Climate Registry Signs On 31 US States, 2 Canadian Provinces
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 05. 9.07
Good metrics are a necessity for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from stationary sources. "Good" means everyone uses an agreed-to baseline year, to which all changes are compared, uniform methods for estimating emissions, and validation by third parties. With good metrics, plans for reduction, regardless of whether they are voluntary or mandatory, will be of higher value. The Climate Registry meets all these prerequisites. That's why the Climate Registry's newly increased scope is important. "Led by California, 31 states representing more than 70% of the U.S. population announced Tuesday that they would measure and jointly track greenhouse gas emissions by major industries…State officials, along with some industrial groups and environmentalists, say the registry is a crucial precursor to both mandatory and market-based regulation of industrial gases that contribute to warming. All agree that the most important part of the new registry is subjecting emissions statistics to third-party verification — unlike a Bush administration program that does not require verification…California registry officials worked closely with New England states to develop the system. The new registry will be based in Washington, D.C., and will have regional offices. It will begin tracking data in January. Two Canadian provinces, British Columbia and Manitoba, also have signed on." Reminds us of the internet. Data flows automatically route around damaged servers. Via Los Angeles Times.
The list of founding member states and tribes thus far includes the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Campo Kumeyaay Nation. Two Canadian provinces, British Columbia and Manitoba, have also committed to participate.
Michigan's upper peninsula should be colored green along with the rest of the state, but the UP secessionists will love what you've done here!
I'll send this article along to the Province of Ontario - what's wrong Ontario ??
YA send that to Ontario forsure! I was suprised and upset when I read this and didn't see Ontario on that list!
I am gratified to see both Red and Blue states getting together on this. This is gonna be a national problem, and we can all bridge our cultural differences to get to work on this.
To quote the Klingon Kang: "Only a fool fights in a burning house!"
== author's response follows ====
Agree that this represents social and political progress.
On dynamic is highly uncertain: those states with the most oil refining and petrochemical production, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois, have not signed on, while one Western state with the largest coal reserves has signed on, leaving KY, VA, and WVA (other major coal states) unsigned. If "unmasked" for their carbon intensity, certain industries would be under more scrutiny. Therefore, expect a great deal of reluctance in those states where they dominate politics and economy.
As usual, North and South Carolina are ahead on this while Georgia lags behind. University of South Carolina students can monitor their energy use online....Do we have that at UGA? Nope.
Notice Texas is White.... It should actually be a flaming red burning in HELL.