America's Kyoto | Green Energy News

February 12, 2006 – Vol.10 No.47

AMERICA’S KYOTO?

A new international treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions could be 2-3 years away. If actions now underway in Congress yield results, a new treaty, led by Washington, will include developing nations and will make sure the U.S. benefits economically, or at least is not hurt.

The handwriting is on the wall for action on global warming.

Global Warming and Climate Change are now household words and most people know what they mean - car and power plant exhaust is causing a heating of the planet. (Some don’t agree, of course.)

Bizarre weather - Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Hurricane Zeta in January - is making some people think something is amiss in the thin layer of sky in which we live.

Recent news that Greenland’s glaciers are melting 2-3 times faster than a decade ago must make some coastal property owners concerned: Waves might be lapping at their doors sooner than expected.

The growth rate of green energies - solar, wind, biofuels, hybrid cars in particular - is proving in corporate meeting rooms that alternative energy is no longer an alternative.

Then there’s the situation with oil. High prices at the pump and the President’s pronouncement of the obvious - that the U.S. is addicted to oil - are making more people think that it’s time to move beyond the black gold.

The words Peak Oil are showing up in conferences and newspaper editorials as well. Representatives at a recent G8 summit said they want better oil reserves data. The G8 is concerned that reserves numbers now provided aren’t accurate.

Finally there’s the link between those unfriendly to the U.S. (or the West in general) and oil. Those unfriendly to the U.S. tend to live in nations that have the bulk of the world’s remaining oil supply. The U.S. is relying on increasingly hostile nations to keep its economy thriving. That is a scary imbalance.

The parallel issues of global warming and oil addiction may soon cross. If we try to save the planet from melting down we’ll also find ways cut oil use to secure our economy. Together, a tough act to write but increasingly one that Washington now seems more willing to play.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, led by Senators Pete Domenici (Republican - New Mexico) and Jeff Bingaman (Democrat -New Mexico) has issued a White Paper to examine issues surrounding potential legislation to limit emissions of greenhouse gasses.

White papers lay the ground work for new laws and often seek answers to questions. This paper considers regulations, allowances, consumer protections, emissions trades and how other countries could brought on board.

The full White Paper is available on the Senate Energy Committee Web http://energy.senate.gov/public/