DOT Blasts EU Over ETS

DOT Secretary LaHood Blasts EU Over ETS | AVIATION WEEK

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood forcefully denounced the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) and said he is in talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on enforcement measures.
Speaking at the FAA Forecast Conference March 8 in Washington, LaHood declined to elaborate on the specific nature of those enforcement measures. Visibly angry when speaking of the ETS, LaHood called the EU’s imposition of the system “one of the biggest irritations” of his tenure at the head of the U.S. Transportation Department. “This system makes no sense at all,” he said.

Private Funding Needed For Oregon Sustainability Center

Oregon Sustainability Center team to look for private backers | Sustainable Business Oregon

Supporters of the Oregon Sustainability Center say they are still committed to the ultra-green building project and will seek private investors to cover the financing — about $36 million — the group had hoped to secure from state bonds.  "We believe it can still be financed," said Patrick Quinton, executive director of the Portland Development Commission.

Climate Strategists: Focus On Forests

Climate Strategists: To Cut Emissions, Focus On Forests : NPR

Some climate strategists are looking beyond the United Nations and the idea of remaking the energy economy — and toward the world's tropical forests.  The basic idea is to provide rich countries that emit lots of climate-warming gases another way to reduce their carbon footprint besides replacing or retrofitting factories and power plants. Instead, they could just pay poorer countries to keep their forests, or even expand them. Forests suck carbon out of the atmosphere. It's like paying someone to put carbon in a storehouse.  This is called REDD, for short: Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.

Calif. Cap And Trade is a Giant Leap - Part 1

Calif. Takes Big Step Toward Greenhouse Gas Limits : NPR

First of a two-part series on California's climate policies

California is about to try a radical experiment. A little over a year from now, the state will limit the greenhouse gas emissions from factories and power plants, and, eventually, emissions from vehicles.
The U.S. Congress tried to pass a similar plan for the whole country but dropped the idea last year.  Paying a price for emissions has many Californians worried about what they'll have to pay for electricity and fuel and everything that takes energy to make. But the state's argument is that this will be good for the economy.

'Carbon Ranching' in Calif. - Part 2

Can 'Carbon Ranching' Offset Emissions In Calif.? : NPR

Climate experts are exploring the concept of growing dense fields of weeds to help soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Just over a year from now, California will begin enforcing a set of laws that limit emissions of greenhouse gases from factories, power plants and, eventually, from vehicles.

Is U.S. Finally Close To Energy Independence?

Is U.S. Energy Independence Finally Within Reach? : NPR

Rising gas prices have been the big energy story of the past several weeks. But many energy experts say that's a sideshow compared with the really big energy event — the huge boom in oil and natural gas production in the U.S. that could help the nation reach the elusive goal of energy independence.  Since the Arab oil embargo of 1973, energy independence has been a Holy Grail for virtually every American president from Richard Nixon to Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama.  But now, it might just be within reach.

Ukraine Back In The Cap And Trade Business

Ukraine Resumes Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading | World | RIA Novosti

Ukraine regained the right to participate in international trading of greenhouse gas emission quotas, which was suspended last year, the country’s National Environmental Investment Agency reported on its website.  The Kyoto Protocol Compliance Committee suspended Ukraine’s participation international emissions quota trading on October 12, 2011, due to a discrepancy between the national system of greenhouse gas emissions accounting and the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol.