A new report from U.S. PIRG identifies achievable strategies for the United States to reduce global climate impacts by 20 percent.
"The report details six challenging but feasible steps to improve the energy efficiency of our economy and use more renewable energy. These strategies, coupled with strong, mandatory limits on global warming emissions, would reduce U.S. global warming emissions by 19% below 2004 levels by 2020. At the same time, the steps would improve American’s long-term economic and energy security."
The six steps include stabilizing vehicle travel, increasing vehicle fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon, replacing 10% of vehicle fuel with biofuels or other clean alternatives, reducing energy consumption in homes, business, and industry by 10%, generating 20% of electricity from new renewable energy sources, and holding emissions from other sources to current levels.
"Taking these steps would be a sizable down payment on the larger pollution reductions that the U.S. will need to achieve in the decades ahead to keep global warming in check," said U.S. PIRG Clean Air & Energy Advocate Emily Figdor, an author of the report.
Thanks to Jon Cecil, AICP
FULL STORY: Rising to the Challenge: Six Steps to Cut Global Warming Pollution in the United States

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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research