regulations constitute an important element of the California’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020 under its landmark global warming bill, AB 32 (Nunez, 2006). ARB approved the Scoping Plan in December. It is the nation’s first comprehensive approach to address climate change that draws upon ever sector of the state’s economy.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

CEQA and Greenhouse Gases Listserve Created

An email listserve has been created for those interested in the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) activities related to the California Environmental Quality Act and Greenhouse Gases.

By signing up for this list serve, you'll receive an email notice when new information on this topic has been posted to the CARB website. In most instances, you will be provided with an email explaining related upcoming activities and/or documents.

If you would like to subscribe to the CEQA and Greenhouse Gases list, go to:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/listserv/listserv.php

You browse through the current archive of related materials, go to:

http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/localgov/ceqa/meetings/meetings.htm

For questions concerning this list, please email ceqa@listserv.arb.ca.gov.

California’s Plan to Fight Climate Change Will Also Help Grow Economy

Proposed Scoping Plan sets California on course for a clean-energy future

The California Air Resources Board released its proposed plan to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The plan is slated to go before the Board for approval at its December meeting.

“Today marks another step forward in California’s fight against global warming. This plan is good for the environment and public health, and it sets California on a course toward a more secure and sustainable economy,” said Mary Nichols, Chairman of ARB.

“Our comprehensive approach steers California away from its dependence on fossil fuels and accelerates the state’s necessary transition toward a clean-energy future.”

The plan constitutes the cornerstone of a concerted effort by the Schwarzenegger administration to address climate change.This includes SB 375 (Steinberg), a bill that promotes smart growth and provides incentives for creating attractive, walkable and sustainable communities and revitalizing existing communities. Another climate change initiative is AB 3018 (Nunez), a bill that establishes the Green Collar Jobs Council to develop a comprehensive array of programs, strategies and resources to address the workforce needs that will accompany California’s growing green economy. Governor Schwarzenegger signed both bills last week.

Nichols added that the state’s coordinated approach “serves as an example for the nation in forward thinking about our economic future. California’s plan will drive innovation, create thousands of new jobs, and provide a wealth of opportunities for California to export technology and help fight global warming around the world.”

Development of the Scoping Plan is a central requirement of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Nuñez, Pavley), that calls on California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Governor Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law in September 2006.

In June, the Air Resources Board released its Draft Scoping Plan. The proposed plan released today reflects additional analysis, and public input that ARB has received over the past several months. The plan is built on the principle that a balanced mix of strategies is the best way to cut emissions and grow the economy in a clean and sustainable direction.

An important component of the plan is a cap-and-trade program covering 85 percent of the state's emissions. This program will be developed in conjunction with the Western Climate Initiative which recently released its own proposed design structure, encompassing seven states and four Canadian provinces that have committed to cap their emissions and create a regional carbon market.

Additional key recommendations of the plan include strategies to enhance and expand California’s proven cost-saving energy efficiency programs; implementation of California’s clean cars standards; increases in the amount of clean and renewable energy used to power the state; and, implementation of a low carbon fuel standard that will make the fuels used in California cleaner.

The plan proposes full deployment of the California Solar Initiative, high-speed rail, water-related energy efficiency measures, and a range of regulations to reduce emissions from trucks and from ships docked in California ports. There are also measures designed to safely reduce or recover a range of very potent greenhouse gases — refrigerants and other industrial gases — that contribute to global warming at a level many times greater per ton emitted than carbon dioxide.

Other measures include a ‘margin of safety’ — a new feature that provides additional reductions to account for measures in uncapped sectors that do not, or may not, achieve the estimated emission reductions in this plan.

The plan also includes an emphasis on efforts to enable small business to participate in the benefits of the plan and expanded discussions on public health, green buildings, offsets, the Zero Emissions Vehicle program and international initiatives.

The plan recommends targeted fees to fund the state's long-term commitment to AB 32 administration.

Following approval of the plan by the Board in December, the ARB will begin developing detailed strategies to implement all of the recommended measures.

The Proposed Scoping Plan and all appendices can be viewed at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/

Donor Nations Pledge Over $6.1 Billion to Climate Investment Funds

WASHINGTON, September 26, 2008 – Leading industrialized nations today pledged more than US$6.1 billion to the Climate Investment Funds, a pair of international investment instruments designed to provide interim, scaled-up funding to help developing countries in their efforts to mitigate increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change.

Meeting at the World Bank in Washington, representatives from Australia, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States emphasized their support for the Climate Investment Funds, formally approved on July 1 by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors. The first proposals to benefit from funding under the CIF are expected to be announced early in 2009.

“Today, we are uniting to fight global climate change,” said World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. “I want to thank all the donor countries for their generous pledges of more than US$6.1 billion to the Climate Investment Funds and their commitment to climate action. These funds are a concrete step forward toward reconciling the challenge of global climate change with the challenge of development and overcoming poverty. We hope it is only the beginning, however, and that other nations will also contribute to enable even more financing for climate action.”

The Climate Investment Funds were created through a consultative process involving a series of multi-stakeholder design meetings and taking account of extensive global climate change consultations held by the World Bank Group over the past nine months. Consultations took place with potential recipients and donors, the United Nations family, other multilateral development banks (MDBs), civil society organizations, and the private sector.

The funds, to be disbursed as grants, highly concessional loans, and/or risk mitigation instruments, will be administered through the multilateral development banks and the World Bank Group.

See Source:
The World Bank

Clean Air Act is Powerful Tool to Fight Global Warming

Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, today told a Senate Committee in Washington D.C. that Congressional action is urgently needed to set a firm and ambitious cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

The ARB chairman addressed the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, chaired by Senator Boxer.

"California, and other states are already seeing the effects of global warming," said Nichols. "We need action now. Addressing climate change with tough federal legislation must be the first item in the new President's inbox."

In April, 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide is a pollutant and ordered the EPA to examine the impacts of global warming and how it could regulate greenhouse gases.

Instead, the EPA only described the harm, but declined to make a definitive statement.
"We cannot wait another minute to begin to reverse the neglect of the past eight years and start to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," she said. "The Clean Air Act is a powerful tool that is ready to be put to use starting on day one of the next administration."

Nichols, who served as an Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at the U.S. EPA for four years under President Clinton, also pointed out that the Clean Air Act could be used effectively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from some of the largest sources in the country, including vehicles and power plants.

As chairman of the California Air Resources Board, Nichols oversees the implementation of California's pioneering climate change legislation. The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, usually referred to as "AB 32," was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger on September 27, 2006, just shy of two years ago.

ARB staff are currently putting the finishing touches on the final plan outlining the measures, programs and policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California by 30 percent over the next 12 years. Many of these programs are based on approaches outlined in the Clean Air Act.

While in Washington D.C., Nichols also met with representatives of the American Lung Association to discuss the growing body of evidence about the impacts of global warming on public health, particularly respiratory and other diseases.

A report released by ARB last week indicated that implementing California's global warming law will build on existing programs to reduce smog-causing pollution and toxic soot and delivering additional benefits to public health.

A report on the economic impacts of implementing AB 32, released the same day, found that reducing greenhouse gases also produces net economic benefits for the California economy in 2020. The bulk of the economic benefits are the result of investments in energy efficiency that more than pay for themselves over time.(Both reports can be found at our webpage here.) This directly refuted claims by a representative of the Chamber of Commerce that using the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions will be too costly.

Nichols also repeated her request for the EPA to grant the waiver that would allow California to enforce its clean car law and begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

California Charts Course to Fight Global Warming

Plan to slash greenhouse gases sets state on path to clean energy, new economic growth

The California Air Resources Board has charted a course to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over the next 12 years.

The measures and policies in the Climate Change Draft Scoping Plan set California on a trajectory toward a clean-energy future. The recommended reduction measures will continue to drive innovation, improve the environment and enhance public health, support the growth of the cleantech sector and create thousands of new jobs.

"With the release of this draft scoping plan, California is once again blazing a trail to lead other states and the nation to address climate change," said Mary Nichols, Chairman of the Air Resources Board. "Our economy and our society face no greater threat than global warming. This draft plan is the roadmap to move us quickly to a cleaner, more sustainable future, energy independence and a healthier environment. This plan fulfills the Governor's determination to act now, and it is based on the conviction that Californians will rise to the challenge and develop creative solutions to improve our environment and grow our economy."

Development of the Scoping Plan is a central requirement of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Nuñez, Pavley), that calls on California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Governor Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law in September 2006. Release of the draft plan will be followed by further evaluation and economic modeling, and workshops are planned throughout the state to present the details to the general public allow ARB to hear public comments.

The comprehensive approach includes both new and existing measures in every sector of California's economy. It is designed with strong elements of enforcement and developed to ensure that emissions - and all reductions --are accurately tracked.

Central to the draft plan is a cap and trade program covering 85 percent of the state's emissions. This program will be developed in conjunction with the Western Climate Initiative, comprised of seven states and three Canadian provinces, to create a regional carbon market.

The draft plan also proposes that utilities produce a third of their energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal, and proposes to expand and strengthen existing energy efficiency programs and building and appliance standards that have already saved Californians more than $50 billion over the past 30 years in reduced costs for energy.

The draft plan calls for full implementation of the California Clean Car law (the Pavley standards) to provide a wide range of less polluting and more efficient cars and trucks to consumers who will save on operating costs through reduced fuel use. It also calls for development and implementation of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard which will require oil companies to make cleaner domestically produced fuels.

The draft plan encourages improvements to the ways we grow and build our communities to make more livable, walkable cities, and shorten commutes.

Several additional initiatives and measures play important roles in reaching the required reductions under AB 32. These include:
* full deployment of the Governor's Million Solar Roofs initiative;
* a high-speed rail; * water-related energy efficiency measures; and
* a range of regulations to reduce emissions from trucks and from ships docked in California ports.

Under the plan the State of California is committing to reducing its own carbon footprint by 30 percent. It also calls on Californians to make changes to their personal behavior to reduce their carbon footprint through carpooling and simple actions such as adjusting thermostats to use less energy for heating and cooling.

ARB invites public comment on the draft plan. Once the final draft is prepared, it will go to the Board for consideration in November. After adoption of the plan, all measures in the plan will be thoroughly vetted and analyzed, with full public input, over the next two years as they move through the regulatory process.

Preliminary economic modeling of the plan indicates that the overall savings from improved efficiency and the development of alternatives to petroleum will on the whole outweigh the costs.The draft plan recommends targeted fees to fund the state's long-term commitment to AB 32 administration.

See the Source:
ARB

global-warming

ARB Chairman Mary Nichols applauds Senator Boxer's bill

Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, issued the following statement about Senator Boxer's new bill that would reverse the EPA decision denying California's request to be allowed to implement its regulations minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from autos. This follows revelations from a report issued by the house of representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Representative Henry Waxman, that after communications with the White House, Administrator Johnson reversed his original decision -- supported fully by USEPA staff -- to grant California a waiver to enforce its clean car law .

"We applaud the fact that Senator Boxer's bill to overturn administrator Johnson's illegal denial of California's waiver request made it out of the committee. This is a significant step forward but only one skirmish in the battle to secure our rights and protect the environment. We will continue to fight for the waiver in the courts, we will press our case with the public, and we will not stop demanding that the federal administration's obey the law. Fourteen states representing almost half the vehicles in the nation and tens of millions of consumers need clean cars now that reduce greenhouse gases and save money at the pump. "

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ARB

EPA Publishes Annual National Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.1 percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, is the latest in an annual set of reports that the United States submits to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

“Each year since 1993, EPA’s experts have built a comprehensive inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” said Robert Meyers principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office Air and Radiation. “Our understanding of emission sources is paramount to combating climate change.”

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2006 were equivalent to 7,054.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 14.7 percent from 1990 to 2006, while the U.S. economy has grown by 59 percent over the same period.

The decrease in emissions in 2006 was due primarily to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The following factors were primary contributors to this decrease:
· compared to 2005, 2006 had warmer winter conditions, which decreased consumption of heating fuels, as well as cooler summer conditions, which reduced demand for electricity;
· restraint on fuel consumption caused by rising fuel prices, primarily in the transportation sector; and
· increased use of natural gas and renewables in the electric power sector.

EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2006. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils.

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Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report

climate change

EPA Increases Transparency of Regulatory Development

EPA is making federal environmental regulation more transparent by providing on-line information as soon as the agency begins the development of a new rule.

Starting today, EPA is using Action Initiation Lists (AILs) to notify the public about new rules and other regulatory actions. AILs will be posted on the EPA Web site at roughly the end of each month; each will describe those actions that were approved for commencement during the given month. Formerly, the public had to wait for EPA's Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which is updated only every six months, to learn about new regulatory actions.

The AILs provide summaries, agency contacts, and other information about the rules EPA has approved for development. For example, the March 2008 AIL announces the agency's plans to issue an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for greenhouse gases in late spring. This notice will solicit public input as EPA considers the specific effects of climate change and potential regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary and mobile sources under the Clean Air Act. The March AIL also announces the agency's plans to propose a rulemaking that builds on EPA's existing renewable fuels standard program. The expansion of the program was mandated by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.

The February and March 2008 AILs are now available. EPA expects to release the April AIL around April 30.

See the Source:

EPA - Action Initiation Lists

EPA - Semiannual Regulatory Agendas

Black Carbon Pollution Emerges as Major Player in Global Warming

Soot from biomass burning, diesel exhaust has 60 percent of the effect of carbon dioxide on warming but mitigation offers immediate benefits

Black carbon, a form of particulate air pollution most often produced from biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates, according to scientists in an upcoming review article in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego atmospheric scientist V. Ramanathan and University of Iowa chemical engineer Greg Carmichael, said that soot and other forms of black carbon could have as much as 60 percent of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide, more than that of any greenhouse gas besides CO2. The researchers also noted, however, that mitigation would have immediate societal benefits in addition to the long term effect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The article, "Global and regional climate changes due to black carbon," will be posted in the online version of Nature Geoscience on Sunday, March 23.

"Observationally based studies such as ours are converging on the same large magnitude of black carbon heating as modeling studies from Stanford, Caltech and NASA," said Ramanathan. "We now have to examine if black carbon is also having a large role in the retreat of arctic sea ice and Himalayan glaciers as suggested by recent studies."

In the paper, Ramanathan and Carmichael integrated observed data from satellites, aircraft and surface instruments about the warming effect of black carbon and found that its forcing, or warming effect in the atmosphere, is about 0.9 watts per meter squared. That compares to estimates of between 0.2 watts per meter squared and 0.4 watts per meter squared that were agreed upon as a consensus estimate in a report released last year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a U.N.-sponsored agency that periodically synthesizes the body of climate change research.

Ramanathan and Carmichael said the conservative estimates are based on widely used computer model simulations that do not take into account the amplification of black carbon's warming effect when mixed with other aerosols such as sulfates. The models also do not adequately represent the full range of altitudes at which the warming effect occurs. The most recent observations, in contrast, have found significant black carbon warming effects at altitudes in the range of 2 kilometers (6,500 feet), levels at which black carbon particles absorb not only sunlight but also solar energy reflected by clouds at lower altitudes.

Between 25 and 35 percent of black carbon in the global atmosphere comes from China and India, emitted from the burning of wood and cow dung in household cooking and through the use of coal to heat homes. Countries in Europe and elsewhere that rely heavily on diesel fuel for transportation also contribute large amounts.

"Per capita emissions of black carbon from the United States and some European countries are still comparable to those from south Asia and east Asia," Ramanathan said.

In south Asia, pollution often forms a prevalent brownish haze that has been termed the "atmospheric brown cloud." Ramanathan's previous research has indicated that the warming effects of this smog appear to be accelerating the melt of Himalayan glaciers that provide billions of people throughout Asia with drinking water. In addition, the inhalation of smoke during indoor cooking has been linked to the deaths of an estimated 400,000 women and children in south and east Asia.

Elimination of black carbon, a contributor to global warming and a public health hazard, offers a nearly instant return on investment, the researchers said. Black carbon particles only remain airborne for weeks at most compared to carbon dioxide, which remains in the atmosphere for more than a century. In addition, technology that could substantially reduce black carbon emissions already exists in the form of commercially available products.

Ramanathan said that an observation program for which he is currently seeking corporate sponsorship could dramatically illustrate the benefits. Known as Project Surya, the proposed venture would provide some 20,000 rural Indian households with smoke-free cookers and equipped to transmit data. At the same time, a team of researchers led by Ramanathan would observe air pollution levels in the region to measure the effect of the cookers.

Carmichael said he hopes that the paper's presentation of the immediacy of the benefits will make it easier to generate political and regulatory momentum toward reduction of black carbon emissions.

"It offers a chance to get better traction for implementing strategies for reducing black carbon," he said.

The National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration funded the review.

See the Source:
Scripps Institution of Oceanography

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About diesel particulate filters to reduce soot, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions

diesel pollution

New Lung Association Study Shows $142 Billion Benefit of Converting to Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2030

The 'Road to a Cleaner Future' Study Finds Zero-Emission Vehicles Can Avoid Health Costs From Premature Deaths and Illnesses, and Reduce Global Warming Impacts

According to a studysponsored by the American Lung Association of California, $142 billion in human health and global warming reduction benefits would result from converting the entire California motor vehicle fleet from gasoline vehiclesto zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) technologies in the 2010-2030 timeframe, or $96 billion more than relying on the lowest emitting gasoline technologies. The $142 billion figure includes $38 billion in benefits to society from reduced global warming emissions.

The study, conducted by TIAX LLC, a consulting firm specializing intransportation and alternative fuels research, also found that California can avoid at least $2.2 billion per year in health costs from reduction of dangerous particulate matter by converting the motor vehicle fleet to ZEVs instead of relying on the lowest emitting gasoline technologies. This reduction in particulates means that California would annually avoid 300 cases of premature death, over 260 cases of chronic bronchitis, over 7,000 asthma attacks and more than 18,000 cases of upper and lower respiratory symptoms by moving to ZEV technology.

"Maintaining our momentum toward cleaner cars will save billions in health costs, and save lives," said Tony Gerber, MD, an American Lung Association of California volunteer. "Now is not the time for the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to weaken the state's key program that leads to cleaner vehicle technology, and cleaner air." Dr. Gerber is a pulmonary specialist and assistant professor at the University ofCalifornia, San Francisco.

American Lung Association of California Senior Policy Director Bonnie Holmes-Gen will testify on the results of the study when the ARB holds a hearing on Thursday, March 27 to consider amendments to its signature ZEV program. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff proposal would reduce the "pure ZEV" or "gold standard" program requirement from 25,000 to 2,500 vehicles in the 2012-2014 timeframe. The American Lung Association of California will be urging the ARB Board to reject the low volumes of "pure ZEVs" and plug-in hybrids recommended in the staff proposal.

"The Air Resources Board is at a critical juncture right now," said Holmes-Gen. "The Board has a tremendous opportunity to set a bold new vision for the ZEV program that includes strengthening the program to fully support the state's goals for both healthy air and global warming reduction."

She added, "The American Lung Association analysis provides a stark comparison of California's future transportation choices: pursuing the existing pathway of primarily gasoline vehicles or pursuing a dramatic change to widespread use of electric technology. Given the pressing need to achieve the state's global warming pollution reduction targets, the ARB should expand the ZEV program and establish a goal of integrating electric-drive technology in all new vehicles as soon as possible." The American Lung Association is urging ARB to both establish aggressive goals for introducing pure ZEVs into the vehicle fleet and pursuing much broader requirements for utilization of electric drive technologies, including conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids in addition to hydrogen fuel cell and full function battery electric vehicles.

According to the American Lung Association of California's study, approximately 110 million tons of greenhouse gases per year could be avoided if all California vehicles were replaced with ZEVs by 2030. This would make significant progress toward the transportation sector's portion of the state goal for reducing greenhouse gases by 2050.

The study also addressed the current costs of gasoline motor vehicle use:

-- The total cost to public health and society of the existing motor vehicle fleet is over $10 billion in 2010, and this cost only drops to approximately $7 billion over the 20-year timeframe of the study with normal fleet turnover.

-- The existing motor vehicle fleet generates health costs in terms of hospitalizations, premature deaths and illnesses that add up to over $7.4 billion per year (2010), including $4.4 billion per year linked to one pollutant, nitrogen oxide (NOx).

-- The total greenhouse gas (well-to-wheel) emissions from the existing motor vehicle fleet are 150 million tons per year, and drop only to 140 million tons per year in 2030 through existing programs and vehicle turnover. This is far from the total reduction that is needed to meet California's greenhouse gas reduction goals.

"ZEVs are the road to healthier air and a sustainable transportation future," said Holmes-Gen, "and the American Lung Association of Californiais looking to the California Air Resources Board to make the vision of zero pollution transportation a reality."

About the Study:

The American Lung Association of California contracted with the firm TIAX LLC to estimate a full fuel cycle, or "well-to-wheel," analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and criteria air pollutants to develop estimates of the public health and societal costs and benefits of converting California's motor vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles and the cleanest gasoline vehicles (partial zero-emission vehicles, or PHEVs). TIAX LLC -- a contractor that also worked with the California Energy Commission and California Air Resources Board on various fuel use reduction and alternative-fuel analyses -- included information on emissions from each point in the process of producing, refining, transporting and utilizing the fuel. The analysis is divided into upstream well-to-tank and downstreamtank-to-wheel data for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases. Costs to society were determined for criteria pollutant human health damages, including estimates for secondary particulate matter and global warming damages. For a copy of the full report, "Road to a Cleaner Future," please sendan email to bhgen@alac.org. For more information on the American Lung Association of California, visit http://www.californialung.org/.

environmental news
global-warming

ARB, British Council announce California Climate Champions

ARB Chairman Mary Nichols and the British Council introduced California’s 15 Climate Champions today during a rooftop ceremony at the Cal EPA Building in Sacramento.

Based on a similar program started in the United Kingdom, California’s champions will educate peers, fellow students and communities on the impacts of climate change along with steps they can take at the individual level to reduce their carbon emissions. Typical measures include energy efficiency steps at home, recycling and encouraging carpooling and public transit.

"These amazing, inspirational teens have rightfully accepted global warming as the challenge of their generation, and they want to lead the charge on solutions," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "While ARB will take care of the regulatory approach to cutting California’s greenhouse gas emissions, we’ll be counting on the champions to help effect change household to household."

ARB and British Council staff interviewed more than three dozen high school students – and reviewed many more applications – in selecting the 15 teenagers who were announced today. The judges selected the winners based on their knowledge of the topic, their enthusiasm to effect change and their communications skills.

Three of the champions (Rebecca Chan, Sophia Angelis and Marvin Salazar) will travel to London next week to meet with other Climate Champions from 12 other countries, and then will fly to Kobe, Japan in May to attend a summit of the G8 environment ministers. All 15 will participate in a "climate camp" in California this summer and engage in an on-line peer network to share ideas and encourage others to get involved.

See the Source:

Climate Champs

environmental news

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint With CoolCalifornia.org

The California Air Resources Board has introduced a new web portal offering consumers and businesses information on how to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. The carbon footprint calculator called CoolCaliforina.org, evaluates both direct and indirect emissions from a variety of sources. ARB's fact sheet states: "We like to think of it as 'one-stop shopping' with information, suggestions and solutions in one place to help you reduce your greenhouse gas emissions."

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CoolCalifornia.org

EPA Seeks Public Comment on U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft annual report that analyzes sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

The major finding in this year's draft report is that overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.5 percent from the previous year. This decrease was due primarily to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 were about 7,202 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Overall, emissions have grown by 14.1 percent from 1990 to 2006 while the U.S. economy has grown by 59 percent over the same period.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2006. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by "sinks," e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.

EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, fulfilling its annual requirement as a party to this international treaty on climate change. The UNFCCC treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

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EPA - information on the draft report and how to submit public comments

New California Report to Reduce GHG

California's Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee's (ETAAC) final report to the state's Air Resources Board is now available on-line for viewing and download.

This final 308-page report of recommendations regarding greenhouse gas emission control technologies was formally adopted by the Committee at its February 11, 2008 meeting. The report will be presented to the Air Resources Board at the end of February 2008.

From Technologies and Policies to Consider for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California:
"We are very pleased to present to you our policy and technology recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in California. Our report includes 55 specific recommendations for greenhouse gas reduction strategies in the areas of finance; transportation; industrial commercial and residential end users; electricity and natural gas; agriculture; forestry; and water policy. As requested by CARB, we also examined the Market Advisory Committee’s Report from the perspective of how particular market mechanisms can stimulate early action, promote innovation and establish clear price signals."

Specific recommendations are presented in the report based on the following policy strategies and technology opportunities:

Major Strategies:
· Accelerate GHG Emission Reductions
· Balance a Portfolio of Economic and Technology Policies
· Create Innovative Public Funding to Complement Private Investment
· Foster International and Domestic Partnerships
· Leadership Across State Agencies

Major Opportunities
· Accelerate Efficiency Measures
· Remove Carbon From Energy Sources
· Rethink Transportation to Lower Demand and Carbon Emissions
· Reduce GHG Emissions from Industry, Agriculture, Forestry and Water
· Capture Cleantech Employment, Economic, Health and Environmental Justice Co-
Benefits

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Recommendations of the ETAAC - Final Report

global-warming
environmental news

EPA Calculator Puts Greenhouse Gas Savings in Everyday Terms

Can you picture what it means to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 1 million metric tons? News stories are packed with measurements of greenhouse gas reductions, but it can be difficult to understand them until now. EPA's new Greenhouse Gas Calculator helps you turn greenhouse gas savings into more easily understood everyday terms.

The calculator converts greenhouse gas-related savings estimates, typically presented in "million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents," into familiar terms such as the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from:

· Driving a particular number of cars for a year,
· Using a particular amount of gasoline or barrels of oil,
· Using a particular number of tanker trucks' worth of gasoline,
· Providing energy to a particular number of homes for a year,
· Growing trees across a particular number of acres for a year,
· Recycling a particular quantity of waste instead of sending it to the landfill, or
· Generating electricity from a particular number of coal fired power plants for a year.

Users can enter savings in emissions, electricity consumption, gallons of gasoline, or number of vehicles into the calculator and determine up to 13 different ways to express the magnitude of the savings. The calculator uses the latest emission factors, approaches and statistics available through 2007.

As an example, if a typical household switched all its incandescent light bulbs to Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs, it would save about 75 percent of the lighting electricity use, or about 1,463 kWh a year.

After five years, these energy savings are equivalent to:
· Saving about 10,289 pounds of CO2 emissions,
· Conserving 530 gallons of gasoline,
· Saving 11 barrels of oil,
· Planting 120 tree seedlings, or
· Recycling 1.6 tons of waste.

See the Source:
EPA - Greenhouse Gas Calculator

global-warming

Survey of Top 10 Ports Urges Action at National Level

Study Ranks U.S. Container Ports Among Nation’s Biggest Polluters, But Movement to Clean Alternative Fuels Gains Momentum

U.S. ports are among the biggest sources of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in their cities, and progress toward reducing harmful emissions has been slow, according to a new research study conducted by Energy Futures, Inc.

Titled “U.S. Container Ports and Air Pollution: a Perfect Storm,” the report on the study presents findings of a 10-month effort in 2007 that assessed air pollution control efforts at America’s top 10 container ports. Study author and Energy Futures President James Cannon made on-site research visits to each of the ports, which together handle about 80 percent of all U.S. imports. Ports included in the study were: Los Angeles, CA; Long Beach, CA; New York and neighboring New Jersey; Oakland, CA; Savannah, GA; Tacoma, WA; Hampton Roads, VA; Seattle, WA; Charleston, SC; and Houston, TX.

Ports pose grave health risks to millions of people living in metropolitan coastal areas, especially those living nearest the ports. “The combination of growing U.S. port activity, the densely populated regions where most ports are located, and the prevailing onshore wind patterns that accumulate rather than disperse port air pollution create a ‘perfect storm’ of threats to public health,” Cannon said.

Cannon explained, “We’ve concluded that the best way to lower air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and diversify fuel supply at U.S. container ports is to use alternative fuels or advanced technologies to replace diesel.” The study found that natural gas is currently the leading alternative fuel for goods movement.

Each step of the goods movement process today — from delivery of goods to ports and from there by truck or rail to U.S. consumers — is powered by diesel fuel. Burning diesel fuel releases health-threatening toxic air contaminants, smog-forming air pollution and climate-changing greenhouse gases.

Container ports are one of the fastest growing business sectors in the U.S., according to Energy Futures. Oceangoing container cargo ships make more than 10,000 visits annually to American ports. Container shipments rose 80 percent in the last decade alone, with nearly 45 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers unloaded or loaded at U.S. marine ports in 2006.

Programs to counteract the pollution problem are progressing now at several of the ports under study, most notably in California, the report indicates. Six projects are currently underway in the state to deploy fleets of natural gas-powered cargo handling vehicles. Efforts to replace diesel fuel with clean-burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) are in process at the three largest container ports in California - Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland.

The Energy Futures report is a call to action at the national level to reduce air pollution at U.S. container ports. Decision makers must develop policies designed to maintain port growth momentum, while preserving public health and environmental quality. “Port air pollution is bad and getting worse,” warns Cannon. A patchwork of local programs, however innovative, cannot equitably finance cleanup efforts or solve this disturbing national problem.

Based on its “Perfect Storm” research findings, Energy Futures has developed policy recommendations as the national debate about how to combat growing air pollution at U.S. ports intensifies.

The report urges decision makers to:
- Promote the use of alternative fuels and advanced technologies to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases
- Develop and Implement a national port clean-up strategy at the federal government level
- Create a national funding mechanism to finance comprehensive port clean-up
- Advocate global environmental standards in the international arena, and
- Create a global clearinghouse of information about port clean-up efforts.

See the Source:
Energy Futures - U.S. Container Ports and Air Pollution: A Perfect Storm

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How to reduce diesel particulate pollution using diesel particulate filters from CleanAIR Systems

diesel emissions

The Global Green Energy Consortium is Launched

“A Former US Congressman, U.S. Ambassador and industry veterans have announced the launch of a non-profit organization to promote green energy and sustainability”, said Zacharie Mondel, the group’s Chief Operating Officer.

Called the Global Green Energy Consortium (GGEC), the group is headlined by former US Representative Barry Goldwater Jr., and former U.S. Ambassador Osman Siddique, along with representatives from the hospitality and green energy sectors.

”As a global forum, GGEC’s mission is to dramatically and continuously improve the ability of business, building owners, management and industry to save both kinds of green,” said Mondel. “We believe that environmentally friendly business is profitable business.”

“Our goal is to complement current environmental efforts and initiatives being pursued by USGBC’s LEED, EPA’s Green Partnership and the Energy Star program,” states Ron Kendig, GGEC Chief Communication Officer. “We intend to help public utilities, oil and gas companies raise awareness of their commitment to Sustainability and Green Energy,” said Bob Scammell, Vice President of Business Development.

Barry Goldwater Jr., Executive Vice President of Government Relations, will form a team to interface with existing agencies and regulators, including the EPA, Department of Energy and The Pentagon, to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign energy while focusing on sustainable sources. “We can’t jump from one dead-end solution to the next,” said Goldwater. “We have to find a mixture of future fuels that can be managed and made to work for us, not the other way around.” Goldwater served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969-1983. He has won many awards including the Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; an award from the President’s Commission on Employment of the Handicapped; the Distinguished Service Award of the A.C.A.; and the Conscience of the Congress Award of the American Conservative Union.

Ambassador Siddique, Executive Vice President of International Business Development, “will bring his entrepreneurial and diplomatic skills to create green opportunities worldwide,” said Kim Karch, GGEC’s Chief Marketing Officer. Ambassador Siddique served as Ambassador to the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga and to Tuvalu from 1999-2001. His company, ITI/Travelogue, Inc., was honored with the Arthur Anderson and Washington Business Journal's FasTrack Award in 1994 as one of the fastest growing companies in the D.C. area. Siddique was also twice named as a finalist for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

“Promoting international collaboration and helping former Vice President and Nobel Prize winner Mr. Al Gore establish global environmental standards and protocols is one of the primary goals of GGEC,” states Ambassador Siddique.

Dale Wiley, the Executive Vice-President of Biofuels and Carbon Markets, is the President and CEO of American Green Holdings and BidForGreen. Wiley is an expert in biofuels logistics, and has consulted with the film, television and music industries on implementing green strategies.
About Global Green Energy Consortium (GGEC):

GGEC is a non-profit organization registered in the State of Delaware. The Consortium’s mission is to provide businesses and communities with the education and tools to effectively and efficiently implement sustainable and green energy initiatives. A primary objective is to align the offerings of the energy market segment with the needs of the business world to effectively reduce our energy usage and promote renewable energy technologies.

GGEC’s unique portfolio of services demonstrates the commitment to serve as a comprehensive source of energy conservation standards, certification and resources to facilitate implementation of sustainability initiatives across market segments.

GGEC recognizes the host of information and standards offered by numerous organizations and strives to consolidate, not duplicate current standards. A key message of the Consortium is that the implementation of energy and resource conservation initiatives can be profitable for all businesses.

See the Source:
GGEC - Global Green Energy Consortium

ARB Fights Back Against EPA with Statistics

On the heels of the next Supreme Court battle being waged by states and proponants of stricter regulations to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has release a report comparing GHG reductions under the national CAFE standards to reductions that would be made under the proposed ARB regulations (AB 1493). The report was issued due to an unsupported claim made by USEPA administrator, Steven Johnson that California's vehicle GHG rules are less effective than recently adopted national CAFE standards. ARB staff analyzed both standards and prepared their own evaluation.

The study calculates the two programs using an "apples-to-apples" comparison of total tons of GHG emissions reduced under CAFE standards versus the projected reduction of emissions if the ARB ruling was fully implemented.

The following results are from the Executive Summary:
- In calendar year 2016, our State standards will reduce California’s GHG emissions by 17 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide. This is more than double the 8 MMT reduction produced by the federal rules.

- By 2020, California is committed to implement revised, more stringent GHG emission limits. These increase the stringency of the current rules and would reduce California GHG emissions by 33 MMTs of carbon dioxide, 74 percent more than the 19 MMTs from the federal rules in 2020.

- ARB analysis estimates the effects of the federal CAFE standards on GHG emission rates. This allows a comparison of the impact of the two programs on vehicle efficiency. Since the California rules are significantly more effective at reducing GHGs than the Federal CAFE program, they also yield a better fuel efficiency – roughly 44 mpg in 2020 for the California vehicle fleet as compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg.

- The cumulative benefits of our standards have also been estimated. Between 2009 and 2016, the California standards will prevent emissions of 58 MMTs of CO2. This is almost three times the 20 MMTs expected if only the new federal CAFE standards were implemented. By 2020, the full California rules would prevent 167 MMT of CO2 emissions, more than twice the 76 MMTs reductions of CO2 expected if only the federal standards were implemented.

- There are also significant benefits for the other states that adopt the California standards. Twelve states have done so to date. In those states in 2020, California’s more stringent limits will reduce GHG emissions in those states by 59 MMTs of carbon dioxide, a 59 percent improvement over the federal standards in 2020.

Benefits to California:
- In calendar year 2016, California standards will reduce GHG emissions from cars in California by 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide more than the federal CAFE standard. This is more than double the reduction produced by the federal standard.

- By 2020, California will have implemented revised, more stringent GHG emission limits, as set forth in its Climate Action Plan. As a result of these new requirements GHG emissions will be reduced by almost 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (77 percent) more than the federal standard in 2020.

- There has been interest in how the California and Federal emission standards compare. For illustration purposes only, ARB has converted the federal fuel economy standards to greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide) emissions and assumed a proportional increase of the CAFE standard between 2011 and 2020, when its standard reaches 35 mpg.

- The California standard is significantly more effective at reducing greenhouse gases than the new Federal standard, yielding an equivalent fuel economy of 44 mpg by 2020 as compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg.

- The California standard is 16% more stringent for 2016 models, and 18% more stringent for 2020 models, when the planned second phase of California’s standards is in place.

Benefits to Other States that Adopt the ARB Program:
- California consumed 11.5 percent of the motor vehicle gasoline in 2005 as compared to 21 percent for the 12 states that have adopted the regulation. In sum, these thirteen states consumed about one-third of the nation’s motor vehicle gasoline in 2005.

- In calendar year 2016, adopting California standards will reduce GHG emissions from cars in twelve states by 13 million metric tons of carbon dioxide more than the federal CAFE standard. This is 79 percent greater than the reduction produced by the federal standard.

- By 2020, states adopting California’s proposed more stringent GHG emission limits would reduce GHG emissions by 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (59 percent) more than the federal standard in 2020.

To read the full report, go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ccms/ab1493_v_cafe_study.pdf

emission standards
environmental news

New Report: Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the US

The US Energy Information Administration issued a new report in Nov. on "Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006". The report states that GHG emissions have declined by 1.5% in 2006 due to a drop in carbon dioxide emissions. Lower energy use, along with an increase use of natural gas for power generation are attributed to the decline.

See the Source:
Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006

environment

EPA to Surrender All Documents on CA Waiver Decision

Congress to Determine Whether Johnson Ignored His Legal and Technical Staff

Washington, DC — In response to congressional demands, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is assembling all documents relating to Administrator’s Stephen Johnson’s controversial December 19th announcement blocking California and 16 other states from controlling greenhouse gases, according to an all employee e-mail released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Johnson’s own immediate staff will provide “any records presenting options, recommendations, 'pros and cons,' legal issues or risks, political implications or considerations, or any other record” to investigators.

On December 20, 2007, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chair of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, wrote Johnson asking him to “immediately initiate record collection, and to preserve all potentially relevant records.” The letter cites media reports that Johnson “overrode the recommendations of your technical and legal staff in making this decision.”

Although Johnson’s decision on the request by California and other states to regulate greenhouse gases from automobiles was supposed to have been the product of months of legal and scientific deliberation, Johnson hastily called a press conference at 6:30 pm to cite the energy bill signed just that morning as the principal basis for his veto of state action. Senator Boxer in her letter characterized Johnson’s “two-page letter denying the waiver [as] devoid of any legal or technical analysis.”

The surrender of the EPA staff recommendations to Congress sets up an unusual autopsy of the behind-the-scenes factors for an executive branch decision— presumably a decision that had been cleared by the White House. Since the tenure of the administration’s first EPA Administrator, Christie Todd Whitman, agency policy on global warming has been set directly by Vice President Cheney and the White House.

“What made Johnson’s decision so striking is that for months he said he was basing it on the scientific and legal merits and then did the precise opposite,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, whose organization has been contacted by outraged EPA employees. "One employee told me ‘I am ashamed to admit that I work at EPA’ and another asked ‘What am I supposed to tell my children when they ask me what I am doing to fight global warming?' ”

Johnson has refused to attend a field hearing of Sen. Boxer’s committee slated for January 10, 2008 in Los Angeles. When Johnson does finally appear before Congress it promises to be highly contentious.

“To his own staff, Johnson’s tenure has been nothing short of appalling, ranking him with Anne Gorsuch Burford, who ended her turbulent tenure under President Reagan by resigning in disgrace, as the worst leader in EPA’s history,” Ruch added. “EPA under Johnson has become a major impediment to moving the country forward on the challenge of global warming.”

See the Source:
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

air pollution
emission standards

EPA Rejects CA Vehicle Emissions Request

On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied 17 states, including California, the right to set their own standards for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. The decision was handed down after almost 2 years of delay by the EPA.

The original law passed by California in 2003, required a Clean Air Act waiver from the EPA, which was filed in 2005. When no action was taken, CA was joined by 16 other states in a case that went to the Supreme Court, attempting to force the EPA to regulate GHG . Last spring the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision stating that the EPA has the right and responsibility to regulate greenhouse gas. When the EPA made no public decision concerning the state law, California again took the agency to court in November for failure to act. With Wednesday's decision to deny states the right to control their own tailpipe emissions, CA will once again take the EPA to court.

Under the Clean Air Act, California is allowed to pass it's own emissions control regulations. During the past 30 years, California has been granted 40 waivers. Wednesday's decision was the first waiver to be denied.

See the Source:
The Daily Green
Enviro.BLR.com
The New York Times


green news
global-warming

States Want EPA to Regulate Plane Emissions

Several states and environmental groups filed a petition last week urging the EPA to regulate GHG emissions from planes departing or landing at American airports. The states included in the petition are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and DC.

Domestic aircraft emissions are expected to increase by 60 percent by 2005. Currently plane emissions account for 3 percent of the U.S.'s total carbon dioxide emissions.

See the Source:
SFGate.com

environment
global-warming

Climate Security Act Passes Senate Committee

Late on Wednesday, December 5th, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed America’s Climate Security Act of 2007 (S. 2191), considered a major step forward in slowing and hopefully reversing the global warming effect of green house gas emissions.

The bill calls for a cut of GHG emissions, such as carbon dioxide, by as much as 63% by 2050 (or 19% below 2005 levels).

Emission limits would affect virtually all market segments, incorporating pollution permits based on EU’s carbon-trading program. The limits may also result in possible cuts in energy use.

But Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for the American Council for Capital Formation, Dr. Margo Thorning who testified before the committee on Nov. 8th, warns “A major stumbling block to the U.S.’s meeting the targets set forth in American’s Climate Security Act of 2007 (S. 2191) is projected increases in covered emissions and population growth over the next several decades. Sharp cutbacks in U.S. energy use would be necessary to close the 55 percent gap in 2030 between projected emissions and the S. 2191 target.”

See the Source:
GovTrack.us
ACCF
The New York Times

environmental news
global-warming

New Mexico Leads the Fight Against Global Warming with Clean Car Program

New Mexico has become the first Intermountain state to implement the Clean Car program after the state's Environmental Improvement Board voted on November 27th to approve the regulations addressing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

The program goes into effective Jan. 1, 2008, requiring car manufacturers to sell and lease vehicles that meet the standards beginning with model year 2011. The program only applies to new vehicles and will not affect new or used cars sold before that model year.

“The Clean Cars Program is a key part of our state’s effort to reduce global warming emissions to the levels necessary to avoid the worst effects of a warming planet,” said Governor Richardson. “Today’s decision by the Environmental Improvement Board means New Mexico can implement the cleanest standards for vehicle emissions in the country. New Mexico is again taking action, when Washington won’t.”

“New Mexico is taking deliberate steps to protect the environment from the effects of global warming for future generations because the EPA has failed to do so,” Governor Richardson said. “I believe other intermountain states will take New Mexico’s lead and implement the program as well. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and demanding vehicles with a cleaner carbon footprint will help states reverse the effects of global warming – one of the most important issues of our time.”

“The Clean Car standard will help protect our state from the effects of climate change, including public health concerns, increasing temperatures and lessening snow pack and stream flows.” said New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry. “Under Governor Richardson's administration, we will continue to fight to make New Mexico a role model in combating climate change. The Clean Car program is a major step forward that will improve our air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen our dependence on foreign oil.”

The program requires reductions in tailpipe emissions to reduce air pollution, overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles sold in the state and sales of some Zero Emission Vehicles in the state. The program regulates emissions of non-methane organic gases, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and air conditioning refrigerants. Under the program, consumers will be able to purchase the same cars and light trucks but those vehicles will be manufactured slightly differently to reduce air pollution from the vehicle’s tailpipe and gain greater fuel economy. Studies of the program show that upfront costs for clean cars are more than made up for in fuel efficiency.

"The Clean Car Program now has a foothold across the nation," said Environmental Improvement Board Chairwoman Gay Dillingham. "This is a tremendous opportunity for our country and American manufacturers to take back the lead in environmental protection and innovation reminiscent of the 1970s when Congress passed the Clean Air Act and car production and sales in this nation were at historic highs. I applaud the Governor’s visionary leadership on global warming as exemplified by the clean car regulations. From the testimony in this hearing I can say the American people are overwhelmingly asking for this leadership and these regulations.”

The Climate Change Advisory Group -- including representatives from various industries, oil and gas companies, utilities, environmentalists, the labs, universities and local governments -- recommended the program as one of the most affordable ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico. The Governor then directed the department to present a proposal to adopt the California Clean Car standard to the EIB before the end of the year. The Clean Air Act requires that manufacturers have a two year lead time before implementing the rule. The rule will be effective January 1, 2008 and with the required lead time, will be fully implemented in model year 2011. That model year is the same as calendar year 2010.

Transportation, which accounts for about 17 percent of New Mexico’s greenhouse gas emissions, is the third largest and fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. In adopting the program, New Mexico joins 11 other states representing more than 35 percent of the American population — about 104 million people and about 78 million potential car buyers.

In the Four Corners region, Arizona and Utah are also committed to adopt those standards and Colorado is considering it. Under Governor Richardson’s administration, New Mexico also joined nine states and provinces in the Western Climate Initiative, which commits those states to Clean Cars as part of a collaborative regional effort.

Governor Richardson recently joined 13 governors in calling on automobile manufacturers to produce cars with a cleaner carbon footprint, withdraw legal challenges to clean vehicle standards, and begin working with the states to reverse the threat of global warming. New Mexico was also the first state in the nation to join the Chicago Climate Exchange and the first major energy state to fight climate change.

See the Source:

New Mexico Environment Department

Find out:

About CleanAIR Systems, an emissions control manufacturer based in New Mexico.

global-warming

emission standards

Inconvenient Truths about Biofuels and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

“Ethanol is often touted as a solution for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, but the inconvenient truth expressed by concerned scientists is that the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from biofuel production and associated agricultural practices would effectively negate or even reverse any reduction in emissions that could be achieved by significantly expanding the use of ethanol as a transportation fuel.”
Charles T. Drevna
Executive Vice President, National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA)
November 8, 2007

Scientists Say the IPCC’s Latest Climate Mitigation Report Fails to Address the “Dangers and Pitfalls” Associated with Biofuel Expansion.

Scientists from Cornell University, the University of California, Berkeley, RSS GmbH’s Munich office, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt recently expressed their concerns in a lengthy letter to IPCC Chairman, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri on deficient or incomplete conclusions about biofuel production and use made by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their recent global report.

See the Source:
Letter to IPCC Chairman Pachauri

climate change
global-warming

Censoring Climage Change

The Boston Globe reported on Monday that the US Senate is getting only half the facts when it comes to climate change. According to the Globe, Julie Gerberdings, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, addressed the Senate on Oct. 23 concerning the health impact of global warming.

The original report was 12 pages in length and included the following statements:
- "the public health effects of climate change remain largely unaddressed"
- Northern USA "will likely bear the brunt of increases in ground-level ozone and associated airborne pollutants"
- "Populations in Midwestern and Northeastern cities are expected to experience more heat-related illnesses as heat waves increase in frequency, severity, and duration"

Unfortunately, the 12-page report was edited by the White House down to 6 pages, cutting this important information. Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) believes the censored statements are in alignment with a report release earlier this year by the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and should be presented to the Senate.

See the Source:

Boston Globe

climate change
global-warming

ARB Tripling Early Action Measures Set by AB 32

Projects would net 3 million metric tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions

SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board today approved staff's proposal to triple the set of early measures to help meet the state's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions roughly 25 percent by 2020 as required by the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32).

Last month, ARB staff proposed an additional set of measures, including many that go above and beyond the narrow requirements of the law. New measures approved today are expected to reduce greenhouse gases from the trucking industry, greener ports, cement and semiconductor industries, and consumer products.

"Today's Board approval marks another significant milestone in our goal to return the state's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Today's measures include many common-sense, practical approaches that will continue our forward momentum on AB32. California is showing the country and the world that we can and will help reverse the ominous tide of global warming."

The newly approved measures include:
* Smartway Truck Efficiency: Requires existing trucks and trailers to be retrofitted with devices that reduce aerodynamic drag, thus reducing 1.3 million metric ton reductions in greenhouse gas equivalents as well as reducing fuel consumption.

Firms such as UPS and Whole Foods have enjoyed great success with this program at the national level with the U.S. EPA.

* Port electrification: This measure will require docked ships to shut off their auxiliary engines by plugging into shoreside electrical outlets. Already offered as a NOx and diesel PM reduction effort used at the ports of Long Beach/Los Angeles and Oakland, this project will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 500,000 metric tons every year.

* Reduction of perfluorocarbons from the semiconductor industry: Extremely potent greenhouse gases, PFCs are used in the semiconductor industry to create intricate circuitry patterns on silicon wafers and to rapidly clean semiconductor chemical vapor chambers. Alternative chemistry development, emissions abatement and recovery and recycling will lessen greenhouse gas emissions by 500,000 metric tons annually.

* Reduction of propellants in consumer products: Aerosols, tire inflators, electronics cleaning and dust removal products all contain propellants that contribute an estimated 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in California every year. Manufacturers can help by switching from HFC propellants to others with lower climate impact.

* Tire inflation: ARB will craft regulations requiring tune-up, smog check and oil change mechanics to ensure proper tire inflation as part of overall service. By ensuring that tire pressure in cars throughout the state is maintained to manufacturer specifications, California will see a 200,000 metric tons reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

* Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) reductions from non-electricity sector: ARB proposes to ban the use of SF6 from non-essential uses if viable alternatives are available. SF6 is currently used in manufacturing processes with aluminum, magnesium and semiconductors, as well as a tracer for air quality and vehicle studies.

The new measures are projected to reduce about 3 million metric tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Combined with the early action measures adopted by the Board in June - a low carbon fuel standard, restrictions in do-it-yourself air conditioner repairs and methane capture from landfills - ARB now has measures in the works to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 16 million metric tons.

The proposed early actions combined with other measures proposed by the larger Climate Action Team could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 36 tons by 2020, roughly 21 percent of the total needed to meet AB 32's goal of rolling back emissions to 1990 levels. This lays a solid foundation for obtaining the necessary reductions needed to meet AB 32 requirements.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act on Sept. 26, 2006, establishing the world's most comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction initiative. The law requires the ARB to implement a statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy. In addition, the Governor directed the members of the Climate Action Team to work alongside the ARB to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their respective jurisdictions.

See the Source:
California Air Resoures Board

emission standards

Hidden Costs of Climate Change: Major, Nationwide, Uncounted

The total economic cost of climate change in the United States will be major and nationwide in scope, but remains uncounted, unplanned for and largely hidden in public debate, says a new study from the University of Maryland.

The report, The U.S. Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction, is the first to pull together and analyze the previous economic research on the subject, along with other relevant data, in order to develop a more complete estimate of costs.

While much of the public debate has focused on the upfront costs of emission controls, there's been only limited research on subsequent expenses, such as rebuilding or preparing infrastructure to meet new realities and the ripple economic effects on the agricultural, manufacturing and public service sectors. In part, the report evaluates the costs of inaction -- how a failure to reduce greenhouse gases can make response and adaptation more expensive.

"The true economic impact of climate change is fraught with 'hidden' costs," the report concludes. It adds that these costs will vary regionally and will put a strain on public sector budgets. For example, even under current conditions, the combined storm impact for the nation since 1980 has surpassed $560 billion. More frequent and intense storms would raise the price tag even higher.

"Climate change will affect every American economically in significant, dramatic ways, and the longer it takes to respond, the greater the damage and the higher the costs," says lead researcher Matthias Ruth, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research and the Roy F. Weston Chair in Natural Economics. "The national debate is often framed in terms of how much it will cost to reduce greenhouse gases, with little or no consideration of the cost of no response or the cost of waiting. Review and analysis of existing data suggest that delay will prove costly and tip the economic scales in favor of quicker strategic action."

Estimating a total price tag for all the hidden costs is impossible at the moment, say the researchers. The report finds that current techniques generally used by economists to measure the costs related to climate change are ill-suited to a situation so complex and pervasive. It recommends a new, immediate research effort to accompany initiatives designed to minimize the impact of climate change.

Findings: Five Lessons
Lesson 1: Economic Impacts Will Occur Throughout the Country
Climate change will affect all sectors of the national economy, especially agriculture, energy and transportation, says the report. It will also damage or stress essential infrastructures, many of them locally maintained, such as water supply and treatment. Climate change will also damage ecosystems. The specific effects, though, will vary by U.S. regions.

West and Northwest: Changes in precipitation patterns and snow pack are likely to increase the risk of forest fires. The cost of fire suppression and property damages will run in the billions.
Great Plains: Increased frequency and severity of flooding and drought will cause billions of dollars in damages to crops and property.

Midwest: Major impacts are expected on the manufacturing sector as shipping costs within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping route increase because of expected lower water levels along the system.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Increased vulnerability to sea level rise and storms; even a single event can cost anywhere from $2 billion to $6.5 billion, depending on severity.

South and Southwest: Decreased precipitation will strain water resources for agriculture, industry and households. For the Central Valley in California alone, the economy-wide loss during the driest years is predicted to be around $6 billion.

Lesson 2: Economic Impacts Will Be Unevenly Distributed Across Regions and Economic and Social Sectors
Examples of unequal hardships:
Small niche industries -- especially in the agriculture sector -- may be devastated. Even though the losses represent a small part of the state and regional economy, these businesses are an essential element of local employment, history, culture and landscape.

Rising temperatures may cause greater health problems for poor and aged urban dwellers less able to resist scorching summers.

Lesson 3: Negative Climate Impacts Will Outweigh Benefits for Most Economic Sectors
In some regions and economic sectors, climate change may be temporarily beneficial. For example, some Mid-Atlantic farmers may temporarily increase market share as agricultural conditions worsen in other parts of the country. But eventually those gains will disappear as new costs and threats, such as frequent water shortages and new pest infestations, emerge.

Reduced energy demands in the winter for heating fuel will be offset by even greater demands for cooling in the summer.

Lesson 4: Climate Change Will Place Immense Strain on Public Sector Budgets
The cost of infrastructure maintenance and replacement will likely increase, while economic losses will likely translate into reduced tax revenues. As a result, public officials may need to raise taxes, cut services, or some combination of the two. For example, Alaska's infrastructure maintenance is expected to rise by $5 billion to $10 billon; by one estimate, sea-level rise could cause between $23 billion and $170 billion in property damage by 2100, depending on how high the sea rises; in Hawaii, sea level rise will require upgrades to drinking and wastewater facilities of nearly $2 billion over the next 20 years.

Lesson 5: Secondary Effects Can Include Higher Prices, Reduced Income, Job Loss
Indirect or secondary economic effects of climate change have rarely been quantified, yet are likely to be substantial, the report says. Increased costs for raw materials, energy and transportation will likely translate into higher prices and a loss of competitiveness that could trigger declines in entire economic sectors or regions.

Recommendations
The range and severity of the economic and social impacts of climate change are great, while the research on the subject is very limited. The report strongly recommends an immediate, large-scale, coordinated research effort to accompany policy steps designed to mitigate climate change and adapt to the unavoidable.

To this point, research has provided only limited economic snapshots looking at specific regions, industries or economic sectors, often using quite different methodologies and time frames for analysis, says Ruth.

"We've connected the dots as far as the data would allow," Ruth adds. "Now that the climatological picture about future conditions is becoming clear, research needs to provide the socioeconomic information to guide policy. This study offers the first comprehensive analysis. Next, we will need to carry out sector and region-specific research using new methodology. The traditional, narrow micro-economic approach used in current studies is simply not suited to this task."

Because of the scope and complexity of the recommended research, the report says that a consortium of university research centers, national labs and federal and state agencies would be uniquely positioned to take on the task.

"The potential costs of the climate impacts are so staggering that this would surely be a wise investment," Ruth says. "Yet current research on the full range of economic costs is sufficient to conclude that delayed action (or inaction) on global climate change will likely be the most expensive policy option. A national policy for immediate action to mitigate emissions coupled with efforts to adapt to unavoidable impacts will minimize the overall costs of continued climate change."

See the Source:
The U.S. Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction

global-warming
climate change

ARB Early Action to Reduce GHG Emissions

The Final Staff Report in support of the objectives of the Califonria Air Resources Board's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 is now posted online. The PDF document entitled "Expanded List of Early Action Measures to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California Recommended for Board Consideration" outlines 44 measures and 6 new discrete early actions. The measures have the potential to reduce green house gas emissions by up to 42 million metric tons of CO2 by 2020. The report will be reviewed by the board on October 25, 2007

See the Source:

CARB: Expanded List of Early Action Measures to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California Recommended for Board Consideration

air pollution

Scientists Call for 80 Percent Drop in U.S. Emissions by 2050 to Avoid Dangerous Warming

By 2050, the United States must cut its emissions by at least 80 percent below those created in the year 2000 if the world is to avoid potentially dangerous impacts of human-induced climate change, according to a report released today by Texas Tech University, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Stanford University.

To avoid the most severe effects of climate change, the world must stabilize the concentration of heat trapping gases in the atmosphere at no more than 450 parts per million, said Katharine Hayhoe, an associate professor of geosciences at Texas Tech University who performed the emissions-reduction calculations for the joint report.

This 450-parts-per-million limit aims to avoid a temperature increase exceeding 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit in a global average temperature above pre-industrial levels – a temperature-change benchmark which Hayhoe and other scientists believe could wreak increasing havoc on the environment as it is exceeded.

"The study assumes both developing and industrialized countries would have to converge to equitable per-capita emissions to stabilize the world’s climate," she said. "However, even with other countries taking aggressive action, since the United States is responsible for nearly one-quarter of global emissions, it must act now to achieve the deep cuts in its energy consumption that will be required to meet this target."

The cost of delaying U.S. emission reductions could be high, said Michael D. Mastrandrea, a research associate at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University.
"If we wait until 2020 to start emission reductions, we’ll have to cut twice as fast than if we start in 2010 to meet the same target," Mastrandrea said.

While an 80 percent reduction sounds daunting now, Hayhoe said that the sooner we start, the greater our chances of successfully meeting that target.

"We’ve got 40 years to radically increase the efficiency of the way we use energy," she said. "It’s also time to start considering more extensive ways to harness renewable energy sources through solar panel arrays and wind farms, for example. It’s worth it to put in the effort now to reduce our emissions. If we don’t, there will be a lot more work to do just to adapt to the impacts of climate change in the future."

Stabilizing above this 450-parts-per-million level would likely lead to severe risks to both natural systems and human welfare, Hayhoe said.

"Sustained warming of this magnitude could, for example, result in the extinction of many species and increase the threat of extensive melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets," she said.

Policies under consideration in the United States vary in the timing and levels of emissions cuts they call for and many fail to achieve the minimum pollution cuts needed.

"This report makes clear that the United States must make meaningful cuts in global warming pollution, and soon, to reduce the risk of severe climate impacts," said Alden Meyer, director of Strategy and Policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "President Bush should drop his opposition to mandatory emissions limits, and put forward a specific proposal to aggressively reduce U.S. emissions at the meeting of major emitting countries that he is hosting next week."

They advised that Congress must also act to help the world avoid the worst consequences of global warming. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced that set mandatory reductions, but only two bills would keep U.S. emissions within the overall limits called for in the UCS study. One measure was introduced by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), and the other by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

See the Source:
Texas Tech University

global-warming

Fast Facts: Pollution Stats

232 million - approximate number of cars and light trucks currently on US highways

2.7 trillion - the amount of vehicle miles traveled in the US in 2006

160% - the increase in amount of miles driven since 1970 in the US alone

5% - the US's share of the world's population

45% - percentage the US contributes to global warming pollution through vehicle emissions

28% - percentage of US global warming pollution that comes from transportation

15 - number of state that have adopted CARB's global warming pollution standards on cars

Zero - number of federal bills that have been passed to cap and reduce America's vehicle and energy sources contributing to global warming

61 billion - number of kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed by US data centers (contributing to increased CO2 emissions) - equals the amount of electricity consumed by about 5.8 million average US households

See the Source:
BusinessWire
Environmental Defense

global-warming

ARB staff proposes to triple early action measures required under AB 32

Projects would net more than 7 million metric tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions

SACRAMENTO - As part of California’s historic effort to curb global warming gases, Air Resources Board (ARB) staff today proposed to nearly triple the set of early measures to help meet the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions roughly 25 percent by 2020 as required by the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32).

In addition, ARB staff proposed an additional set of measures today that go above and beyond the narrow requirements of the law. New proposals are expected to reduce greenhouse gases from the trucking industry, greener ports, cement and semiconductor industries, and consumer products. [Full list is attached.]

"Today’s announcement sets the stage for another step forward in achieving our goal to return the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Every single action we take – government, businesses, municipalities and individuals alike – makes a difference toward ultimately cooling our planet. California is showing the country and the world that we can and will help reverse the ominous tide of global warming."

These newly proposed early action measures are projected to reduce 2.8 million metric tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Combined with the early action measures adopted by the Board in June – a low carbon fuel standard, restrictions in do-it-yourself air conditioner repairs and methane capture from landfills – ARB now has measures in the works to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 16 million metric tons.

The proposed early actions combined with other measures proposed by the larger Climate Action Team could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 36 million metric tons by 2020, roughly 21 percent of the total needed to meet AB 32’s goal of rolling back emissions to 1990 levels. This lays a solid foundation for obtaining the necessary reductions needed to meet AB 32 requirements.

The Board will vote on additional proposed measures in Sacramento on Oct. 25 and 26. In the meantime, ARB staff will hold a workshop on the new proposed measure Sept. 17 in Sacramento to discuss specifics and solicit additional input from stakeholders.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act on Sept. 26, 2006, establishing the world’s most comprehensive greenhouse gas reduction initiative. The law requires the ARB to implement a statewide greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy. In addition, the Governor directed the members of the Climate Action Team to work alongside the ARB to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their respective jurisdictions.

See the Source:
For more information about climate change programs

In the News: Global Warming Update

- The Western Climate Initiative led by California’s Gov. Schwarzenegger has laid the foundation to cut greenhouse emissions by 15 percent by 2020 to decrease the effects of global warming. The collective is made up of six Western states (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Utah) and two Canadian provinces (Manitoba and British Columbia). They have agreed to design a market-base program similar to cap-and-trade, with a deadline of August 2008 to present the plan. The Bush administration has opposed such mandatory cuts, favoring a voluntary approach.

- The Bush administration has been called on the carpet by a federal court for failure to issue global warming assessment reports. District Court Judge Saundra Armstrong ruled that the administration was in violation of a 1990 law and must issue a research plan by March 1, 2008. Federal law mandates an updated plan every three years. The last plan was issued in 2003. In addition, national assessment reports are required every four years. The last such report was issued in 2000 by the Clinton administration.

See the Source:
Reuters
ABC News

global-warming
environment

Air Pollution News Bites: 08-02-07

- A recent study estimates that demand for air pollution control products in China will increase by 18 percent each year through 2010. The increase is attributed to the Chinese government’s plan to increase the purchase of air pollution control technology and new legislation concerning strict environmental protection regulations. Products in demand by China include: electrostatic precipitators, baghouse systems, particulate filters, and catalysts.

- A new analysis studying atmospheric “brown clouds” hovering over Asia, have concluded that the buildup of greenhouse gases mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels, is a major contributor to the melting of tropical glaciers such as those found in the Himalayans. Researchers found that combining the heating effect of greenhouse gases and the elements found in brown clouds, such as soot, heightens the effect of global warming.

"The conventional thinking is that brown clouds have masked as much as 50 percent of global warming by greenhouse gases through so-called global dimming," said atmospheric chemist V. Ramanathan. "While this is true globally, this study reveals that over southern and eastern Asia, the soot particles in the brown clouds are in fact amplifying the atmospheric warming trend caused by greenhouse gases by as much as 50 percent."

He went on to state, "It is likely that in curbing greenhouse gases we can tackle the twin challenges of climate change and brown clouds, and in doing so, reap wider benefits--from reduced air pollution to improved agricultural yields."

See the Source:
MarketWire
National Science Foundation

Find out:
How to reduce particulate pollution by using diesel particulate filters

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global-warming

Air Pollution News for 07-24-07

- An organic chemist and two engineers from Wales believe they have developed the answer to our green house gas problem. “Greenbox” is technology that captures GHG emissions such as CO2 and NOx from a car, turning the vehicle’s emissions into mostly water vapor. The box captures emissions, holds the gases in an inert state, where they are then transported to a bioreactor where algae will turn the gases into biofuels. Eventually the Greenbox will be able to be used on most on vehicles, and possibly even buildings and power plants that emit greenhouse gases.

- The Coalition to Build a Cleaner California is asking new chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Mary Nichols to extend the deadline for reducing emissions on off-road diesel vehicles from 2020 to 2025. The Coalition is made up of representatives from the labor unions, construction companies and the airline industry. The construction industry believes that the proposed regulations will cost up to $13 billion and a loss of 30,000 jobs, causing many companies to retire old equipment, creating a loss of income and jobs. CARB and environmentalists believe that without strict regulations to reduce emissions of diesel particulate matter and NOx, air pollution will put many lives at risk in California. An estimated 180,000 off-road diesel vehicles operate in the state.

- The LA Times reports that China has stopped two environmental reports that would have opened up embarrassing and serious facts on their increasing problems with air and water pollution. China is now considered the most polluted country in the world, with an estimated 600,000 citizens dieing each year due to air pollution. Although China is putting in place stringent regulations, enforcement is often spotty or not implemented at all due to attitudes by regional officials.

See the Source:
Motoring
San Francisco Chronicle
LA Times

Find out:
See video on how emissions from off-road diesel vehicles are decreased using diesel particulate filters. Watch now.

air pollution
diesel emissions

GHG Emissions Bill Introduced

Yesterday (July 11th) Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico) and Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) introduced legislature to cut greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2030. The bill presents new rules for power plants, refineries and steelmakers, allowing half of carbon credits for industries to be issued by the government and the other half to either be purchased or reduced by the corporations themselves.

Although the proposed “cap-and-trade” system has environmental critics, who point out that the legislation would create a market for trading greenhouse gas permits, the bi-partisan effort may be more likely to pass as it is considered “mainstream”.

According to John Rowe, chief executive of Exelon, the bill sets aggressive, yet attainable goals, and at the same time builds bridges in order to achieve those goals.

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Reuters
Bloomberg

current issues
environment

China: Death by Air Pollution

Recent news on China’s devastating air pollution levels has garnered world attention. Here’s a run down on the facts from various news source:

• A World Bank report release at a Beijing conference in March, suggests 400,000 Chinese die every year due to outdoor air pollution. Reportedly Chinese officials tried to have these statistics removed from the report. The government denies they tried to cover-up the numbers.



• Two thirds of the electricity generated in China comes from coal-fired power plants, with the country holding 13 percent of the world’s reserves of coal. With coal being the top producer of greenhouse gas emissions, China is now producing more CO2 emissions than the United States, establishing itself as the No. 1 GHG producer in the world.



• An average of two coal-fired power plants a week are being built in China. Almost all of them are being built with out-dated equipment and no emissions control technology. Chinese utilities believe that using emissions control technology will decrease their power plant’s energy output. Because of this, they are resistant to retrofitting their plants with new technology.



• There is an ever increasing consensus from world scientists that China’s economic growth and the resulting greenhouse emissions will push our environment pass the tipping point of no return.



• China’s emissions from coal-fired power plants are increasing at an annual rate that is double the total emissions growth of all industrialized economies combined.



• China’s environmental agency is blaming public unrest and riots on anger stemming from pollution, with an increasing number of demonstrations taking place over power plant emissions and air pollution.


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Council on Foreign Relations
Guardian Unlimited
San Francisco Chronicler

current issues
global-warming

Tulsa Becomes 500th City to Sign U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

On May 15th, Tulsa, Oklahoma signed-on as the 500th city to voluntarily commit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 to 7% below 1990 levels, by signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Globally, cities produce as much as 78 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. As of today, there are 514 cities who have signed the agreement, accounting for 20 percent of the U.S. population or 65 million Americans in 50 states.

The Mayors Climate Protection Agreement came into being when Seattle’s Mayor, Greg Nickels decided cities should take the lead in adhering to the goals of the Kyoto Protocol, even though the Federal Government refused to ratify the international treaty, taking action against climate change and global warming.

“The real leaders on global warming solutions in our country are to be found in the city halls, not in Washington, DC,” explained Glen Brand, Cool Cities Campaign Director for the Sierra Club. “Mayors like Seattle's Greg Nickels, Salt Lake City's Rocky Anderson, and Minneapolis' R.T. Rybak are showing that clean energy solutions are feasible, cost-effective and politically popular. It’s time for our leaders in Washington to follow the extraordinary lead of over 500 cities.”

See the source:
Stopglobalwarming.org
Seattle.Gov - US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

Governor Richardson Challenges Bush Response to Global Warming

Richardson to unveil a bold new energy plan which will revolutionize America's fight against global warming and for energy independence at speech to the New American Foundation on Thursday, May 17th in Washington, DC

SANTA FE, NM – May 15, 2007 -- Governor Bill Richardson today challenged President Bush's response to the Supreme Court ruling requiring federal agencies to regulate vehicle emissions.

"The 'debate' on global warming is over and the Supreme Court has ordered this administration to stop dragging its feet and act," stated Governor Richardson. "My state joined twelve other states to challenge the Bush Administration to enforce the Clean Air Act and fought them all the way to the Supreme Court--and won. President Bush's decision to drag out the vehicle emission rulemaking process over the next two years rebuffs the Supreme Court's ruling and rejects the reality and urgency of global warming.

"This is a timid action, when America and the world needs bold action. My approach to solving our energy and global warming problem is market-based. I would use the engine of the market to drive bold and quick innovation. Our top priorities need to be focusing on a sharp reduction in oil demand, creating dramatic energy efficiencies, reducing greenhouse gases and restoring America as a leader in technology and science."

As Energy Secretary, he pushed for aggressive energy efficiency standards, conservation in the midst of the California electricity crisis, a national renewable portfolio standard, and development of alternative vehicles.

As Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson has initiated mandates requiring utilities to meet renewable energy requirements, supported generous solar tax incentives, eliminated sales taxes on hybrid vehicles, and set aggressive targets to reduce global warming pollution. New Mexico is on track to exceed the Kyoto Protocols and has become the Clean Energy State.

"Our next President must sharply reduce American demand for fossil fuels that add to greenhouse gas concentrations," said Richardson. "By doing so, the U.S. will reclaim its ability to participate in - and lead - international agreements to slow, stop, and reverse climate change trends. The United States cannot lead the world, and will not have the support of the world's people, unless it gets its energy addiction under control, and joins the world effort to take real steps reducing global warming pollution.

"We have no choice, but to make a change and fast. At peak, we now import 65% of our oil. We send about $300 billion in petrodollars to foreign countries every year. Our economy is half as energy-efficient as Japan's or Western Europe's. With 5% of the world's population, we account for 25% of global warming pollution.

In a speech to the New American Foundation Thursday morning at 10:00 am at the Washington Hilton, Monroe Room, 1919 Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC Governor Richardson will unveil his comprehensive plan for energy and reducing global warming. The Governor's aggressive proposals directly address critical issues facing the United States- vehicle fuel efficiency, fuels made from renewable resources, green building standards, greenhouse gas emissions, and shifting the economy from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

"Baby steps and incremental measures won't work. We need to act boldly, and act now. We need a "man-on-the-moon effort"- a strong national commitment to get it done," said Richardson. "President Kennedy exhorted the nation to put a man on the moon within ten years, not 20 or 30. The nation responded to that call. We can do the same with energy and global warming.

"So what we need today is a ten-year plan to reduce our dependence on oil by 50%, and a ten-year plan to reduce our global warming pollution by at least 20%. As President, I will implement a bold plan that meets these goals and ushers in a new era of energy independence and security for the United States."

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Nhpols.com – Campaigns & Elections

climate change
global-warming
current issues

Today’s Air News: From Squirrel to Obama

What’s new in the fight against air pollution?
- Squirrel: Have Air Pollution Monitor, Will Travel
- GM Going Green
- Obama Bam-Bams Global Climate Change

Squirrel: Have Air Pollution Monitor, Will Travel
Introducing Squirrel, a cool techie Bluetooth gizmo being developed by the University of California San Diego and the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology. This wireless personal pollution monitor will allow users to measure air pollution levels at ground level, make informed decisions on exposure to pollutants, and is small enough to take with you for readings-on-the-go. Right now, the Squirrel prototype monitors carbon monoxide and ozone, but future capabilities will allow measurements of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. Plus other measurement extras will be added such as temperature, barometric pressure and humidity.

GM Going Green
Breaking news! GM just joined the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), calling for a cap and trade system to reduce greenhouse gases. The first car manufacturer to join the coalition, the news is not only stirring up climate change, but also the political climate. The group is composed of environmental leaders and high-level corporate partners. With the addition of GM, the USCAP now counts 22 companies as part of its roster, including utilities, chemical production and manufacturing.

The group’s mission:
- cut greenhouse gas emissions 60-80 percent
- create business incentives
- act swiftly and thoughtfully

Obama Bam-Bams Global Climate Change
Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama introduced his new climate action plan during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club to reduce dependence on foreign oil, while fighting the causes of global climate change. Obama’s goal is to cut oil consumption by 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, take 50 million cars’ worth of pollution off the road, save over $50 billion at the gas pump, while helping the auto industry save jobs and regain its standing in the world – all by 2020.

The Obama Plan has 3 key points:
- Setting fuel economy standards for an annual savings of 20 billion gallons of gasoline.
- Helping consumers with tax credits who buy hybrids.
- Helping manufacturers to manufacturer fuel-efficient vehicles by helping with the health care costs of retirees and offering tax incentives for retooling plants.

See the Source:
medGadget
Environmental Defense
BusinessWire

Find out:
More on emissions control technology to reduce air pollution when you visit CleanAIR Systems

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More from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The third volume of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report was release on May 4th, entitled “Mitigation of Climate Change.” The report offers options for short-term and long-term strategies to stabilize factors contributing to climate change.

The report covers six areas:
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends
• Mitigation in the short and medium term, across different economic sectors (until 2030)
• Mitigation in the long-term (beyond 2030)
• Policies, measures and instruments to mitigate climate change
• Sustainable development and climate change mitigation
• Gaps in knowledge

According to the report summary, greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with the biggest increase of 70% was between 1970 and 2004. The largest increase can be seen in the area of energy supply with an increase of 145%.

To read the complete report along with suggestions on how changes can be made, visit: http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM040507.pdf

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

climate change
environment
global-warming

Give Me a Bucket of Extra Crunchy - Diesel?

Tyson Foods, Inc. and ConocoPhillips have announced an alliance to produce and market renewable diesel fuel from animal fat. Using beef, pork and poultry by-product fat, the two corporations will cooperate in manufacturing a diesel fuel mixture that meets all federal standards for ultra-low-sulfur diesel, with an expected future production of 175 million gallons per year.

“We are firmly committed to leveraging our leadership position in the food industry to identify and commercialize renewable energy opportunities,” said Richard L. Bond, Tyson president and chief executive officer. “This strategic alliance is a big win for the entire agricultural sector because it paves the way for greater participation of fats and oils in renewable fuels.”

“ConocoPhillips believes the key to a secure energy future is the development and efficient use of diverse energy sources,” said Jim Mulva, ConocoPhillips chairman and chief executive officer. “This alliance will provide a new and significant contribution to our nation’s domestic renewable fuel supply. It also offers an excellent opportunity to use our company’s manufacturing expertise and advanced technology to help increase the supply of renewable fuels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Conoco Phillips-Tyson Alliance

What About Carbon Sequestration?

The Future of Carbon Sequestration is a new report issued by Dublin’s Research and Markets, an international market research and market data firm, offering an overview of the opportunities for carbon sequestration to reduce GHG emissions.

Based on information from a variety of sources such as the Energy Information Administration, the Department of Energy, and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the report covers the following topics:

- Overview of the climate change debate
- Explanation of the global carbon cycle
- Discussion of the concept of carbon sequestration
- Review of current efforts to implement carbon sequestration
- Analysis and comparison of carbon sequestration component technologies
- Review of the economic drivers of carbon sequestration project success
- Discussion of the key government and industry initiatives supporting carbon sequestration

According to Research and Markets, “The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts that up to 40% of the world's fossil fuel emissions could be captured and sequestered by 2050. The IPCC says that if carbon sequestration were exploited via hundreds of thousands of storage sites around the world, it could make up to 55% of projected cuts in greenhouse gas emissions needed to offset climate change by 2100. However, the price of CO2 needs to be $25 to $30 a ton to make carbon capture technologies commercially viable.

“This forecast has many organizations taking a significant interest in carbon sequestration. Much of this interest is based on a simple premise - the world will continue to depend on fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. This means capturing and sequestering carbon is seen as one of the most viable approaches to tackling global warming.”

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Research and Markets: The Future of Carbon Sequestration

Viet Nam Becomes Member of the International Clean-Energy Partnership

The Methane to Markets Partnership marked a major milestone this week as Viet Nam became its 20th country member. Methane to Markets is a public-private partnership that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the cost-effective, near-term recovery and use of methane, while providing clean energy to markets around the world.

“Viet Nam is the 20th country to join Methane to Markets. This is an important milestone in our efforts to promote energy security and greenhouse-gas reductions around the globe,” said Bill Wehrum, EPA's acting assistant administrator for Air and Radiation and chair of the Methane to Markets Steering Committee. “With its rapidly expanding economy, Viet Nam will make valuable contributions to clean energy development in the region.”

"Joining the Partnership will be an opportunity for Viet Nam to learn and share experiences on reducing methane gas from the livestock sector," said Nguyen Van Tai, Deputy General Director of Viet Nam’s Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Viet Nam joins a growing number of Asian countries that are actively participating in Methane to Markets. In particular, Viet Nam will bring into the Partnership its interest and experience in reducing methane emissions from livestock waste.

With the addition of Viet Nam to Methane to Markets, the Partnership now includes countries that represent nearly 60 percent of the world’s human-caused methane emissions.

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is over twenty times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. By 2015, Methane to Markets has the potential to deliver annual reductions in methane emissions of up to 50 million metric tons of carbon equivalent, which is roughly equal to the greenhouse gas emissions from 50 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants.

More than 500 public- and private-sector organizations from around the world have joined Methane to Markets through the Project Network. In addition to Viet Nam, Methane to Markets Partner countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

See the Source:
EPA - Methane to Markets Partnership

Showdown in Vermont: Auto Manufacturers vs. Global Warming

A Burlington, Vermont federal courtroom will be the next showdown between automakers and states attempting to enforce emissions regulations to reduce carbon dioxide from vehicle emissions. Big auto manufacturers go to court today in an attempt to block greenhouse gas emission regulations set by California Regulation, Assembly Bill No. 1493, Pavley, which Vermont and nine other states have adopted. Vermont will be the first court to decide if states have the authority to establish their own fuel standards, thereby controlling carbon emissions.

If the regulation stands, it would set carbon limits more stringent that those put in place by the US government, allowing other states to adopt the California rulings and create a system where car manufacturers would need to meet two separate standards - those for “federal cars” as opposed to the much tighter regulations of “California cars.”

The California regulation go into effect with cars from model year 2009 and would decrease carbon dioxide emissions by forcing manufacturers to increase average fuel efficiency to 43 miles per gallon. This would achieve a 23% reduction in global warming emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from new cars by 2012.

See the Source:
International Herald Tribune
California Clean Cars Campaign
California Assembly Bill No. 1493

Fueling the Biofuel Conversation

A recent study by the United State Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University, entitled “Net Greenhouse Gas Flux of Bioenergy Cropping Systems Using DAYCENT,” has conducted the first complete analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from biofuel production. After testing seven different crops used in the manufacturing of biofuels using the DAYCENT biogeochemistry model, the results show a significant variation in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy generated in comparison to greenhouse gases emitted from fossil fuels.

The report reveals that comparing the life cycle of gasoline and diesel to ethanol derived from corn and soybean, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by around 40 percent. These crops are at the low end of the spectrum in comparison to crops of switchgrass and hybrid poplar with a reduction of 115 percent.

Recent controversy has arisen over the actual fuel efficiency of biofuels in comparison to fossil fuels due to the process needed to refine bioenergy crops into liquid fuel, the environmental degradation evolved with growing and transporting crops, and the possible increase in other emissions such as NOx. Some researchers have concluded that taking these facts into consideration, ethanol actually produces a net energy loss rather than a gain.

USDA and NREL researcher, Stephen Del Grosso states, "although fossil fuel inputs are required to produce and process biofuels, hybrid poplar and switchgrass converted to ethanol compensate for these emissions and actually remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere when the benefits of co-products are included. Greenhouse gas savings from biomass gasification for electricity generation are even greater. This research provides the basis for evaluating net biofuel greenhouse gas emissions and highlights the need to improve the technologies used for large scale conversion of biomass to energy and to more fully exploit agricultural co-products.”

"We used extensive observed greenhouse gas flux and crop yield data to verify DAYCENT model predictions of crop yields and net greenhouse gas fluxes from all of the biofuel crop rotations. DAYCENT model results were combined with life cycle analyses of crop production, conversion to biofuel, and fossil fuel displaced to estimate net greenhouse gas emissions," said William Parton, a NREL researcher.

The study was unique in that it offered a complete analysis of different crops, varying in respect to length of plant life cycle, yields, biomass conversion efficiencies, required nutrients, net soil carbon balance, nitrogen losses and other specifics which impact crop management. The net greenhouse gas flux for each crop was calculated by combining the DAYCENT results with estimates of fossil fuels used by agricultural machinery in growing of the crops and the amount of fossil fuels offset from biomass yields.

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Colorado State University
USDA – Fact Sheet
Is Ethanol Fuel Really Better for the Environment than Sticking with Gas?

Is Your Tailpipe Really Greener with Ethanol?

On March 30, the CBC reported on an unpublished Canadian federal study that seems to indicate there is no difference in tailpipe emissions between a 10 percent ethanol blended fuel and regular gasoline. Scientists studied four vehicles, testing for emissions under a range of driving conditions and temperatures.

"Looking at tailpipe emissions, from a greenhouse gas perspective, there really isn't much difference between ethanol and gasoline," said Greg Rideout, head of Environment Canada's toxic emissions research. "Our results seemed to indicate that with today's vehicles, there's not a lot of difference at the tailpipe with greenhouse gas emissions."

The report found a reduction in carbon monoxide, but other gases such as hydrocarbons actually increased.

Bill Rees, an ecology professor at the University of British Columbia was surprised by the findings and stated, "People are being conned into believing in a product and paying for it through their tax monies when there's no justifiable benefit and indeed many negative costs."

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CBC News

Court Kicks Congress to Cap Carbon

In a landmark ruling, The Supreme Court has stated that carbon dioxide and other green house gases are classified as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act and the EPA already has regulatory authority. The ruling puts pressure on Congress to place a cap on carbon emissions in order to reduce CO2 by 80 percent from current levels by 2050.

According to Environmental Defense, one of the suit’s petitioners, the suit addressed three key questions:

- Do the states, cities, island territory, and health and environmental organizations have "standing" to challenge EPA's decision not to regulate global warming pollution from motor vehicle tailpipes?
- Does EPA have the authority to regulate global warming pollution under the Clean Air Act?
- And if EPA does have that authority, does it have the right to refuse to regulate such emissions based on political or other considerations unrelated to the endangerment to human health and welfare?

The following statement is from Earthjustice attorney Howard Fox, on behalf of the Sierra Club, another petitioner in the suit:

"Today is a great day for the environment. In one of the most important environmental cases of its history, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed what we have been saying all along: The Clean Air Act gives EPA authority to fight global warming. The EPA must act immediately and issue regulations that limit greenhouse gases from motor vehicles that contribute to global warming.

"While this case has worked its way through EPA and the courts, scientific evidence of global warming has continued to mount -- so much so that the scientific debate is over. Our climate is warming, and pollution from human activities is a major cause. Harms include rising seas that submerge coastal lands, stronger hurricanes, more drought, melting ice caps and degraded ecosystems.

"To combat this most urgent environmental crisis, strong and comprehensive U.S. action is crucial. EPA must use its existing Clean Air Act authority to require control of greenhouse gas emissions -- by motor vehicles (the subject of this case) as well as by other sources like power plants. The Act has successfully cut emissions of many pollutants, and it can do the same for greenhouse gases.

"Congress should both hold EPA's feet to the fire and enact a national emissions cap that requires steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and must also significantly tighten fuel economy standards for motor vehicles. Scientists have determined that to avoid the worst impacts of global warming we must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050."

The EPA had previously argued that it did not have the power to regulate GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. The Court disagreed and overruled this position by a 5 to 4 margin.

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Earthjustice
Environemental Defense

EU’s Environmental Endeavors

The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance heard the testimony of Ambassador John Bruton this week, outlining the European Union’s energy policy objectives.

With the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting energy dependency, the Ambassador stated several EU policies such as energy taxation, the EU emission trading system, and a plan for sustainable coal technologies.

"Although EU energy policy is far from being created from scratch - a number of energy efficiency and renewables promotion measures date back more than 10 years - it is just recently that the EU has opted for a comprehensive, integrated and ambitious policy set in the field of energy and fight against climate change," said Ambassador Bruton, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to the United States, during testimony.

He continued "the EU’s increasing dependency on imports threatens not only its security of supply but it also implies higher prices, if, for example, the price of oil rises to $100 per barrel in today’s money, the EU's energy import bill will be around 50 percent higher by 2030. While Europeans would have to pay a lot more for their energy, few additional jobs in the EU would be created this way. In contrast, boosting investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy and new technologies has wide-reaching benefits and would contribute to the EU’s strategy for growth and jobs."

Addressing the common situation of the EU and United States’ energy situation, Ambassador Bruton concluded "…that in order to ensure a sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply, a common response is needed."

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Ambassador Bruton’s testimony

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Virgin Blue Flying Green

Virgin Blue announced on March 21st that it is the first airline to offer a carbon offset program certified by the Australian Government under the Greenhouse Friendly initiative. The program allows the airline and Virgin Blue’s customers the opportunity to neutralize their emissions, thereby decreasing their carbon footprint.

Money collected through the optional offset program will go towards purchasing abatement from projects in Australia and New Zealand.

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey said, “As an airline company, we are well aware of the challenge to balance the demand and growth of air travel while at the same time actively working to reduce aircraft emissions. The introduction of this program is a significant step in the right direction and one we hope other airlines will follow.”

“We see our Carbon Offset Program as a step towards creating a sustainable aviation environment. This is a global issue requiring a global response,” continued Godfrey, “and we believe all airlines around the world, not just in Australia, need to view it as a shared responsibility and act swiftly and today’s announcement shows that we are very keen to play our role in this.”

The Virgin Blue Carbon Offset Program:
- Guests will have the option to voluntarily offset their carbon emissions generated during flight by contributing towards approved projects such as forestry activities, energy efficiency measures, waste diversion and recycling/generation of renewable energy.

- Virgin Blue has made a financial commitment to offset emissions generated by their crew and staff while travelling on company business. The annual commitment will go towards abatement projects that are aimed at long term and permanent reduction of GHG emissions.

The airline has also joined 800 other companies in participating in the Australian Greenhouse Challenge Plus Program, to measure, monitor and report on overall emissions with the goal of reducing them every year.

See the Source:
Virgin Blue

Global Warming Forecasts Creation, Loss of Climate Zones

by Jill Sakai

A new global warming study predicts that many current climate zones will vanish entirely by the year 2100, replaced by climates unknown in today's world.

Global climate models for the next century forecast the complete disappearance of several existing climates currently found in tropical highlands and regions near the poles, while large swaths of the tropics and subtropics may develop new climates unlike anything seen today. Driven by worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, the climate modeling study uses average summer and winter temperatures and precipitation levels to map the differences between climate zones today and in the year 2100 and anticipates large climate changes worldwide.

The work, by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wyoming, appears online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of March 26.

As world leaders and scientists push to develop sound strategies to understand and cope with global changes, predictive studies like this one reveal both the importance and difficulty of such a task. Primary author and UW-Madison geographer Jack Williams likens today's environmental analysts to 15th-century European mapmakers confronted with the New World, struggling to chart unknown territory.

"We want to identify the regions of the world where climate change will result in climates unlike any today," Williams says. "These are the areas beyond our map."

The most severely affected parts of the world span both heavily populated regions, including the southeastern United States, southeastern Asia and parts of Africa, and known hotspots of biodiversity, such as the Amazonian rainforest and African and South American mountain ranges. The changes predicted by the new study anticipate dramatic ecological shifts, with unknown but probably extensive effects on large segments of the Earth's population.

"All policy and management strategies are based on current conditions," Williams says, adding that regions with the largest changes are where these strategies and models are most likely to fail. "How do you make predictions for these areas of the unknown?"

Using models that translate carbon dioxide emission levels into climate change, Williams and his colleagues foresee the appearance of novel climate zones on up to 39 percent of the world's land surface area by 2100, if current rates of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions continue. Under the same conditions, the models predict the global disappearance of up to 48 percent of current land climates. Even if emission rates slow due to mitigation strategies, the models predict both climate loss and formation, each on up to 20 percent of world land area.

The underlying effect is clear, Williams says, noting, "More carbon dioxide in the air means more risk of entirely new climates or climates disappearing."

In general, the models show that existing climate zones will shift toward higher latitudes and higher elevations, squeezing out the climates at the extremes — tropical mountaintops and the poles — and leaving room for unfamiliar climes around the equator.

"This work helps highlight the significance of changes in the tropics," complementing the extensive attention already focused on the Arctic, says co-author John Kutzbach, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UW-Madison. "There has been so much emphasis on high latitudes because the absolute temperature changes are larger."

However, Kutzbach explains, normal seasonal fluctuations in temperature and rainfall are smaller in the tropics, and even "small absolute changes may be large relative to normal variability."

The patterns of change foreshadow significant impacts on ecosystems and conservation. "There is a close correspondence between disappearing climates and areas of biodiversity," says Williams, which could increase risk of extinction in the affected areas.

Physical restrictions on species may also amplify the effects of local climate changes. The more relevant question, Williams says, becomes not just whether a given climate still exists, but "will a species be able to keep up with its climatic zone? Most species can't migrate around the world."

For the researchers, one of the most poignant aspects of the work is in what it doesn't tell them — the uncertainty. At this point, Williams says, "we don't know which bad things will happen or which good things will happen — we just don't know. We are in for some ecological surprises."

The work was conducted in collaboration with Stephen Jackson at the University of Wyoming and was funded by the National Science Foundation.

See the Source:
University of Wisconsin-Madison

EPA Lauds Corporate Partners for Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Climate Leaders Program Continues to Attract New Members

Washington, D.C. - March 22, 2007 -- EPA today commended American Electric Power, St. Lawrence Cement and United Technologies Corp. for achieving significant greenhouse gas reductions (GHG) under EPA's Climate Leaders program. The companies also extended their commitment by pledging a second goal on measurable reductions. In addition, the agency recognized 12 corporations for announcing new reduction goals, and another 16 companies that are joining the program.

"Our Climate Leaders partners are demonstrating corporate climate change leadership by embracing energy efficiency, green power, and technological innovation as sound business investments," said EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock. "Many of the nation's leading companies are working aggressively with EPA to lower their greenhouse gas emissions in ways that advance President Bush's climate change strategy."

--American Electric Power, Columbus, Ohio, met its 2006 goal by reducing total U.S. GHG emissions by four percent from 2001 to 2006. AEP pledges to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions by six percent from 2001 to 2010.

--St. Lawrence Cement, Mont-Royal, Quebec, met its goal by reducing global GHG emissions by 16 percent per ton of cement-type product from 2000 to 2006. St. Lawrence Cement pledges to reduce global GHG emissions by 20 percent per ton of cement-type product from 2000 to 2012.

--United Technologies Corp., Hartford, Conn., met its goal of reducing global GHG emissions by 46 percent per dollar of revenue from 2001 to 2006. UTC pledges to reduce total global GHG emissions by 12 percent from 2006 to 2010.

The twelve partners announcing aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals:
--Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., St. Louis, Mo., pledges to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions by five percent from 2005 to 2010.

--Boise Cascade, Boise, Idaho, pledges to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions by 10 percent from 2004 to 2014.

--Codding Enterprises, Rohnert Park, Calif., pledges to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 50 percent per square foot from 2005 to 2010.

--Fairchild Semiconductor, South Portland, Maine, pledges to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 30 percent per manufacturing index (production measure) from 2003 to 2010.

--General Motors Corp., Detroit, Mich., pledges to reduce total North American GHG emissions by 40 percent from 2000 to 2010. GM achieved its initial goal by reducing total North American GHG emissions by 23 percent from 2000 to 2005.

--IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., pledges to reduce total global GHG emissions by seven percent from 2005 to 2012. IBM achieved its initial goal by reducing total global energy-related GHG emissions by an average of six percent per year and PFC emissions by 58 percent from 2000 to 2005.

--Sandy Alexander, Clifton, N.J., pledges to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 11 percent per dollar of revenue from 2006 to 2012.

--SC Johnson, Racine, Wis., pledges to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions by 8 percent from 2005 to 2010. SC Johnson achieved its initial goal by reducing total U.S. GHG emissions by 17 percent from 2000 to 2005. --Steelcase Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., pledges to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 40 percent per dollar sales from 2004 to 2009.

--The Tower Cos., North Bethesda, Md., pledge to achieve a net effect of zero GHG emissions using EPA approved methods by 2008 and maintain that level through 2012.

--The World Bank, Washington, D.C., pledges to reduce total U.S. GHG emissions by seven percent from 2006 to 2011.

--Thomas Rutherfoord Inc., Roanoke, Va., pledges to reduce U.S. GHG emissions by seven percent per employee from 2006 to 2012.

The 16 companies that have recently joined Climate Leaders as partners: Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., St. Louis, Mo; Cherokee Investment Partners, Raleigh, N.C.; CSX Transportation Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.; Deere & Company, Moline, Ill; Duke Energy, Charlotte, N.C.; Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich.; Merck & Co. Inc., Whitehouse Station, N.J.; Mohawk Fine Papers Inc., Cohoes, N.Y.; National Geographic Society, Washington D.C.; NVIDIA Corp., Santa Clara, Calif.; Office Depot, Delray Beach, Fla.; PPG Industries Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.; Stora Enso North America Corp., Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; Turner Construction Co., New York, N.Y.; WhiteWave Foods Co., Broomfield, Colo.; 3 Phases Energy, San Francisco, Calif.

Since 2002, the Climate Leaders program has provided valuable guidance and recognition to leading companies across many industries to help them develop and implement long-term comprehensive climate change strategies. EPA estimates that the goals announced to date through Climate Leaders will prevent more than 11 million metric tons of carbon equivalent emissions per year – equal to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from more than seven million cars. Climate Leaders partners come from a wide range of industries and constitute over nine percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Over the past five years, the program has expanded to include 113 organizations. Of these, 67 have announced aggressive long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals, while the remaining companies are working with EPA to set and announce a goal.

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EPA - Climate Leaders

Rep. Waxman Introduces the Science-Based “Safe Climate Act”

Washington, DC – March 20, 2007 -- Today Rep. Henry A. Waxman, together with over 125 House colleagues, introduced the “Safe Climate Act of 2007.” The legislation is based on what scientists have concluded the United States must do to avoid dangerous, irreversible warming of the planet and would significantly reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases.

“We must act now to protect our children and grandchildren from disastrous global warming,” said Rep. Waxman. “My legislation reflects what the science says we need to do to prevent dire changes to the climate system, and there is a growing consensus in the states and among American workers, industry leaders, small businesses, religious groups, and others that these levels are what we need to achieve.”

Scientists have concluded that the planet faces a grave risk of irreversible and devastating global warming if global temperatures increase by more than 3.6°F. To protect against these catastrophic impacts, the Safe Climate Act sets greenhouse gas emissions targets that aim to keep temperatures below the danger point. The level of emissions is frozen in 2010, gradually reduced by 2% each year through 2020, and then reduced by 5% each year through 2050.

The Safe Climate Act achieves these targets through a flexible economy-wide cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions, along with measures to advance technology and reduce emissions through renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cleaner cars.

According to Rep. Waxman, “In effect, the Safe Climate Act sets the targets and then unleashes market forces and American ingenuity to solve the climate problem.”

Rep. Waxman is the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The legislation and supporting materials are available online at: http://www.henrywaxman.house.gov/.

See the Source:
Representative Henry Waxman – Safe Climate Act of 2007

Environmental, Community Groups Announce Important Energy Agreement with Major Utility

Sierra Club, Kansas City Power & Light and Concerned Citizens of Platte County Put Forward Agreement to Reduce Emissions, Spur Clean Energy Development

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- March 20, 2007--In a groundbreaking agreement that can serve as a model for environmental groups and utilities working together, the Sierra Club, Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), and the Concerned Citizens of Platte County (CCPC) have agreed on a set of initiatives to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce other emissions for the Kansas City-based utility. Under the agreement announced today, KCP&L agrees to pursue offsets for all of the global warming emissions associated with its new plant through significant investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and cut pollution from its existing plants in order to improve air quality in the Greater Kansas City metro area. The agreement proposes other investments in clean energy, significant decreases in emissions and resolves four appeals pending between the Sierra Club, CCPC, and KCP&L. Full implementation of the terms of the agreement will necessitate approval from the appropriate authorities, as some of the initiatives in this agreement require either enabling legislative policy or regulatory approval.

“We believe there is significant potential through new energy technology and innovative approaches to improve the environment and offer additional value to our customers across the Kansas City region. This is especially true with energy efficiency and wind generation, which we have been implementing already through our Comprehensive Energy Plan developed in 2005,” said Mike Chesser, Chairman and CEO of Great Plains Energy. “We look forward to collaborating with the Sierra Club and other stakeholders as we pursue these exciting new opportunities.”

“This agreement is a win for our climate, for the environment, and for the residents of the Kansas City area,” said Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director. “It is the latest sign that smart energy solutions like wind power and energy efficiency are gathering steam. We look forward to working with KCP&L to help the Midwest realize its full potential as a leader in the clean energy technologies that will fuel the economy of tomorrow.”

The most significant element of the agreement is the unprecedented commitment by KCP&L to pursue the offset of carbon emissions from its proposed Iatan 2 generating station, located near Weston, Missouri. The estimated 6,000,000 tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions are targeted to be offset by adding 400 megawatts (MW) of wind power; 300 MW of energy efficiency; and a yet to be determined combination of wind, efficiency, or the closing, altering, re-powering or efficiency improvements at any of its generating units. These proposed offsets will be partially implemented by 2010 and fully implemented by 2012. The parties are also agreeing to work together on a series of regulatory and legislative initiatives to achieve an overall reduction in KCP&L’s carbon dioxide emissions of 20 percent by 2020.

“This agreement shows that we can work together to curb air pollution, combat global warming, and protect our local communities,” said Susan Brown, chairperson for Concerned Citizens of Platte County. “The renewable energy investments in this agreement can revitalize the region’s manufacturing economy and offer rural landowners a new source of steady income from wind turbines located on their property. The large investment in energy efficiency will also help everyone use less energy — reducing emissions and saving consumers and businesses money each month.”

In addition to offsetting its global warming emissions, residents of the Kansas City area will benefit from reduced emissions of criteria pollutants at KCP&L’s existing Iatan 1 and La Cygne plants. The agreement calls for annual reductions in nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter estimated to total some 9,100 tons. Within the next year, KCP&L will also work with the Sierra Club to study options, including retiring, re-powering or upgrading its Montrose power plant. Finally, KCP&L will fund several community projects including: recommendations of the Kansas City Climate Protection Committee targeting global warming reduction measures; additional monitoring of soot and smog pollution in the metro area; and an upgrade to the drinking water infrastructure in Weston, a community near the Iatan station.

In another important step for clean energy, KCP&L will also file for approval of a net metering program within six months. Net metering allows a utility’s customers to generate small amounts of renewable energy on-site, such as from rooftop solar panels or a small wind turbine, and sell any excess energy back to the utility.

KCP&L’s Comprehensive Energy Plan was collaboratively constructed with a broad group of stakeholders and includes investments in new generation (including renewable wind energy); innovative efficiency, affordability and demand response programs; infrastructure improvements; and proactive environmental investments. This balanced approach will enable KCP&L to satisfy growing energy demands across the region for years to come while improving environmental stewardship.

“KCP&L’s current Comprehensive Energy Plan addresses the energy needs and emissions reductions for the Kansas City region with actions into the year 2010. This Agreement is the start of the next set of discussions with stakeholders as we develop our plans for the 2010-2015 timeframe,” said Bill Downey, President and CEO of KCP&L. “It reflects the ongoing atmosphere of collaboration we established in developing the CEP, and proactively resolves differences. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to secure a long-term energy supply for Kansas City while improving air quality.”

This agreement builds on the success of a 2006 agreement that Sierra Club brokered with City Water Light and Power of Springfield, IL. That agreement stipulated that the municipal utility retire one of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation, purchase 120 MW of wind, invest four million dollars in energy efficiency, and significantly decrease emissions of soot, smog and mercury pollution. In addition, all of the government buildings owned by the state of Illinois are to be powered with green electricity. Last week, CWLP announced that it stands to at least break even and may reap significant profits from its purchase and resale the wind power investments required in their agreement.

“We were and continue to be very pleased with the agreement we reached in Springfield,” commented Pope. “Our exciting new agreement with KCP&L raises the bar even further and demonstrates just how much we can achieve when utilities and groups like the Sierra Club work together.”

See the Source:
Kansas City Power & Light

Find out:
How selective catalytic reduction can eliminate NOx emissons from power plants

SCAQMD Awards Contract to Supply the State of California with Plug-In Hybrid Electric Fleet Vehicles

Contract will Provide First Nanophosphate Lithium-Ion Batteries to Power +150MPG PHEVs for the State of California

Watertown, Mass--March 19, 2007--Hymotion and A123Systems today announced that the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has awarded the companies a contract to provide 10 converted plug-in hybrid electric passenger vehicles (PHEVs). The South Coast AQMD PHEV program will evaluate and help identify a recommended PHEV-conversion method for the state of California.

The AQMD has identified the use of alternative clean fuels as a key air quality attainment strategy, and has sponsored plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) demonstrations for over six years because of the potential for this technology to enable zero-tailpipe emissions for portions of a typical driving cycle. Similar to commercially available hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), PHEVs utilize a battery pack and an electric motor in concert with an internal combustion engine. PHEVs, however, employ a larger battery pack which can be designed to extend the electric portion of the driving cycle, providing improved fuel economy, lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced petroleum dependence.

The Hymotion solution incorporates A123Systems’ batteries into a highly advanced PHEV module that is lightweight, compact and requires minimal modification to the stock vehicle. All necessary components and safety features are integrated and contained within the module, including: batteries, power electronics, crash sensors, power electronics, charger, battery management system, safety sensors and manual-electric interlock. Due to its plug and play installation, the system does not require removal of the OEM battery pack and can be installed in less than 2 hours.

"This exciting program will not only demonstrate the power of today’s technology, but pave the way for larger-scale demonstrations of Plug-In Hybrid technology in Southern California," said Ricardo Bazzarella, Founder and President of Hymotion.

The awarded solution uses A123Systems' nanophosphate technology that provides unprecedented specific power, safety and life - all critical to the optimization and commercialization of PHEVs. A123Systems' automotive class lithium ion technology renders the solution durable and more safe than other chemistries. The system is expected to get up to 220 miles per gallon in city driving and cut carbon dioxide emissions in half. The solution also includes power processing and rapid chargers provided by AeroVironment, Inc.

"California has traditionally served as a leader to the rest of the country in matters of air quality and renewable energy," said David Vieau, President and CEO of A123Systems. "This award is further validation of our efforts to date as we continue on our path to providing smarter, more fuel-efficient and market-ready options for organizations, agencies and individuals that are concerned about fuel consumption and the environment."

“As a leading developer and supplier of commercial fast charge systems for electric vehicles and power processing equipment, we are pleased to support the South Coast AQMD’s plans for demonstrating the potential of PHEV technology,” said Tim Conver, CEO of AeroVironment.

A123Systems and Hymotion are also working with NYSERDA on a program that could put as many as 600 Plug-In Hybrids on the roads of New York State. Additionally, A123Systems recently announced that it is working with General Motors and Cobasys on the Saturn Green Line Vue Plug-In Hybrid program, and that the company is working with GE to develop systems for the hybrid bus market. A123Systems recently received a $15 million development contract for next generation HEV batteries from the U.S. Department of Energy and the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), an organization composed of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation.

About A123Systems
A123Systems has quickly become one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-power lithium-ion batteries. Based on the company’s patented nanophosphate technology, the batteries deliver previously unattainable levels of power, safety and life. Applicable to a wide range of industries, A123Systems’ products allow OEMs expanded flexibility in system design, removing many traditional technology constraints. Founded in 2001, A123Systems’ proprietary nanoscale electrode technology is built on initial developments from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For additional information please visit http://www.a123systems.com/.

About Hymotion
Hymotion Inc. is a provider of complete integration for hybrid and fuel cell systems. Hymotion brings over ten years of experience in the alternative fuel industry. It can offer mechanical, electrical, control system and power electronics design for OEM customers. As a green technology company, their mission is to provide new generation hybrid and alternative fuel solutions to customers that value green and innovative technologies. For additional information please visit http://www.hymotion.com/.

About AeroVironment
Building on a history of technological innovation, AV designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and efficient electric energy systems. The company's small UAS are used extensively by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and increasingly by allied military forces to deliver real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition to tactical operating units. AV’s PosiCharge® fast charge systems eliminate battery changing for electric industrial vehicles in factories, airports, and distribution centers. For more information about AV, please visit http://www.avinc.com/.

About AQMD
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The South Coast AQMD is committed to undertaking all necessary steps to protect public health from air pollution, with sensitivity to the impacts of its actions on the community and businesses. This is accomplished through a comprehensive program of planning, regulation, compliance assistance, enforcement, monitoring, technology advancement, and public education.

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A123Systems
Hymotion
AeroVironment
SCAQMD

Greenhouse Gas Partnership Wants Clean Energy Projects for Beijing Expo

Washington, D.C. -- March 12, 2007 -- The Methane to Markets Partnership, a multilateral initiative that promotes greenhouse gas reduction, today issued a call for projects to feature at its first Beijing Partnership Expo Oct. 30 - Nov.1.

Twenty times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, methane is both a potent greenhouse gas and a valuable energy resource. The top three sources of methane are livestock emissions, landfills, and oil and gas production. The Methane to Markets Partnership focuses on promoting projects that reduce methane emissions and utilize the methane as a clean energy source.

“This Expo is a perfect example of how public-private partnerships can advance environmental goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and delivering clean energy to markets around the world,” said Bill Wehrum, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for Air and Radiation and chairman of the Methane to Markets Steering Committee. “I hope the private sector, site managers, and others will take advantage of this opportunity to showcase potential projects to financiers.”

The Expo will highlight potential projects in four sectors: agriculture, coal mining, landfills, and oil and gas systems.

The Expo will provide attendees with the opportunity to:
o Showcase project opportunities for potential investors
o Meet with potential project partners and financiers
o Learn about the latest technologies and services
o Explore key technical, policy and financial issues
Any entity, private or public, can enter a project proposal for consideration at www.methanetomarkets.org/expo. The submission deadline is July 2, 2007.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) will co-host the Expo with the Methane to Markets Partnership.

The is a public-private partnership that brings together the technical and market expertise, financing, and technology necessary to advance near-term, cost-effective methane recovery and use projects in the four industrial sectors mentioned above. Nineteen partner countries and a growing project network of over 500 public and private sector organizations work to reduce emissions of methane while delivering clean energy to markets around the world.

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Methane to Markets Partnership

US and Japan Consider Co-Benefits of Domestic and Global Environmental Programs

Washington, D.C. -- March 8, 2007 -- EPA and the Japanese Ministry of Environment (MOEJ) held a Washington workshop this week to expand their efforts on climate change and sustainable development in developing countries.

"Climate change knows no borders. The U.S. and Japan play vital roles in global economic progress as well as global environmental protection'' said Bill Wehrum, EPA acting assistant administrator for Air and Radiation. "In line with the Bush Administration's commitment to engage in extensive international efforts on climate change, America is working with Japan and other international partners to exchange innovative strategies for simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution."

This week's workshop is the third EPA-Japan meeting in the past twelve months focused on co-benefits in the transportation, agriculture, energy, and waste sectors in developing countries. Co-benefits are the additional results of policies that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants; such additional benefits include energy efficiency and security, improved public health, and enhanced quality of life. EPA is working with Japan to explore how a co-benefits approach can be used to support climate-friendly policymaking in developing countries.

Co-benefits are a very important concept which can realize both sustainable development and greenhouse gas mitigation in developing countries," said Deputy-Director General of the Global Environment Bureau of MOEJ, Mr. Ryutaro Yatsu. "Through the US-Japan collaborative plan, we would like to pursue co-benefits with developing countries."

EPA and MOEJ held the two-day workshop on March 5-6 at the World Resources Institute (WRI), a globally-recognized organization on the issues of climate change and sustainable development. Attending were representatives of EPA's Integrated Environmental Strategies (IES) Program, a recognized leader in co-benefits analysis, with current programs in China, India, South Korea, and Mexico. By sharing its approach and methodological tools, IES helps developing countries develop sound environmental policy- making.

At the workshop, participants explored outcomes of capacity-building programs, lessons learned from climate-related programs and efforts, new directions for research and analysis, opportunities to promote new co-benefits, and priorities for future action on co-benefits. EPA and MOEJ intend to formalize a plan for future collaboration through a Statement of Intent

The U.S.-Japan partnership supports the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which promotes projects and programs to protect the environment, improve public health, and enhance economic growth. EPA also plays a critical role in the success of the international Methane to Markets Partnership, of which Japan and the US are charter members.

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IES Program
Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
Methane to Markets Partnership

Solar Energy Conversion Offers a Solution to Help Mitigate Global Warming

Solar energy has the power to reduce greenhouse gases and provide increased energy efficiency, says a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, in a report (view it online) published in the March issue of Physics Today.

Last month, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations released a report confirming global warming is upon us and attributing the growing threat to the man-made burning of fossil fuels.

Opportunities to increase solar energy conversion as an alternative to fossil fuels are addressed in the Physics Today article, co-authored by George Crabtree, senior scientist and director of Argonne's Materials Science Division, and Nathan Lewis, professor of Chemistry at Caltech and director of its Molecular Materials Research Center.

Currently, between 80 percent and 85 percent of our energy comes from fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel resources are of finite extent and are distributed unevenly beneath Earth's surface. When fossil fuel is turned into useful energy through combustion, it often produces environmental pollutants that are harmful to human health and greenhouse gases that threaten the global climate. In contrast, solar resources are widely available and have a benign effect on the environment and climate, making it an appealing alternative energy source.

“Sunlight is not only the most plentiful energy resource on earth, it is also one of the most versatile, converting readily to electricity, fuel and heat,” said Crabtree. “The challenge is to raise its conversion efficiency by factors of five or ten. That requires understanding the fundamental conversion phenomena at the nanoscale. We are just scratching the surface of this rich research field.”

Argonne carries out forefront basic research on all three solar conversion routes. The laboratory is creating next-generation nanostructured solar cells using sophisticated atomic layer deposition techniques that replace expensive silicon with inexpensive titanium dioxide and chemical dyes. Its artificial photosynthesis program imitates nature using simple chemical components to convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide directly into fuels like hydrogen, methane and ethanol. Its program on thermoelectric materials takes heat from the sun and converts it directly to electricity.

The Physics Today article is based on the conclusions contained in the report of the Basic Energy Sciences Workshop on Solar Energy Utilization sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Crabtree and Lewis served as co-chairs of the workshop and principal editors of the report. The key conclusions of the report identified opportunities for higher solar energy efficiencies in the areas of:

• Electricity – important research developments lie in the development of new, less expensive materials for solar cells, including organics, thin films, dyes and shuttle ions, and in understanding the dynamics of charge transfer across nanostructured interfaces.

• Fuel – solar photons can be converted into chemical fuel more resourcefully by breeding or genetically engineering designer plants, connecting natural photosynthetic pathways in novel configurations and using artificial bio-inspired nanoscale systems.

• Heat – controlling the size, density and distribution of nanodot inclusions during bulk synthesis could enhance thermoelectric performance and achieve more reliable and inexpensive electricity production from the sun's heat.

The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

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Argonne National Laboratory

The Babcock & Wilcox Company to Demonstrate Carbon Dioxide Capture Technology

Barberton, Ohio -- March 5, 2007 -- The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W), in collaboration with American Air Liquide Inc., will begin testing a promising new technology to help coal-fired power plants capture emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas.

The evaluation will occur at B&W’s 30 MWth Clean Environment Development Facility (CEDF) in Alliance, Ohio. The CEDF, originally placed in service in 1994 by B&W, the U.S. Department of Energy and others, is a large-scale demonstration facility that has been used to develop emissions-control technology.

The CEDF will be used to validate a technology called “oxy-coal combustion” that utilizes pure oxygen for the combustion of coal in electricity generating plants. In this system, nitrogen that comes in with the air for the combustion process is eliminated. As a result, the exhaust gas is a relatively pure stream of CO2 that is ready for long-term storage operations.

“Finding ways to capture and store CO2 emissions from power plants is paramount if the United States is going to address greenhouse gas concerns and use our national energy resources,” Don Langley, B&W vice president and chief technology officer said. “We see this major technology demonstration project as another step in B&W’s plan to deliver CO2-capture technology to the electricity generating industry and make a significant impact on this global issue.”

B&W’s development efforts are being done well in advance of similar projects around the globe. “This is truly changing-the-world technology and we are pleased to be leading this research,” Langley added. Because the oxy-coal technology builds on pulverized coal combustion technology, it would be complementary to most of the world’s coal-fired power plants.

B&W will work with American Air Liquide to modify the existing CEDF facility for the oxy-coal process and will begin proving the technology in June 2007. American Air Liquide will provide engineering and chemistry know-how related to combustion, as well as proprietary equipment and sensors for the safe and efficient handling of liquefied oxygen.

In addition to American Air Liquide, several utilities will participate in an “advisory group” process that will help bring the potential users of the technology into the development process.

B&W will evaluate several types of coal, including coal imported from Saskatchewan, Canada, the site of a proposed near-zero emissions power plant that will use this technology at commercial scale.

Present in 72 countries, Air Liquide provides industrial and medical gases and related services and offers innovative solutions based on constantly enhanced technologies. These solutions, which are consistent with Air Liquide’s commitment to sustainable development, help to protect life and enable customers to manufacture many indispensable everyday products. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris stock exchange and is a component of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices (ISIN code FR 0000120073). American Air Liquide Inc. is Air Liquide’s U.S.-based research and development company. For more information, visit http://www.airliquide.com/.

The Babcock & Wilcox Company is a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc., a leading worldwide energy services company. McDermott subsidiaries manufacture steam-generating equipment, environmental equipment, and products for the U.S. government. They also provide engineering and construction services for the offshore oil and natural gas industry.

See the Source:
Babcock and Wilcox

Find out:
How nitrogen oxides can be virtually eliminated from power plant emissions using selective catalytic reduction

Pollution from China and India Affecting World’s Weather

Severe pollution from the Far East is almost certainly affecting the weather near you, says a Texas A&M University researcher who has studied the problem and has published a landmark paper on the topic in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Renyi Zhang, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M and lead author of the paper, says the study is the first of its kind that provides indisputable evidence that man-made pollution is adversely affecting the storm track over the Pacific Ocean, a major weather event in the northern hemisphere during winter. The project was funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

Zhang says the culprit is easy to detect: pollution from industrial and power plants in China and India. Both countries have seen huge increases in their economies, which mean more large factories and power plants to sustain such growth. All of these emit immense quantities of pollution – much of it soot and sulfate aerosols – into the atmosphere, which is carried by the prevailing winds over the Pacific Ocean and eventually worldwide.

Using satellite imagery and computer models, Zhang says that in roughly the last 20 years or so, the amount of deep convective clouds in this area increased from 20 to 50 percent, suggesting an intensified storm track in the Pacific.

This pollution directly affects our weather,” he explains.

During the past few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in atmospheric aerosols – mostly sulfate and soot from coal burning – especially in China and India,” he explains.

“We compared these deep convective clouds from the 10-year period of 1984-1994 to the period from 1994-2005 and discovered these storms have risen anywhere from 20 to as high as 50 percent.”

“It is a direct link from large-scale storm systems to anthropogenic (human-made) pollution.”

Zhang says the problem is especially worse during the winter months.

Because of various climate conditions, the northern Pacific Ocean is more susceptible to the aerosol effect in winter. Aerosols can affect the droplets in clouds and can actually change the dynamics of the clouds themselves, Zhang adds.

The Pacific storm track carries these polluted particles to the west coasts of Canada and the United States, across America and eventually, most of the world, Zhang notes.

“The Pacific storm track can impact weather all over the globe,” he says.

“The general air flow is from west to east, but there is also some serious concern that the Polar Regions could be affected by this pollution. That could have potentially catastrophic results.”

Soot, in the form of black carbon, can collect on ice packs and attract more heat from the sun, meaning a potential acceleration of melting of the polar ice caps, he believes.

“It possibly means the polar ice caps could melt quicker than we had believed, which of course, results in rising sea level rates,” he adds.

The pollution from the storm tracks could also signify wild weather changes, he believes.

“You might have more storms, and these storms might be more severe than usual,” he says.

“Or it could lead to the opposite – severe droughts in other areas. The Pacific storm track plays a crucial role in our weather, and there is no doubt at all that human activity is changing the world’s weather.”

See the Source:
Texas A&M University

Science Panel Outlines Roadmap for Reducing Risks from Climate Change

NEW YORK, NY--February 27, 2007--The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, released today “Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable, ” the final report of the Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. The report, prepared as input for the upcoming meeting of the UN’s Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), outlines a roadmap for preventing unmanageable climate changes and adapting to the degree of change that can no longer be avoided.

Two years in the making, the report was written by a panel of eminent scientists from around the world. The panel was co-chaired by Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Dr. Rosina Bierbaum, Dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. The expert team was invited by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Secretariat to the CSD, to make recommendations on key mitigation and adaptation needs. This year’s 15th Session of the CSD is reviewing national and international efforts on energy and climate change.

“Two starkly different futures diverge from this time forward,” the report cautions. “Society’s current path leads to increasingly serious climate-change impacts… The other path … will reduce dangerous emissions, create economic opportunity, help to reduce global poverty, reduce degradation and carbon emissions from ecosystems, and contribute to sustainability. Humanity must act collectively and urgently to change course through leadership at all levels of society. There is no more time for delay.”

“This report defines the seriousness and urgency that must characterize global efforts to respond to the unfolding and far-reaching challenge of climate change. Confronting Climate Change makes clear that we must start immediately to stabilize and then substantially reverse the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation. “The international community should be grateful that this remarkable panel of scientific all-stars from around the world has provided a roadmap for mitigating and adapting to climate change. And they have told us that there is tremendous economic opportunity in doing so.”

“Our report makes clear that the challenge before us is to reduce the risk of climate change resulting in intolerable global impacts,” said Peter H. Raven, Past President of Sigma Xi, Presidential Medal of Science recipient and preeminent biodiversity expert. “Our recommendations are designed to help the international community get on a path to stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and managing the impacts of climate change. Unlike many reports from scientists, this report gives very clear recommendations for what the international community and nations themselves must do to mitigate and adapt to climate change. These steps will contribute to achievement of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals; failing to do so will make those goals much harder, if not impossible to reach.”

“It is still possible to avoid an unmanageable degree of climate change, but the time for action is now,” said John Holdren, the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy, Harvard University, Director of the Woods Hole Research Center, and Chairman of the Board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “The global-average surface temperature has already risen about 0.8°C above pre-industrial levels and is projected to rise another 2-4°C by 2100 if CO2 emissions and concentrations grow according to mid-range projections. Prudence dictates limiting the average temperature increase to no more than 2-2.5°C above the pre-industrial level, and our report offers clear recommendations for achieving that goal.”

“The world is experiencing climate disruption now and the increases in droughts, floods, and sea level rise that will occur in the coming decades will cause enormous human suffering and economic losses. The poorest are likely the most vulnerable. We imperil our children’s and grandchildren’s future if we fail to improve society’s capacity to adapt to a changing climate,” said Rosina Bierbaum, former Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “We can manage water better, bolster disaster preparedness, increase surveillance for emerging diseases, make cities more resilient, move vulnerable populations and prepare for environmental refugees, design more drought-tolerant crops, use natural resources more sustainably, and enhance local capacity to cope with a suite of expected changes.”

The report covers an overview of the science of climate change; the importance of avoiding the risk of major impacts of climate change; options for mitigation; and steps that can be taken to prepare to adapt to anticipated climate change.Among the report’s key findings are:

• Exceeding global average temperature increases above 2-2.5°C above the 1750 pre-industrial level would entail “sharply increasing risk of intolerable impacts.”

To avoid exceeding the 2-2.5° C limit will require stabilizing atmospheric concentrations at the equivalent of no more than 450-500 ppm of CO2 (compared to about 380 ppm CO2-equivalent today). That in turn requires that global CO2 emissions peak no later than 2015 to 2020 at not much above their current level and decline by 2100 to about a third of that value.

A two-pronged strategy is needed: avoid the unmanageable (mitigation) and manage the unavoidable (adaptation).

• The technology exists to seize significant opportunities around the globe to reduce emissions and provide other economic, environmental and social benefits, including meeting the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. To do so, policy makers must immediately act by:
• Improving efficiency in the transportation sector through measures such as vehicle efficiency standards, fuel taxes, and registration fees/rebates that favor purchase of efficient and alternative fuel vehicles.
• Improving design and efficiency of commercial and residential buildings through building codes, standards for equipment and appliances, incentives for property developers and landlords to build and manage properties efficiently, and financing for energy-efficiency investments.
• Expanding the use of biofuels through energy portfolio standards and incentives to growers and consumers.
• Beginning immediately, designing and deploying only coal power-plant types that can be affordably retrofitted to capture and sequester CO2.
• Climate change and impacts from it are already being experienced, and there will be more even if mitigation efforts are successful. Societies must do more to adapt to ongoing and unavoidable changes in the Earth’s climate system by:
• Improving preparedness/response strategies and management of natural resources to cope with future climatic conditions that will be fundamentally different than those experienced for the last 100 years.
• Addressing the adaptation needs of the poorest and most vulnerable nations, which will bear the brunt of climate change impacts.
• Planning and building climate resilient cities.
• Strengthening international, national, and regional institutions to cope with weather-related disasters and an increasing number of climate change refugees.
• The international community, through the UN and related multilateral institutions, can play a crucial role in advancing action to manage the unavoidable and avoid the unmanageable by:
• Helping developing countries and countries with economies in transition to finance and deploy energy efficient and new energy technologies.
• Accelerating negotiations to develop a new international framework for addressing climate change and sustainable development.
• Educating all about the opportunities to adopt mitigation and adaptation measures.

About Sigma XiSigma Xi
The Scientific Research Society is an international honor society for research scientists and engineers, with more than 500 chapters and 60,000 members in North America and around the world. The society sponsors a number of programs that promote science and engineering and also publishes American Scientist magazine. Sigma Xi’s administrative offices are in Research Triangle Park, N.C. http://www.sigmaxi.org/

About the UN Foundation
The UN Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems and also works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation is a public charity. http://www.unfoundation.org/

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Confronting Climate Change:
Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable

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New Evidence That Global Warming Fuels Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes

Atmospheric scientists have uncovered fresh evidence to support the hotly debated theory that global warming has contributed to the emergence of stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.

The unsettling trend is confined to the Atlantic, however, and does not hold up in any of the world's other oceans, researchers have also found.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the finding in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The work should help resolve some of the controversy that has swirled around two prominent studies that drew connections last year between global warming and the onset of increasingly intense hurricanes.

"The debate is not about scientific methods, but instead centers around the quality of hurricane data," says lead author James Kossin, a research scientist at UW-Madison's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. "So we thought, 'Lets take the first step toward resolving this debate.'"

The inconsistent nature of hurricane data has been a sore spot within the hurricane research community for decades. Before the advent of weather satellites, scientists were forced to rely on scattered ship reports and sailor logs to stay abreast of storm conditions. The advent of weather satellites during the 1960s dramatically improved the situation, but the technology has changed so rapidly that newer satellite records are barely consistent with older ones.

Kossin and his colleagues realized they needed to smooth out the data before exploring any interplay between warmer temperatures and hurricane activity. Working with an existing NCDC archive that holds global satellite information for the years 1983 through 2005, the researchers evened out the numbers by essentially simplifying newer satellite information to align it with older records.

"This new dataset is unlike anything that's been done before," says Kossin. "It's going to serve a purpose as being the only globally consistent dataset around. The caveat of course, is that it only goes back to 1983."

Even so, it's a good start. Once the NCDC researchers recalibrated the hurricane figures, Kossin took a fresh look at how the new numbers on hurricane strength correlate with records on warming ocean temperatures, a side effect of global warming.

What he found both supported and contradicted previous findings. "The data says that the Atlantic has been trending upwards in hurricane intensity quite a bit," says Kossin. "But the trends appear to be inflated or spurious everywhere else, meaning that we still can't make any global statements."

Sea-surface temperatures may be one reason why greenhouse gases are exacting a unique toll on the Atlantic Ocean, says Kossin. Hurricanes need temperatures of around 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) to gather steam. On average, the Atlantic's surface is slightly colder than that but other oceans, such as the Western Pacific, are naturally much warmer.

"The average conditions in the Atlantic at any given time are just on the cusp of what it takes for a hurricane to form," says Kossin. “So it might be that imposing only a small (man-made) change in conditions, creates a much better chance of having a hurricane."

The Atlantic is also unique in that all the physical variables that converge to form hurricanes - including wind speeds, wind directions and temperatures - mysteriously feed off each other in ways that only make conditions more ripe for a storm. But scientists don't really understand why, Kossin adds.

"While we can see a correlation between global warming and hurricane strength, we still need to understand exactly why the Atlantic is reacting to warmer temperatures in this way, and that is much more difficult to do," says Kossin. "We need to be creating models and simulations to understand what is really happening here. From here on, that is what we should be thinking about."

The work was funded by the National Science Foundation. Co-authors Daniel Vimont, a UW-Madison atmospheric scientist, Ken Knapp, a scientist at the NCDC, and Richard Murnane, a scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, also contributed to the study.

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

DOE Selects Six Cellulosic Ethanol Plants for Up to $385 Million in Federal Funding

Funding to help bring cellulosic ethanol to market and help revolutionize the industry

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will invest up to $385 million for six biorefinery projects over the next four years. When fully operational, the biorefineries are expected to produce more than 130 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. This production will help further President Bush’s goal of making cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive with gasoline by 2012 and, along with increased automobile fuel efficiency, reduce America’s gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years.

“These biorefineries will play a critical role in helping to bring cellulosic ethanol to market, and teaching us how we can produce it in a more cost effective manner,” Secretary Bodman said. “Ultimately, success in producing inexpensive cellulosic ethanol could be a key to eliminating our nation’s addiction to oil. By relying on American ingenuity and on American farmers for fuel, we will enhance our nation’s energy and economic security.”

Today’s announcement is one part of the Bush Administration’s comprehensive plan to support commercialization of scientific breakthroughs on biofuels. Specifically, these projects directly support the goals of President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, which aims to increase the use of renewable and alternative fuels in the transportation sector to the equivalent of 35 billion gallons of ethanol a year by 2017. Funding for these projects is an integral part of the President’s Biofuels Initiative that will lead to the wide-scale use of non-food based biomass, such as agricultural waste, trees, forest residues, and perennial grasses in the production of transportation fuels, electricity, and other products. The solicitation, announced a year ago, was initially for three biorefineries and $160 million. However, in an effort to expedite the goals of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative and help achieve the goals of his Twenty in Ten Initiative, within authority of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), Section 932, Secretary Bodman raised the funding ceiling.

“We had a number of very good proposals, but these six were considered ‘meritorious’ by a merit review panel made up of bioenergy experts. So I thought it would be best to front-end some more funding now, so that we could all reap the benefits of the President’s vision sooner,” Secretary Bodman said.

Combined with the industry cost share, more than $1.2 billion will be invested in these six biorefineries. Negotiations between the selected companies and DOE will begin immediately to determine final project plans and funding levels. Funding will begin this fiscal year and run through FY 2010. EPAct authorized DOE to solicit and fund proposals for the commercial demonstration of advanced biorefineries that use cellulosic feedstocks to produce ethanol and co-produce bioproducts and electricity.
The following six projects were selected:

Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, LLC of Chesterfield, Missouri, up to $76 million.The proposed plant will be located in the state of Kansas. The plant will produce 11.4 million gallons of ethanol annually and enough energy to power the facility, with any excess energy being used to power the adjacent corn dry grind mill. The plant will use 700 tons per day of corn stover, wheat straw, milo stubble, switchgrass, and other feedstocks.
Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass investors/participants include: Abengoa Bioenergy R&D, Inc.; Abengoa Engineering and Construction, LLC; Antares Corp.; and Taylor Engineering.

ALICO, Inc. of LaBelle, Florida, up to $33 million.The proposed plant will be in LaBelle (Hendry County), Florida. The plant will produce 13.9 million gallons of ethanol a year and 6,255 kilowatts of electric power, as well as 8.8 tons of hydrogen and 50 tons of ammonia per day. For feedstock, the plant will use 770 tons per day of yard, wood, and vegetative wastes and eventually energycane.ALICO, Inc. investors/participants include: Bioengineering Resources, Inc. of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Washington Group International of Boise, Idaho; GeoSyntec Consultants of Boca Raton, Florida; BG Katz Companies/JAKS, LLC of Parkland, Florida; and Emmaus Foundation, Inc.

BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. of Irvine, California, up to $40 million.The proposed plant will be in Southern California. The plant will be sited on an existing landfill and produce about 19 million gallons of ethanol a year. As feedstock, the plant would use 700 tons per day of sorted green waste and wood waste from landfills.BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. investors/participants include: Waste Management, Inc.; JGC Corporation; MECS Inc.; NAES; and PetroDiamond.

Broin Companies of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, up to $80 million.The plant is in Emmetsburg (Palo Alto County), Iowa, and after expansion, it will produce 125 million gallons of ethanol per year, of which roughly 25percent will be cellulosic ethanol. For feedstock in the production of cellulosic ethanol, the plant expects to use 842 tons per day of corn fiber, cobs, and stalks.
Broin Companies participants include: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company; Novozymes North America, Inc.; and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Iogen Biorefinery Partners, LLC, of Arlington, Virginia, up to $80 million.The proposed plant will be built in Shelley, Idaho, near Idaho Falls, and will produce 18 million gallons of ethanol annually. The plant will use 700 tons per day of agricultural residues including wheat straw, barley straw, corn stover, switchgrass, and rice straw as feedstocks.
Iogen Biorefinery Partners, LLC investors/partners include: Iogen Energy Corporation; Iogen Corporation; Goldman Sachs; and The Royal Dutch/Shell Group.

Range Fuels (formerly Kergy Inc.) of Broomfield, Colorado, up to $76
million.The proposed plant will be constructed in Soperton (Treutlen County), Georgia. The plant will produce about 40 million gallons of ethanol per year and 9 million gallons per year of methanol. As feedstock, the plant will use 1,200 tons per day of wood residues and wood based energy crops.
Range Fuels investors/participants include: Merrick and Company; PRAJ Industries Ltd.; Western Research Institute; Georgia Forestry Commission; Yeomans Wood and Timber; Truetlen County Development Authority; BioConversion Technology; Khosla Ventures; CH2MHill; Gillis Ag and Timber.

Cellulosic ethanol is an alternative fuel made from a wide variety of non-food plant materials (or feedstocks), including agricultural wastes such as corn stover and cereal straws, industrial plant waste like saw dust and paper pulp, and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production like switchgrass. By using a variety of regional feedstocks for refining cellulosic ethanol, the fuel can be produced in nearly every region of the country. Though it requires a more complex refining process, cellulosic ethanol contains more net energy and results in lower greenhouse emissions than traditional corn-based ethanol. E-85, an ethanol-fuel blend that is 85-percent ethanol, is already available in more than 1,000 fueling stations nationwide and can power millions of flexible fuel vehicles already on the roads.

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DOE

Governor Bill Richardson Leads Regional Climate Change Initiative

(Santa Fe, NM) – Governor Bill Richardson today joined the Governors of Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington to announce the formation of the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative to implement a joint strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

At the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association, Governors Janet Napolitano, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Richardson, Ted Kulongoski and Chris Gregoire signed the agreement that directs their respective states to, within the next six months, develop a regional target for reducing greenhouse gases. During the next 18 months, they will devise a market-based program, such as a load-based cap and trade program to reach the target. The five states also have agreed to participate in a multi-state registry to track and manage greenhouse gas emissions in their region.

“With this agreement, states are once again taking the lead on combating global climate change – while Washington, D.C. sits on its hands,” said New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. “This historic agreement signals our commitment to tackling the problem head-on at the regional level and building on efforts in our individual states.”

The Western Regional Climate Action Initiative builds on existing greenhouse gas reduction efforts in the individual states as well as two existing regional efforts. In 2003, California, Oregon and Washington created the West Coast Global Warming Initiative, and in 2006, Arizona and New Mexico launched the Southwest Climate Change Initiative.

During the Richardson Administration, New Mexico has been a national leader on combating global climate change. These efforts have included becoming the first state in the nation to join the Chicago Climate Exchange and the first major oil and gas producing state to tackle climate change comprehensively.

Governor Bill Richardson also recently signed an executive order that directs state agencies to follow many of the recommendations of his Climate Change Advisory Group, which produced a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 267 million metric tons.

The Governor’s executive order creates a state government implementation team tasked with ensuring policies from the order are carried out. Those policies include:
• Creating a market-based greenhouse gas emissions registry and reduction program
• Advancing carbon capture and sequestration technology
• Promoting the use of manure from the dairy industry in power generation
• Developing an education and outreach program on green buildings for private sector builders
• Creating new procurement rules that ensure state government offices have energy efficient appliances
• Mandating that state vehicles use mainly clean, renewable fuels
• Proposing a one-time tax credit of up to 40 percent for the purchase, construction or retrofitting of alternative fuel filling stations.

Governor Richardson has also endorsed seeking regulations to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions of new cars and trucks sold in New Mexico and more than quadrupling New Mexico’s renewable energy use by mandating that 15 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020.

In spring 2005, Governor Richardson issued an executive order establishing greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for New Mexico. These goals are 2000 levels by 2012, 10 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 and 75 percent below 2000 levels by 2050. New Mexico, along with Arizona and California, is among a growing number of states to create climate change advisory groups.

Western states have suffered from prolonged drought, decreased snowfall, increased and earlier snowmelt, and more severe and devastating forest and rangeland fires in recent years as a result of changes in the climate. The just-released Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that the Western United States will be especially affected by increased temperatures and climatic changes resulting from the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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Governor’s Office State of New Mexico

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An Inconvenient Truth Wins at the Oscars

Former Vice President, Al Gore turned a power-point presentation about global warming into an award-winning documentary. On Sunday, February 25th, An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar for Best Documentary Film.

Gore’s thank you speech was short and to the point: "My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It's not a political issue, it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started with the possible will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

And backstage he added: "It is the overriding world challenge of our time," Gore said. "I really hope the decision by the academy to honor the work by director Davis Guggenheim and these producers will convince people who did not go see it before to see the movie and learn about the climate crisis and become a part of the solution."

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FOX News

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GE Announces Advancement in Incandescent Technology; New High-Efficiency Lamps Targeted for Market by 2010

Re-inventing Edison: New Light Bulb Will Provide High-Quality Light and Deliver Efficiency Comparable to Compact Fluorescent Lamps

CLEVELAND--GE Consumer & Industrial’s Lighting division, a world leader in the development of energy-efficient lighting products, today announced advancements to the light bulb invented by GE’s founder Thomas Edison that potentially will elevate the energy efficiency of this 125-year-old technology to levels comparable to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), delivering significant environmental benefits. Over the next several years, these advancements will lead to the introduction of high-efficiency incandescent lamps that provide the same high light quality, brightness and color as current incandescent lamps while saving energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

The new high efficiency incandescent (HEI™) lamp, which incorporates innovative new materials being developed in partnership by GE’s Lighting division, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and GE’s Global Research Center, headquartered in Niskayuna, NY, would replace traditional 40- to 100-Watt household incandescent light bulbs, the most popular lamp type used by consumers today. The new technology could be expanded to all other incandescent types as well. The target for these bulbs at initial production is to be nearly twice as efficient, at 30 lumens-per-Watt, as current incandescent bulbs.

Ultimately the high efficiency lamp (HEI) technology is expected to be about four times as efficient as current incandescent bulbs and comparable to CFL bulbs. Adoption of new technology could lead to greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 40 million tons of CO2 in the U.S. and up to 50 million tons in the EU if the entire installed base of traditional incandescent bulbs was replaced with HEI lamps.

Kevin Nolan, Vice President of Technology for GE Consumer & Industrial, said: “In addition to offering significant energy savings comparable to CFLs, the 21st century version of Edison’s bulb provides all the desirable benefits including light quality and instant-on convenience as incandescent lamps currently provide at a price that will be less than CFLs. We and other lighting manufacturers have been aggressive in developing and marketing CFLs. But consumers want more options and we plan to respond to their needs and deliver environmental benefits, too. It’s important that we offer consumers a full range of products that meet their personal desire to reduce their negative impact on the environment while preserving their ability to pick the best lighting product for their needs. That’s why we are moving aggressively to commercialize these new lamps.”

GE’s announcement was made in conjunction with its decision to support legislation in the EU, the United States and in other areas that would accelerate the introduction of all types of high efficiency lighting products as part of the global effort to promote energy security and reduce emission of greenhouse gases. GE’s HEI ™ would support attainment of the objectives of the European Commission’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan, which aims to reduce Europe’s energy consumption 20% by the year 2020.

GE has invested more than $200 million in the last four years on the development of energy efficient lighting, including reduced-powered Miser® light bulbs to high-efficiency Par 38 halogen lamps and Energy Smart® compact fluorescent lamps. The US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have recognized its contributions to energy efficiency and GHG reductions every year since 2004 with the ENERGY STAR Award, and in 2006 with the ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence. GE offers 67 ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting products. The environmental benefits of these products sold in 2006 alone will, over their lifetime, reduce consumers’ electricity costs by $1.3 billion and prevent 500 million tons of GHG emissions.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliance, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and "ecomagination," a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric (NYSE: GE) brings imagination to work, selling products under the Monogram®, Profile™ GE®, Hotpoint®, SmartWater™ Reveal®, Edison™ and Energy Smart™ consumer brands, and Entellisys™ industrial brand. For more information, consumers may visit http://www.ge.com/.

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GE