Climate Change 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.

One 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. More than 300 local governments worldwide participate, including 78 cities and counties in the United States.

At the state level, Oregon has taken a step that require's 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:

• 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...
• 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...
• Oregon's Power Plant Emissions Standard for Carbon Dioxide
  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...
• Portland, OR and Multnomah County Global Warming Action Plan
  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...
• 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...
• Seattle, WA Global Warming Initiative
  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.