Subject: Finally on our Way? and other news from Dan Lashof, NextGen Climate America
From: Daniel Lashof <[email-masked]>
To: Lauren Terrazas <[email-masked]>
Cc: Daniel Lashof <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2015 17:44:06 +0000

Last week the International Energy Agency announced that global carbon dioxide emissions did not increase in 2014. That may not sound like a great accomplishment, but it is the first time in 40 years of record keeping that we have seen a plateau in global emissions that was not tied to an economic downturn. If this is the beginning of the end of fossil fueled growth it could be the best climate news ever. My blog this week examines the evidence.

http://nextgenamerica.org/climate-change/finally-on-our-way/

While U.S. emissions increased slightly last year, President Obama took another step to resume the emission reductions we have seen over the last decade by signing an Executive Order to drive down emissions from Federal Government operations 40% by 2025. That, as it should be, is significantly more ambitious than the 26-28 percent reduction target the President has set for the United States as whole. More than a dozen major federal suppliers also announced new emission reduction commitments today. Here is the White House fact sheet showing what leadership by example looks like:

https://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/19/fact-sheet-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-federal-government-and-acro

Wind power will be one major contributor to achieving both the federal and the national emission reduction goals. Last week the Department of Energy published a major new analysis showing that wind alone could produce about 35 percent of our electricity by mid-Century. Better technology, including taller towers, will allow us to tap into the wind in all regions of the country, including the Southeast, which has lagged in renewable energy development to date. Aaron Burgess has the run down:

http://nextgenamerica.org/climate-change/visions-of-a-windy-future/

To clear the way for all the clean energy we can produce from wind and sun we have to establish a level playing field by ending unlimited dumping of carbon pollution into our air. That's what the Clean Power Plan is all about, and a recent report from the world's largest power market operator shows that the standards can be met cheaply and on schedule by scaling up clean energy and linking programs between states. Dave Weiskopf describes the upshot:

http://nextgenamerica.org/epa-rule/keep-it-clean-and-cooperate-new-pjm-report-shows-how-states-can-maximize-benefits-while-cutting-carbon/

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-DL
--
Daniel A. Lashof, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
NextGen Climate America, Inc.
https://nextgenamerica.org/
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