CO: GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION UP 221%

[KNOWTHIS]

www.environmentcolorado.org/envco.asp?id2=25041&id3=DO

New Report: Colorado Global Warming Pollution Up 221 Percent Since 1960

Power Plants, Cars Main Culprits Cited In Report

Global warming pollution in Colorado jumped 221 pecent between 1960 and 2001, according to "The Carbon Boom," a new analysis of government data released today by Environment Colorado. Increased coal emissions and oil emissions were responsible for 50 percent and 35 percent of this increase, respectively. Download the Carbon Boom chart. (PDF) | Download the Carbon Boom projected global warming emissions under business-as-usual. (PDF)

“When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging. To protect future generations from the effects of global warming, we need to stop this trend of increasing pollution,” said Emily Francis, Outreach Director for Environment Colorado.

Existing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies could substantially reduce global warming pollution, but the federal government has so far rejected mandatory pollution limits.

Using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Environment Colorado’s new report examines trends in carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel combustion nationally and by state between 1960 and 2001, the most recent year for which state-by-state data are available. Major findings of the report include:

Colorado emitted 27.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960; by 2001, the state’s emissions had grown to 87.8 million metric tons, an increase of 221 percent.

Nationwide, emissions of carbon dioxide nearly doubled between 1960 and 2001, jumping from 2.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960 to almost 5.7 billion metric tons in 2001, an increase of 95 percent.

A dramatic growth in oil combustion mostly in the transportation sector and coal combustion mainly for electricity generation fueled the rapid increase in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions between 1960 and 2001. Increased coal and oil combustion each accounted for 40 percent of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions.

In Colorado, increased coal combustion – primarily to generate electricity – accounted for 50 percent of the state’s increase in carbon dioxide emissions from 1960 to 2001. Coal has the highest carbon content of any fossil fuel, meaning that burning coal for electricity produces more carbon per unit of energy than does burning oil or natural gas. Over the four decades analyzed, as demand for electricity boomed, Colorado added 4,751 megawatts of new coal-burning power plant capacity. Increased combustion of oil and natural gas contributed 33 percent and 17 percent, respectively, of the state’s growth in emissions from 1960 to 2001.

The early effects of global warming are evident in Colorado and worldwide. According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year ever recorded. Left unchecked, global warming threatens to

· cause serious future water shortages in Colorado, as our snowpack-fed rivers and streams dry up.

· cause more frequent and extreme droughts in Colorado, as warmer temperatures evaporate moisture in the soil more quickly.

The U.S. could substantially reduce its global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants and cars more efficient and increase the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, noted Francis. “These are win, win solutions because they also would reduce our dependence on oil, reduce air pollution, protect pristine places from oil drilling and mining, and save consumers money,” she said.

“In 2004, Colorado residents passed a landmark initiative—Amendment 37—which will increase our renewable energy to 10 percent by 2015. Thanks to Environment Colorado for continuing to forge ahead and encourage Colorado to reduce even more CO2 emissions,” added Ron Larson, founder of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES).

Oil companies – led by ExxonMobil – automakers, and most electric utilities continue to fight common sense solutions to global warming, Francis pointed out. For instance, ExxonMobil gave at least $15 million between 1998 and 2004 to groups working to confuse the public about the broad scientific consensus on the causes of and solutions to global warming.

On Monday, Rep. Henry Waxman (CA) introduced the Safe Climate Act, which provides a long-term, science-based solution to global warming. The bill requires the U.S. to reduce its global warming pollution by 15 percent from today’s levels by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. To achieve these targets, the bill calls for improved energy efficiency and a greater reliance on clean, renewable energy sources, while providing companies flexibility in meeting the pollution-reduction goals through a “cap-and-trade” program.

“Our state and national leaders must take decisive action to stop the worst effects of global warming. We are calling on all our Colorado congressional delegation to cosponsor the Safe Climate Act and we applaud Senator Salazar for urging President Bush to support real reductions in global warming pollution,” concluded Francis.

[KNOWTHIS]

Increase in Mississippi 255%


www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/14865636.htm

U.S. adds fuel to global warming
Driving, energy use increasing

Carbon dioxide emissions from oil and coal combustion have increased in Mississippi by 255 percent in the last 40 years, a report based on federal data that was released Tuesday said.

U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a liberal public interest watchdog organization, released the report, which came out on the same day as a bill in Congress to decrease greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

"This report shows that there has been a consistent increase in carbon dioxide from Americans over the years," said U.S. PIRG Mississippi coordinator Jia-yan Kwok. "The U.S. has no national strategy to confront global warming and it needs one now."

Kwok said the point of the report is to show that the world is steadily moving toward a tipping point when climate change would set in rapidly and, perhaps, violently.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, as the predominant gas contributing to the greenhouse effect, which traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere like a blanket and causes air, land and water underneath to heat up.

"The U.S. is primarily fighting global warming by adding fuel to the fire - burning more and more fossil fuels," said Becky Gillette, with the environmental group Sierra Club's Mississippi chapter. "Here on the Gulf Coast where Hurricane Katrina should have been a sobering wake-up call for global warming, instead Katrina survivors are faced with major expansions to allow the U.S. to burn even more fossil fuels."

Global warming's effects on tropical storm frequency and intensity is still a hotly contested issue within the research community.

The PIRG report said most of the carbon dioxide increase came from vehicles driving more miles along with more coal being burned to generate electricity.

As an indicator of vehicular combustion of oil, the group pointed to mileage data, reporting the average driver went 3,342 miles in 1960 and went up to 12,592 miles in 2001, a 277 percent increase.

The data were gathered by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 1960 to 2001, the last year that information was available.

Kwok said early climate changes have already set in, with a NASA study showing that 2005 was the hottest year on record, and that more is to come in Mississippi, including sea level rise and the possibility of stronger storms.

But she also said the answer could be as simple as buying more fuel-efficient vehicles, supporting alternative electrical generation like wind power and solar, and contacting representatives to voice support for government efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions.

"When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging," said Kwok. "To protect future generations from the effects of global warming, we need to stop this trend of increasing pollution."

[KNOWTHIS]

California leaped 85%.

link

California's global warming emissions leaped 85 percent between 1960 and 2001, according to a report by an environmental group.

The report released Tuesday by San Francisco-based Environment California said 61 percent of the increase was due to increased carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. The remainder was from carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas used for heating and electricity, according to the report, which was based on data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The study concluded that California emitted 198.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960 and 368.7 million metric tons in 2001.

California ranked third in emissions behind Texas and Florida.

Environment California called for fast enactment of Assembly Bill 32, which would require caps on industry emissions. A Senate hearing on the bill, sponsored by Speaker Fabian Nunez and Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, is set for Tuesday.

But the California Chamber of Commerce released its own study on Tuesday, which concluded that the bill would increase the price of energy and cause companies to move jobs to developing countries with less stringent emission standards.

On the 'Net: www.environmentcalifornia.org/


No action will be taken because it will cause "business to leave" overseas as if it hasn't been already.

[KNOWTHIS]

Florida

link

According to a PIRG study, Florida emitted 52.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960. By 2001, the state's emissions had increased to 235.6 million metric tons, ranking Florida's increase second in the nation.

Florida's population grew from 4.9 million in 1960 to 15.9 million in 2000.

Robles acknowledged that the population increase could have contributed to the carbon-dioxide increase. "It's all the more reason why we need to enact change now - because Florida has the most to lose," he said.

Florida State University oceanography professor Jeff Chanton said climate records show that carbon-dioxide concentrations are higher now than they have been in the past 500,000 years and the trend may be difficult to reverse.

"We have to be very careful about what we do on this Earth," Chanton said.

Boyd released a statement through a spokeswoman saying that he is reviewing the climate legislation introduced by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. He also praised PIRG's efforts to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.

"There is no doubt that America needs to adopt a safer, cleaner and more reliable energy policy to reduce emissions responsible for global warming," Boyd said.

Two speakers at the PIRG news conference, attorney Brian Armstrong and asthma and allergy specialist Dr. Ronald Saff, also criticized the city's involvement in a proposed coal-fired power plant in Taylor County. They pointed to coal plants as a major contributor to global warming.

[KNOWTHIS]

news.mongabay.com/2006/0622-ucar.html

Global Warming Fueled Record 2005 Hurricane Season Conclude Scientists
National Center for Atmospheric Research
June 22, 2006
Global warming accounted for around half of the extra hurricane-fueling warmth in the waters of the tropical North Atlantic in 2005, while natural cycles were only a minor factor, according to a new analysis by Kevin Trenberth and Dennis Shea of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The study will appear in the June 27 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.


"The global warming influence provides a new background level that increases the risk of future enhancements in hurricane activity," Trenberth says. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's primary sponsor.

The study contradicts recent claims that natural cycles are responsible for the upturn in Atlantic hurricane activity since 1995. It also adds support to the premise that hurricane seasons will become more active as global temperatures rise. Last year produced a record 28 tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma all reached Category 5 strength.

Trenberth and Shea's research focuses on an increase in ocean temperatures. During much of last year's hurricane season, sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic between 10 and 20 degrees north, which is where many Atlantic hurricanes originate, were a record 1.7 degrees F above the 1901-1970 average. While researchers agree that the warming waters fueled hurricane intensity, they have been uncertain whether Atlantic waters have heated up because of a natural, decades-long cycle, or because of global warming.

By analyzing worldwide data on sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) since the early 20th century, Trenberth and Shea were able to calculate the causes of the increased temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic. Their calculations show that global warming explained about 0.8 degrees F of this rise. Aftereffects from the 2004-05 El Nino accounted for about 0.4 degrees F. The Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), a 60-to-80-year natural cycle in SSTs, explained less than 0.2 degrees F of the rise, according to Trenberth. The remainder is due to year-to-year variability in temperatures.

Previous studies have attributed the warming and cooling patterns of North Atlantic ocean temperatures in the 20th century—and associated hurricane activity—to the AMO. But Trenberth, suspecting that global warming was also playing a role, looked beyond the Atlantic to temperature patterns throughout Earth's tropical and midlatitude waters. He subtracted the global trend from the irregular Atlantic temperatures—in effect, separating global warming from the Atlantic natural cycle. The results show that the AMO is actually much weaker now than it was in the 1950s, when Atlantic hurricanes were also quite active. However, the AMO did contribute to the lull in hurricane activity from about 1970 to 1990 in the Atlantic.

Global warming does not guarantee that each year will set records for hurricanes, according to Trenberth. He notes that last year's activity was related to very favorable upper-level winds as well as the extremely warm SSTs. Each year will bring ups and downs in tropical Atlantic SSTs due to natural variations, such as the presence or absence of El Nino, says Trenberth. However, he adds, the long-term ocean warming should raise the baseline of hurricane activity.

[KNOWTHIS]

www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/06/22/report_backs_global_warming_claims/

Report backs global warming claims

A signature piece of evidence for global warming -- a chart showing that a sharp rise in temperatures made the late 20th century the warmest period in at least 1,000 years -- is most likely correct, a national panel of scientific experts concluded today.

The graph is often referred to as “the hockey stick” because it is shaped like one: A shaft that shows a long period of gradual change in Northern Hemisphere surface temperatures, and then a sharp spike upward during the last 100 years or so that represents the blade. Since it was first published in a scientific journal in 1998, environmentalists have seized on it as proof of human-induced climate change while scientific critics have attacked its methodologies and data.

Last year, the graph catapulted into the national political arena after Joe Barton, a Texas Republican who is chair of the House energy committee, asked its three authors – including a University of Massachusetts professor -- for a detailed accounting of their funding and data. The request was blasted as an intimidation tactic by a range of scientists and other congressmen, and the National Academy of Sciences, which advises Congress and the government, was asked to conduct an independent review.

“Our conclusion is that this recent period of warming is likely the warmest in a (millennium),’’ said John Wallace, one of the 12 members on the panel and professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington.

Scientists widely believe that emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants and cars that get trapped in the atmosphere are helping drive global warming. The report says that there are multiple lines of evidence supporting this conclusion. "This doesn't change the scientific landscape in terms of the greenhouse warming debate," Wallace said.

Because reliable temperature records stretch back only about 150 years, scientists must extrapolate past temperature and climate data indirectly, from natural archives such as tree growth rings, corals, ice cores, and cave deposits. For example, trees grow faster in warmer temperatures, so scientists can determine how warm it was in the past from the size of growth rings. And sediments at the bottom of some lakes can provide clues, because more sediment is deposited in warm periods when there is more snowmelt to carry the soil.

The National Academy of Sciences study looked at the validity of\ the initial report and concluded its main point about warming in the late 20th century is likely correct, basing that finding on a review of the evidence in the initial report and subsequent studies.

However, the authors found little confidence in the initial report's statement that the 1990s was the warmest decade, and 1998 the warmest year, in at least a millennium. While it may be true, they said temperature data for the last 1,000 years are not reliable enough to trust those statements.

[KNOWTHIS]

Illinois sixth worst


www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-warming22.html

Illinois 6th worst for global warming

Illinois pumps more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than all but five other states, doing its share to worsen global warming, a Chicago-based environment group reported Wednesday.

The state's annual emissions of the greenhouse gas -- 224.7 million metric tons -- were exceeded only by Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, Environment Illinois said.

Only three states -- Texas, Florida and North Carolina -- increased CO2 emissions more than Illinois from 1990 to 2001, the report said.

Cause: coal power, automobiles

Environment Illinois analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Although the period after 2001 isn't covered, DOE projects nationwide increases in CO2 emissions steepening by 11 percent over the 26 years ending in 2030.

Of Illinois' CO2 output, 40 percent comes from coal, nearly all of it burned by power plants; 37 percent from oil consumed by cars and trucks, and 23 percent from natural gas.

In the state as elsewhere around the world, "every day the threat of global warming comes into sharper focus," said Environment Illinois director Rebecca Stanfield at a news conference at the Chicago Center for Green Technology.

Fox News Chicago meteorologist Rick DiMaio noted that Chicago snowfall averaged 50 inches each winter between 1960 and 1980. Since then, the average has fallen to 35 inches.

Other speakers touted ways to combat climate change.

Colleen Sarna of the Sierra Club blasted electric utilities' plans to build 15 new coal-fired power plants in Illinois, joining 23 existing ones.

Showing off solar panels able to supply power for 25 to 30 homes, Mark Burger of the Illinois Solar Energy Association said, "Less than 1 percent of the total land area of the U.S. -- rooftops, parking lots, brownfields -- could be covered [by solar panels] without touching one acre of green space."

[KNOWTHIS]

Kentucky seventh

Kentucky 7th in rising CO2 emissions
Travel, electricity usage cited

A study by a national research group says Kentucky is among the top 10 states where carbon dioxide emissions, a contributor to global warming, have more than doubled in 41 years due to increased travel and electricity usage.

In the report titled Carbon Boom," Kentucky ranks seventh nationwide with a 209 percent jump in carbon dioxide emissions from 1960 to 2001, according to the United States Public Interest Research Group. Texas ranks first for emissions, but had only a 178 percent increase during that period.

The Washington, D.C., group recommends mandatory carbon dioxide limits, that electricity be created from renewable energy sources and that homes, vehicles and businesses be more energy efficient.

According to the study, the southeast and Gulf south regions had the most rapid carbon dioxide emissions increases, 163 percent and 175 percent, respectively. Kentucky is one of the 11 states in the southeast region.

The report shows that human-induced oil combustion -- for transportation and the creation of electricity from coal -- have contributed to the increase.

Americans are driving more -- an average of 9,800 miles a year in 2001 compared with 4,000 miles in 1960. In Kentucky, the average mileage per capita increased from 3,665 miles to 11,378 miles a year, resulting in a 29 percent oil-combustion increase in the state.

Overall nationwide, coal emissions from electricity increased by 370 percent from 1960 to 2001. In Kentucky, emissions from coal-fired power plants increased about 67 percent.

The group obtained carbon dioxide emission data from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a laboratory of the Department of Energy. It calculated coal-fired power plant capacity using data from the Energy Information Administration.

Andrew McNeill, acting executive director of the Kentucky office of energy policy, said Kentucky's increase in emissions is not unusual.

"In 40 years, the economy has grown and the need to generate electricity has grown," McNeill said. "It's not that surprising; at the same time, it's not alarming."

Myron Ebell, director of energy and global warming in the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C., said there is a correlation with economic growth and energy usage.

"Michigan is losing industrial jobs ... you are gaining them," he said of Kentucky. "You are going to have emissions growth."

Paul Howell, an associate professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said carbon dioxide levels are 30 percent higher today than they have been in the last 750,000 years, Howell said.

"It's a gradual increase that is creeping up on everybody," Howell said. "There's no number that is going to set off an alarm for everybody. ... but I find it alarming that we have taken it to new levels beyond that we have seen."

Howell said some scientists are waiting for more data to establish a link between carbon dioxide and global warming.

"But that's a risky one," he said. "Because there could become what scientists call a tipping point, where we can't back up.""

[KNOWTHIS]

PA third

www.pennenvironment.org/PEair.asp?id2=24986&id3=PE&id4=PEHP

New Report: Pennsylvania Ranks Third Nationally for Global Warming Pollution

Pennsylvania created more of the global warming gas carbon dioxide in 2001 than all but two other states, according to "The Carbon Boom," a new analysis of government data released today by PennEnvironment. Coal, oil, and natural gas emissions were responsible for 49%, 37% and 14% of Pennsylvania’s carbon dioxide emissions, respectively.

“When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you should do is stop digging. To protect future generations from the effects of global warming, we need to drastically reduce this pollution in Pennsylvania and nationwide,” said Nathan Willcox, Energy & Clean Air Advocate with PennEnvironment.

Existing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies could substantially reduce global warming pollution, but the federal government has so far rejected mandatory pollution limits.

Using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PennEnvironment’s new report examines trends in carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel combustion nationally and by state between 1960 and 2001, the most recent year for which state-by-state data are available. Major findings of the report include:

• Nationwide, emissions of carbon dioxide nearly doubled between 1960 and 2001, jumping from 2.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960 to almost 5.7 billion metric tons in 2001, an increase of 95 percent.

• Pennsylvania mirrored much of the rest of the northeastern states in having fairly static carbon dioxide emission levels over the past 40 years. Pennsylvania emitted 248.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 1960, and in 2001, the state’s emissions had grown to 258 million metric tons, an increase of 4%. But the state’s 2001 carbon dioxide emissions total ranked Pennsylvania third nationally behind only Texas and California for the most carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion among states.

• A dramatic growth in oil combustion in the transportation sector and coal combustion for electricity generation fueled the rapid increase in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions between 1960 and 2001. Increased coal and oil combustion each accounted for 40% of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions.

• In Pennsylvania, increased oil combustion – largely to fuel cars and light trucks – accounted for 73% of the state’s increase in carbon dioxide emissions from 1960 to 2001. Vehicle travel increased dramatically over the period, while the fuel efficiency of U.S. vehicles stalled in the late 1980s. The number of miles driven per capita on Pennsylvania’s roads increased from 3,941 in 1960 to 8,383 in 2001, an increase of 113%. Increased natural gas contributed the remaining 27% of the state’s growth in emissions from 1960 to 2001.

Despite Pennsylvania and some other states doing comparatively well in recent decades in keeping their global warming pollution levels relatively static, the scientific consensus is that countries will need to drastically reduce global warming pollution from current levels in order to combat its potentially devastating effects.

“Not polluting more is simply not good enough in the fight against global warming,” said Willcox. “We need to find ways to drastically reduce our global warming pollution in Pennsylvania and nationwide, and our elected officials will need to play a key role in making this happen.”

The early effects of global warming are becoming evident in Pennsylvania and worldwide. According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year ever recorded. Left unchecked, global warming threatens to substantially raise sea levels, cause more frequent and severe heat waves in Pennsylvania, and cause more frequent and extreme droughts in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

The U.S. could substantially reduce its global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants and cars more efficient and increase the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass.

“These are win-win solutions because they also would reduce our dependence on oil, reduce air pollution, protect pristine places from oil drilling and mining, and save Pennsylvanians money,” Willcox said.

Oil companies, automakers, and most electric utilities continue to fight common sense solutions to global warming. For instance, ExxonMobil gave at least $15 million between 1998 and 2004 to groups working to confuse the public about the broad scientific consensus on the causes of and solutions to global warming.

Today, Congressman Henry Waxman (CA) introduced the Safe Climate Act, which provides a long-term, science-based solution to global warming. The bill requires the U.S. to reduce its global warming pollution by 15% from today’s levels by 2020 and by 80% by 2050. To achieve these targets, the bill calls for improved energy efficiency and a greater reliance on clean, renewable energy sources, while providing companies flexibility in meeting the pollution-reduction goals through a “cap-and-trade” program.

Rep. Waxman commented, “The Carbon Boom shows state-by-state how the problem has been growing for decades. Now is the time to heed the scientists and start healing the climate. The Safe Climate Act will dramatically reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the levels needed to avoid dangerous global warming. We start now and increase improvements over time, as we replace dirty old energy sources with clean renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

“Our leaders must take decisive action to stop the worst effects of global warming. We call on Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to cosponsor the Safe Climate Act,” concluded Willcox.

At the state level, PennEnvironment urged lawmakers in Harrisburg to pass policies establishing state-level global warming pollution reduction plans, supporting local governments’ efforts to create global warming pollution reduction plans, providing dedicated funding for the state’s mass transit systems, and providing incentives for the residential installation of solar power in Pennsylvania.

[KNOWTHIS]

link

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Takes Aim at Global Warming by Making Their Business Operations Carbon Neutral

Group partners with Green Mountain Energy Company and challenges businesses in the Southeast to follow their lead by examining their carbon footprint and taking steps to reduce global warming pollution

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy announced today that they are working with Green Mountain Energy Company's eMission Solutions division to make their business operations carbon neutral in 2006. They also extend the challenge to other businesses in the Southeast to reduce global warming pollution.

"We hope that our purchase will serve as an example to Southern businesses that it is possible TODAY to make your standard business operations carbon neutral and address a leading cause of global warming," stated Stephen Smith, executive director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "It's easy. If we, a small non-profit can do it, so can others."

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has partnered with Green Mountain Energy Company's eMission Solutions division to offset 100% of the estimated carbon dioxide emissions, a leading cause of global warming, associated with its business operations. They are accomplishing this through purchasing wind power and planting trees. This commitment helps avoid over 330,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, and has the equivalent impact of not driving over 366,000 miles. Additionally, the organization purchases clean energy from regional solar and methane sources in green power programs in markets where they are available, like the Tennessee Valley Authority's Green Power Switch(R).

"Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has set the bar for the Southeast by not only educating the community about the effects of global warming and the impact of carbon emissions, but now through this purchase, going a step further and offsetting all of their carbon dioxide emissions from business operations," said Gillan Taddune, chief environmental officer for Green Mountain Energy Company and head of the eMission Solutions division.

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is offsetting its estimated CO2 emissions from its office electricity usage, refrigerant use, employee commuting and travel and natural gas usage. The organization has long been an advocate of energy efficiency and has taken steps to decrease electricity usage by buying Energy Star(R) products, using programmable thermostats and using highly efficient light bulbs in their offices. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has fifteen staff at offices in: Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Knoxville, TN, Raleigh, NC and Savannah, GA.

This move is in response to the increasing effects of global warming. "The Southeast is particularly vulnerable to the wrath of global warming," stated Smith. "Increased global temperatures could destroy many of our coastal communities through sea level rise and increases in hurricane strength and frequency. Global warming is the toughest environmental problem we currently face. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is doing our part to reduce our global warming impact, are you doing yours?"

Businesses interested in taking Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's challenge and reducing their carbon footprint should visit www.cleanenergy.org for more information.

For more information about eMission Solutions from Green Mountain Energy Company visit www.emissionsolutions.biz.

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible energy choices that create global warming solutions and ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. For more information, go to: www.cleanenergy.org

Green Mountain Energy. Founded in 1997 to change the way power is made, Green Mountain Energy Company is one of the nation's leading retail providers of cleaner electricity products, offering residential, business, institutional and governmental customers the choice to support cleaner electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass and natural gas. The company recently launched the eMission Solutions division to offer a portfolio of carbon reduction services for commercial and institutional sector clients looking to improve their environmental position. The company is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.greenmountain.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the term "CO2" above, the "2" is subscript numeral. It was changed for transmission purposes only.

[Jeanie]

Regards global warming, Thurs. night Stan Deyo was on Coast to Coast. Stan at one time translated satelite pictures for the U.S. gov. Has studied G W and earth changes for some time. He seems to feel the warming has nothing to do with human activities but says the interior of the earth is warming up and the planet is expanding. Could be a possibility, I certainly don't know for sure.

[Mech]

Stan is right on.

It isn't man made.

Its increased solar activity and a natural cycle.

The earths core is seeing much more activity.

Is THIS caused by "big , Bad, humans"?

Uhhhhh....NO

The planet is ALWAYS changing.

It never stays the same.

To believe that the planet will maintain a constant temperature and the landscape will always the same is just ridiculous.

I say..relax...

enjoy the ride.

[altitudelou]

Why the inflexibility as to what might be the cause of this global warming, do we have to take partisan sides and become fixated on one ridged view over another like stupid politicians, Isn't the global warming Sanrio most likely made up of one that is inclusive of natural and human induced warming?

I actually find these attitudes of expecting people to believe one way or the other quite insulting, the fact is that global warming is very real and to continue to argue over what is bringing it about is to me a pointless exercise, it's here now, and it seems to be progressing at a much faster rate than the so called experts can explain, I think we are in for one hell of a ride, maybe all the way to extinction.

[thinkagain]

i have been part of some intersting postings at the Society for Scientific Exploration concering global warming and its causes. It was starting to take on very rough tone, until we started to talk about both natural and man-made causes being influential. There is not much constructive in arguing whose right and getting defensive about it. The issue is this, what, if any, influence do we have on the environment, and what, if anything do we need to do to keep it hospitable for humans. That we impact the environment locally is not only documented (e.g. the heat island effect of cities), it is necessary for us to rationally consider economic activity to be of value. Hey, if humans can't alter the environment then it must be the case that houses just come into existence by the will of the planet - so why pay someone else for something they don't have any power over to create?

now, another issue is whether we understand the working of climate enough to now what will happen if do not change our lifestyles. Global warming is, to the use a phrase, a fact. We want to determine what its causes are to know if we can influence how the climate is changing, and whether the costs of changing are worth the benefits, if any. Just because there are natural cycles and solar behavior that effect global temperature does not preclude human influences. Maybe those influences are only 5-10% of the story, but if we are at a tipping point that beomes signifcant power. Consider this, if you were on the supreme court and the vote was 4-4 and your vote was next to be counted, your vote is only 11% of all votes, but for a brief moment it becomes the deciding vote.

I don't believe the challenges ahead for humans are going to be resovled by top down policies and their enforcement. It will depend on the masses of p[eople choosing, voluntarily, to lead more peaceful, tolerant and less enviornmentally stressful lives. That is about individuals talking responsibility, and that requires people believing they have an impact on how the world evolves/is created into the future.

[Jeanie]

The affluent people of the world could be likened to a bunch of spoiled brats used to having what they want and when they want it. Take air travel for example, I'd like to see it cut in half or less and give our atmosphere a chance to function normally. Do you think the public would welcome the idea ? Most assuredly not... Money and indulging ourselves has become the gods of this system. Regardless, I have a heart felt assurance the earth will go on and support life and the "spoiled brats" will be like dust in the wind...