| Posted February 12, 2007.
Climate Change | Energy | Environment
D1 - Climate Change: Design Approaches for a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program
Parker, Larry
CRS Report, Jan 17, 2007, online edition, 30p
"With the passage of the 2005 Sense of the Senate climate change resolution calling on the Congress to enact a mandatory, market-based program to slow, stop, and reverse the growth of greenhouse gases, the issue of related costs has taken on increased importance. Indeed, the resolution itself states that the program should be enacted at a rate and in a manner that “will not significantly harm the United States economy” and “will encourage comparable action” by other nations. Facets of the cost issue that have raised concern include absolute costs to the economy, distribution of costs across industries, competitive impact domestically and internationally, incentives for new technology, and uncertainty about possible costs." Larry Parker is a Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division.
Fulltext
D2 - Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis - Summary for Policymakers
International Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Feb
2007, online edition, 21p
“Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis”, assesses the current scientific knowledge of the natural and human drivers of climate change, observed changes in climate, the ability of science to attribute changes to different causes, and projections for future climate change. The report was produced by some 600 authors from 40 countries. Over 620 expert reviewers and a large number of government reviewers also participated. Representatives from 113 governments reviewed and revised the Summary line-by-line during the course of this week before adopting it and accepting the underlying report. Fulltext
D3 - Target: Intensity - An Analysis of the Greenhouse
Gas Intensity Targets
Herzog, Timothy; Baumert, Kevin A.; Pershing, Jonathan
World Resources Institute, November 2006, online edition, 37p
This report looks at intensity targets which are policies that specify emissions reductions relative to productivity or economic output whereas absolute emissions targets specify reductions measured in metric tons, relative only to a historical baseline. The report explores intensity targets and their underlying indicators, rationales, real-world applications, and implementation issues. The report found that “across countries, absolute emissions and emissions intensity have little correlations; countries with high total emissions often have relatively low emissions intensity and vice versa.” Timothy Herzog is an associate at the World Resources Institute working on domestic and international climate policy issues. Kevin A. Baumert is a former senior associate in WRI’s Climate, Energy and Pollution (CEP) program. His research focuses on the Kyoto Protocol and climate change policy instruments. Jonathan Pershing is Director of the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at the World Resources Institute. Fulltext
D4 - A Call for Action
USCA (United States Climate Action Partnership) and PEW Institute,
Jan 29, 2007, online edition, 9p
"The scale of the undertaking to address climate change is
enormous, and should not be underestimated. For this issue to
be successfully addressed -- and failure is not an option -- the
way we produce and use energy must fundamentally change, both
nationally and globally... The climate change challenge, like
other challenges our country has confronted in the past, will
create more economic opportunities than risks for the U.S. economy.
Indeed, addressing climate change will require innovation and
products that drive increased energy efficiency, creating new
markets. This innovation will lead directly to increased U.S.
competitiveness, as well as reduced reliance on energy from foreign
sources." This document offers consensus principles and recommendations
from the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, made up of business
and NGOs. Fulltext
D5 - Coal Rush!
Moran,Susan
World Watch, January/February 2007, v20, #1, pp8-14
"Of the 2004 U.S. total emissions of 5.9 billion metric tons
of carbon dioxide (CO2), electric power generation contributed
2.3 billion metric tons, or 39 percent, and coal-fired plants
accounted for 82 percent of that. With the specter of climate
change looming ever larger in the public consciousness, utilities
are anticipating that the time will soon come when legislators
will slap a limit on carbon emissions from electric power generators
and perhaps other industrial sources, and that the more coal-fired
capacity the producers build before that day of reckoning, the
higher their share of the total cap will be. Ultimately, many
scientists, economists, environmentalists, legislators, and a
growing number of utility executives agree that a multi-pronged
approach - technology, carbon markets, and public policy - will
be necessary to attack global warming." Susan Moran is
a freelance journalist based in Boulder, Colorado. Fulltext
D6 - Energy Security: Demands Imposed on German and European
Foreign Policy by a Changed Configuration in the World Energy
Market
Mueller, Friedmann
SWP (Stiftung Wissenschaft & Politik), January 2007, online
edition, 28p
"Since the beginning of the new millenium, varied signals
have made it clear that energy markets are prone to crisis-like
developments in certain regions, threatening security. In addition,
the control of oil and natural gas supplies has come to be increasingly
exploited as a political weapon... This development has been made
possible that both the world oil and natural gas markets are not
(or no longer) functioning as competitive markets on the supply
side." Dr. Friedman Mueller is former head of the global
issues unit of SWP. Fulltext
D7 - Quick Fixes for the Environment
Sterner, Thomas, Troell, Max, Vincent, Jeffrey, Aniyar, Sara,
et al.
Environment, December 2006, v48, #10, 8p
"The authors discuss a wide variety of international environmental
problems and the impact that short-term fixes can have on the
environments, as opposed to dealing with the underlying problems.
The issues of flood control for the Mississippi River Delta in
the U.S. and Germany's Rhine River are analyzed. The increasing
problems with toxic algae bloom are discussed. The spread of pandemics
throughout the world are touched on. South Asia's problems with
haze caused by increased emissions and aerosols are discussed.
The worldwide issues with acid rain and climate change are also
presented." Thomas Sterner is professor at the Department
of Economics at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Max
Troell is an associate professor at the Beijer Institute. Jeffrey
Vincent is a professor at the Graduate School of International
Relations & Pacific Studies, University of California, San
Diego. SaranAniyar, professor emerita at Universidad de Zulia,
Venezuela, is an environmental economist at the Beijer Institute.
Fulltext
D8 - The New Environmentalism: Can New Business Policies
Save The Environment?
Price, Tom
CQ Researcher, December 1, 2006, v16, #42, pp985-1008
"Concern about the environment is intensifying, but new efforts
to reduce pollution and save energy differ from past environmental
movements. Unable to get much satisfaction from the Republican-dominated
federal government, environmental activists have set their sights
on businesses — trying to influence corporate behavior and even
forming partnerships with companies to confront environmental
challenges. A growing number of businesses — including Wal-Mart,
the world's biggest retailer — are concluding that saving the
environment is good for the bottom line. But some conservative
critics charge that such actions actually dilute companies' primary
purpose — to increase shareholder value. Meanwhile, in the absence
of federal action, state and local governments are instituting
policies aimed at weaning industry from fossil fuels. And some
environmentalists are even rethinking nuclear power." Tom
Price is a Washington-based freelance journalist who writes regularly
for CQ Researcher. Order
article
|
