Climate Change and Global Warming Rules

Emissions reduction efforts to address the issue of climate change focus on two primary greenhouse gases: CO2 and methane. CO2 is released when fossil fuels - oil, coal and natural gas - are burned to power our cars, produce electricity or heat our buildings. Methane is emitted in urban areas when garbage and waste products decompose, primarily in landfills. Local governments can play a key role because they directly influence and control many of the activities that produce these emissions. Decisions about land use and development, investments in public transit, energy-efficient building codes, waste reduction and recycling programs all affect local air quality and living standards as well as the global climate.

A nice local level initiative has been spearheaded by the city of Seattle is the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. As of May 2007, Mayor's in 496 cities have signed this agreement and commited their communities to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals of the Kyoto Protocol (7 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012). More on the campaign here.

Climate Neutral Bonding Resolution
We've developed a Model Climate Neutral Bonding resolution targeted specifically at those communities that have signed on to the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. This resolution will require that bond funded construction projects in a community will result in no net increases in global warming pollutants within the community. Note: The resolution can be modified to suit the needs of any community and could be the basis for state legislation.

Another interesting community-level effort is the Cities for Climate Protection program of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) that is working with communities around the world to help them make a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

At the state level, Oregon has taken a step that requires any new power plants built in the state to meet emission standards set by the highest efficiency plant in the nation. We like this requirement and have featured it here.

RULES:

STATE, REGIONAL OR FEDERAL

• Carbon Caps With Universal Dividends
  Many proposals addressing climate change advocate for a cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or carbon content of fuels.  Returning money from future carbon allowance auctions as a per capita dividend creates a carbon cap policy that is ethical, equitable, and conducive to being politically successful. More...

STATE

• Automobile Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule - California
  Building on existing law, this bill (AB1493) requires the California Air Resources Board to adopt procedures and protocols for the reporting and certification of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources - automobiles and trucks. It directs the Board to come up with regulations by 2005 that "achieve the maximum feasible reduction of greenhouse gases". The new standards would apply to vehicles from model year 2009 onward. More...
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Performance Standard for Power Plants - California
  In January 2007, the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted an interim Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) in an effort to help mitigate climate change. The standard is a facility-based emissions standard requiring that all new long-term commitments for baseload generation to serve California consumers be with power plants that have emissions no greater than a combined cycle gas turbine plant. More...
• Multiple Pollutant Reduction Program - New Hampshire
  In May 2002, New Hampshire became the first state in the country to adopt rules to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants. The new law establishes a multiple pollutant reduction program. In addition to CO2, the final version of the new law establishes caps on emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by existing fossil fuel electric power plants and also requires a reduction in mercury pollution. More...
• Power Plant Emissions Standard for Carbon Dioxide (CO2)- Oregon
  Enacted in 1997, the Oregon law requires any new power plant to reduce net carbon dioxide emissions 17 percent below the level of the best existing combustion-turbine plant anywhere in the United States. The standards are periodically updated as more efficient power plants are built in other states. More...

LOCAL

• Climate Neutral Bonding Resolution - A Model for Cities
  This resolution is targeted specifically at those communities that have signed on to the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. It will require that construction projects in a community funded with municipal bonds will result in no net increases in global warming pollutants within the community.  The resolution can be modified to suit the needs of other communities and could be the basis for state legislation. More...
• Renewable Energy Mitigation Program - Aspen and Pitkin County, CO
  In 2000, Aspen and Pitkin County in Colorado launched the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP). The program charges new homeowners one fee if their homes exceed 5,000 sq. ft. and another fee up to $100,000 if they exceed the "energy budget" allotted to their property by the local building code. As of Fall 2002, REMP has raised more than $2 million for local energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. REMP's goal is to keep three tons of carbon out of the air for every excess ton of carbon put into the air. More...
• Climate Action Plan Tax - Boulder, CO
  The passage (60 percent in favor) of a city-wide referendum in November 2006, establishes a charge on electricity users based on how much energy they use. The money will go to support Boulder's Climate Action Plan to reduce global warming pollution. The passage marked the first time in the nation that a municipal government will impose an energy tax on its residents to directly combat climate change. More...
• Global Warming Action Plan - Portland, OR and Multnomah County
  In April 2001, Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted a joint Local Action Plan on Global Warming with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. More...
• Global Warming Initiative - Seattle, WA
  In July 2001, Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and four members of the City Council announced support for the Kyoto Protocol and called on other local governments to adopt policies to combat global warming. The Seattle City Council voted on resolutions supporting the goals of the Kyoto Protocol and committing Seattle City Light -- the city's public electric utility -- to a policy of zero net greenhouse gas emissions. More...

More:

• Cap and Tax, Don't Cap and Trade - by David Morris, published on AlterNet, March 12, 2007
• Climate Neutral Bonding: Building Global Warming Solutions at the State And Local Level - by John Bailey, ILSR, February 2006
• Bonding With the Next Generation - article by David Morris
• The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' program, Cities for Climate Protection Campaign
• EPA's State and Local Climate Change Program's Financial Assitance Page - has information on funding programs designed to help individuals, community groups, small businesses, nonprofits, state and local government, and tribes overcome the financial and technical obstacles to initiating and developing projects that directly or indirectly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.