clair031

Summary .   Coal is the worst of the three principal fossil fuels in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, emitted into the atmosphere on burning.   Whereas annual rates of emission from developed countries are projected to remain steady, the emission rates from developing countries are predicted to rise by almost 3% per year as they burn more and more fossil fuels, mostly coal, each year. Consequently, according to a growing group of leading climate scientists, the goal of limiting the long-term global average temperature rise to less than 2.0ºC (3.6ºF) likely will not be met.   This will have serious negative consequences on humanity and the planet.   We conclude that every new investment in energy infrastructure starting “now” should construct renewable energy sources and institute energy efficiency instead of extending fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure.   The principal emitters of greenhouse gases, including the U. S. and C...

Summary .   In his second inaugural address U. S. President Barack Obama highlighted the need for developing sustainable energy sources.   He noted the damages inflicted by recent extreme weather and climate events.   He then set forth the objective of expanding the role of sustainable energy in the American economy, expressing the intent to make the U. S. a world leader in this field.   By including this topic among the relatively few areas covered in his remarks, he emphasized the importance he ascribes to making sustainable energy a significant portion of the American economy. Introduction . Each passing day brings new evidence of the ravages that worsening global warming wreaks on our planet.   In recent months we have witnessed destructive weather-related disasters, including worsening droughts coupled to   forest wildfires, droughts that lead to shortages in important food staples, and intense storms with heavy rainfall, floods, damaging winds and...

Summary .   A consortium of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication has summarized current American public opinion regarding global warming.   The public is worried about global warming and its effects, both on themselves and on future generations.   Voters across the political spectrum favor policy action to counteract global warming.   There is strong support for developing renewable energy and extending energy efficiency measures.   Among voters who say that election candidates’ positions on global warming would affect their vote, most agree the planet is warming and that human activity is responsible.   A review of other surveys agrees with these findings.   We conclude that in the U. S. , popular support for legislation effectively addressing global warming is strong.   It is clear that the public “has the legislators’ back” in this matter.   Introduc...

Summary .   The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 included a one-year extension of tax credits favoring renewable energy growth in the U. S.   It liberalizes the credits, expanding their applicability to include projects whose construction will have begun during the present year, 2013.   A primary component within renewable energy that benefits from these tax credits is generation of power by wind.   It is projected that wind energy could provide 20% of U. S. energy by 2030. Tax credits in the U. S. for renewable energy have a history of being allowed to expire, then being reinstated later, each active period enduring for only one or a few years.   This is highly disruptive for the industry, as it makes long-term planning with certainty largely impossible.   The U. S. needs to implement long term policies governing development of renewable energy in order to provide such certainty.   Introduction . Renewable energy is playing an increasingly ...