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New Technology-Based Climate Change Pact
The United States, China, India, Australia and South Korea have established a pact on greenhouse emissions that will complement the Kyoto protocol. These nations account for approximately 40 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The pact is known as the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate (PCDC) and aims to use the latest technologies to limit emissions and to make sure the technologies are available in the areas and industries that need them most.
The U.S. and Australia have refused to sign the Kyoto protocol -- an international agreement setting greenhouse gas emission targets for developing economies. The PCDC is a practical attempt to reduce greenhouse emissions without harming development or economic growth.
President Bush's Methane Program
Contact: John Millett, 202-564-4355 /millett.john@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C.-November 7, 2005) United States government officials
and their counterparts in 16 countries committed to accelerated action
to recover and use methane as a clean energy source at the second annual Methane to Markets Partnership meeting, which concluded Nov. 4. Key actions include the addition of Ecuador as the 17th member of the
partnership and a commitment from the partners to increase participating
countries and the number of projects worldwide.
To date, 17 countries have joined the Methane to Markets Partnership and
committed to advancing cost-effective, near-term methane recovery and
use as a source of clean energy. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 23 times as effective as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the earth's
atmosphere.
By 2015 the Methane to Markets Partnership has the potential to deliver
annual reductions in methane emissions of up to 50 million metric tons
of carbon equivalent or recovery of 500 billion cubic feet of natural
gas. If these projections are achieved, they could stabilize or reduce
global atmospheric concentrations of methane. This would be equivalent
to cutting the greenhouse gas emissions of 33 million cars, planting 55
million acres of trees, or eliminating emissions from 50 500 megawatt
coal-fired power plants; or providing enough energy to heat
approximately 7.2 million households for one year.
Key outcomes of the second annual Methane to Markets Partnership meeting include:
Announcement of a Methane to Markets Project Expo, highlighting
project opportunities, successes, and methane recovery and use
technologies, to be held in 2007;
Development of action plans that will serve as the basis for
accelerated action by partner countries and Project Network members;
Addition of a new Agriculture Subcommittee to address methane
emissions, particularly through manure-management practices;
Expansion of the partnership to include Ecuador as the 17th
member, which means that Methane to Markets now represents more than 60 percent of global methane emissions;
Commitment by all participants to substantial expansion of the
Project Network, with a focus on enrollment of more private companies,
development banks, and others; and
Identification of funding sources for a range of methane recovery
projects across the globe.
For more information, visit the new Methane to Markets Partnership site at: http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/
| The 2004 climate change movie The Day After Tomorrow was a huge hit. The production budget was $125 million with estimated marketing costs of $50 million. The movie earned $187 million in the U.S. and $356 million overseas for a worldwide total of $543 million. Source: boxofficemojo.com |
New Greenhouse Gas Calculator Available
The calculator is available online at:
http://www.usctcgateway.net/tool
The Global Environment and Technology Foundation (GETF) has added a new greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator to the U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway Web site. The calculator enables organizations and
individuals to quickly and easily translate greenhouse gas reductions from units typically used to report reductions (e.g., metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) into terms that are easier to conceptualize, such as gallons of gasoline, barrels of oil, the number of cars not driven for one year, or the number of acres of forest preserved from deforestation.
The online tool also allows users to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from a known quantity of kilowatt-hours or gallons of gasoline, or a given number of cars and trucks not driven for one year.
The U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway was developed by GETF in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development and EPA to promote international technology cooperation to address global climate
change.
States Sue Bush Over Global Warming
Twelve states filed petitions on October 23, 2003 in federal court to force the Bush administration to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Several separate petitions were also filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. requesting it to review the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision stating that it did not have the authority to regulate such emissions under the Clear Air Act.
EPA issued an opinion in August 2003 in response to a petition backed by environmental groups, indicating it believed it did not have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the act. AAEA believes that EPA does not have the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. We believe Congress should add greenhouse gases to EPA's criteria pollutant list. Thus, AAEA supports McCain/Lieberman legislation (S.139) regulating greenhouse gases.
California filed a petition on its own and 11 other states filed jointly -- New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island. Three cities, Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia joined the action along with a coalition of environmental groups including the Sierra Club, the National Resources Defense Council and Friends of the Earth.
The current pollutants, designated as hazardous to human health and subject to EPA standards, are carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulate matter and sulfur oxides.
Global warming is caused by the atmospheric build up of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels in homes, cars and power plants is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. The White House, through its Clear Skies Initiative, is seeking voluntary cutbacks in emissions, believing mandatory reductions will hurt the U.S. economy. Russia has delayed signing on the the Kyoto Protocol, thus delaying the critical mass needed for international approval of the agreement. AAEA supports the Clear Skies Initiative.
Kyoto Protocol Links
Economic Impact www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/kyoto/economic.htm
http://unfccc.int
