Climate 411

Comments on ‘American Power Act’ op-ed

In his New York Times op-ed, David Brooks compares the current climate surrounding energy legislation with the struggle to build the transcontinental railroad. He notes that

“energy innovation is the railroad legislation of today. This country is studded with venture capitalists, scientists, corporate executives and environmental activists atremble over the great opportunities they see ahead. The energy revolution is a material project that arouses moral fervor — exactly the sort of enterprise at which Americans excel.”

He goes on to say:

“the best vehicle now is the American Power Act, drawn up by John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham.”

We believe, based on what we’ve seen the press, that the American Power Act is not just the best option, but also a great option its own right. It does incorporate its fair share of compromises however it also achieves what no other climate and energy legislation put forth to date has managed to do:  it cuts pollution, spurs clean energy investment and provides a real path to 60 votes in the Senate.

Brooks acknowledges the bill’s imperfections as well as its strengths. He highlights the importance of America’s need to develop clean energy sources at home and asserts that that will only happen once regulations are firmly in place.  He describes the clean energy investment market as a would-be juggernaut currently fettered by Congress.

Hopefully Washington will hear Brooks’s message, stop with the “political gamesmanship” as he calls it, and start taking the first steps towards our clean energy future by passing the American Power Act and putting a price on carbon.

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Comments on yesterday’s top blogs

On E2, Nike, eBay and others are asking Senators to “get stalled climate and energy legislation back on track.”

Reuters reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will start analyzing the comprehensive climate and clean energy bill. “The EPA analysis is an important step in the legislative process.” “We are sending the bill to be modeled now with Lindsey Graham’s consent,” Senator Kerry told reporters.

Green Inc. focuses on a new EPA report released yesterday called “Climate Change Indicators in the United States.”  The report is full of interesting data points and graphics including:

  • “The portion of North America covered by snow has generally decreased since 1972, although there has been much year-to-year variability. Snow covered an average of 3.18 million square miles of North America during the years 2000 to 2008, compared with 3.43 million square miles during the 1970s.”
  • “In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities increased by 14 percent from 1990 to 2008.”

Gernot Wagner, EDF economist notes:

“The EPA report is a terrific reminder of the fact that climate change is not some distant phenomenon our grand kids may or may not experience. We can already see some of the direct effects all around us. It’s also good reminder of the certainties among the sea of uncertainties surrounding climate change. We don’t know all the details, but the general direction has become increasingly clear. And the parts we don’t know are even scarier.”

Graph from EPA report Climate Change Indicators in the United States

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Yesterday’s blog highlights

Michael Richards of Treehugger reports on how the Department of Energy will invest over $200M in solar and water power technology over five years.  Richard notes that “it’s a welcome investment since the foundation of any sustainable civilization is clean energy.”

The Wonk Room reminds us “what clean energy reform really means” and how it “will change the status quo, putting America to work building a stronger, fairer green economy.”

In his speech at Siemens Wind Turbine plant in Iowa, President Obama reaffirmed his strong support of climate and energy legislation. The President said:

“I believe that we can come together around this issue and pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will ignite new industries, spark new jobs in towns just like Fort Madison, make America more energy independent.  Our security, our economy, and the future of our planet all depend on it.”

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Highlights from top blogs and news stories in the last few days

The Wonk Room draws attention to a new report that shows how climate legislation will boost the economy. “This CCS analysis finds that instead of slowing the economy, household wealth and jobs will grow faster in a green economy.

Marc Gunther explores the potential of the growing wind power industry and how innovative companies are working to “capture high-altitude wind energy and turn it into electricity for off-the-grid users. Potential customers include the U.S. military, chic eco-resorts in remote locations and poor people in the global south in desperate need of power.”

The Washington Post has an editorial stressing the importance of keeping the climate bill on the Senate agenda this year. The editorial board reminds us that “every year Congress waits to legislate, adequately curbing emissions will get harder and more expensive.”

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Yesterday’s blog highlights

On Climate Progress, CAP Senior Fellow Van Jones explains that “the next 40 years of environmental policy will be primarily economic policy as we begin to repower America with cleaner energy.”

On E2 Wire, Senator Kerry asserts that now is the time to pass a climate bill. “We can’t afford to wait and we’ll never have as clear a shot to reach this goal we first set out twenty years ago,” Kerry (D-Mass.) said.

On Grist, Dan Lashof highlights the importance of Earth Day and asserts that we need “more than a celebration. We need a clean energy revolution that creates 2 million jobs, cuts 2 billion tons, and saves 2 trillion dollars.”

Watch the Clean Energy Revolution video that nicely sums up our current situation.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yuRZai__k&feature=player_embedded

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Highlights from yesterday’s top blogs

On Grist, David Roberts advocates for a “diverse climate policy portfolio”. He explains that  a “portfolio approach to climate change, which couples a carbon price with complementary policies, could yield a net benefit to the economy, and to most voters, from day one.”

Gernot Wagner, EDF economist, had this to say on David Robert’s piece:

“ Absolutely. Diversify the portfolio. Our strategy ought to be one of all-of-the-above. We need utility and grid reform, removal of subsidies, an emphasis on efficiency, etc. etc. etc.

However. We also ought to keep our eyes on the ball. The goal is not to reform utilities for the sake of reforming utilities (although there might be other benefits to that as well). The goal is to avoid sending $1 billion a day abroad for our oil. This kind of large-scale transformation depends on a comprehensive approach, and that can’t be achieved piecemeal. We ought to limit global warming pollution to right the incentives and take the market path to a healthy planet and economy.”

Green Inc. argues that the solar technology market is gaining momentum and points to the $129.4 million investment by a SiliconValley venture capital firm in solar company Amonix as proof.

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