In Search of Smog Stories

In the battle to require more stringent regulations on vehicle emissions, The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is fighting back with smog stories solicited from the public. The “Clean Air Voices in the Community” program is asking the public to submit personal stories, photographs and videos on how smog affects their lives. The stories will be posted on the SCAQMD website at www.aqmd.gov, as well as distributed in newsletters and PSAs.

The goal of the program is to raise awareness of the situation and bring a sense of urgency that the state and federal government, along with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach need to take aggressive action against emissions from trucks, ships and cars. The main issue is particulate pollution, which is known to cause serious health problems and premature death.

To submit stories and other material, email yourstory@aqmd.gov.

See the Source:
DailyBreeze.com

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

EPA Seeks Data Review to Assess Remaining Air Toxics Risks from 22 Industry Sectors

Washington, D.C. - March 26, 2007 -- EPA is soliciting public comment on data the agency intends to use in analyzing risks from air toxics emitted from 22 industrial sectors. EPA will use the data to conduct risk analyses to determine if additional standards are needed to address remaining risks from the 22 sectors. In addition, EPA will perform a technology review for each sector.

The agency seeks comment on toxic air pollutant emissions estimates and other information. The data will help EPA scientists estimate airborne pollutant concentrations. Following review of comments received, EPA plans to update the data, as appropriate, and estimate remaining risks.

These analyses are required by the Clean Air Act as part of the process to assess the risks remaining after these industrial sectors have complied with earlier technology based emission standards.

Today’s action announces EPA’s approach and requests public comments. EPA will accept comments for 60 days following publication of the notice in the Federal Register.

See the Source:
EPA

Small Businesses: Big Payoffs in New Technologies for America

Washington, D.C. -- March 8, 2007 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced $2.52 million in contracts to 36 small businesses to develop new technologies that will protect human health and the environment. Recipients of these awards will research issues that range from protecting the Great Lakes to homeland security to nanotechnology and more.

President Bush understands the health and prosperity of our nation is due to the strength and ingenuity of our small businesses," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "These grants will help spur innovation from America's small businesses so they can continue driving our economy and powering our environmental successes."

The awards were given to businesses in 22 states under EPA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. SBIR was established to ensure that new technologies are developed to solve priority environmental problems. EPA is one of 12 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program, enacted in 1982 to strengthen the role of small businesses in federal research and development, create jobs, and promote U.S. technical innovation in the United States.

These awards will focus on 14 key environmental areas: protecting the Great Lakes; improving air quality; monitoring metals from incinerators; developing sensors to determine whether waters are safe for swimming; finding new techniques for "green" buildings; managing mining wastes; reducing pollution from animal feeding operations; treating drinking water; managing wastewater; finding innovations in manufacturing for environmental protection; protecting the environment using nanotechnology; reducing engine and vehicle emissions; improving homeland security; and developing new methods to produce biodiesel, butanol and ethanol.

There are approximately 25 million small businesses in the United States that employ more than 50 percent of workers and develop most of the country's new technologies. To participate in SBIR, a small business must have fewer than 500 employees, and at least 51 percent of the business must be owned by U.S. citizens.

From March 15 to May 23, 2007, EPA will again be requesting applications for the development of new environmental technologies.

See the Source:
EPA's SBIR web site

Find out:
How to reduce stationary diesel engine emissions with diesel particulate filters from CleanAIR Systems

States, Enviros Sue EPA Over Cement Factory Emissions

ALBANY, New York – February 21, 2007 -- New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today announced a multi-state legal challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, for adopting a rule that refuses to regulate mercury and other pollutants from existing portland cement plants.

The states seek to have a federal court overturn the rule by finding that it violates the Clean Air Act.

A petition, signed by nine states, was filed today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The states joining New York in the petition are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Portland cement is the primary cement used in building projects and road construction. It is produced throughout the United States. Collectively, these cement plants are a major source of mercury emissions nationwide.

The federal Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set standards for various hazardous air pollutants, including mercury, based on the performance of the cleanest 12 percent of existing plants.

The EPA’s rule would exempt existing portland cement plants from having to do anything to lower their emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) refusal to set emission standards for portland cement plants leaves a significant source of mercury pollution in the United States unregulated.

Mercury in the environment is blamed for neurological disorders, learning disabilities, and, in certain high dosage cases, even death. Recent studies suggest that mercury exposure may also contribute to adult cardiovascular problems. In addition, mercury contamination in many water bodies has led to the issuance of fish consumption advisories across New York State.

This will be the second time that the EPA has been challenged over its failure to set mercury pollution standards for the portland cement industry. In 2000, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit directed the EPA to set mercury standards. The EPA has since ignored the court’s ruling.

'It is shameful that the Bush Administration’s EPA continues to abdicate its responsibility to protect public health and the environment. This coalition of states is resorting to the federal courts in an effort to compel the EPA to follow the law and establish limits for the most dangerous pollutants,' said Cuomo.

'This is just another instance in a long line of examples of the Bush Administration caving to industry lobbyists at the expense of the health concerns of ordinary citizens.'

On Friday in the same court, environmentalists brought their own lawsuit against the EPA for its latest refusal to limit cement kilns' mercury emissions.

Earthjustice is representing Sierra Club, the Texas group Downwinders At Risk, the Huron Environmental Activist League from Michigan, Friends of Hudson from New York, California's Desert Citizens Against Pollution, and Montanans Against Toxic Burning in the lawsuit.

'Once again the EPA has failed to put public health first,' said Carl Pope, Sierra Club executive director. 'The agency ignored the law. They have ignored the courts and they have ignored public health for too long.'

The agency estimates that 118 cement kilns emit over 11,000 pounds of mercury each year, making cement kilns one of the largest sources of mercury pollution.

The nation's single largest mercury polluter of any kind is a cement kiln in southern California, which emitted over 2,500 pounds of mercury in 2004.

See the Source:
Environment News Service

CleanAIR Particulate Filters Protect Miners’ Exposure to Diesel Emissions

Santa Fe, NM -- February 22 -- Miners have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. While many federal regulations protect miners from on-the-job hazards, it has not always been easy to protect the air they breathe. Now new standards decided on February 9th by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will help miners breathe easier by limiting exposure to diesel emissions, specifically fine carbon particles (particulate matter) which have been linked to lung cancer and respiratory illnesses. Produced by heavy equipment operating within the mines, particulate matter can essentially be eliminated by retrofitting vehicles with diesel particulate filters, such as the products manufactured by CleanAIR Systems, Inc.

A leading supplier to the mining industry of emissions control technology, CleanAIR diesel particulate filters are currently installed in twenty-six mines located throughout eight states. The CleanAIR PERMIT FBC™ Filter reduces particulate matter by over 85%, as well as reducing deadly carbon monoxide (CO) by up to 90% and hydrocarbons (HC) by as much as 90%. At the same time, the CleanAIR PERMIT FBC™ does not increase emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which also poses a serious air quality problem within mines. The PERMIT FBC™ can reduce emissions while operating using any diesel fuel from high-sulfur diesel to ultra-low sulfur diesel, as well as biodiesel.

The CleanAIR PERMIT FBC™ Filter was tested in 2003 by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and found acceptable for use in mines.

“We have been working with the mining industry for a long time in the United States and Canada to solve emissions problems,” explains Michael Roach, President of CleanAIR Systems. “The PERMIT FBC™ Filter is a proven solution for reducing particulate matter, CO and HC, while not increasing emissions of NO2. Our goal in developing this product was to create a filter for the specialized environment of underground mining and, at the same time, protect miners from dangerous emissions.”

The February court decision affects 16,000 miners across the country, working mostly in metal (such as gold) and non-metal mines (such as limestone). Coal mines are subject to different regulations, with many already installing filters to control emissions.

Established in 1993, CleanAIR Systems, Inc. located in Santa Fe, NM, is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation. CleanAIR – Committed to a Cleaner Environment.

For more information, visit www.cleanairsys.com.

Find out:

How diesel particulate matter can be reduced in mines using the PERMIT FBC filter.

GE Energy’s Filtration Technology Receives ecomagination Certification

NEW DELHI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Energy’s PulsePleat® filtration technology has received ecomagination certification after completing the company’s rigorous environmental and operational evaluation. It was cited as one of a number of successful GE projects during the formal launch of GE’s ecomagination program in New Delhi, India.

Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water. GE Energy’s environmental services team provided metrics to demonstrate that PulsePleat offered significant and measurable performance advantages.

Fabric filtration is used to capture particulate matter (fine dust) created by different manufacturing processes to help prevent air-polluting emissions. The technology is used by more than 50 industries globally, by utilities and in the cement, metals, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

“PulsePleat elements can help to reduce particulate matter emissions by as much as 40 percent in the 3,000,000 units installed worldwide,” said Daniel Heintzelman, president of GE Energy’s services business. “This technology helps the industry to meet increasingly stringent emissions control regulations and to benefit from improved production levels and lower operating costs.”

Conventional filter bags are the most commonly accepted method used to capture fine particulate matter for air pollution control. Standard fabric filter bags are arranged in a dust collection system (or baghouse) where exhaust air is filtered before venting out of the stack to the atmosphere.

PulsePleat Pleated Filter Elements are a replacement upgrade to conventional filters, requiring minimal or no retrofitting to existing baghouses. Customers using PulsePleat Pleated Filter Elements have seen significant improvement in performance, cost and ecological impact when compared to traditional filter bags. The filters are manufactured in GE’s facilities in Switzerland, China and Salisbury, Mo., U.S.A.

By reducing particulate matter emissions by 21,000 lbs/year (for a typical metals manufacturing plant) down to a mean particle size of 0.5 micron, customers using GE’s PulsePleat Filter Elements are able to recycle particulate matter back into the manufacturing process. The 21,000 lbs/year of particulate saved is equivalent to the average amount of aluminum needed to build 87 passenger vehicles, and enough recycled material to make 355,950 aluminum beverage cans.

In a standard manufacturing plant, PulsePleat filters last four times longer than standard filters. Over a three-year period, this results in a filter material savings equivalent to 99,531 lbs. of polyester material, 4,977 barrels of oil (used as an ingredient in 99,351 lbs. of polyester) and waste that would be generated by 22,672 people daily in the United States.

About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.

Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE’s corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.

See the Source:
GE Energy

Find out:
How the PERMIT Filter from CleanAIR Systems reduces particulate matter by over 85% from emergency and prime power generators.

Successful Refined Coal Test Burn

Buckeye Industrial Mining Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Evergreen Energy Inc., has successfully concluded a comprehensive test burn at the University of Notre Dame involving 50 and 75 percent blends of K-Fuel® refined coal with high-sulfur, low-fusion eastern Ohio bituminous coal.

The test was designed to take advantage of K-Fuel’s® ultra low levels of mercury, chloride and sulfur while maintaining the boiler at or near its full load. A feed of 100 percent K-Fuel® was tested as well.

The test results, verified through stack testing by a third party, demonstrated that when compared to the base bituminous coal normally used in the Babcock and Wilcox cyclone boiler, a 100 percent burn of K-Fuel® reduced chloride emissions by 75 percent and sulfur dioxide emissions by 90 percent. The difference in mercury content of K-Fuel® as compared to the feedstock coal was a reduction of 75 percent.

Blends of 50 percent and 75 percent K-Fuel® with the eastern bituminous high sulfur coal resulted in emissions improvements as well, confirming that a blend of eastern bituminous coal and K-Fuel® could help the boiler comply with the new Federal Industrial Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology rule for emissions while maintaining its load capacity through higher BTU values resulting from the blending of eastern bituminous coal with K-Fuel®.

“This is significant news because it further demonstrates that Buckeye’s existing customers who burn coal will benefit from eastern bituminous coal blended with K-Fuel®, providing those customers fuel based options to meet the new Federal rules for lower emissions. Coal consumers would otherwise have to rely on currently available and costly technology to scrub the pollutants,” said Mark S. Sexton, chairman and CEO of Evergreen Energy.

Sexton noted that as the September 2007 deadline for new emissions rules looms closer, industrial boiler customers should consider K-Fuel® to address their compliance needs as an economical alternative to other emissions control technologies.

Other test results showed that the specific properties of K-Fuel® and the way it interacts with eastern bituminous coal improved the boiler operation and overcame problems experienced by many cyclone-fired units when operating under light load conditions.
Quinapoxet Solutions of Windham, NH provided technical support for the test burn.

More details of the results are available at www.evgenergy.com.

About Evergreen Energy Inc.
Evergreen Energy Inc. refines coal into a cleaner, more efficient and affordable solid fuel that is available today to meet the growing energy demands of industrial and utility customers while addressing important environmental concerns.

See the Source:
Evergreen Energy Inc.

Find out:
How emissions of NOx from coal-fired power plants can be reduce by up to 95% using selective catalytic reduction from CleanAIR Systems.

DOE Funds Projects Geared Toward Near-Zero Emissions Power Production

Washington, DC - The Department of Energy announced in December the selection of five projects totaling nearly $12 million targeting cost-effective technologies to improve the performance and economics of near-zero emission, coal-based power generation systems.

Developed for the Office of Fossil Energy's Advanced Research program, the projects focus on identifying technologies that address physical, chemical, biological and thermodynamic constraints in the cross cutting technology areas of instrumentation, sensors and control systems, materials, and computational energy sciences. DOE is providing more than $9.3 million in funding while industry is contributing more than $2.3 million. The projects range from 24 to 36 months in duration.

The research will continue to emphasize many of President Bush's energy goals of addressing global climate change, enhancing energy security, ushering in a hydrogen economy, and building the FutureGen plant. Cumulatively, the results will meet the efforts to develop the power generation systems of the future.
The projects are described below:

ALSTOM Power, Inc. (Windsor, Conn.) will develop computational process models and a process dynamic simulator to investigate and develop advanced sensing and control systems for hybrid combustion-gasification chemical looping. Their work hopes to achieve a more reliable, economical and emissions-optimized future plant process. (DOE share: $1,198,998; industry share: $299,750; duration: 24 months)

Babcock & Wilcox Company (Barberton, Ohio) will develop comprehensive modeling focused on predicting the corrosion rates of boiler tubes under low-NOx corrosion. Eight common coals will be tested and the intention is to accurately estimate the corrosion rates of boiler tubes using different variables including chemicals and temperature. (DOE share: $2,103,543; industry share: $525,884; duration: 36 months)

General Electric (Niskayuna, N.Y.) will perform computer modeling research focused specifically on coal gasification plants and will install and develop a harsh environment sensor package at the Tampa Electric Company Polk Power Station. The collected temperature data will be used for model validation. (DOE share: $2,427,588; industry share: $606,897; duration: 36 months)

Electric Power Research Institute (Palo Alto, Calif.) will develop advanced nanostructure coatings to significantly improve corrosion and erosion performance of tubing used in boiler applications. The coatings will undergo testing in simulated boiler environments using coals from three different regions. EPRI's partners include the Southwest Research Institute, Foster Wheeler North America Corp. and Applied Films. (DOE share: $1,994,828; industry share: $498,708; duration: 36 months)

University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, Colo.) will develop a gas-solid model, using new methodologies tailored to polydisperse systems, targeted specifically at materials with differences in size and/or density. Novel aspects include incorporating the effects of random particle motion between systems. (DOE share: $1,594,175; industry share: $402,995; duration: 36 months)

See the Source:
Department of Energy

Find out:
About new low-temperature selective catalytic reduction technology from CleanAIR Systems to lower NOx emissions from power plants.

Companies Commit to Saving Climate

Paris, France – Twelve major corporations taking part in WWF’s Climate Savers Programme are on course to eliminate at least ten million tons of CO2 emissions annually by 2010. If an additional 1,300 large companies join them, current emission reduction targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol could be achieved, says WWF.

“Fighting climate change can provide business opportunities and spur innovation and jobs in all parts of the world,” says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme.

“The Climate Savers companies show that sustainable development is not an academic concept but something that can be tackled with a profit – for nature, for society, but also for the companies themselves.”

All 12 companies have pledged to considerably reduce their absolute carbon emissions. Most found that reducing emissions makes business sense.

"Lafarge made its climate savers commitment to reduce its CO2 emissions back in 2001,” says Bruno Lafont, CEO of Lafarge, a world leader in building materials. “Since then, we have worked hard to extend this initiative within the cement sector and we are pleased that a number of other major cement players have decided to commit themselves as well."

Sony is another international company that is part of the WWF Climate Savers Programme.
"We believe it is crucial to keep global warming below the 2°C danger threshold,” says Serge Foucher, Executive Vice President of Sony Europe GmbH. “We hope to prove that joint action across the globe can actually achieve this. Sony has committed not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its own facilities globally, but also to improve the energy efficiency of its products.”

At WWF's Climate Savers conference, taking place in Paris from 1–2 February, sportswear manufacturer Nike received an award for having reached its CO2 reduction target.

“Participation in Climate Savers enabled us to get an early start on an issue that has major consequences for business and society,” says Sarah Severn, Director of Nike's Corporate Responsibility Horizons. “We have found that constraints can lead to tremendous innovation and despite growth in our owned and managed operations we have become more efficient with our energy use. Our next steps will be partnering with suppliers to further reduce our manufacturing and logistics climate footprint.”

A statement released the conference indicated that solutions to climate change do exist:
“As members of the WWF Climate Savers Programme we have gained significant experience in past years and learned that we can reduce the climate change footprint of our companies and remain viable as businesses at the same time.”

The conference was organized by WWF as an opportunity for these firms to show other corporations the way forward to reduce absolute carbon emissions. WWF continues to urges lawmakers and corporate executives around the world to move now and reduce absolute CO2 emissions.

END NOTES:

• The WWF Climate Savers conference is taking place as policymakers meet in Paris (from 29 January to 1 February) for a meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

• World emissions in 1990 were at 22 billion tons of CO2 (Source: CAIT 4.1). The Kyoto reduction target determines that the 35 industrialised countries named in Annex B of the protocol need to reduce 5 per cent of global emissions from 1990 levels. That is 1.1 billion tons of CO2. Twelve WWF Climate Savers companies have reduced 10 million CO2 — an average of 833,333 tons per company. To achieve the 1.1 billion tons reduction on that average base, 1,320 large companies would have to make similar efforts.

• As part of its Climate Savers Programme, WWF has agreements with numerous cutting-edge corporations committed to innovative emission reductions. The companies include: Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Nike, Polaroid, Collins, Xanterra (United States), Sagawa, Sony (Japan), Lafarge (France), Catalyst (Canada), Tetra Pak (Sweden), and Novo Nordisk (Denmark).

See the Source:
WWF International

Find out:
How CleanAIR Systems is committed to a cleaner environment by reducing emissions.

PennFuture, EIP Reach Agreement with Allegheny Power to Clean Up Hatfield's Ferry Plant in PA

PennFuture and the Environmental Integrity Project announced a settlement of its lawsuit against Allegheny Power for violation of soot and particulate matter standards at the Hatfield's Ferry Plant in western Pennsylvania. The agreement requires immediate steps to reduce sooty discharges through flue gas conditioning and other measures, and will further reduce particulate matter through installation of a scrubber no later than June 30, 2010. The settlement is expected to ultimately save over 200 lives and $1.2 billion in health costs annually by reducing exposure to fine particle pollution that triggers asthma attacks and premature death from heart disease

See the Source:
The Environmental Integrity Project
PennFuture

Find out:
How to reduce soot and particulate pollution using the CleanAIR PERMIT Filter.

My Power Plant is Cleaner Than Yours

The Dallas Business Journal reports on a battle of emissions and words being waged between various Texas power plants. Comparing the clean-up efforts of TXU Corp., NRG Energy Inc., CPS, LS Power Development and PNM Resources, the publication discusses what these power companies have and have not done to reduce emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx and mercury.

Between “spin” and actual numbers, controversy is the order of the day with TXU claiming their plan to build 11 new coal-fired power plants will actually help clean up air pollution and is challenging all other develops to follow suite. Not so fast, proclaims City Public Works (CPS) of San Antonio. CPS decided to voluntarily reduce emissions since 1997, accepting “the lowest permitted emission rates of NOx on an annual basis in the United States.”

Using a combination approach of: installing new emissions control technology, retiring older plants, balancing coal with other clean alternative power, and purchasing emissions credits, the state’s power developers are in a race to comply with state regulations, build a positive image with local communities and environmental organizations and, as a result, reduce toxic emissions along with air pollution in the state of Texas.

See the Source:
Dallas Business Journal

Find out:
How fossil-fuel power plants can reduce NOx with the CleanAIR ENDURE SCR Catalyst.

EPA Seeks Additional Toxic Emissions Reductions

To provide incentives for reduced air toxic emissions, EPA is proposing to amend what are known as the "General Provisions" to its air toxics standards. The proposed amendment would encourage industrial facilities to reduce air toxics emissions so they are no longer considered a "major source" of air pollution.

Major sources have the potential to emit more than 10 tons per year of a single toxic air pollutant or 25 tons per year of any combination of toxic air pollutants. If a source emits less than these amounts, they are called an area source.

The proposed amendment would allow a major source to become an area source at any time by limiting its potential to emit toxic air pollutants to below the major source thresholds. The limit would be enforced through a permit. Once a major source becomes an area source, it would be subject to an area source standard if there is one for that industry.

The United States has made significant progress in reducing air toxics from industry, fuels and vehicles, and indoor sources. Since the Clean Air Act was amended in 1990, EPA has issued 96 standards for 174 different types of industrial sources of air toxics, including chemical plants, oil refineries, aerospace manufacturers and steel mills. The agency also has issued regulations for 21 categories of smaller sources, such as dry cleaners, commercial sterilizers, secondary lead smelters and chromium electroplating facilities. Together, these standards are projected to reduce annual emissions of air toxics by about 1.7 million tons from 1990 levels when fully implemented.

EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. Read the fact sheet on this action: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3/fact_sheets/OIAIpropfs.html

Read the proposal: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3pfpr.html

New 'Ambitious Centrist' Global Warming Solutions Plan Enters Fray

NRDC-authored Article in Science Combines Scientific Credibility with Political Feasibility

WASHINGTON (November 2, 2006) -- Tomorrow Science magazine will hit the stands with a new vision for Washington's leaders to finally help solve global warming. With a new Congress expected to look very different this winter, and global warming now a front-burner issue for most Americans, this new 'ambitious centrist' plan combines science-based emission reductions with the political and economic realities of enacting global warming legislation.

The article, authored by three staff members of Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Climate Center, lays out a plan with three central elements that will cut global warming emissions, manage costs for business and consumers, promote new technology, and enact an effective "cap-and-trade" program, similar to the one used to cut acid rain emissions.

"For too long, many in Congress have been at loggerheads over global warming solutions," said Dr. Daniel Lashof, science director for NRDC's Climate Center and an author of the article. "With Americans demanding a more productive Congress on important issues like energy and global warming, it's time for partisanship to stop and a new direction in global warming leadership to begin."

The plan's three elements are:

A long-term declining cap, which would take effect quickly and gradually reduce emissions over time. This will reduce long-term costs by stabilizing global warming emissions at safe levels, sooner.

Managing costs to industry, business, and lower-income families, both in the short-term and long-term. By enacting a long-term program and allowing additional flexibility to borrow emissions allowances, companies can have the flexibility to meet emissions requirements without severe economic harm. And a fair approach to allocating emissions allowances, and economic assistance to install energy-saving technologies would give businesses, workers and lower-income families help adjusting to the required emission reductions.

Promoting new technology and faster deployment of low-carbon technologies. By encouraging industries to develop, produce and deploy new energy technologies, emissions will be cut faster, cheaper, and with many economic opportunities.

The article can be found by logging onto www.eurekalert.com.

This article follows two global warming reports this week that indicate a real need for immediate, ambitious action. Former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern released a report on the potential economic harm of global warming inaction, and the need and benefits of immediate investment in solutions. The report notes that every dollar of investment in global warming solutions would outweigh the economic consequences by five- to twenty-fold.

And also this week, the United Nations released a global warming emissions report that notes an overall increase in emissions from industrialized countries, but with an overall reduction from those countries party to the Kyoto Protocol. The United States continues to be the number one emitter of global warming pollution.

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Loans To Help Truckers Save Money, Reduce Emissions

(Washington, D.C. - Nov. 14, 2006) Small trucking companies can make sure the rubber meets the road while saving money and reducing pollution with a new loan initiative that will help pay for fuel-saving technologies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with the Small Business Administration to make loans available to purchase SmartWay Upgrade Kits.

"This new loan initiative is another step forward in our nation's efforts to conserve resources, achieve energy independence, and reduce the emissions that contribute to soot and smog," said Bill Wehrum, EPA's acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. "By taking these actions and making advanced truck technologies more affordable, we are responding to the president's call for greater fuel efficiency."

This loan initiative uses SBA Express Loans and partners with Bank of America, Business Loan Express, Superior Financial Group and other SBA lenders to help small trucking companies finance the purchase of SmartWay Upgrade Kits. The kits include idle-reduction devices, low rolling resistance tires, aerodynamic equipment, and exhaust after-treatment devices. The kits can improve truck fuel efficiency by 15 percent and save more than $8,000 in fuel costs annually, while significantly reducing emissions of soot and nitrogen oxides.

Participating lenders will provide quick approval and affordable monthly payments. Small trucking firms can borrow from $5,000 to $25,000, with no collateral, an easy on-line or telephone application, and flexible loan terms.

Information on EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership program and the loan initiative: http://www.epa.gov/smartway/financing.htm