Originally, I wanted to write a diary today about the upcoming House vote on the 2007 Energy Bill. Then I saw a number of related news items that help provide some context for this bill. A large number of folks have been working hard all year to make sure our energy policies moving forward contain good, solid changes.
Discussed below is the CO ski industry, some Energy bill details, the conference in Bali to discuss post-Kyoto Treaty policies and targets, and recent developments regarding long-term goals.
The first article talks about global warming's effects on the ski industry. The upshot is that big storms like the one from last weekend will likely continue. However, snow should start later on average each year, end sooner each year, and snowpack melt more rapidly between storms. "According to the Aspen study (see article), winter frosts have started 18 days later and ended 10 days earlier in the past 50 years there [CA resort], effectively eliminating a month from every ski season."
Tourism is a large portion of the CO budget. A lot of folks fly into CO to do their skiing. Shorter ski seasons would have direct and immediate impacts on numerous towns.
Surprisingly, this article ends with some tips to help minimize skiers carbon footprints. Way to go, Post!
Next up, the Energy bill article. Two versions were passed by separate chambers in the U.S. Congress earlier this year. The differences have been worked out and the new bills are up for re-consideration. The House is scheduled to vote first.
A requirement that utilities obtain part of their electricity from renewable sources will be part of energy legislation headed for a vote in Congress, though a key Republican vows to fight the effort.
Sponsored by Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and pushed by Democratic Reps. Mark Udall of Eldorado Springs and Diana DeGette of Denver, the requirement that utilities obtain power from sources such as wind and solar is similar to Colorado's law passed in 2004.
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The proposed federal mandate is for 15 percent renewable energy by 2020, with 4 percent of that achievable through efficiencies. That compares with Colorado's requirement for 20 percent by 2020.
The difference in bills also contained a requirement to increase CAFE standards to 35mpg by 2020, a very reachable goal. Rep. Dingell (D-MI) had fought against this increase for a long time, but finally backed off this year.
The third article introduces the Bali conference, which started yesterday and goes for two weeks, I believe. The first two lines encapsulate a large problem as the rest of the world tries to move from the Kyoto Protocol to the next agreement:
American delegates at the U.N. climate conference insisted Monday they would not be a "roadblock" to a new international agreement aimed at reducing potentially catastrophic greenhouse gases.
But Washington refused to endorse mandatory emissions cuts, which are seen by many governmental delegations at the meeting as crucial for reining in rising temperatures.
The U.S. doesn't want to be a roadblock, but we won't go along with something the remainder of the industrialized world agrees upon. Orwellian par for the course for this administration. As the article mentions, the U.S. remains the only country not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, as Australia finally took their step forward in the last week. Kind of like another major international issue....
The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. There are major concerns regarding non-industrialized nations' (mostly China and India) progress. Those concerns will also have to be addressed before the next protocol can be implemented. And as much as the U.S. likes to boast about our "leadership", now would be a good time to actually step into those shoes and deliver. We'll see how it goes.
The last noteworthy item is a climate change action plan that is being developed by a team of climate and policy experts, led by former Sen. Gary Hart and William Becker.
Spearheaded by former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart, the Presidential Climate Action Project spells out steps that should be taken within the first 100 days and beyond in the new administration to address what is becoming a growing political, social and economic issue.
Framed in terms of national security, economics and social justice, the plan calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and 90 percent by 2050 through measures such as a cap-and-trade system on industrial carbon generation.
Some of the details:
Among the recommendations:
- Improve average vehicle fuel efficiency to 50 miles per gallon by 2020 and 200 mpg by 2050.
- Dramatically reduce oil consumption and eliminate oil imports by 2050.
- Require carbon neutrality in all new buildings by 2030.
- Provide $1 billion in awards for technology breakthroughs and allocate another $1 billion to states and municipalities that adopt carbon-reduction policies.
Wow. This plan deals in a meaningful way with climate change. Congress hasn't even passed 35mpg by 2020 and this team is already pushing for an extra 15, which is doable, by the way. Eliminate oil imports by 2050? That sounds good to me.
They've been in contact with Sen. Obama's and Sen. Clinton's campaigns. Let's see some of that leadership they like to talk about so much come through with a commitment to these goals.
Cross-posted at SquareState.