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Climate Strategies

International Level

International efforts mostly encompass global processes and agreements on climate related outcomes. Collaborative research networks exist to support the sharing of scientific findings on climate, carbon cycles, ecosystem studies, human impacts, etc. Global environmental regimes, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and market mechanisms, such as the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), are institutional and economic strategies aimed at putting mitigation into practice and putting a price on the cost of emissions. (See Climate Organizations section.)

National Level

After years of dismissive posturing towards climate policies, national climate strategies in the U.S. are now undergoing extensive development and review. Some steps are being taken by the various branches of the U.S. government, but not until after cases were heard before the Supreme Court and were won in favor of climate related regulation.

House and Senate Bills

On Dec. 7th 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007. The act did not make it past the senate. For the full set of bills introduced, see the reference on THOMAS (the Library of Congress)

As introduced in the Senate in November 2007, the Climate Change Adaptation Act is a bill to "amend the National Climate Program Act to enhance the ability of the United States to develop and implement climate change adaptation programs and policies, and for other purposes."

Introduced in the House in April 2007, the Global Climate Change Security Oversight Act (HR 1961 IH) is intended to address security risks posed by climate change.

For ongoing updates, visit the Library of Congress Online (THOMAS) and search bills and resolutions for "climate change"

For tracking ongoing bills and the money attached to them, visit MapLight.org

EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops methods for testing and enforcing regulations set forth as laws voted in by the U.S. Congress. The EPA Administrator is directly appointed by the President. In the recent case, Mass. v EPA, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA had to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under section 202(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act. The EPA will soon begin to develop a system of policies and methods for regulating greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors of the economy. The EPA will also play a leading role in setting national goals (caps) for overall emissions to meet international obligations in the post-Kyoto framework.

Useful EPA links:

State of Massachusetts  v Environmental Protection Agency

The Supreme Court case, Massachusetts, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al., decided on two questions concerning the regulation of greenhouse gases based on the guideline set forth in the Clean Air Act, section 202(a). There were two major questions under consideration, namely: "(1) Whether the Environmental Protection Agency administrator may deline to issue emission standards for motor vehicles based on policy considerations not enumerated in section 202(a)(1) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7521(a)(1)? (2) Whether the Environmental Protection Agency administrator has the authority to regulate cardon dioxide and other air pollutants associated with climate change under section 202(a)(1)?" The supreme court found the petitioners had standing. Much still need to be determined as to what to do about the practicalities of regulating GHGs under the Clean Air Act.

DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy develops the U.S.'s energy directives, technical standards, funds research, oversees nuclear security and energy security, and environmental responsibilities of the energy industry. The DOE's Office of Fossil Energy is focusing on fossil energy system efficiency and carbon capture and storage; the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology sponsors research into new nuclear technologies and the safety, security, and  maintenance of nuclear facilities; the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative is developing methods for delivering hydrogen technology; and the Office of Biological and Environmental Research directs a series of climate related studies through the Climate Change Research Division.

State Level

While the U.S. national government has been relatively slow in developing responses to climate change, over half of the states in the U.S. have developed some form of a climate action plan to be implemented across various sectors of the state.

Climate Action Plans

(For a complete list of state's action plans, visit the Center for Climate Strategies )

Local Measures

Energy efficiency and emissions reduction is ultimately an issue of local implementation. The structure of local county and township governments can directly dictate the kinds of policies that would be most effective in a particular region, for example, in Pennsylvania it is difficult to implement a multi-township energy plan due to the political and decision-making autonomy of such districts. This sometimes makes it difficult to co-ordinate efforts over a region, such as with land-use management. Large institutions, such as Penn State, can also have a significant effect on regional emissions levels. All sectors of local economic production will need to be engaged in the effort to reduce the nation's overall emissions output.

Penn State GHG initiatives

Penn State's President Graham Spanier declared that by 2012 the University is targeted to emit 17.5% below 2005/06 baseline (which with growth works out to 29.5% total).  The baseline value is 620,000 MTCO2E.  If this target is reached by 2012, the University's emissions will be just under 1995 levels. This is to be implemented across all campuses. Penn State is also a leader in biofuels research. The Energy Institute in the College of Earth and Mineral Science has an extensive research program on biomass/biofuels and sustainable energy research. Altogether, Penn State is following through on both a commitment to reducing campus-wide emissions, and invests heavily into research on energy efficiency and technological alternatives for market use.

Smart-growth initiatives (anti-sprawl measures) and transportation development

Land-use and real estate development patterns play a large role in the efficiency of a given region. Patterns of development can strongly effect the length of commutes, green space patterns (which effect local climate), modes and frequency of transportation and pedestrian access, alternative modes of commuting, incentives to take public transportation, carpooling options, land-use intensity, location of key facilities, etc. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania operates with a structure that provides for a great deal of local autonomy in development planning. As a result, the planning of regional measures can prove exceptionally difficult in the state. Nevertheless, a variety of initiatives are available, particularly in planning local smart-growth initiatives. "Smart growth" is a trend in regional planning that focuses on the efficiency of services and travel corridors. Transportation development includes improvements to public transport efficiency and services, to work to improve access to under served areas, to incentivize the use of public transportation in daily commuting, to improve fuel efficiency of transportation fleets, and to improve commuting alternatives such as biking lanes. Other initiatives, such as brownfields restoration can also improve emissions profiles and reduce the pressure of sprawl in overtaking existent farmlands and forested regions.

Energy Sector

Energy production touches most every aspect of economic production and social infrastructure. To meet necessary emissions cuts across the board, almost every aspect of energy production and consumption will need to be improved by being made more efficient and drawn from renewable sources. Renewable emissions-free energy, such as solar, wind, and hydro is still very limited, and cannot alone fulfill the U.S.'s vast energy needs. Other emissions free energy, such as nuclear, are viable but bring with it significant questions of risk and long-term acquisition and storage of nuclear materials. Besides technological innovation, the main drivers of industrial development are a nation's access to raw materials and access to energy. Both of these limit how quickly and how much a nation can develop. Energy sector growth is usually directly connected to the growth of a nation's GDP. Primarily, the question of greenhouse gas emissions is a question of energy.

Fuels

Discussion around biofuels, such as ethanol, have been appearing in the news with greater frequency. Governmental investments in alternatives to fossil fuel energy sources are increasing in the U.S. for the first time since 1984. The rush to both homebrew biodiesel and big agricultural corn demonstrate the small niche and big business opportunities presented by the national shift in focus to biofuels. Energy security issues, such as reducing dependence on foreign energy imports, also drive the increased attention on biofuels, though energy independence is not the same as energy reduction.  There is a great variation among biofuels in terms of overall effect on emissions reduction, i.e. some biofuels have the potential to reduce emissions in more effective and just ways than others. Choices about the future of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, will play the largest role in reducing emissions worldwide. 

non-GHG intensive energy production

Reduction of emissions can come from changing fuel sources, and from non-fuel based energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro power generation. All three forms of non-fuel based energy production rely on a distributed form of power generation, as opposed to centralized power production (such as coal fired plants), and thus necessitate a different infrastructure (both technological and institutional) for power generation and distribution. Each form of non-fuel based energy production (wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro) is also geographically dependent. That is, you can only produce hydro-power where there is water, wind power where windmills can be well sited, and solar power where there is sufficient sunshine. As such, the production and distribution of non-fuel based energy is limited. However, the development of this sector of energy production has potential for tremendous improvements in efficiency, distribution, and storage. In 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a renewable energy bill that sets a target of 15% of energy production is from renewable sources by 2020.

Industry and Innovation

Climate change presents significant challenges across all sectors of industry and manufacturing, from making the production line more efficient to eliminating certain chemicals altogether from the manufacturing process. Industry will likely need to answer to the challenges of emissions reductions to  adhere to forthcoming regulations, such as under the Clean Air Act, to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce waste, and to appeal to the appearances of being green, particularly for publicly traded companies. Relatively early adopters of new environmental standards will likely reap benefits of both longer-term savings through energy efficiency, and bonuses from early adherence to regulatory frameworks which can sometimes be based on the successes of early adopters. Overall, reduction of emissions by industry will likely improve the firms competitiveness on the global marketplace, for example, when fuel efficiency standards of American cars are some of the world's lowest, it will be difficult to export American auto technology abroad.

Leaders

A variety of  companies have taken up the challenges of reducing emissions, and have already begun to reap the benefits. DuPont, for example, has pledged a 15% reduction of total GHG emissions from 2004 to 2015, a decision which has already saved the company $2 Billion in energy efficiency. Granted, emissions targets can always be improved, but any movement forward that provides both emissions reductions and capital savings is a win-win situation. A variety of industry organizations and consultancy groups are developing to address the growing need of industries to meet emissions reductions worldwide.