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Green Notes - 22 May 09

By Chinthana ⋅ May 22, 2009 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

• Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday ordered the state to reach agreement with its single largest polluter to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by half over the next 15 years. On a day when nearly 1,000 people waving signs and banners rallied on Seattle’s waterfront in support of efforts to tackle global warming, Gregoire told state agencies to take several actions to reduce the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Some of the actions are:
  • Develop emission reduction strategies and industry emissions benchmarks to make sure 2020 reduction targets are met.
  • Work with TransAlta to reduce emissions from the company’s coal-fired power plant near Centralia by more than half.
  • Ensure Washington has trees to capture harmful carbon, while creating financial incentives for the forestry industry.
  • Work on low-carbon fuel standards or alternative requirements to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector.
• A new survey released by Johnson Controls contains some encouraging statistics about Americans, but also some discouraging and even puzzling ones (about 30% of people who answered think that hybrids should be less expensive than comparable gasoline-powered cars). The good news is that 90% of US adults are open to choosing a hybrid if they were in the market for a new vehicle, which shows that at least people aren’t scared of them anymore. Read on for more details.
• Australia’s Tasmanian devil, the world’s largest surviving marsupial carnivore, will be listed as endangered because of a contagious and deadly cancer, the government said. “This disease has led to the decline of about 70 percent of the Tasmanian devil population since the disease was first reported in 1996,” Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in a statement. “Fortunately, strong action is being taken to find out more about this disease and to stop its spread,” Mr Garrett said. The Government had committed $A10 million (£5 million) over five years to a programme aimed at saving the devil, including research into the disease and support for captive and wild populations, he said.
• Green groups are stepping up their pressure on governments around Australia to make more progress on a range of environmental issues. Some campaigners say they’re tired of the slow pace of reform on issues ranging from container deposit legislation to a ban on plastic bags and what to do with the mountains of electronic waste created by TV sets, mobile phones and computers. A new national poll commissioned by environmental change lobby group “Do Something” shows Australians want action on all of these matters where state and federal governments have consistently failed to act.