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A great, great deal has been said about the weather, but nothing is done about it."
2 w; @6 m/ E/ P-- Mark Twain
* m: C6 ~3 p- D( A7 I4 j$ BToday we are doing something about the weather, to undo what people have done to change it. Spurred by concerns about climate change and its impacts on the environment and the economy, the New England/Mid-Atlantic Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is breaking new ground, by creating the first mandatory greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program in the United States. Spearheaded by New York State, RGGI will reduce emissions of the principal greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), in the region and perhaps provide a model for the rest of the country.& H8 l. I+ y8 R( {2 ?* w- m; X) E) [
With the execution of the RGGI Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 20, 2005, by New York and six of its neighbors, implementation of RGGI is set to commence. This article will review the international setting for RGGI, describe the basic design of the program as set forth in the MOU, and summarize the current status of some of the other responses to climate change in the United States.
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0 a2 v, H# q& Q) tBackground
9 @) k l9 {* oThe U.S. National Academy of Sciences issued a joint statement with 10 other national science academies in June of 2005 ("Joint Statement"), which observed: ! V, f0 u5 ^* E: R4 u/ m
[T]here is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring.... It is likely that most of the warming in recent decades can be attributed to human activities ... [and] has already led to changes in the Earth's climate.
) t0 b* K+ o8 }9 O& _6 AAs evidence of global warming, the Statement notes the rising surface and subsurface ocean temperatures, increases in average sea levels, retreating glaciers and changes to many physical and biological systems. The projected warming trends are, among other effects, likely to increase the frequency and severity of weather events and the melting of large ice sheets. The Joint Statement concludes by stating that it is "vital that all nations identify cost effective steps they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions." [FN1]. C! Y3 U: j0 t5 S
The underpinnings for the Joint Statement's conclusions were the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has been studying climate change since the 1980s. The panel's findings noted that CO2 levels on earth have increased from 280 parts per million (ppm) in 1750 to 375 ppm today, a level significantly higher than any CO2 level in the last 420,000 years. There is a positive correlation between CO2 emissions and temperature. "Increasing greenhouse gases are causing temperatures to rise."
3 n5 D% k. X0 UThe scientific explanation for this is simple. CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. While this "greenhouse effect" is essential to keeping the earth from being too cold, the accumulation of greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal has led to today's unprecedented CO2 levels and to the consequent impact on climate.; p. |9 T7 o6 w- l, l
World demand for energy is estimated to increase by almost 60% over the next 25 years, and fossil fuels, the principal source of CO2 produced by humans, are projected to supply 85% of this demand. This will cause a dramatic increase in the levels of CO2. And long-term solutions are required, because CO2 remains in the atmosphere for many decades. Failure to take action now will make the job much harder in the future. [FN2] Scientists have estimated that very significant reductions of CO2 are required -- well in excess of 50% by 2050 -- to stem the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change.: M- X4 k5 K$ S& s( M5 T* V
*44 Some contend that scientists have not been able to state with absolute certainty the extent to which current climate changes are due to natural weather variations. However, the Joint Statement concludes that "[a] lack of full scientific certainty about some aspects of climate change is not a reason for delaying an immediate response." [FN3] At a recent panel discussion by six former chiefs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, all agreed that more aggressive action to limit greenhouse gas emissions was "urgent" and that the debate over how much of the problem is caused by human activity is a "waste of time." [FN4]: ^! |* v* E, Z' o
Solutions proposed for climate change address not only environmental concerns, but have sweeping ramifications for the essential goals of energy independence and energy security. In his 2006 State of the Union Address, President Bush spoke from a political perspective about the critical need to move towards powering our homes and offices with "zero emission" technology and to break our "addiction to oil" by reducing our use of oil by 75% by 2025. [FN5]6 K( r; `7 \: ?$ T" _" a4 r
The debate is now not over whether action should be taken to reduce greenhouse gases, but whether mandatory action is required or wholly voluntary action will suffice. RGGI follows the wisdom of the international community on this question and adopts a mandatory approach.& D' Y- a9 B% v) |; W; B# }
8 g( ?& t/ C7 R% n, {6 G# J- OInternational Climate Change Framework
; Q* i) `& M+ O: ATo understand RGGI one must appreciate the international setting in which it was developed. RGGI is part of a massive international effort in which countries around the world have joined together to prevent the drastic climate changes that may result from greenhouse gas emissions.- z y0 e! B7 j% A. `8 K" _* p0 ^1 f/ g
The first major convening of nations on the issue took place in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the now-famed "Rio |
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发表于 2006-5-7 19:46:00
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