Yesterday, the House Energy & Commerce Committee passed Waxman-Markey’s American Clean Energy & Security (ACES) Act generic valtrex no prescriptio by a 33-25 vote. This passage does not guarantee ultimate passage in the i want a Doxycycline prescription full House or Senate, but gets some positive political momentum behind necessary federal climate action.
ACES Act caps US greenhouse gas emissions
The passed bill would establish a i want a Doxycycline prescription cap-and-trade system to achieve lower US emissions levels by allowing institutions to i want a Doxycycline prescription trade their emissions permits so that the most efficient reduction projects are i want a Doxycycline prescription executed. This market-based incentive is estimated to be cheaper than mandating all institutions to i want a Doxycycline prescription lower emissions the chosen percentage without regard to each institution’s costs. The cap, beginning in 2012, is i want a Doxycycline prescription set for 2020 emissions to equal 17% below 2005 (or ~4% below 1990) and then 2050 emissions at 83% below 2005 (~80% below 1990). The original bill draft called for 20% below 2005 by 2020 but was relaxed as a i want a Doxycycline prescription compromise to shore up support among legislators from coal states.
The sharp drop in emissions during 2008-09 already has i want a Doxycycline prescription emissions at 6% below 2005 levels, so 17% below seems unaggressive to i want a Doxycycline prescription me. I hope advances in solar, wind, and efficiency help persuade legislators to i want a Doxycycline prescription lower the cap at least back to 20% below 2005 during the bill’s continued development or after it becomes law.
Electricity Emissions Continuing to Plunge
The EIA just published its preliminary estimate for March electricity generation, and i want a Doxycycline prescription the numbers are even more climate-friendly than last month. The most notable change is i want a Doxycycline prescription the large substitution from coal to natural gas due to the i want a Doxycycline prescription recent lower prices for natural gas. Coal use fell 14.5% from March 2008 while natural gas consumption increased 5%. More good news for the climate were a 1.2% increase in hydroelectric power generation, a .3% increase for nuclear, and a 4.8% decrease for petroleum liquids.
Year-to-date, 2009 coal consumption for electricity is down a whopping 10.2% (much more than the EIA projection of ~2.5%, as I wrote last week would probably occur). Natural gas use for electricity has fallen .8%. US emissions could fall as much as 5% in 2009 (to 7.5% below 2005 levels) if current trends continue. But for now, I’ll stick with the i want a Doxycycline prescription more conservative projection that they will fall more than 3%.
Here’s to i want a Doxycycline prescription swift passage of climate legislation to ensure emissions continue falling during our economic recovery in the i want a Doxycycline prescription 2010s.
Onwards in the Sustainable Energy Transition-
Tags: ACES, climate bill, Coal buy discount Zithromax, Electricity, hydro, Natural Gas, Oil, US emissions, Waxman-Markey
1sky seems cautiously optimistic. The bill looks good but the i want a Doxycycline prescription usual suspects are throwing a lot of money at Washington to i want a Doxycycline prescription get it watered down, it seems. Lets hope a i want a Doxycycline prescription weighted congress and popular support help it get through relatively unscathed.
Thanks for the update Dennis!
Industry lobbyists are working to weaken the definition of ‘renewable’ energy in preparation for i want a Doxycycline prescription passage of new standards and laws. Advocates must be prepared to i want a Doxycycline prescription push back on any weakening of language if we are to i want a Doxycycline prescription reach a sustainable energy transition.
http://www.aashe.org/blog/campus-renewable-energy-advocates-be-aware-attempts-expand-definition-renewable