Climate 411

Concerned Citizens Plea for Stronger CAFE Standards

By John Balbus / Published: August 5, 2008

John BalbusThis post is by John Balbus, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Health Scientist at Environmental Defense Fund.

Yesterday, a quiet public hearing on a hot August day in Washington D.C. drew a surprisingly large crowd. The official reason for the hearing, conducted by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), was to take comment on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for revised Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. A lawsuit forced NHTSA to draft an EIS that assessed global climate change impacts – including health – from improved fuel economy in the U.S. car and light truck fleet.

The 400-page document is technical, turgid, incomplete and misleading, and asserts that it is not possible to distinguish between the future health and climate impacts of a 41 mpg fuel economy versus the present 25 mpg. Needless to say, EDF does not agree with that conclusion or the methods used to come to it, but the comments at the hearing were far broader than just the EIS. Most striking was the lineup of citizens who called on NHTSA to take definitive action on climate change to help protect their future.

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Also posted in Health / Comments are closed

A Viable Coal-to-Liquids Project?

By Mark Brownstein / Published: July 30, 2008

Mark BrownsteinThis post is by Mark Brownstein, managing director of business partnerships and specialist on coal technology at Environmental Defense Fund.

On Monday, CONSOL Energy – one of America’s leading coal companies – announced they would build America’s first coal-to-liquid plant in West Virginia. The press release from coal country announces that a strategy for sequestering carbon dioxide pollution produced by liquefying coal will be part of the project. That’s important because an EPA study found that diesel fuel from coal could result in double the greenhouse gas emissions of diesel fuel from oil.

Many Americans are feeling real economic distress with gasoline above four dollars a gallon. Economic hardship and energy security play to coal’s strength as a traditionally low cost, domestic, and plentiful energy resource. Deploying the technology to convert it to gasoline and diesel fuel seems like a no-brainer. But it’s not so simple.

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Also posted in Energy / Read 4 Responses

Car Insurance that Costs Less When You Drive Less

By Michael Replogle / Published: July 28, 2008

Michael ReplogleThis post is by Michael Replogle, Transportation Director at Environmental Defense Fund.

Think back to your last all-you-can eat buffet. Did you eat more than you would have ordering à la carte? The same applies to driving and car insurance. With insurance policies giving almost no consideration to miles driven, if you drive an average amount or less compared to other drivers in your neighborhood, you pay much more per mile for car insurance than high-mileage drivers, which are in the minority. Yet accident risks are clearly linked to miles driven.

Shouldn’t your insurance premium correspond to your risk, saving you money if you drive less? That’s the idea behind Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) Insurance – drive less, pay less. Pricing insurance by the mile not reduces premiums for the majority of drivers, but if universally available, would cut traffic by 8 percent, with corresponding reductions in greenhouse gases, air pollution, congestion, and oil imports.

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Posted in Cars and Pollution / Read 5 Responses

Stephen Colbert Clip: Priceless

By Sheryl Canter / Published: July 18, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Check out Stephen Colbert on the EPA’s decision to delay regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. It’s hilarious.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/video_player/view/default/swf.jhtml" width="332" height="316" fvars="videoId = 176175" fversion="8" loop="false" play="false" menu="true" quality="best" wmode="transparent" /]

Also posted in Greenhouse Gas Emissions / Read 1 Response

Algae: A Promising Source of Fuel?

By Miriam Horn / Published: May 8, 2008

Miriam HornThis post is by Miriam Horn, a writer at Environmental Defense Fund and co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Earth: The Sequel.

Who would have thought that algae (a.k.a. pond scum) – the microscopic plants whose "blooms" choke off life in lakes and estuaries – would emerge as the hottest new energy crop?

But sure enough, dozens of start-ups, backed by millions of dollars in venture capital, are racing to find the best way to turn algae into fuel, with exciting results.

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Posted in Cars and Pollution / Read 3 Responses

Asthma and Idling: A Bad Combination

By Mel Peffers / Published: May 6, 2008

Mel PeffersThis post is by Mel Peffers, a project manager in the Living Cities program at Environmental Defense Fund.

Today is World Asthma Day. Since car exhaust can lead to asthma as well as global warming, we thought it would be a good day to highlight the importance of not idling your car or truck engine.

What makes idling especially bad for health is that drivers tend to idle in gathering places – by sidewalks, schools, playgrounds, homes, and offices. Breathing in pollution close to the source is more dangerous than farther away.

Take a look at the evidence.

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Also posted in Health / Read 5 Responses