Global Warming Reports
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Executive Summary
Global warming is the defining challenge
of our time. The latest climate
science tells us that the United States
must reduce its emissions of global warming
pollutants quickly and dramatically
if we hope to avoid the most catastrophic
impacts of global warming. The rest of the
world must take strong action as well.
For the United States to make the emission
reductions science tells us will be
necessary—cutting emissions by at least
15-20 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent
by 2050—will require major changes in
many areas of America’s economy, from the
increased use of clean, renewable energy to
dramatic improvements in the efficiency
with which we use energy in our homes,
businesses and vehicles. But solutions exist
today that can get us much of the way there.
And communities across the country—and
around the globe—are making those solutions
a reality.
This report details more than 20 examples
of cutting-edge policies and practices
that communities, states and countries are
using to reduce global warming pollution.
These examples show that while actions to
reduce global warming pollution require
commitment and creativity, they also
bring with them other benefits—reduced
dependence on fossil fuels, cleaner air and
healthier communities, economic growth
and new jobs.
America should learn from these initiatives
by adopting public policy “best
practices” that can achieve similar benefits
nationwide. The United States—as well as
individual states—should foster further
innovation by adopting mandatory caps
on global warming pollution, coupled
with policies that will promote the transition
to a cleaner, more efficient energy
system.
Cities and states across America are
achieving impressive results in the fight
against global warming.
• Texas has added more than 4,000
megawatts of wind power generating
capacity in the last decade. Once a
marginal source of electricity in the
state, wind power now produces about
3 percent of Texas’ electricity, enough
to avoid about 8 million metric tons of
global warming pollution per year.
• New Jersey doubled its solar power
generating capacity within just two
years through aggressive public
policies that promote solar panels on
rooftops in the Garden State.
• California uses 20 percent less energy
per capita than it did in 1973, thanks
to strong energy efficiency policies for
buildings and appliances.
• Wisconsin avoids about 200,000 metric
tons of carbon dioxide pollution
per year through its innovative programs
to promote energy efficiency
in industry—programs that also help
save businesses money and keep jobs
within the state.
• Portland, Oregon, has doubled the
number of bicyclists on city streets
in just six years through investments
in bicycle infrastructure and bikefriendly
transportation policies. The
percentage of people who bike to work
in Portland is now eight times the
national average.
• In the Rosslyn and Ballston neighborhoods
of Arlington County, Virginia,
about 40 percent of residents take
transit to work and about 10 percent
walk, thanks to investments in
transit service to Washington, D.C.
and smart land-use planning that
has created vibrant, compact,
mixed-use communities around
transit stops.
• Southeastern Pennsylvania saw a
20 percent increase in the number
of riders on energy efficient trains
linking Harrisburg and Philadelphia
following investments that increased
travel speeds along the line. A similar
20 percent ridership jump occurred
recently on the Northeast’s Acela
high-speed train line.
Other nations have also made significant
progress, with lessons for the
United States.
• Germany recycles 60 percent of its
municipal waste (compared to 32 percent
in the United States) and has kept
its garbage output steady for nearly
two decades thanks to policies that put
the responsibility for recycling waste
on product manufacturers and not
individual consumers and taxpayers.
• In Israel, more than 90 percent of
homes use solar water heaters, which
dramatically reduce the need for
natural gas or electricity for water
heating. Israel requires that all new
homes come equipped with solar water
heaters.
• Copenhagen, Denmark, has revitalized
its downtown by giving pedestrians
and bicycles preference over cars
in large parts of its city center. Walking
and cycling now account for more
than 40 percent of all trips made in
Danish urban areas.
• Spain has sparked the creation of new
renewable energy industries through
aggressive clean energy policies. Spain
now ranks third in the world for installed
wind power capacity and is the
world’s fourth leading market for solar
photovoltaics. Spanish companies are
increasingly taking a leading role in
renewable energy development in the
United States and elsewhere.
Communities and states across the
country are laying the groundwork
for even larger changes in the years
ahead.
• Concentrating solar power, which uses
heat from the sun to generate electricity,
has the potential to serve a large share of America’s electricity needs.
Southwestern states have enacted
policies that are contributing to a solar
power boom that could result in more
than 4,000 megawatts of solar thermal
power coming on line in the next
several years.
• Plug-in hybrid vehicles can dramatically
reduce carbon dioxide pollution
from vehicles while weaning America
from its dependence on oil. Austin,
Texas, citizens and public officials are
pushing for the development of plugin
hybrid vehicles and enlisting people
from around the country in the effort.
• “Green” buildings and zero-energy
homes could revolutionize America’s
building stock by providing pleasant,
comfortable spaces with dramatically
lower impact on the global climate.
Pittsburgh and other cities are driving
innovations in green building,
while engineers, home builders and
researchers are building the first wave
of “zero energy homes” across the
country.
• Addressing global warming will
require efforts from people of all
walks of life. Communities like
Greensburg, Kansas—a small rural
town nearly wiped off the map by a
devastating tornado in 2007—and the
South Bronx neighborhood of New
York City are showing how residents
can come together to weave efforts to
reduce global warming pollution
into strategies for community
development.
Cities, states and the federal government
should build upon the successes
of these efforts by setting mandatory,
science-based caps on global warming
pollution, adopting strong clean energy
policies, and investing in the transition
to a low-carbon economy.
• Individual states and the federal
government should adopt mandatory,
science-based caps on global warming
pollution. At minimum, those caps
should be consistent with a national
goal of reducing emissions by at least
15-20 percent below today’s levels by
2020 and by at least 80 percent below
today’s levels by 2050. Revenues
from any program that puts a price on
global warming pollution should be
used to aid in the transition to a clean
energy economy and to reduce the
cost of emission reductions to consumers.
• Cities, states and the federal government
should make energy efficiency
improvements and accelerated development
of renewable energy the
centerpiece of their environmental
and economic development policies.
Advanced building energy codes;
strong energy efficiency standards for
buildings, appliances and vehicles;
and mandatory targets for renewable
power generation and energy efficiency
savings are among the policies that
can reduce global warming pollution
and put the nation on a clean energy
path.
• Global warming and fossil fuel dependence
should become central considerations
in land-use planning and public
sector investment decisions. America
should increase its investment in
public transportation and rail transportation
to reduce emissions from
transportation. All new public buildings
should meet rigorous standards
for energy efficiency and the use of
clean energy.
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