[Vision2020] U of I Argonaut 8/27/2010 "Halfway There: City Council takes more steps to lower greenhouse gas emissions"

[Dan Carscallen]

Ted et al,

It doesn't matter to me whether someone comes down on one side or the other on the whole anthropogenic global warming thing, my support for this is based on conservation.

People can spew "facts" that support their position on one side or the other, but when it comes down to real energy savings I think we are doing right by the taxpayers, since energy savings = $$ savings. 

Granted, in the short term some changes may be too expensive to make the leap, bit we may be able to pencil it out over the long haul.

DC

sent from my magical mystery interwebs phone

On Aug 27, 2010, at 15:45, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm happy something is being done to lower greenhouse gas emissions in Moscow.  This is a far better attitude than expressed by some anthropogenic climate warming denialists, who argue there is no substantial scientific reason to lower emissions.
>  
> The "Halfway There" part of the headline means there has been close to a 12 percent reduction in emissions from a 2005 baseline, on the way to 20 percent by 2020.
>  
> The headline might have read ""Not all the way there..." as in a paucity of brain function and/or research, an absence of the most cursory discussion of what the best climate science indicates is a percent reduction in emissions necessary to substantially address anthropogenic climate warming.
>  
> Total historical CO2 emissions must be considered, given CO2 atmospheric lifespan (read "Storms of My Grandchildren" by NASA climate scientist James Hansen:( http://www.stormsofmygrandchildren.com/ );  therefore a 20 percent global emissions reduction from a 2005 baseline will not prevent a high probability of radical climate change.  CO2 would still increase in level in our atmosphere, absent extreme changes in other variables, given a 20 percent reduction from a 2005 level is still above the emission rates from previous decades when CO2 was increasing in atmospheric level.  Some of the CO2 molecules my family and I were adding to the atmosphere in the 1950s when gasoline was 28 cents a gallon and we crossed the US numerous times in our gas hog Ford, are still in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
>  
> Read about the "Earth Policy Institute" 80 by 2020 plan, where they discuss "worldwide mobilization at wartime speed" to achieve 80 percent global reductions in emissions by 2020:
>  
> http://www.earth-policy.org/datacenter/pdf/80by2020notes.pdf
> -----------------------
> http://www.uiargonaut.com/content/view/10557/48:testset/
>  
> Halfway There
> Written by Kristen Whitney - Argonaut   
> Friday, 27 August 2010
> City Council takes more steps to lower greenhouse gas emissions
> 
> 
> Jake Barber/Argonaut
> Moscow City Council is encouraging residents of Moscow to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as riding a bike instead of driving, and remembering to turn off lights to conserve electricity.
> 
> Since the baseline inventory in 2005, Moscow has lowered its green house gas emissions by nearly 12 percent, a significant step toward the goal of 20 percent by 2020, according to the Greenhouse Gas and Energy Efficiency Report. 
> 
> “We have a measurable baseline and a very rational approach to save money in addition to reduce our effect on the global climate,” said Mayor Nancy Chaney.  It’s been a long time coming, because this was one of the initiatives I undertook when I first came into office and I had a number of people kind of cranking on my arm saying, ‘Just set the targets.’” 
> The Greenhouse Gas & Energy Efficiency Report, published Aug. 2, outlines the City Council’s current efforts and future plans for lowering greenhouse gas emissions.  
> 
> “I come from a scientific background — my graduate work is environmental science ... so I wanted a measureable baseline,” Chaney said.  
> 
> Included in the Greenhouse Gas & Energy Efficiency Report are plans to upgrade streetlights to be more efficient. 
> 
>  Chaney said each LED retrofitted street light saves the city over $1,000 per year.  Each upgraded light saves 629 tons of CO2.
> 
> Future changes to reduce GHG will include more investment in public transportation and expansion of pedestrian and bike paths.  The Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center, one of the city’s top producers of GHG, may also undergo some changes. 
> 
> “We still have designs on making changes out at the swimming pool because that’s one of our big users of natural gas, so conceivably there would be some kind of solar installation — that might be panels, or solar tubes. We’ve looked at some kind of treatment involving the heat absorption of the asphalt,” Chaney said.
> 
> Brian Henry, the project coordinator for the sustainability club and a graduate student in architecture, said students can do their part to help lower GHG.
> 
> “Ride a bike instead of driving and conserve energy in your dorm room or apartment by turning off lights and use compact florescent bulbs.  Also plug your TV and DVD player into a power strip and turn the power strip off when you’re not using the TV because even though it says it’s off, it’s still using power,” Henry said. 
> 
> In addition to these ideas, Mayor Chaney recommended weatherizing one’s home, or she said, “If you’re not a property owner, hang some heavy window coverings in the winter time to keep the heat in and the cold out.”
> 
> “We want to be efficient in our buildings, because buildings are big wasters of energy if they’re not well-insulated — if the windows are not adequately sealed” she said. 
> 
> Throughout the nation other cities have made pledges to lower their GHG. Since levels were tested in 1990, Los Angles aims to lower its GHG 30 percent by 2030. Chicago vowed to lower GHG by 25 percent by 2020 and Denver pledged 10 percent by 2012. The U.S government has undertaken the goal of lowering overall emissions 17 percent by 2020, according to the U.S. EPA Website. 
> -----------------------------------------
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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