carbon emissions

Senator Lindsey Graham was quoted this week saying that a new climate and energy proposal will be released "hopefully in the next couple weeks." The new plan will not install a comprehensive cap and trade program over all industries. Instead the legislation will take steps to incorporate different industries over a longer period of time. Power plants would be the first industry to face a cap on emissions. The stall plan is the work of oil industries who believe that the House bill went to far in limiting their carbon emissions. The move is probably good politics considering these are turbulent times and support for comprehensive legislation will be needed from all sides. The other important note to make is that regulation on utility emissions would start on day one. Considering EPA estimates that power plants are responsible for over 70% of all carbon emissions this is a smart move.

Like most of you on this blog, I would expect, I get a minor mountain of email every day, proffering petitions to sign urging action on timely causes that I support, or begging for more money to fight the good fight for yet another day.

I try hard to sign what I must and give what I can. It’s getting harder for any one email to really grab me. But here's one that's both clever and timely (and not asking for money), so I thought I'd share. Now's the time, given the global urgency of the upcoming Copenhagen climate talks, and given today’s hopeful joint statement on climate issued by President Obama and Chairman Hu of China.

According to Jim Rogers Duke Energy CEO:

"He said that Duke Energy was the third largest emitter of carbon in the United States and the twelfth in the world -- and if considered an independent nation, Duke Energy would be 41st in the world -- so carbon emissions is a huge issue for him and his firm and wants to turn that around."