Cap and Trade Receives Passing Grades

All ten of the country’s greatest carbon-storing national forests are located in the Pacific Northwest.  The ten national forests covering 19 million acres in western Oregon, western Washington, and southeastern Alaska capture approximately 9.8 billion tons of CO2-equivalent – an amount greater than all the CO2 emitted from the burning of fossil fuels throughout the U.S. in one year.  The Wilderness Society presented these findings in a paper using data from the U.S. Forest Service.

Gas taxes raising fuel prices to above $8 per gallon may be the best method for achieving meaningful decreases in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.  This is the conclusion of a paper recently published by Harvard’s Belfer Center called “Analysis of Policies to Reduce Oil Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. Transportation Sector.“  The report analyzes five policy scenarios for effectiveness in curbing emissions, including fuel taxes, hybrid vehicle tax credits, and cap-and-trade.

NASA has recently determined automobiles to be the largest net contributor to climate change pollution.  A paper from scientists at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies examines climate impacts of various economic sectors, accounting for both positive and negative climate forcing due to emission of different gases.  NASA argues that climate profiles by economic sector foster better climate policy and easier identification of mitigation opportunities.

The conditions and trends of forests in the Southern U.S. can now easily be tracked thanks to a recent report from the World Resources Institute and a corresponding website: SeeSouthernForests.org.  The report predicts that 19 million acres of forest will be converted due to residential and commercial development between 2020 and 2040.  Satellite pictures on the website can be used to visualize the changes that have already taken place over the past 30 years.

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Clean Energy Means Jobs. The RES Alliance for Jobs published a report that finds federal policy has the potential to create 274,000 new jobs, equivalent to 2.36 million additional job-years.  Such are the economic benefits if the government were to mandate a 25% renewable electricity standard by the year 2025.  See how each state could benefit from job growth in the report: Job Impacts of a National Renewable Electricity Standard.

Smart Grids Smart Move. A new report from Greenpeace casts doubt to the claims that coal and nuclear power plants are needed for base-load and back-up power for renewable energy sources.  The report shows that investments in smart and super grids could operate with over 90% renewable sources and guarantee power supply 24/7.  Check out the report, Renewables 24/7, to learn what infrastructure is needed to save the climate.

Biofuels Drive Hunger in Africa. A recent report from ActionAid sheds light on the unintended consequences of the increase in production of industrial biofuels.  An estimated 1.1 million hectares (an area the size of Belgium) have been converted to biofuel production in Africa, contributing to a spike in food prices and driving tens of millions into poverty and hunger.  The ActionAid report, Meals Per Gallon, calls for an end to biofuel targets like the EU commitment to obtain 10% of transport fuel from renewable sources by 2020.

Refrigerated Aisles Contribute to Warming. The Environmental Investigation Agency released a report titled Chilling Facts II: The Supermarket Refrigeration Scandal Continues on February 1, 2010 on the global warming impact of supermarket refrigeration systems, coupled with a survey of supermarkets throughout the United Kingdom.  Finds that the number of stores in the UK that already have, or plan to switch to HFC-free refrigeration is increasing.  However, these technologies are in place in less than 2% of UK supermarkets, and HFC leakage accounts for the equivalent of 1.13 million tons of CO2 – equal to over one billion car journeys to the store.

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