For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Contact:
Dylan
Voorhees, NRCM 207-622-3101 ext 203
Matthew
Davis, Environment Maine,
207-253-1965
Maine Falling
Behind on Meeting Global Warming Pollution Reductions
But is Only NE State To Reduce Global Warming
Emissions in 2004 and 2005
AUGUSTA
- Today, the Natural Resources Council of Maine and Environment Maine
Research & Policy Center highlighted the need for swift
and strong action to curb global warming pollution by releasing a new report, Falling Behind: New England Must Act Now to
Reduce Global Warming Pollution. The first study to produce a thorough
estimate of global warming emissions for 2005, it found that global warming
emissions have increased 1.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
(MMTCO2E) from 2001 to 2005.
2001 is the year that New England governors signed
the Climate Change Action Plan, pledging to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by
2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 75-85% below 2001 levels by 2050. The
increase in global warming emissions has put the region farther from hitting
these targets, which scientists agree is necessary to avoid the worst effects
of global warming. To reach these targets, the region must cut emissions 10
percent below 2005 levels by 2010 and 19 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.
“If Maine
is serious about meeting our commitments and cutting global warming pollution,
we need to take action now, beginning with the adoption of energy efficiency
standards for new buildings,” said Dylan Voorhees of the Natural Resources
Council of Maine. “We are falling behind, and now is the time to catch up.”
Transportation is the leading source of global
warming emissions in Maine. These emissions increased by 7 percent
between 2001 and 2005 regionwide, accounting for the largest share of the
increase, or 5.1 MMTCO2E. This change reflects more driving, more
trucking and more flying.
“Our state leaders need to put the brakes on
transportation emissions,” said Matthew Davis of Environment Maine. “There are
plenty of policies at our fingertips to reduce global warming from moving
people and goods around – operating and expanding the Downeaster train to name
one. Without state action emissions will continue to rise.”
The good news for New England is that global warming
pollution fell slightly from 2004 to 2005—the first year-to-year decrease since
2001—and that several indicators suggest that the decrease in emissions
continued and accelerated in 2006. Total emissions in New England dropped 0.6 MMTCO2E
between 2004 and 2005, which is 0.3 percent of all New
England emissions.
In Maine,
global warming emissions dropped 0.3 MMTCO2E between 2004 and 2005,
largely due to greater use of hydro and biomass power and a drop in industrial
usage due to mill shutdowns. These
reductions were great enough to offset the 4 percent increase in gasoline
usage.
To keep New England’s carbon dioxide emissions in
line with the Climate Action Plan’s targets of 1990 levels by 2010 and 10%
below by 2020, RGGI administrators should tighten the power plant emissions cap
and retire emission allowances at 44.6
MMTCO2E by 2010 and 40.1 MMTCO2E by 2020.
“The progress we’ve made to cut
electricity emissions with RGGI is significant, but we need to make sure our
efforts pay off in real reductions,” commented Matthew Davis of Environment
Maine. “Without tightening the cap, it won’t achieve what it was created to
do.”
“To jumpstart windpower development
in Maine, the
Legislature needs to pass the legislation that was based on the conclusions of
the Governor’s Windpower Task Force,” said Voorhees. “Without more clean energy sources like wind,
we will continue to fail to meet our global warming goals.”
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