Important Documents

• Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) for United States (November 28, 2005) � This is a beta state-by-state data and analysis tool for the United States, developed by the World Resources Institute.
   

• Key GHG Emission Data from Developed and Developing Countries (November 18, 2005) � This includes data on GHG emissions from 40 developed and 121 developing countries.
   

• Pew Climate Center Report on International Climate Negotiations Beyond 2012 (November 16, 2005)
   

• Lugar-Biden Resolution (November 16, 2005) � This resolution urges the United States reengage in international global warming negotiations with the goal of securing U.S. participation in agreements that �advance and protect the economic and national security interests of the U.S.,� establish mitigation commitments by all countries that are major emitters of GHGs, �consistent with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities,� with flexibility to minimize costs and achieve a significant long-term reduction in GHG emissions.
   

• Chart of State GHG Actions (November 16,  2005) � Please provide any comments, including corrections or additions, to Amy Royden-Bloom at aroyden-bloom@4cleanair.org.  Contact information for the point person on global warming issues in your agency would be appreciated.
   

• Proceedings from Connecticut Global Climate Change Summit: Business Risks and Opportunities for Connecticut�s Insurance Industry (November 14, 2005)
   

• "Energy Efficiency as a Resource" Conference Presentations (October 28, 2005) -- The Third National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource featured presentations on a variety of issues and approaches related to treating efficiency as an energy resource, including quantifying and incorporating the environmental, economic and health benefits of energy efficiency; the emerging role of energy efficiency in carbon management strategies; and examples and approaches from key regions, leading utilities and states.
   

• Low Carbon Leader: Cities (October 19, 2005) � This report by The Climate Group describes efforts to reduce GHG emissions by several cities worldwide, including San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Chicago, IL; and New York, NY.
   

• U.S. Climate Change Technology Program Strategic Plan � Draft for Public Comment (September 23, 2005) � Comments are due by November 2, 2005.  Click here for instructions on how to comment.
   

• Carbon Dioxide Emission Reduction Strategies for North Carolina (September 21, 2005) � This is the final report required by North Carolina�s Clean Smokestacks Act, which required the North Carolina Division of Air Quality to provide its final findings and recommendations on strategies to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from coal-fired generating units and other stationary sources of pollution.
   

• North Carolina Bill to Establish Legislative Commission on Climate Change (September 1, 2005) � This passed the North Carolina legislature on August 30, 2005 and was signed into law on September 27, 2005.
   

• RGGI Staff Working Group Proposal (August 29, 2005) � The proposal recommends stabilizing emissions in the 9 participating states at approximately 150 million tons of CO2 (which is approximately equivalent to the average emissions of the highest 3 years between 2000 and 2004) from 2009 through 2015; followed by a 10% reduction between 2015 and 2020.
   

• Transportation Emissions Guidebook: Land Use, Transit and Travel Demand Management (August 22, 2005) � This guidebook helps users assess the air pollution, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions benefits of a variety of transportation and land use policies. The guidebook is a new tool that includes policy overviews, case studies and an emissions calculator that can be customized with local data.  The second part of the guidebook focuses on vehicle technology and fuels and will be released in early 2006.  The guidebook was prepared by the Center for Clean Air Policy.
   

• Report on the Integration of Air Quality Management and Climate Protection (August 22, 2005) -- This report includes model climate ordinances and describes potential frameworks for integrating air pollution and climate protection programs. The report was funded by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
   

• California GHG Emission Limitations for Motor Vehicles: Rulemaking Package Transmittal to the Office of Administrative Law (August 22, 2005) � This was transmitted on August 5, 2005; the Office of Administrative Law has until September 19, 2005 to make a determination.
   

• Automakers Carbon Burden (August 11, 2005) -- An Environmental Defense report on the increase of CO₂ emissions from automobiles.
   

• U.S. Climate Technology Program: Vision and Framework for Strategy and Planning (August 8, 2005) -- DOE's framework for Climate Technology Program.
   

• Vision Statement for New Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (July 28, 2005) -- Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and the U.S. partnership to reduce GHGs emissions.
   

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing on Global Warming (July 21, 2005)
   

• Senate Commerce Committee�s Subcommittee on Global Climate Change and Impacts Hearing (July 20, 2005)
   

• Appeals Court Decision Upholding EPA Decision to Not Regulate GHG Emissions from Motor Vehicles (July 15, 2005)
   

• G8 Gleneagles Statement on Global Warming (July 8, 2005)
   

• Estimate of 2004 U.S. CO₂ Emissions from Energy Sources (June 30, 2005) � U.S. energy-related CO₂ emissions increased by 1.7 percent in 2004 compared with 2003 levels; CO₂ intensity fell by 2.6 percent.
   

• Sense of the Senate Resolution on Global Warming (June 23, 2005) � This resolution, introduced by Senator Bingaman and which passed by a voice vote, calls on Congress to enact a comprehensive and effective national program of mandatory, market-based limits on GHG emissions that slow, stop and reverse the growth of such emissions in a manner that will not significantly harm the U.S. economy and will encourage comparable action by other nations that are major trading partners and key contributors to global emissions.
   

• California Climate Change Web Site (June 16, 2005) � Click here for the fact sheets.
   

• New Mexico Executive Order on GHGs (June 10, 2005) � This executive order establishes the New Mexico Climate Change Advisory Group, which is tasked with developing proposals to reduce New Mexico�s GHG emissions to 2000 levels by 2012, to 10 percent below 2000 levels by 2020 and 75 percent below 2000 levels by 2050.  The group is required to develop a report with findings and recommendations by December 1, 2006.
   

• Joint Science Academies� Statement on Global Warming (June 9, 2005) � This statement was issued by the academies of science of 11 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, China and India.
   

• Climate Change Risks & Opportunities: Recent Developments, Available Strategies, New Technologies (June 8, 2005) -- This presentation by John Holdren was given at the UN 2005 Institutional Investor Summit on Climate Risk. Holdren is a professor at Harvard University and was co-chair of the National Commission on Energy Policy.
   

• Press Release Announcing California GHG Reduction Targets (June 2, 2005)
   

• State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2005 (May 12, 2005) -- This study reviews the state and trends of the carbon market as of May 2005.  The carbon market encompasses both the generation of emission reductions (ERs) through project-based transactions where a buyer purchases ERs from a project that produces measurable reductions in GHGs, and trading of GHG emission allowances allocated under existing (or upcoming) cap-and-trade regimes such as the European Emissions Trading Scheme.
   

• Inventory of U.S. GHG Emissions and Sinks 1990-2003 (April 28, 2005)
   
• Indicators of Climate Change in the Northeast - 2005 (April 5, 2005) -- This report was written by Clean Air - Cool Planet and the University of New Hampshire.
   
• Revisions to DOE's Voluntary Reporting of GHGs Program (March 24, 2005) -- Click here for the interim final rule containing the general guidelines for reporting GHG emissions and emissions reductions; this will become effective September 20, 2005. Click here for the notice of availability for comment of technical guidance for reporting GHG emissions and emissions reductions; comments are due by May 23, 2005. Click here for information about the public hearings to be held April 26, 27 and May 5.
   
• Climate Stewardship and Innovations Act 2005 (May 31, 2005) -- This is the most recent version of the McCain-Lieberman climate bill. Click here for a summary of the bill.
   
• Washington Executive Order Establishing Sustainability and Efficiency Goals for State Operations (March 23, 2005) -- This executive order, entered into January 5, 2005, contains several requirements for state government to improve energy efficiency and use renewable energy.
   
• Wisconsin Proposal to Amend Salvage/Dismantle Regulations to Add Refrigerants that Contribute to Global Warming (March 4, 2005) -- Wisconsin is proposing to add global-warming refrigerants to its regulations that already reduce emissions of ozone-depleting refrigerants when any equipment is being salvaged or dismantled.  Click here for a summary of the proposal and a schedule of hearings.
   
• Emerging Tools for Assessing Air Pollutant Emission Reductions from Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy (March 3, 2005) -- This report is by the Global Environmental Technology Foundation.  The goal of the project was to identify existing and emerging tools for assessing the impacts of electricity usage on emissions of air pollutants that state air quality officials could use to incorporate energy efficiency and renewable energy in State Implementation Plans.  One of the tools GETF looked at was STAPPA/ALAPCO's Clean Air and Climate Protection Software.  Click here for a presentation GETF made to EPA on the report.
   
• Black Carbon Particles from Fossil-Fuel Combustion Affecting Arctic Climate (March 3, 2005) -- This article, by Dorothy Koch and James Hansen, appeared in the Journal of Geophysical Research in February 2005.
   
• Innovative Approaches to Climate Change: A State-Federal Workshop (February 23, 2005) -- The Pew Center on Global Climate Change held this workshop in February 2005.
   
• EPA SEP Toolkit (February 17, 2005) -- This toolkit helps state and local governments pursue new energy efficiency or renewable energy projects through enforcement settlements. The toolkit presents the case for pursuing energy efficiency and renewable energy within settlements, provides examples and ideas for projects, and provides a step-by-step regulatory �road map� for pursuing SEPs.
   
• Connecticut Climate Change Action Plan (Final) (February 16, 2005)
   
• California Air Resources Board's Report to the Legislature and Governor on Regulations to Control GHG Emissions From Motor Vehicles (February 15, 2005)
   
• EPA's Carbon Emission Economic Intensity Index: Power Point presentation (February 9, 2005)
   
• Arizona Executive Order Establishing Climate Change Advisory Group (February 9, 2005)
   
• Overview of EPA's Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership (February 8, 2005) -- The Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership Program will help states develop and implement goals and a robust plan for using existing and new energy policies and programs to improve air quality, decrease energy use, reduce GHG emissions, and enhance economic development. Partner States will work across relevant agencies to develop a comprehensive state-specific Clean Energy-Environment State Action Plan. EPA is launching this program on February 18, 2005, but states are welcome to join at any time. Click here for the partnership agreement.
   
• Briefs filed by States in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. EPA (February 8, 2005) -- These briefs were filed on January 25, 2005 in the case challenging EPA's conclusion that it lacks authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate CO2 for global warming purposes. Click here for the final reply brief.
   
• Reports from Exeter Conference: Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change (February 4, 2005) -- This conference was held in the United Kingdom February 1-3, 2005 to advance scientific understanding of and encourage an international scientific debate on the long term implications of climate change, the relevance of stabilization goals, and options to reach such goals; and to encourage research on these issues.
   
• Uncertainty in Analyzing Climate Change: Policy Implications (January 26, 2005) -- This report by the Congressional Budget Office provides an overview of the sources of uncertainty that complicate climate change policymaking and discusses the implications of uncertainty for three different types of policy responses: research and development, mitigation of GHG emissions and adaptation to a warmer climate.
   
• Puget Sound Climate Protection Advisory Committee Report (January 19, 2005) -- This is the final report of the Puget Sound's Climate Protection Advisory Committee on reducing GHG emissions in Puget Sound, Washington. Click here for the letter from the Committee transmitting the report to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
   
• Links from January 12, 2005 Global Warming Committee Conference Call (January 19, 2005)
   
• Recommendations of Oregon Governor's Advisory Group on Global Warming (December 23, 2004)
   
• Air Pollution and Climate Change Policies in Europe: Exploring Linkages and the Added Value of an Integrated Approach (December 20, 2004) -- This report explores the linkages between air quality and climate change from a European perspective in order to assist the European Environment Agency in approaching the issues of air quality and climate change in an integrated way. This report addresses atmospheric linkages, linkages of impacts and possible synergies in emission reductions and emission control strategies. While it is focused on Europe, its analysis of linkages applies to the U.S. as well. 
   
• COP-10 Reports and Documents (December 16, 2004) -- Click here for the COP-10 web site. Click here for a report from Ken Colburn of NESCAUM dated 12/13/04;  Click here for a report from Ken Colburn dated 12/16/04.  Click here for the presentation Ken Colburn of NESCAUM made at the COP on state GHG state activities.
   
• Emissions of GHGs in the United States 2003 (December 14, 2004)
   
• Uncertainty, Risk and Dangerous Climate Change: Recent research on climate change science from the Hadley Center (December 14, 2004)
   
• International Climate Efforts Beyond 2012: A Survey of Approaches (December 14, 2004) -- This report, prepared for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, provides summaries of more than 40 proposals for future international climate efforts. It also provides an overview of core issues in designing and negotiating future international climate efforts and suggests criteria that could be used in assessing alternative approaches.
   
• Maine Climate Action Plan (December 8, 2004)
   
• The National Commission on Energy Policy�s �Ending the Energy Stalemate: A Bipartisan Strategy to Meet America�s Energy Challenges� (December 8, 2004)
   
• West Coast Governors' Global Warming Initiative Staff Recommendations to the Governors (November 19, 2004) -- The governors of Washington, Oregon and California approved the recommendations for action to combat global warming contained in this report. Click here for a scientific consensus statement on the impacts of climate change in the Pacific Northwest region.
   
• Observed Impacts of Global Climate Change in the U.S. (November 9, 2004) -- A report commissioned by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
   

• Arctic Climate Impact Assessment Report (November 8, 2004) -- This report was commissioned by the Arctic Council, which is comprised of 8 nations, including the United States.  The report, the work of more than 250 scientists, states that global warming is heating the Arctic almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet in a thaw that threatens the livelihoods of millions of people and could wipe out polar bears by 2100. Click here for the policy document adopted by the Arctic Council.
   

• STAPPA/ALAPCO Fall 2004 Membership Meeting Presentations (October 29, 2004)
   
• San Francisco Climate Action Plan (October 4, 2004) -- This plan outlines specific steps that local government agencies, residents and businesses should take to reduce San Francisco's annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2.5 million tons by 2012 (a reduction of emissions to 20 percent below their 1990 levels by the year 2012).
   

• Funding Opportunities: A Directory of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Environmental Protection Assistance Programs (September 28, 2004) -- EPA put together this guide to help identify opportunities to receive financial and technical assistance for efforts that reduce energy costs, improve air quality and public health, and enhance economic development opportunities.  This is an updated version of the directory, which was originally released in April.
   

• Presentation on Abrupt Climate Change (September 22, 2004) -- This the presentation given by Dr. Richard Alley, Chair, National Academy of Sciences� Committee on Abrupt Climate Change, and a professor at Pennsylvania State University, at a Congressional briefing held on September 15, 2004.
   
• Regional GHG Registry (RGGR) Presentation (September 17, 2004) -- This is a presentation on RGGR made by Joanne Morin that discusses how RGGR supports voluntary reporting, mandatory reporting and the Regional GHG Initiative (RGGI) reporting.
   
• Senate Commerce Committee Hearing on Impacts of Climate Change (September 15, 2004) -- Hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology examining recent scientific research concerning climate change impacts. The Committee heard from Dr. Daniel Cayan, Research Meteorologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; Dr. Peter Frumhoff, Program Director and Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists; Dr. Claudia Tebaldi, Project Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research; and Ms. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Conference.
   
• North Carolina's Second Interim Report on CO2 Emission Reduction Options for Coal-Fired Electrical Utility Boilers and Other Stationary Sources (September 9, 2004) -- This is the second interim report that NCDAQ was required to prepare pursuant to the Clean Smokestacks Act on CO2. The 2004 report contains an updated review of research and options for the recommendations the Division must make next year (2005).
   
• State Energy CO2 Data (August 30, 2004) -- This web site provides state CO2 emission inventories from fossil fuel combustion. The inventories present annual emissions of CO2 by sector (commercial, industrial, residential, transportation and electric utilities) in million metric tons of CO2 from 1990 though 2000.
    
• Our Changing Planet: the U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 (August 30, 2004) -- The report describes the activities and plans of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) and contains highlights of recent scientific research funded by the program. Click here for a press release on the report.
   
• Final CARB Staff Report on Proposed Regulation to Control GHG Emissions from Motor Vehicles (August 6, 2004) -- These recommendations will be considered at a CARB Board meeting on September 23, 2004. Click here for proposed regulation order. Click here for the California and Exhaust Emission Standards and Test Procedures for 2001 and Subsequent Model Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium Duty-Vehicles. Click here for a public hearing notice.
   
• Lawsuit by 8 States and NYC Seeking Lower GHG Emissions from Five Utilities (July 21, 2004) -- Eight states and the city of New York filed suit against five of the largest electric utilities in the U.S. to force them to reduce their GHG emissions. The companies named as defendants are American Electric Power, Cinergy, the Southern Company, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Xcel Energy. The suit was filed in the federal district court of Manhattan by the states of California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin and the city of New York. Click here for a press release.
   
• Presentations from North Carolina's Mercury and CO2 Workshop Held April 19-21, 2004 (June 30, 2004) -- The Clean Smokestacks Act (Sections 12 and 13) require the North Carolina Division of Air Quality to complete studies and prepare a series of reports on mercury and CO2 regarding potential additional controls, and associated costs, with recommendations to the Environmental Management Commission (appointed body that manages and oversees NC's environmental programs) and the Environmental Review Commission (a Legislative committee of elected officials that has planning and oversight of the environmental programs and future legislation). The Division completed the first reports in September of 2003 and will present the second (an update) in the series in September 2004. The final report(s), with recommendations, will be issued by September 2005. These sessions were presented as part of a fact finding and stakeholder process pursuant to those reports and the eventual recommendations.
   
• Legal Brief Supporting EPA Regulation of GHG Emissions from Motor Vehicles (June 24, 2004) -- This brief was filed by eleven states and 14 environmental and citizen groups arguing that the Clean Air Act gives EPA the authority to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles. Oral arguments in the case will be held April 8, 2005. This suit was filed in response to EPA's rejection of a petition urging EPA to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles; EPA rejected the petition because it says it lacks authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate GHGs.
    
• Maine Multi-Pollutant Reporting Rule (June 22, 2004) -- This rule requires all sources that emit a minimum threshold of criteria air pollutants or any amount of GHGs to report their emissions. It covers the following GHGs: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. It also covers the following criteria pollutants: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, VOCs, nitrogen oxides, PM10, PM2.5, lead and ammonia. It was approved by Maine's Board of Environmental Protection but has not yet been approved by the Attorney General's office or the Secretary of State' Office.
   
• Taking Action on Climate Change: How and Why? (May 17, 2004) -- These PowerPoint presentations were given at the STAPPA/ALAPCO Spring Membership Meeting in Point Clear, AL.
   
• Senate Climate Change Hearing (May 7, 2004) -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing on global warming, which included testimony by NESCAUM Executive Director's Ken Colburn on states' actions.
   
• Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan (May 6, 2004) -- This is a plan by Massachusetts to meet the regional GHG reduction targets set by the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, which includes reducing GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2010 and a further 10 percent reduction by 2020. Click here for a press release from the Massachusetts governor.
   
• U.S. GHG Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2002 (May 4, 2004) -- This is the latest in a series of submissions by the U.S. to the United Nations, providing an inventory of emissions and sinks of GHGs in the U.S. Total U.S. GHG emissions have increased 13 percent between 1990 and 2002.
   
• Impacts of CO2 and Climate Change on Public Health in the Inner City (April 29, 2004) -- Climate change, both its impacts and the impact of not taking action to reduce GHG emissions, will harm the health of residents of inner cities, according to this report. The report is from the Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment.
   
• A Synthesis of Potential Climate Change Impacts on the U.S. (April 29, 2004) -- This report released by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change synthesizes previous reports the Center released analyzing the potential impacts of climate change on the U.S. environment across sectors and regions.
   
• U.S. Market Consequences of Global Climate Change (April 29, 2004) -- This report released by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change examines the potential impact of climate change on the U.S. economy through the year 2100, using 3 temperature projection scenarios � one at a low end, middle end and high end. These were combined with two market scenarios, one pessimistic and one optimistic. The report concludes that while the U.S. economy may benefit in the short term from low temperature increases, in the end any benefits are outweighed by the negative consequences of increasing temperatures and impacts on non-market sectors.
   
• Presentation of Amy Royden at Earth Technologies Forum (April 15, 2004) -- This gives an overview of the different types of programs being implemented at the state and local level, including registries, renewable portfolio standards, regional initiatives such as the Regional GHG Initiative, and emission reduction requirements on power plants. It also describes the co-benefits of GHG reductions, and includes a brief description of STAPPA/ALAPCO�s Clean Air and Climate Protection Software.
   
• EPA Announcement of National Transportation Idle Free Corridors Project (April 6, 2004) � The deadline for submitting grant proposals to EPA is May 21, 2004.
   
• Great Lakes Communities and Ecosystems at Risk (April 1, 2004) -- This interactive web site is based on the report by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Ecological Society of America (ESA), "Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: Impacts on Our Communities and Ecosystems." Written by leading university and government scientists within the region, the comprehensive report combines advanced models of the Earth's climate system, with 100 years of historical climate data to generate the most reliable projections of future climate for the diverse habitats of the Great Lakes. You can use the website to learn about the projected impacts of climate change in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
   
• Washington Law Requiring Power Plants to Mitigate CO2 Emissions (April 1, 2004) -- The law requires any new power plant that generates over 25 megawatts of power to offset 20 percent of the CO2 generated by the plant over a period of 30 years. This requirement applies to new power plants seeking site certification or an order of approval after July 1, 2004, and existing plants that increase the production of CO2 emissions by 15 percent or more. Plants can satisfy the requirement either by making a payment to an independent qualified organization (at a rate of $1.60 per ton), or by direct investment in CO2 mitigation projects. Click here for a Washington House report on the bill; click here for a Washington Senate report on the bill.
   
• Tools of the Trade: A Guide to Designing and Operating a Cap and Trade Program for Pollution Control (March 15, 2004) -- This EPA guide introduces the concept of cap and trade as a policy tool; provides guidance on how to determine if cap and trade is the right solution to a particular problem; explains the processes for developing, implementing, and operating a cap and trade program; and discusses how to assess and communicate a cap and trade program�s results. The guide draws upon the experience of the highly successful sulfur dioxide trading program used to address acid rain. It includes appendices on the economics of emissions trading and an example assessment of the potential for cap and trade.
   
• Connecticut Climate Change Stakeholders Dialog: Recommendations to the Governor's Steering Committee (March 10, 2004) -- This report, released in January 2004, reflects the recommendations of a stakeholders group convened by the Connecticut governor to examine what the state should do to reduce GHG emissions. The Governor in March announced he would accept 38 of these recommendations.
   
• DOE's Program Plan for FutureGen (March 8, 2004) -- This is DOE's program plan for FutureGen, an integrated hydrogen, electric power production and carbon sequestration research initiative with the goal of creating the world's first coal-based, zero emissions electricity and hydrogen production power plant by 2012. The plan was requested by Congress.
   
• GAO Analysis of Differing Estimates of Costs of Complying with the Kyoto Protocol (March 8, 2004) -- GAO was asked to identify the likely reasons for the differences between two cost estimates for the U.S. to implement the Kyoto Protocol -- $397 billion from Energy Information Administration (EIA) and $7 billion to $12 billion by the Clinton-era Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). GAO found that two likely reasons are that (1) the models focus on different time periods, with different assumptions about how the economy adjusts to new policies, and (2) they measure costs differently. CEA used a type of model that typically focuses on longer time periods and generally assumes that the economy adjusts smoothly to new policies over the longer-term, while EIA used a type of model that typically focuses on a more immediate time period and highlights the near-term costs of economic adjustments (such as unemployment). EIA�s model used a more comprehensive cost measure than CEA�s model and was thus able to capture certain costs that CEA�s model could not capture. In addition, EIA assumed that all reductions would need to occur domestically, and assumed a higher economic growth rate (which means a larger amount of emission reductions to meet a defined emissions reduction target).
   
• Implementing Climate and Global Change Research: A Review of the Final U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan (February 18, 2004) -- The National Academies� National Research Council's assessment of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program�s revised Strategic Plan. Click here for a press release. Click here for a Power Point presentation on the NRC assessment.
   
• Pew Center Midwestern States Workshop (February 11, 2004) -- The Pew Center on Global Climate Change held a workshop in November 2003 on state policy solutions to climate change, focusing on the Midwestern states (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan). A Midwestern Renewable Portfolio Standard was discussed by participants at this workshop.
   
• West Virginia Governor's Proposal for a Mandatory GHG Registry (February 10, 2004) -- West Virginia Governor Bob Wise's legislative agenda for 2004 includes passing legislation that would authorize the establishment of a mandatory GHG emissions registry for sources that emit more than a deminimis amount of GHG emissions and a voluntary registry for GHG emission reductions. Click here for the legislative proposal.
   
• Defusing the Global Warming Time Bomb (February 10, 2004) -- March 2004 Scientific American article by Dr. James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and who is best known for his Congressional testimony in 1980s raising the alarm about global warming.
   
• Recent Reports from the Department of Transportation's Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting (January 30, 2004)
   
• Engines of Growth: Energy Challenges, Opportunities, and Uncertainties in the 21^st Century (January 29, 2004) -- This study by the Department of Energy�s Argonne National Laboratory concludes that smart technology investments can sustain economic activity in ways that reduce energy use and associated emissions of air pollutants and GHGs.  The authors modeled various growth and energy use scenarios to compare their impact on economic growth.  The modeling showed that low energy prices can lead to high economic growth, but the analysis also found that an investment path that emphasizes both energy efficiency improvements and advanced energy supply technologies can provide economic growth similar to lower energy prices.  In other words, policies introduced to improve energy efficiency and accelerate the introduction of new technologies did not appreciably reduce the prospects for economic growth.  In addition, this latter strategy can better position the economy to respond to unexpected outcomes or disruptions.  Click here for more information about the model the authors used.
    
• Global Change and the Earth System: A Planet Under Pressure (January 22, 2004) -- Executive summary of a book that describes what is known about the "Earth System" and the impact of changes caused by humans. It considers the consequences of these changes with respect to the stability of the Earth System and the well-being of humankind; as well as exploring future paths towards Earth System science in support of global sustainability. The book was released by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program, an international scientific research program built on interdisciplinarity, networking and integration.
   
• Presentation on Chicago Climate Exchange (January 15, 2004) -- This is a briefing on the Chicago Climate Exchange, providing an overview of the Exchange's purpose, members and reduction goals. The Chicago Climate Exchange is a voluntary pilot GHG trading program for emission sources and offset projects in North America and Brazil.
   
• DOE Presentation on Revisions to GHG Emissions and Reductions Reporting Program (January 14, 2004) -- This is a copy of a presentation given by Mark Friedrichs, DOE, on the January Committee call describing DOE's proposed changes to the government's voluntary program for reporting GHG emissions and GHG emission reductions.
   
• Presentation on Best Workplaces for Commuters and Smartway (January 12, 2004) -- This presentation describes two OTAQ programs for reducing GHG emissions from transportation.