Global warming is the defining challenge of our time. The
latest climate science tells us that the United States must reduce its
emissions of global warming pollutants quickly and dramatically if we hope to
avoid the most catastrophic impacts of global warming. The rest of the world
must take strong action as well.
For the United States to make the emission reductions
science tells us will be necessary—cutting emissions by at least 15-20 percent
by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050—will require major changes in many areas of
America’s economy, from the increased use of clean, renewable energy to dramatic
improvements in the efficiency with which we use energy in our homes, businesses
and vehicles. But solutions exist today that can get us much of the way there. And
communities across the country—and around the globe—are making those solutions a reality.
This report details more than 20 examples of cutting-edge
policies and practices that communities, states and countries are using to
reduce global warming pollution. These examples show that while actions to reduce
global warming pollution require commitment and creativity, they also bring
with them other benefits—reduced dependence on fossil fuels, cleaner air and healthier
communities, economic growth and new jobs.
America
should learn from these initiatives by adopting public policy “best practices”
that can achieve similar benefits nationwide. The United States—as well as individual states —should foster further innovation by adopting mandatory caps on global
warming pollution, coupled with policies that will promote the transition to a
cleaner, more efficient energy system.
Cities and states across America are achieving impressive
results in the fight against global warming.
• Texas
has added more than 4,000 megawatts of wind power generating capacity in the last
decade. Once a marginal source of electricity in the state, wind power now
produces about 3 percent of Texas’
electricity, enough to avoid about 8 million metric tons of global warming
pollution per year. Global Warming Solutions that Work
• New Jersey doubled its
solar power generating capacity within just two years through aggressive public
policies that promote solar panels on rooftops in the Garden State.
• California
uses 20 percent less energy per capita than it did in 1973, thanks to strong
energy efficiency policies for buildings and appliances.
• Wisconsin
avoids about 200,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution per year through
its innovative programs to promote energy efficiency in industry—programs that
also help save businesses money and keep jobs within the state.
• Portland,
Oregon, has doubled the number of
bicyclists on city streets in just six years through investments in bicycle
infrastructure and bike-friendly transportation policies. The percentage of
people who bike to work in Portland
is now eight times the national average.
• In the Rosslyn and Ballston neighborhoods of Arlington County, Virginia,
about 40 percent of residents take transit to work and about 10 percent walk,
thanks to investments in transit service to Washington, D.C.
and smart land-use planning that has created vibrant, compact, mixed-use
communities around transit stops.
• Southeastern Pennsylvania
saw a 20 percent increase in the number of riders on energy efficient trains linking
Harrisburg and Philadelphia following investments that
increased travel speeds along the line. A similar 20 percent ridership jump
occurred recently on the Northeast’s Acela high-speed train line.
Other nations have also made significant progress, with
lessons for the United
States.
• Germany
recycles 60 percent of its municipal waste (compared to 32 percent in the United States)
and has kept its garbage output steady for nearly two decades thanks to
policies that put the responsibility for recycling waste on product
manufacturers and not individual consumers and taxpayers.
• In Israel,
more than 90 percent of homes use solar water heaters, which dramatically
reduce the need for natural gas or electricity for water heating. Israel requires
that all new homes come equipped with solar water heaters.
• Copenhagen,
Denmark, has
revitalized its downtown by giving pedestrians and bicycles preference over
cars in large parts of its city center. Walking and cycling now account for
more than 40 percent of all trips made in Danish urban areas.
• Spain
has sparked the creation of new renewable energy industries through aggressive
clean energy policies. Spain
now ranks third in the world for installed wind power capacity and is the world’s
fourth leading market for solar photovoltaics. Spanish companies are increasingly
taking a leading role in renewable energy development in the United States and elsewhere.
Communities and states across the country are laying the
groundwork for even larger changes in the years ahead.
• Concentrating solar power, which uses heat from the sun to
generate electricity, has the potential to serve a large share of America’s
electricity needs. Southwestern states have enacted policies that are
contributing to a solar power boom that could result in more than 4,000
megawatts of solar thermal power coming on line in the next several years.
• Plug-in hybrid vehicles can dramatically reduce carbon
dioxide pollution from vehicles while weaning America from its dependence on oil.
Austin,Texas,
citizens and public officials are pushing for the development of plugin hybrid
vehicles and enlisting people from around the country in the effort.
• “Green” buildings and zero-energy homes could
revolutionize America’s building stock by providing pleasant, comfortable
spaces with dramatically lower impact on the global climate. Pittsburgh and other cities are driving innovations
in green building, while engineers, home builders and researchers are building
the first wave of “zero energy homes” across the country.
• Addressing global warming will require efforts from people
of all walks of life. Communities like Greensburg, Kansas—a small rural town
nearly wiped off the map by a devastating tornado in 2007—and the South Bronx neighborhood
of New York City are showing how residents can come together to weave efforts
to reduce global warming pollution into strategies for community development. Cities,
states and the federal government should build upon the successes of these
efforts by setting mandatory, science-based caps on global warming pollution,
adopting strong clean energy policies, and investing in the transition to a
low-carbon economy.
• Individual states and the federal government should adopt
mandatory, science-based caps on global warming pollution. At minimum, those
caps should be consistent with a national goal of reducing emissions by at
least 15-20 percent below today’s levels by 2020 and by at least 80 percent
below today’s levels by 2050. Revenues from any program that puts a price on global
warming pollution should be used to aid in the transition to a clean energy
economy and to reduce the cost of emission reductions to consumers.
• Cities, states and the federal government should make
energy efficiency improvements and accelerated development of renewable energy
the centerpiece of their environmental and economic development policies. Advanced
building energy codes; strong energy efficiency standards for buildings,
appliances and vehicles; and mandatory targets for renewable power generation
and energy efficiency savings are among the policies that can reduce global
warming pollution and put the nation on a clean energy path.
• Global warming and fossil fuel dependence should become
central considerations in land-use planning and public sector investment
decisions. America
should increase its investment in public transportation and rail transportation
to reduce emissions from transportation. All new public buildings should meet
rigorous standards for energy efficiency and the use of clean energy.
