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Hot Fact of the Season:
The good news: U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell last year, for the first time since 1991; analysts describe a drop of 1.2 percent. Compare this to the average annual change in emissions over the last decade, an increase of 1.3 percent, and you have progress.
The bad news: Given that average yearly increase, U.S. emissions are still up, overall, by 11.9 percent over 1990 levels.
-- Source: the Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Quote of Note
"Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty but around the world."
-- Horst Rechelbacher, Founder of Aveda™, manufacturer and retailer of plant-based personal care products.
Reminder!
Be sure to visit an Aveda salon or lifestyle store near you during Earth Month in April to learn about Clean Air-Cool Planet’s partnership to stop global warming. You can make a difference! Visit www.aveda.com for salon and store locations.
Plan Ahead! Maple Sugar Season is right around the corner…
A warming climate has accelerated the time of year when sap is running in our regions’ maple bushes. Visit these sites to find a sugarhouse in your neck of the woods.
gonewengland.about.com/
cs/maplesugaring/
www.uvm.edu/
~uvmaple/products.htm
www.massmaple.org/info.html
www.newyorkmaple.com/
html/news.html
www.nhmapleproducers.com/
events.htm
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Corporate, campus and community leaders will soon gather for the first regional conference on meeting the goals of the climate change action plans developed by northeast states and eastern Canadian provinces. “Climate Solutions for the Northeast: A Conference on Implementing State and Regional Climate Change Action Plans” is scheduled for May 11-13 2003 in Hartford, Connecticut. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is co-sponsoring the conference with CA-CP, to spotlight the first regional climate change action plan developed in the United States.
As reported in previous editions of the Cool Current, our six New England governors and the premiers of Canada’s eastern provinces signed off on a regional climate change action plan at their 2001 conference, and then reaffirmed it by setting goals for the plan’s implementation at their annual meeting in Quebec last August.
The plan has aggressive goals for greenhouse gas reductions in coming decades, committing signers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2010 and by 10 percent below that by 2020. It calls for promoting energy efficiency and conservation, reducing power plant emissions, using cleaner-burning fuels, and increasing renewable energy sources.
“It’s time to provide a high-profile public forum to discuss effective strategies for reaching the state and regional climate action goals,” explains Susan Tierney, senior vice president of Massachusetts-based Lexecon, a Clean Air-Cool Planet board member and conference committee chairperson.
The timing of the conference is significant. New York’s Governor Pataki just announced his intention to establish an aggressive renewable portfolio standard for the state (whose climate change plan is due to be released in the coming weeks), and also to support adoption of the newly-proposed California vehicle emissions standards. New Jersey, an early and enthusiastic supporter of voluntary greenhouse gas reductions, has recently implemented broader and more stringent mandatory measures, across sectors. And while the New England regional action plan was signed by two Democratic governors, three Republicans, an independent governor and premiers from the nation's closest foreign partner, the region’s political leadership changed almost completely in 2003. For the first time since 1945, five of the six New England governors will leave office at the same time.
The conference steering committee is in the process of arranging high level political and business leaders to address a variety of topics linked to the Regional Climate Change Action Plan including:
- emissions trading.
- the business case for climate action.
- climate change as a consumer issue.
- northeast leadership on renewable technologies.
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The conference will highlight the progress different sectors are making to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, share lessons learned, and build a common agenda for making the region the national leader in addressing climate change.
Leading decision makers from the public and private sectors throughout the region will benefit, including:
Leaders in businesses seeking market position, operations savings and long-range risk management using emissions reductions as part of their strategies;
University presidents seeking to enhance the reputation of their institutions and achieve operations cost savings;
Mayors, selectmen and city councilors;
Policy makers in state governments responsible for implementing the Regional Climate Change Action Plan; and
Environmental and community leaders.
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Tom Buckley, Manager of Customer and Energy Services, Burlington Electric Department
Kenneth Colburn, Executive Director, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM)
David Coon, Policy Director, Conservation Council of New Brunswick
Bryan Garcia, Climate Change Program Director, Connecticut Clean Energy Fund
Sonia Hamel, Director of Air Policy and Planning, Executive Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Sue Jones, Air Project Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine
Kathy Loftus, Director of Energy and Environmental Management, Shaw’s Supermarkets
Adam Markham, Executive Director, Clean Air-Cool Planet
Robert Noel de Tilly, Directeur, Direction des changements climatiques, Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec
Rafe Pomerance, Chairman, Americans for Equitable Climate Solutions
Helen Sahi, Managing Director, Corporate Environmental Affairs, Fleet Boston Financial
Dan Sosland, Executive Director, Environment Northeast
James Gustave Speth, Dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Susan Tierney, Senior Vice President, Lexecon Inc.
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Companies and organizations interested in attending the conference as an exhibitor can contact Roger Stephenson at Clean Air-Cool Planet (603 422-6464 ext. 108 or rstephenson@cleanair-coolplanet.org).
More information and registration will be available on the conference will be available on our website, www.cleanair-coolplanet.org. |
--Roger Stephenson
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