Environmental Stories to Watch: 2009

Jonathan Lash

World Resources InstituteFebruary 20, 2009

Global Vision for a Sustainable EarthPractical Solutions for People

The Financial Crisis is Topic A

#$%!

Beth Rooney for The New York Times

People Are Angry

How Green Is Our Stimulus?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123448815417580333.html

http://www.coal-is-dirty.com/files/images/blogentry/wind-power.jpg http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/geothermal-power-project-wairakei-nz693.jpg

Geothermal heating/cooling = 0.5-2 U.S. cents/kilowatt-hour

On-shore wind = 5-8 U.S. cents/kilowatt-hour

Concentrating solar thermal power = 12-18 U.S. cents/kilowatt-hour

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3791

Will Congress Answer The 6 billion Ton

Question?

Source: IPCC AR4

“Delay is no longer an option.”

“… start with a federal cap and trade system …[with] annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them an additional 80 percent by 2050.”

http://www.barackobama.com/photos/

Climate Bills 2006

2 Years Later

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/coal12.jpg

“Gang of 16” DemocratsCarl Levin & Debbie Stabenow (MI)

Robert Byrd & John D. Rockefeller IV (WV)

Blanche Lincoln & Mark Pryor (AR)

Jim Webb (VA)

Evan Bayh (IN)

Claire McCaskill (MO)

Sherrod Brown (OH)

Benjamin Nelson (NE)

Jeff Bingaman (NM)

Kent Conrad & Byron Dorgan (ND)

Ken Salazar (CO)

Tim Johnson (SD)

Data from Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) http://cait.wri.org/

States where Coal is 60% or more of electricity fuel mix

C

C CCC C

CC C

CCC

CC

CC

C

CC

C

CC

Data from Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) http://cait.wri.org/

States with the lowest average electricity costs*

C

C CCC C

CC C

CCC

CC

CC

C

CC

C

CC

*refers to states whose residents pay 7 Cents or lower retail per Kilowatt hour Data from EIA

Data from Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) http://cait.wri.org/

Blame China?

Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP

Cyclists pass a factory in Yutian in China's north-west Hebei province.

China – PriorityOr Problem ?

FIRST TRIP AGENDA IN CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, & INDONESIA

Source: WRI/www.cait.org Source: WRI/www.cait.org

Emissions:

China United States

Minister of National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping at a press conference in Beijing on November 27.[china.org.cn]

NDRC reveals details of stimulus packageSource: China Daily11-27-2008 16:58

Big Bust ForBad Wood ?

State of the World’s Forests

Intact - 21%

Working - 32%

Lost - 47%

Areas with weak forest governance & probability of illegal logging is highest

Source: WRI

Ikonos image – Cameroon

Cloud

Illegal logging road

Wetland area

Ikonos image – Cameroon

Cloud

Illegal logging road

Wetland area

Fallen tree

Ikonos image – Cameroon

Cloud

Illegal logging road

Wetland area

Fallen tree

What Can’t Be Sustained Won’t Be

Source: WRI, CAIThttp://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-e/wah20-e/1-2.htm

www.wri.org