0108 Solutions from banta 1/2/08 2:56 PM Page 1 Solutions Vol. 39, No. 1 January 2008 Fate of global warming action Governors rests with the Senate to Congress: OUR STUDY PROVES LEGISLATION WON’T HARM THE ECONOMY ‘Your turn’ 3 he nations of the world gathered in avoid the worst consequences of warm- TBali recently to negotiate a new ing,” says our national climate campaign global warming treaty to follow Kyoto, director Steve Cochran. With our part- A year of but all eyes remained on the United ners, we secured greater short-term victories for States. America is closer than ever to reductions than in an earlier version of 2007 the planet 4 joining the fight against global warming the bill and won provisions that allow at last, with a bipartisan climate bill mov- the 63% long-term goal to be strength- ing through the Senate. Environmental ened. We want 80% reductions by 2050, Defense played a key role in building the level scientists say is needed. Refuge support for and strengthening that bill, Our groundbreaking economic an- for a rare America’s Climate Security Act. alysis reveals that the costs of such action turtle 6 Opponents like Senator James are affordable. Economist Dr. Nathaniel Inhofe (R-OK), having lost the scientific Keohane synthesized for the first time argument, now argue that addressing the findings of state-of-the-art economic global warming will wreck the economy. models and found that the cost of a cap- Missouri Anticipating this attack, we undertook and-trade policy like the Lieberman- wetlands the broadest economic assessment to Warner bill will be almost immeasura- saved 7 date of global warming policy and came ble—less than 1% of U.S. GDP by 2030. up with a finding that startled even us: Even household electricity bills—where The cost of capping greenhouse gases the impact would be greatest—will over the next two decades will have almost no increase by less than $10 a month. impact on U.S. economic growth. “Nothing in the numbers supports Our findings were announced just as the doomsayers,” notes Keohane. “We the Senate took up the bill, adding mo- can afford to cut greenhouse gas emis- mentum to the discussion. California’s sions. Doing nothing would be the most largest electric utility, PG&E, testified in expensive choice.” support of the bill, as did our president Fred Krupp and other envi- ronmental leaders. Guzzle no more Introduced by Senators Our federal court win ends Joe Lieberman (I-CT) free ride for biggest SUVs. and John Warner (R- See page 2 VA), the measure estab- lishes a cap-and-trade A force system and energy effi- for good ciency requirements. It New book calls would cut greenhouse Environmental gas emissions about 19% Defense “a model of social (from 2005 levels) by innovation.” See page 7 2020 and 63% by 2050. The whole world “This bill will put is watching America on track to Kaz Takahashi 0108 Solutions from banta 1/2/08 2:56 PM Page 2 WHERE WE STAND By Fred Krupp, President Why we support America’s Climate Security Act On my recent visit the fastest route to the reductions sci- move quickly to control their to Capitol Hill, a entists say are necessary in a way that greenhouse gas pollution. Until we senator button- makes sense for the economy. The take the lead, no one seriously holed me: “Why bill’s declining cap, with strong early believes these nations will feel do we need to targets, will unleash the entrepreneur- pressure to act. start cutting glob- ial spirit we need to develop the best The worst thing Congress can al warming emis- low-carbon technologies. do is delay. If we delay by just two sions so aggres- Twenty-seven Fortune 500 compa- years, we would have to reduce sively today?” he nies, from DuPont to General Motors, emissions 4% a year instead of asked. First, I said, if we don’t act 2%—twice as fast—to achieve the fast, we will have to make steeper, ––––– same reduction by 2020. more costly reductions later. If we wait, we’ll have to cut By January 2030, U.S. gross Second, the sooner we start, the emissions twice as fast domestic product is projected to sooner China will act to control its double to $26 trillion. Under carbon emissions. And third, send- ––––– America’s Climate Security Act, the ing a strong signal to the business have joined us in calling for strong cli- country will reach that benchmark a community will put new, low carbon mate legislation. These hard-nosed few months later, according to a innovations on the fast track. business people have concluded that a conservative forecast. A few months The Lieberman-Warner climate nationwide carbon cap will be an to avoid catastrophe is a small price bill now under debate in the Senate engine for economic growth. to pay. Let’s move now! recognizes the urgency. As I testified By acting now, the United States in a recent Senate hearing, Ameri- will have the moral credibility to ask ca’s Climate Security Act provides other major emitters, like China, to Court to government: Close SUV mileage loophole A federal appeals court on November 15 Environmental Defense, the court also cited by the court more than 30 times. struck down the Bush administration’s ordered the Department of Transpor- The decision comes at a pivotal proposed fuel-economy standards for light tation to develop new mileage standards time, with Congress taking up discus- trucks and SUVs. The court ruled that the “as expeditiously as possible” that take sion of climate change. Said our attor- 23 mpg average standards for 2008-2011 into account the benefits of reducing ney Vickie Patton: “Science has demon- are overly lax and improperly exempted global warming pollution. strated a compelling case for action on large vehicles like the Hummer H2. It was the third federal court ruling global warming. Now the law is finally Relying heavily on analysis by in recent months ordering regulators to catching up.” take climate change into account. We were party to all three suits. The latest case Editor: Peter Klebnikov was argued jointly by Environmental Defense, 257 Park Avenue South, California deputy New York, NY 10010. Main number 212-505-2100. attorney general Membership questions: Call 800-684-3322 or Susan Fiering and email [email protected] our counsel Sean Mailbag: Mail to address above, call 800-927-6464 or Donahue on behalf email [email protected] of 11 states and four ©2008 Environmental Defense. Published bimonthly at New York, NY. ASSN 0163-2566 environmental New York • Austin • Boston • Boulder • Los Angeles groups that had filed Raleigh • San Francisco • Sacramento • Washington Paul Sakuma/AP Photo Paul suit. Technical com- Project offices: Beijing, China • Bentonville, AR Gas-guzzling SUVs and light trucks comprise about half of the ments submitted by Online at www.environmentaldefense.org U.S. auto market. our experts were 2 Environmental Defense Solutions 0108 Solutions from banta 1/2/08 2:56 PM Page 3 Insurance giant teams up with Governors to Congress: Chinese farmers DO SOMETHING ON CLIMATE to fight warming “In state after state we’re taking action. Now it’s time for Congress to act.” Three governors: conservative Republican Jon Huntsman, Jr., of Utah, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Democrat Brian Schweitzer of Montana have come together to deliver this message in an ad campaign by Environmental Defense to be aired on TV sets across the nation. It’s the first time such a political- ly diverse group of governors has appeared in an ad sponsored by an environmental group to call on Con- Galen Rowell/Corbis Galen In rural China, a carbon storage and trading gress to act. Initially the ad will run in project is a model for the future. 11 states and the District of Columbia. It is part of our hard-hitting campaign merican International Group (AIG) to counter a handful of industry groups will be paying farmers in two of spending millions to stop Congress A Klepper Scott China’s poorest provinces to combat from passing climate legislation. global warming by storing carbon, To increase pressure on the federal Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. (R) thanks to a project by Environmental government, Environmental Defense has Defense. worked with the states to demonstrate Two years ago, our economists Dr. that cutting greenhouse gases is achiev- Dan Dudek and Dr. Zach Willey began able and doesn’t harm the economy. We working in Xinjiang and Sichuan cosponsored legislation in California that provinces to promote climate-friendly caps greenhouse gas pollution and in agricultural production. Florida recommended ambitious initia- The various practices also reduce tives, adopted by Governor Charlie water use, provide biogas from agricul- Crist, to curb global warming pollution. tural and human wastes for cooking and Our campaign also includes lighting, and stop the spread of desertifi- grassroots efforts in key states. Senator cation by planting native trees. Max Baucus (D-MT) signed on to the The projects, a glimpse into the bill after we organized support from future, will keep 310,000 metric tons of the Montana Grain Growers Associa- carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere tion. Hard political data helped con- Anne Sherwood over the next three years—roughly half vince others: A survey we commis- Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana (D) the total emissions attributable to sioned by Republican pollster Whit AIG’s global operations. Ayres shows that 57% of independent As part of a plan to reduce its cli- voters want greenhouse gas regulations.