[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/EW-03-11-13-Curbing-Carbon-Pollution.mp3|titles=EW 03-11-13 Curbing Carbon Pollution]
Congress seems unable to tackle the problem of global climate change, driven by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere. Some feel that a carbon tax would stifle the weak economy. Others don’t like regulations or taxes at all.
Meanwhile, the White House sees an avenue to make some progress on reducing our carbon dioxide emissions—the Clean Air Act. In a recent case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency could regulate CO2 as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. The Obama administration has set standards for cars. The next logical step would focus on electric utilities—the source of 40% of US carbon dioxide emissions.
On a state-by-state basis, power plants could be required to meet standards for carbon emissions per kilowatt hour of electricity generated. The standards would greatly reduce the use of coal—the most polluting fuel—in favor of cleaner alternatives, including energy efficiency, natural gas, wind and solar.
The Natural Resources Defense Council has made a thorough study of the costs and benefits of these CO2 reductions. Dan Lashof is director of the Climate and Clean Air program of the NRDC.
“It (the study) found that we can make big reductions of carbon dioxide from power plants through the Clean Air Act at a very low cost by adopting a fair and flexible program that would drive big investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, and drive down pollution from our dirtiest power plants.”
Applying this provision to electric power plants alone could shave 10% off the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide by 2020.
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Web Extra
Full interview with Dan Lashof, director of the Climate and Clean Air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lashof_full_edited.mp3|titles=Lashof_full_edited]Photo, taken on May 1, 2011, courtesy of Alan Stark via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, with partial support from the Field Day Foundation.