Greenhouse Gases

Let’s Look Beyond the Haze

Terry Tamminen — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:12:00 -0400

I was in Beijing last week and noticed the smog, of course, but as China grapples with Olympics and air quality I also saw something much more important. China is serious about energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases.

In recent months, the Chinese government has closed over 21 gigawatts of the dirtiest, most inefficient power plants. They didn't do this just for a temporary clean air benefit around Beijing - - it was done permanently all across the country. They also closed inefficient foundries, furnaces, and cement makers in huge numbers.

The government is in talks with major manufacturers, provincial leaders, and experts from places like California's Energy Commission (the agency that is largely responsible for making the Golden State 40% more energy efficient than the rest of America) to squeeze out all of the inefficient machinery, power generators, and heating/air conditioning equipment. They're also doing the obvious - - one official told me that the government will replace 2 billion incandescent light bulbs in the next year with more efficient ones.

It looks like China has learned a lesson that we are slowly grasping in the US - - that efficiency is the cheapest form of energy supply and is good for the environment and economy simultaneously. The big difference is that too many US businesses still resist state and federal efficiency or renewable energy policies in the misguided belief that a short term cost is harder to bear than a long term benefit. Maybe after the Olympic fever subsides, it might be useful for execs from some of those entrenched businesses to take vacation in China and see/hear for themselves.

The Easy Way Out

Terry Tamminen — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:32:00 -0400

Governor Charlie Crist hosted a Climate Summit in Miami 2 weeks ago and here are a few observations from the front row...

- In his opening keynote, Gov. Crist showed the value of leadership - - just one year ago, he challenged his state to tackle climate change and the result was a massive energy bill that will dramatically increase renewables (solar, wind, etc), improve energy efficiency (the cheapest power comes from the power plant you don't have to build!), and greenhouse gas reductions.

- Ray Anderson, founder and Chairman of Interface, a billion dollar American carpet company, told us how he had slashed energy consumption and greenhouse gases 60% in the past 10 years while doubling profits. Any doubts that we can be both environmentally and economically sustainable simultaneously were erased from the minds of 800 in attendance that night!

- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a knock-out punch of sorts - - he said the politicians who claim they can lower gasoline prices by drilling offshore or investigating oil companies are "blowing smoke". He challenged us to do the job ourselves, by inflating our tires properly, driving a bit slower, tuning up our engines, and using other simple methods to improve MPG by as much as 20% overnight. He made other suggestions of things we can do to take our economic and environmental destiny into our own hands - - great point - - we can't wait for politicians to do it!

The bottom line of the conference was that there is an easy way out of our current economic mess and pending environmental disaster. DIY (Do It yourself) - - make your home and business more energy efficient, drive smarter, and expand the use of renewables for starters. Speaker after speaker gave examples from around the nation and the world that these measures are practical, within our own power to adopt, and save big money while doing our share for the planet. I'd call that an easy way out.

As a rule, conferences talk about the same thing they talked about last year and plan to talk about the same thing next year. This was a bright exception to that rule and, if Gov. Crist holds one next year, you should join him!

Who Will Tell the Story?

Terry Tamminen — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the New America Foundation’s Climate Program Blog. This weekly snapshot will offer insights into the most effective climate solutions around the U.S. and the world. We’ll also ask guest bloggers to give us their analysis and provocative suggestions for getting these solutions into practice -- before it’s too late.

You might be asking yourself why I would mention “U.S.” and “climate solutions” in the same sentence, considering that while we are 5% of the world’s population and generate over 25% of the world’s greenhouse gases, we are the only industrialized nation that has refused to ratify the Kyoto accord. The good news is that the U.S. contribution to battling climate change is taking shape in municipal, state, and regional governments, despite the lack of any contribution by our federal leadership.

I think that telling this story is important to solving the climate crisis worldwide. I think we can agree that solving the climate change challenge depends on getting greenhouse gases slashed in the U.S., but also in China, India, and the other emerging economies. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair told me (in 2006 and again on his last day in office in 2007) that his work with the leaders of those countries has taught him that China and India won’t budge until they see the greenhouse gas leader - - the U.S. -- go first. Therefore, in his view, getting the states to take the action that the feds won’t is the key to making progress in the U.S. and thereby forcing China and India to do likewise. In the end, that’s the exit strategy for this problem.

So if a greenhouse gas disappears from a smokestack and no one is there to witness it, did it really happen? OK, a bad revision of the tree-in-the-forest conundrum, but you get the idea -- we must show the world that the work is going on, no matter where it’s happening, so that others join and we finally avert an even greater crisis.

One blog may not tell all of that story, but each week we’ll bring you a new chapter and new inspiration. Please join us and contribute your thoughts.

Thanks

Terry Tamminen
Cullman Senior Fellow and Director of the Climate Program
New America Foundation

Video of Cap-and-Trade Webinar

Sonia Hamel — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Just wanted to share the video from our Dec. 12, 2007 webinar on the topic of cap-and-trade plans scope of coverage and point of regulation. We're doing a series of these in partnership with the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the World Resources Institute -- this is Webinar #2 -- and will post additional in the coming days.