No mention here of Geothermal, tidal or wave power... but it's a very good
start! Feeding back into the grid from (energy) self sufficient properties also
needs to be factored into mitigation planning equasions...
:-)
a

A proposal for very large greenhouse gas emission reductions
Posted by: "Philip Sutton" Philip.Sutton@...
philipsuttonoz
Thu Nov 30, 2006 8:14 pm (PST)
Dear Greenleapers,

Here's an interesting plan - aimed at stabilisation of carbon by 2054 (not clear
whether they
mean emissions or the CO2 level in the air). The time target is too far away.
But the ideas
are interesting.

Thanks to Matt Wright of Beyond Zero Emissions for the link.

Cheers, Philip

--------------

http://www.coopamerica.org/about/newsroom/editorials/Twelvesteps.cfm

Co-op America's 12-Step Plan for Climate Action
November 22, 2006

With the movie An Inconvenient Truth drawing record audiences last summer, and
groups as
diverse as the "Evangelical Climate Initiative" and the Pentagon sounding the
alarm on the
coming climate catastrophe, our country could be on the cusp of taking real
action on a very
real danger.

But how much action is enough to match the scale of the solution to the scale of
the
problem? Based on the data - such as rapidly melting polar icecaps - showing
that
climate change is happening faster than anyone had thought, it is increasingly
clear: Baby
steps won´t do it.

We need a bold action plan that can evaluate corporate, government, community,
and
household plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - especially carbon emissions
-- to
levels we can live with.

Scientists at the Princeton University´s Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI) have
taken up this
challenge, and propose stabilizing carbon emissions by dividing this huge task
into smaller,
doable action "wedges" of equal size-each with the capacity to reduce carbon
emissions by
1 billion tons/year by 2054. CMI lists 15 possible "wedges," out of which we
need to achieve
just seven to reach carbon stabilization.

At my organization, Co-op America, we added our own filters to this
building-block approach.
We screened out measures that are too dangerous, costly, and slow (like nuclear
power
plants, synfuels, and "clean" coal), and we beefed up those that are safe and
cost-effective.
(Wind energy is cost-competitive at utility scale, and has beaten natural gas in
certain
markets. Solar energy will be cost-competitive within five years.)

With these filters, we developed a plan that uses current technologies; is safe,
clean, and
cost-effective; and is big enough to meet the climate challenge-12 "wedges" when
we only
need seven. Each of the following could reduce carbon emissions by at least 1
billion tons
per year by 2054:

Here´s our 12-step plan:

1. Increase fuel economy for the world´s 2 billion cars from an average of 30
mpg to 60 mpg.

2. Cut back on driving. Decrease car travel for 2 billion 30-mpg cars from
10,000 to 5,000
miles per year, through increased use of mass transit, telecommuting, and
walking and
biking.

3. Increase energy efficiency by one-quarter in existing buildings and
appliances. Move to
zero-emissions plans for new buildings.

4. Decrease tropical deforestation to zero, and double the rate of new tree
plantings.

5. Stop soil erosion. Apply "conservation tillage" techniques to cropland at 10
times the
current usage. Encourage local, organic agriculture.

6. Increase wind power. Add 3 million 1-megawatt windmills, 75 times the current
capacity.

7. Push hard for solar power. Add 3,000 gigawatt-peak solar photovoltaic, 1,000
times
current capacity.

8. Increase efficiency of coal plants from an average of 32 percent efficiency
to 60 percent,
and shut down plants that don´t meet the standard. No net new coal plants; for
new plants
built, an equal number should close.

9. Replace 1,400 gigawatts of coal with natural gas, a four-fold increase in
natural gas usage
over current levels - a short-term step until zero-emissions renewable
technologies can
replace natural gas.

10. Sequester carbon dioxide at existing coal plants. Sequestration involves
storing carbon
dioxide underground, an unproven technology that may, nonetheless, be better
than nothing.

11. Develop zero-emissions vehicles, including plug-in hybrids and electric
vehicles powered
by renewable energy.

12. Develop biomass as a short-term replacement for fossil fuel until better
carbon-free
technologies are developed - but only biofuels made from waste, and made without
displacing farmland and rainforests.

This framework can help us think big and fast enough to avoid the worst
consequences of
climate change. If we are to achieve each wedge by 2054, the next 10 years must
see major
action. Anything less and we´re kidding ourselves.

The good news? We can do this. We have the technologies and the know-how. We can
take
many of these steps today, on our own. For the rest, we need to persuade our
elected
officials, contact our power companies and auto manufacturers, and demand action
from
those with decision-making power. The best news? Beating climate change opens
the door
to more jobs, energy security, progress against poverty, a cleaner environment,
and a safer
world - a better future for all of us.

-Alisa Gravitz

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Please contact Todd Larsen by email
or by phone at +1 202-872-5307.


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