New Report: Pollution Down 13%
in New Hampshire since 2004
Concord, NH— New Hampshire’s global warming pollution
declined by 13 percent since 2004,
the year in which pollution levels began to peak in many states, according to a
new analysis of government data released today by Environment New Hampshire.
“The
transition to clean energy is a marathon, and we’ve just laced up our
sneakers,” said Environment New Hampshire Program Associate Jessica O’Hare.“It’s time to take back control of our energy future.By harnessing the power of the wind and the
sun, we can cut pollution and transition to clean energy sources that don’t
harm the environment, never run out, and create new, local jobs,” she
continued.
For decades, America’s use of fossil fuels –
and the global warming pollution that results – has been on the rise nationally
and in states across the country.For
New Hampshire, global warming means a lot of things, but the impact that is
among the most concerning is the devastating effects of a warming climate on
the ski and winter tourism industry. The science shows that the United States
must cut its global warming pollution by 35 percent by 2020 to be able to stop
the worst effects of global warming.
Too Much Pollution uses the most
recent data from the U.S. Department of Energy on fossil fuel consumption by
state to look at trends in carbon dioxide emissions.The key findings include the following:
New Hampshire’s
carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption declined by 14
percent between 2004 and 2007, reversing a decades-long trend toward
increasing pollution.
In New Hampshire, carbon dioxide emissions from electricity
generation declined by 14 percent from 2004 to 2007, as the state moved
from highly polluting oil to cleaner forms of electricity.Indeed, carbon dioxide emissions from
burning oil for electricity dropped by 83 percent.
Nationally,
emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel consumption increased by 19
percent between 1990 and 2007.Power plants and vehicles, the largest sources of carbon dioxide
emissions in the United
States, were responsible for the lion’s
share of the increase.
In total, more than one-third of the states
succeeded in cutting pollution from 2004 to 2007 – before the onset of the
economic recession.The initial success
of these states shows that moving to clean energy can have a significant and
immediate impact on overall emissions – and that emission reductions and robust
economic growth can occur side by side.For instance, four Northeast states – Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and New York – cut their pollution levels by 5
percent since 1997, while increasing their gross state product by 65 percent.
“We can drive the economy without driving up
pollution.By moving to clean energy, we
can cut pollution, help jump-start the economy, and create millions of new
clean energy jobs across the country,” said O’Hare.
The
report recommends that the federal government build on the initial progress
made by states by passing strong clean energy legislation and adopting common
sense EPA rules to cut pollution from aging coal plants and big smokestack
industries.The Senate is in the process
of considering the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733),
sponsored by Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer.In addition, EPA has
proposed a rule to require coal
plants and other large smokestack industries to use available technology to cut
their global warming pollution when new facilities are constructed or existing
facilities are significantly modified.
“The
really great news is that this sharp reduction in pollution is not only
eminently doable, but can save New Hampshire households and businesses
prodigious sums of cash,” said Jim Rubens for the Union of Concerned
Scientists. “If we can cut 3 million tons per year in just 3 years, we can
reach another 8 million in ten years.”
Unfortunately,
Dirty Coal, Big Oil, and other polluters are fighting the transition to clean
energy.The American
Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a coal industry lobby group, spent at
least $45 million dollars last year alone – more than $120,000 a day – on
lobbyists and advertising on energy.Earlier this year, they hired
lobbyists who forged phony constituent letters to Congress opposing action on
clean energy.“The coal industry has proven themselves willing to
do or say virtually anything to block progress,” said O’Hare.
“We thank Senator Shaheen for her leadership
on clean energy.We’re counting on her
to ensure that the Senate passes an energy bill that requires old, clunker coal
plants to meet modern standards for global warming pollution so we can finally
move to clean energy, like wind and solar power.We urge EPA to finalize its rule to cut
global warming pollution from coal plants,” said O’Hare.
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Environment New Hampshire is
a state-based, citizen-funded environmental organization working for clean air,
clean water, and open space.
