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Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (7761)	10/22/2006 3:36:22 PM
From: maceng2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 36918

The UK Autumn / Winter been mild so far. northjersey.com CEO bullish on global warming Sunday, October 22, 2006 By BRAD FOSS ASSOCIATED PRESS When Duke Energy Corp. CEO James E. Rogers considers global warming, he sees more than a costly quagmire for the U.S. power industry; he sees grand monuments. Notre Dame in Paris, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Rogers has adopted what he calls "cathedral thinking," a view that tackling climate change is a chance for the industry to leave a proud environmental legacy for future generations. This philosophy may not deliver results as quickly as environmentalists would like, or sit well with all his counterparts. However, it does aptly describe an approach toward reducing greenhouse gases that a small but growing number of power executives are embracing. "The science says we need to act," said Rogers. Of course, shifting political winds are an equally persuasive force in an industry that accounts for almost 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Rogers and many other executives are convinced the United States is likely to join Europe in placing limits on carbon dioxide emissions -- believed by scientists to cause global warming -- perhaps as early as next decade. This rising expectation of mandatory carbon caps is reviving interest in nuclear power, accelerating the use of cleaner coal-burning technologies and spurring investment in alternative fuels such as wind and biomass. Some of the country's biggest power producers are even setting voluntary greenhouse-gas reduction goals now in hopes of gaining a competitive edge down the road. Despite good intentions, it will probably be decades before meaningful progress is made on reducing carbon emissions, say experts on energy and the environment. That is because half the country's electricity comes from burning coal -- by far the largest industrial source of carbon dioxide -- and the most promising technology for capturing these emissions and sequestering them underground is still in the experimental phase. Meanwhile, the Edison Electric Institute, the industry's main trade association, is lobbying to prevent mandatory carbon caps, calling them an unnecessary financial burden at a time when the power industry needs to invest billions just to meet anticipated demand. Rogers, who is the chairman of EEI through June and welcomes economywide carbon caps, is at odds with the association's official position: it favors voluntary measures, a stance also advocated by the Bush administration. U.S. electricity demand is expected to rise by about 1.5 percent a year, resulting in a 50 percent increase from current levels by 2030. Factor in the anticipated industrialization of China, India and other developing nations, and the global rate of growth for electricity demand is even higher. The Electric Power Research Institute predicts that, with today's technology, global carbon dioxide emissions will more than double by 2050 to 80 billion metric tons a year. The U.S. already accounts for more than 7 billion tons a year. Increasing energy efficiency standards and deploying "improved versions" of today's power plants would substantially slow the rate of growth, according to EPRI, a non-profit that provides scientific and technical research on electricity. But to actually reduce annual global carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, EPRI estimates that nearly half of the world's electricity would need to come from carbon-free fuels, such as nuclear, wind and solar. Today, carbon-free fuels account for a third of global power generation. This is one reason some U.S. power executives vow to fight carbon limits unless constraints are carried out worldwide. Some opponents of mandatory carbon caps say the power industry would be better off with one federal standard than a hodgepodge of state regulations with which to comply. But either way, the basic principle of putting a price on carbon is gaining traction: The Congressional Budget Office last month said any cost-effective U.S. policy on global warming will require emissions taxes or a cap and trade system similar to Europe's. It is against this backdrop of legislative activity at the state level -- and with help from federal tax breaks included in last year's energy bill -- that some utilities are tweaking their long-term strategies. David Crane, head of Princeton-based NRG Energy, said at a recent conference that the industry's long-standing attitude of "see no carbon, hear no carbon, speak no carbon" is increasingly out of touch with mainstream American values. * * * Going green Montclair has set a high bar for other communities interested in going green. The town's climate-friendly initiatives include: • Started the first recycling program in the state in 1978. • Conducted an energy audit on all town and school buildings to identify ways to save power. • Acquired six natural gas-powered Honda Civic GXs for use by town meter maids. • Switched all traffic lights to light-emitting diodes that use 90 percent less power. • Planning a middle school that will have solar panels and a geothermal heating and cooling system. For more information about the Cool Cities Campaign, visit sierraclub.org/coolcities