Global Warming Solutions that Work Cutting-Edge Efforts to Curb Global Warming Pollution and the Lessons they Hold for America Global Warming Solutions that Work Cutting-Edge Efforts to Curb Global Warming Pollution and the Lessons they Hold for America Environment America Research & Policy Center Tony Dutzik, Joshua Hoen, Timothy Telleen-Lawton, Sarah Payne Frontier Group Matthew Davis, Emily Figdor, Rob Sargent Environment America Research & Policy Center June 2008 Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank Douglas Foy, President, Serrafix Corporation; Dave Hewitt of the New Buildings Institute; and Steven Nadel of the American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy for their review and insightful comments. Thanks also to the many individuals who provided information or insights on the case studies presented here. Finally, thanks to Susan Rakov, Travis Madsen and Elizabeth Ridlington of Frontier Group for their editorial assistance. Environment America Research & Policy Center wishes to thank the Energy Foundation, the John Merck Fund, the Joyce Mertz Gilmore Foundation and the Oak Foundation for making this project possible. The authors bear responsibility for any factual errors. The recommendations are those of Environment America Research & Policy Center. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or those who provided review. Copyright 2008 Environment America Research & Policy Center In 2007, Environment America Research & Policy Center became the new home of U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s environmental work, focusing exclusively on improving the quality of our environment and our lives. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, our pro- fessional staff combines independent research, practical ideas and broad-based educational campaigns to help set the policy agenda, frame the public debate, and win real results for our environment. Frontier Group conducts independent research and policy analysis to support a cleaner, healthier and more democratic society. Our mission is to inject accurate information and compelling ideas into public policy debates at the local, state and federal levels. For more information about Environment America Research & Policy Center, or for ad- ditional copies of this report, please visit www.EnvironmentAmerica.org. Cover photos: Solar panels, Robb Williamson, NREL/PIX; Bicycle-friendly Portland, Jonathan Maus/bikeportland. org; Plug-in hybrid, Argonne National Laboratory; Wind turbines, European Community, 2008. Design and layout: Harriet Eckstein Graphic Design Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 4 Reducing Global Warming Pollution from Homes, Businesses and Industry 6 Saving the Environment and Saving Money: Energy $mart Homes in New York State 6 Greening the Bottom Line: Adobe Systems and California’s Commercial Energy Efficiency Program 9 Building a Better Future: The Green Building Revolution in Pittsburgh and Beyond 11 Zero-Energy Homes: Combining Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Slash Pollution 13 The Energy Efficiency Revolution in California: Getting More Done with Less Energy 16 Saving Energy in Industry: Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy Program 19 Turning Trash into Treasure: Germany Sets the Standard for Recycling and Waste Reduction 21 Reducing Global Warming Pollution from Transportation and Land Use 24 Building Around Transit: An Alternative to Sprawl Blooms in Northern Virginia 24 Walking in Copenhagen: Making Room for Pedestrians on City Streets 27 Portland, Oregon: Building “Bike City, USA” 29 Speedier Rail Service in Eastern Pennsylvania: Drawing New Riders and Reducing Pollution 31 DART Hits the Bullseye: Light Rail in Dallas, Texas 33 Public Transportation in a Small New England Community: Free Rides and High Ridership 36 Austin, Texas: Paving the Way for Plug-In Hybrids 38 Reducing Global Warming Pollution with Renewable Energy 41 The New Texas Energy Boom: Wind Power 41 The Renewable Energy Revolution in Spain: Building a New Clean Energy Economy 43 Solar Thermal Power: Heating Up in America’s Desert Southwest 46 Solar Water Heating: A Way of Life in Israel 48 The Sun Shines on New Jersey: The East Coast’s Solar Capital 50 Tapping the Power of the Earth: Geothermal Energy in Oregon 52 Community-Wide Initiatives 56 Rebuilding After Tragedy: A Kansas Town “Goes Green” 56 Green Roofs and Green Jobs in the South Bronx 59 Taking the Next Step: An Effective Response to the Challenge of Global Warming 62 Notes 64 Executive Summary lobal warming is the defining chal- commitment and creativity, they also lenge of our time. The latest climate bring with them other benefits—reduced Gscience tells us that the United States dependence on fossil fuels, cleaner air and must reduce its emissions of global warm- healthier communities, economic growth ing pollutants quickly and dramatically and new jobs. if we hope to avoid the most catastrophic America should learn from these ini- impacts of global warming. The rest of the tiatives by adopting public policy “best world must take strong action as well. practices” that can achieve similar benefits For the United States to make the emis- nationwide. The United States—as well as sion reductions science tells us will be individual states—should foster further necessary—cutting emissions by at least innovation by adopting mandatory caps 15-20 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent on global warming pollution, coupled by 2050—will require major changes in with policies that will promote the tran- many areas of America’s economy, from the sition to a cleaner, more efficient energy increased use of clean, renewable energy to system. dramatic improvements in the efficiency with which we use energy in our homes, Cities and states across America are businesses and vehicles. But solutions exist achieving impressive results in the fight today that can get us much of the way there. against global warming. And communities across the country—and around the globe—are making those solu- • Texas has added more than 4,000 tions a reality. megawatts of wind power generating This report details more than 20 exam- capacity in the last decade. Once a ples of cutting-edge policies and practices marginal source of electricity in the that communities, states and countries are state, wind power now produces about using to reduce global warming pollution. 3 percent of Texas’ electricity, enough These examples show that while actions to to avoid about 8 million metric tons of reduce global warming pollution require global warming pollution per year. Executive Summary • New Jersey doubled its solar power Other nations have also made sig- generating capacity within just two nificant progress, with lessons for the years through aggressive public United States. policies that promote solar panels on rooftops in the Garden State. • Germany recycles 60 percent of its municipal waste (compared to 32 per- • California uses 20 percent less energy cent in the United States) and has kept per capita than it did in 1973, thanks its garbage output steady for nearly to strong energy efficiency policies for two decades thanks to policies that put buildings and appliances. the responsibility for recycling waste on product manufacturers and not • Wisconsin avoids about 200,000 met- individual consumers and taxpayers. ric tons of carbon dioxide pollution per year through its innovative pro- • In Israel, more than 90 percent of grams to promote energy efficiency homes use solar water heaters, which in industry—programs that also help dramatically reduce the need for save businesses money and keep jobs natural gas or electricity for water within the state. heating. Israel requires that all new homes come equipped with solar water • Portland, Oregon, has doubled the heaters. number of bicyclists on city streets in just six years through investments • Copenhagen, Denmark, has revital- in bicycle infrastructure and bike- ized its downtown by giving pedestri- friendly transportation policies. The ans and bicycles preference over cars percentage of people who bike to work in large parts of its city center. Walk- in Portland is now eight times the ing and cycling now account for more national average. than 40 percent of all trips made in Danish urban areas. • In the Rosslyn and Ballston neighbor- hoods of Arlington County, Virgin- • Spain has sparked the creation of new ia, about 40 percent of residents take renewable energy industries through transit to work and about 10 percent aggressive clean energy policies. Spain walk, thanks to investments in now ranks third in the world for in- transit service to Washington, D.C. stalled wind power capacity and is the and smart land-use planning that world’s fourth leading market for solar has created vibrant, compact, photovoltaics. Spanish companies are mixed-use communities around increasingly taking a leading role in transit stops. renewable energy development in the United States and elsewhere. • Southeastern Pennsylvania saw a 20 percent increase in the number Communities and states across the of riders on energy efficient trains country are laying the groundwork linking Harrisburg and Philadelphia for even larger changes in the years following investments that increased ahead. travel speeds along the line. A similar 20 percent ridership jump occurred • Concentrating solar power, which uses recently on the Northeast’s Acela heat from the sun to generate electric- high-speed train line. ity, has the potential to serve a large 2 Global Warming Solutions that