Complete list of press releases

(New York, NY – June 26, 2009) Environmental Defense Fund today testified that if the New York City Council passes a green building legislative package, it could “generate thousands of jobs” and “position the city and its workforce as national leaders in green building technology.”

EDF testified at a 10am public hearing in City Council Chambers about the green building legislative package, which would apply to 22,000 city buildings over 50,000 square feet – 2.5 billion square feet — approximately 45 percent of the square footage of all city buildings. The legislative package includes an energy code bill, a lighting bill, a benchmarking bill and an audit/retrofit bill.

“These bills constitute the largest and most cost-effective action New York City can take to reduce energy demand, greenhouse gas impacts and consumer electric bills,” said Elizabeth Stein, an attorney at Environmental Defense Fund. “The bottom line is that energy efficiency helps the bottom line. These bills require only changes that pay for themselves, and they will cut energy bills for homeowners and businesses in all boroughs. Equally important, efficiency reduces summer peak electricity demand, lowering the risk of blackouts and reducing pressure to build power plants in our communities.”

Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn announced the green building legislative package during a ceremony in April. The bills are designed to achieve carbon reductions, train workers for new jobs that will be created by the legislation, and help finance energy-saving improvements by using funds from the federal stimulus bill, formally called “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”

“EDF applauds the flexibility built into the bills,” added Stein. “The retrofit bill, which achieves the largest reduction of the entire package of bills, gives building owners flexibility to decide for themselves which changes are most cost-effective for their buildings, and there are generous timelines and exemptions that recognize challenges posed by the current financial crisis.”

“This is the time to act: global warming must be solved and energy bills must come down,” concluded Stein. “President Obama has made a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions a signature priority, and a bill capping greenhouse gas emissions is making its way through Congress. By acting now, New York can develop its workforce early, and be ready to lead a national market for energy efficiency expertise.”
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contacts:
Lori Sinsley, (415) 293.6097 (o), (415) 308-6970 (m) lsinsley@edf.org
James Fine, (916) 492-4698 (o), jfine@edf.org

(Sacramento, CA – June 30, 2009) Motor vehicle drivers in the 13 states that have adopted California’s Clean Car Standards approved earlier today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would save hundreds of dollars annually at the gas pump while reducing heat-trapping greenhouse gases, according to a report issued today by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The states—Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington—represent approximately one quarter of the U.S. vehicle fleet and vehicle miles traveled.

“Cleaner cars are a trifecta that will save families money at the gas pump, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and cut global warming pollution from tailpipes,” said James Fine, economist and policy scientist at Environmental Defense Fund.

Today’s EPA grant of California’s long-standing request for a Clean Air Act waiver immediately clears the way for vehicle emissions standards in these states to cut global warming pollution. The waiver request was denied under the Bush administration. Under a January 26, 2009 Presidential Memorandum, EPA was directed to reconsider the decision. The standards were adopted in Assembly Bill 1493 (2002, Pavley), the first law in the United States to set limits on global warming pollution from tailpipes. The waiver grant follows a breakthrough agreement announced by the Obama administration, states and automakers in May to put in place a national clean car program in model years 2012 to 2016 that is based on the state standards.

The new report, Saving Fuel, Saving Money, Saving Our Climate, compares automobile fleets under two scenarios for years 2010 through 2030. The first scenario is based on current and projected federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. The second scenario is based on implementation of California’s vehicle greenhouse gas performance standards (i.e., Clean Car Standards) through 2020, with continued progress through 2030. These Clean Car Standards can be achieved using existing technologies, including: alternative fuels, advanced tire technology, engine adjustments and improved air conditioning systems.

“This study shows that once these standards go into effect in these states, drivers will save billions of dollars, while dramatically reducing global warming pollution from tailpipes, one of the major sources of global warming pollution,” said Fine.

The analysis features aggregate and state-specific results for the states that have already adopted the standards. Combined, the 13 states will avoid consuming 16 billion gallons of fuel in 2030, saving drivers $40 billion in fuel costs based on an average gas price of $2.50. Depending on future gas prices and actual miles driven, and after subtracting estimated costs of vehicles to comply with standards, drivers of 2030 model cars will gain net benefits between $33 and $560; drivers of light duty trucks will enjoy net benefits between $340 and $1,390. In addition to fuel savings, the standards will avoid 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030 alone, and nearly one billion tons of emissions between 2010 and 2030. Cutting one billion tons of pollution is roughly equivalent to eliminating two years worth of California’s emissions from all sources, based on 2004 estimates of 484 million metric tons (MMT).

Low-income drivers will be hardest hit by rising fuel prices because they spend proportionately twice as much of household budgets on transportation compared to average drivers. Consequently, this same group of drivers will benefit most from more efficient vehicles. We estimate that people driving 10-year-old cars in 2030 are expected to gain an annual net benefit of $164 to $770 depending on the extent of driving, fuel prices and actual costs of car technologies required to meet the standards. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of the households in the 13 states are considered low-income.

New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have the largest fleets of the 13 states, so they will reap the greatest benefits. For example, New York drivers will save nearly $8 billion in fuel costs between 2010 and 2030 and avoid 184 MMT of GHG emissions between 2010 and 2030. New Jersey will save $4.1 billion and avoid 102 MMT of GHG emissions. See a table showing avoided fuel costs and GHG emissions from cars and trucks in 2030 in each state.
 

“California and these states have pioneered clean car standards that reduce one of this country’s leading sources of global warming pollution, while strengthening our national and economic security,” said Derek Walker, director of Environmental Defense Fund’s California Climate Initiative. 

The Saving Fuel, Saving Money, Saving Our Climate report analyzed automobile fleet data of 13 states using the VISION model developed by Argonne National Laboratory. The study compares fuel consumption and emissions for cars and light trucks in two scenarios based on vehicle fuel efficiency estimates developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Estimates of net benefits are derived from subtracting annualized vehicle modification costs from estimated of avoided fuel costs.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Tony Kreindler, (202) 445-8108, tkreindler@edf.org

(Washington — June 26, 2009)

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act is the most important environmental and energy legislation in our nation’s history. Today’s vote is a huge achievement for the country and the climate, and we applaud Speaker Pelosi, Chairmen Waxman and Markey, and all members of the House who helped craft this landmark legislation and get it passed.

“The bill that emerged from the House has the fundamental structure we need to significantly reduce carbon pollution while growing the economy. It puts a strong cap on emissions and reorients our energy market to make low-carbon power the goal. It ensures that utility rates will stay affordable and a competitive playing field for U.S. companies.

“Today’s vote opens the door for President Obama to sign comprehensive climate legislation into law this year. The extensive negotiations leading up to the vote helped form extraordinarily broad support for the bill as it moves to the Senate. Chairmen Waxman and Markey bridged the traditional sectoral and regional divides of energy politics to produce legislation that has support from labor unions and businesses across the economy, to rural interests, environmental advocates, and agriculture groups.

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act puts the U.S. on the path to significant emissions reductions, a stronger economy, and a new position of leadership in the global effort to protect the climate. We look forward to working with the Senate leadership to meet Majority Leader Reid’s September target for finishing committee work on the bill.”

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About Environmental Defense Fund
A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

(Bozeman, MT – June 25, 2009) Montana’s new strategy to utilize farm bill conservation programs to conserve habitat for the greater sage-grouse on private lands is a model for the 10 other states where the bird still exists, according to the Montana Stockgrowers Association and Environmental Defense Fund. Historically, there were more than a million sage-grouses spread across the western U.S. and Canada, but today they are rare in most places with the total population estimated at 100,000-500,000 birds. The bird’s remaining U.S. strongholds are in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Documented declines of the sage-grouse population and rising threats to their survival have caused the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reevaluate sage-grouse for protective listing under the Endangered Species Act. If USFWS lists the grouse as an endangered species, ranching, mining, energy development and other activities could be subject to additional scrutiny to protect the bird (see bird photo: www.edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=9405).

Recognizing the threats the bird faces and the fact that USDA conservation programs can be used more effectively to address those threats, the Montana NRCS developed the Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Conservation Strategy in consultation with many stakeholders and management agencies. They included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Bureau of Land Management; University of Montana; Montana State University; Montana Stockgrowers Association; Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Intertribal Agricultural Council; The Nature Conservancy; and private landowners. This strategy better aligns NRCS practice specifications and programs with the latest scientific information on the bird.

“This strategy is a win-win proposition for both sage-grouse and private landowners,” said Malta rancher Dale Veseth, a member of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and the 2008 Montana and Region V Environmental Stewardship Award winner. “It provides ranchers like me economic support so we may continue to participate in cooperative, scientifically-based, on-the-ground conservation efforts for sage-grouse. If more proactive, cooperative efforts are initiated on private lands, perhaps we can avoid listing the species.”

“Dale’s comments are right on the money,” said Malta rancher Leo Barthelmess, a northeast district director of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, and winner of the Montana Environmental Stewardship Award and NCBA Regional Environmental Stewardship Award in 2004. “As a director of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, I’ve worked to build broad-based support for private and public lands conservation of sage-grouse and other bird species known to share similar habitats.”

The strategy:
 

1. Prioritizes protection of habitat in key “core” habitat areas through conservation easements;
2. Aligns specific practice specifications, and adds new ones, with the recommendations of leading sage-grouse scientists;
3. Commits to work with partners to develop more intensive outreach, education, and monitoring efforts in the state.

Among the benefits of the strategy are:
 

1. Improved practices and incentives available to private landowners to manage for the species;
2. Reduced negative impacts of fencing, watering facilities, transmission lines, etc.; and
3. Improved education for landowners and resource professionals on how to apply beneficial management practices.

“We commend Montana NRCS for taking this much needed action to save sage-grouse,” said Ted Toombs, Rocky Mountain Regional Director of Environmental Defense Fund’s Center for Conservation Incentives and a member of several NRCS State Technical Committees. “We look forward to working with NRCS scientists and partners to ensure monitoring is conducted and the results of new research are incorporated on the ground through adaptive management. We strongly urge NRCS to develop similar strategies in the 10 other states where sage-grouse still exist.”

Montana NCRS will utilize six of the conservation programs the agency administers to implement the strategy, including the:
 

• Conservation Cooperative Partnership Initiative (CCPI)
• Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
• Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTA)
• Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP)
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Unfortunately, in an effort to cut the federal deficit, the Obama administration’s budget asks Congress to cut funding for two of these conservation programs, including EQIP (by $250 million) and WHIP (by $43 million).

“This strategy is significant step toward utilizing farm bill conservation programs in ways that will help prevent the sage-grouse from being listed on the U.S. Endangered Species List, as it already is in Canada,” concluded Toombs. “We urge Congress not to cut these vital conversation programs.”

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(Mendota, CA, June 19, 2009) We applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for issuing an executive order to direct much needed financial aid to those in need in the Central Valley. We wholeheartedly support getting economic relief to those in the Valley and throughout California that are in urgent need of food and shelter. Relief should also be directed to salmon fishermen along the California coast, whose industry has been shut down for two years as a result the state’s ecosystem collapse.

To blame the Central Valley’s unemployment problems on a court decision that reinforces regulations designed to protect fisheries on the brink of extinction is to misdiagnose the problem. In reality, unemployment in the Central Valley has historically been high even in non-drought years and is currently exacerbated by the worldwide recession and precipitous decline in housing construction. No doubt the drought plays a role, but its role has been greatly exaggerated. Even if the pumps that divert water from the Delta to the Central Valley and Southern California were run at full capacity, and drove certain species into extinction, the Valley’s problems would not be solved.

Efforts to dismantle the recently released Biological Opinion and court decisions for salmon and Delta Smelt will only prolong and fuel the decades-long conflicts that have plagued water management in California and derail the promising planning efforts underway to develop a comprehensive water supply and ecosystem plan that can assure a reliable water supply and healthy ecosystems for future generations of Californians.

We are encouraged by the latest reports out of the Department of Water Resources and Central Valley Project showing that water supply in most parts of the valley will be in excess of 80 percent of average levels. Central Valley Project deliveries to the Westlands Water District, for example, were forecast to be zero as recently as March. The district now expects to use 86 percent of average annual supplies this year.

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members nationwide and 100,000 in California. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

The Bay Institute was founded in 1981 by pioneers of a new advocacy approach that viewed the entire Bay-Delta ecosystem as a single, interdependent watershed. They claimed that environmental reform benefiting the Bay must recognize the importance of events in the farthest reaches of the watershed just as urgently as those along the Bay shoreline, and that reduced freshwater flow was the biggest factor in the decline of the estuary’s fish and wildlife resources. For more information, visit www.bay.org.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Dan Grossman, Environmental Defense Fund, (303) 887-8206 or dgrossman@edf.org
Martha Roberts, Environmental Defense Fund, (303) 447-7214 or mroberts@edf.org

(Denver, Colorado – June 23, 2009) Colorado’s rural communities are poised for economic opportunity when Congress passes the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), finds a new report by Environmental Defense Fund.

The report, “Greener Pastures in Colorado,” details the range of economic opportunities available to agricultural producers with a new national limit, or cap, on global warming pollution, focusing in particular on wind energy projects and agricultural offsets that generate new revenue for farmers and rural communities. A copy of the report is available at http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=43635.

“Colorado’s farmers and ranchers are ready to pioneer the solutions to climate change that will bring economic growth and opportunities to their communities,” said Dan Grossman, Environmental Defense Fund’s Rocky Mountain Office Regional Director. “With a national cap on carbon pollution, they can profit from this potential.”

ACES could reach the House floor as early as this week. The bill contains a mandatory and declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions and incentives for developing clean renewable energy.

Colorado already hosts 1,200 megawatts of wind power on our Eastern Plains, bringing jobs, tax revenue and royalties to landowners in these rural communities.

The proposed ACES legislation would also create a voluntary program where Colorado agriculture can generate “offsets” – verified and durable emission reductions in greenhouse gases – that can be sold to emitters subject to mandatory pollution reductions requirements, like power plants and industrial facilities. A well-designed offsets program will reduce greenhouse gases, cut compliance costs for the industrial sectors subject to the emissions cap, and spur a steady flow of capital to agriculture.

“Colorado’s early actions to support renewable energy and stop global warming are already paying dividends, bringing economic development to rural Colorado and positioning our state as leader in the New Energy Economy,” says Martha Roberts, Economic Policy Analyst in Environmental Defense Fund’s Rocky Mountain Office. “This report demonstrates how a national policy to reduce global warming pollution can expand these economic benefits for rural communities.”

Colorado’s largest power provider, Xcel Energy, is soliciting requests for 1,800 megawatts of new power. It recently received bids for 14,000 megawatts of renewable energy including 10,000 megawatts of wind, far exceeding the resource request. The overwhelming response to Xcel’s resource solicitation reflects the extensive potential for growth in Colorado’s clean energy economy.

This report echoes the findings of the recently released Clean Energy Pioneers newsletter and video featuring Peetz, a small community in Logan County that has benefited from wind development. To learn about Colorado’s farmers harnessing the wind and see a new video about the winds of opportunity in Peetz, visit www.cleanenergypioneers.org.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Social Media Release: http://pitch.pe/15233

(New York – June 23, 2009) Corporate cafeterias, museums and restaurants across the country are about to take a bite out of foodservice costs by sparing the environment.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Restaurant Associates (RA) today unveiled their Green Dining Best Practices – a comprehensive set of science-based recommendations for environmentally friendly foodservice. The practices have been tested by two RA clients – Random House and Hearst Corporation – early results will save over $85,000 each year at the two sites, cut 275 tons of carbon pollution and reduce landfill waste by 60 tons annually, among other environmental benefits.

In a National Restaurant Association survey of trends for 2009, environmentally friendly equipment and sustainable practices topped chefs’ lists of hot trends and top cost-savers. The Green Dining Best Practices, available free of charge at www.edf.org/greendining, focus on aspects of the foodservice and restaurant industry with the biggest environmental impacts, including food purchasing (addressing specific products like meat, produce and seafood), facility operation (improvements in the use of energy, waste, and water), packaging, transportation of food, and the use of toxic cleaning chemicals. The best practices provide clear, objective, science-based advice for dining managers and chefs to make smart choices in their kitchens to improve environmental performance across the board.

“Consumers today know what they want: delicious food at affordable prices that’s good for them and for the planet. This is a tall order, but it’s one we can meet,” said Ed Sirhal, president of Restaurant Associates. “Using these best practices as a guide, we unearthed opportunities for cost and environmental savings that were right there for the taking. We encourage companies throughout the foodservices industry to do the same.”

Restaurant Associates has committed to rolling out the green dining best practices in all 110 of their facilities nationwide, and has engaged the Green Restaurant Association to audit and certify those efforts by 2011. The company has also committed to increasing the amount of sustainable seafood on its menus, offering clients “bottleless” water dispensers as an alternative to bottled water, reducing the carbon footprint of the meats and proteins they serve 20 percent by July 2010 and also reducing energy use in their facilities.

“Dining out – whether it’s a workday lunch or a Saturday night out – has become an American institution. Chefs and food service managers have so many opportunities to help their clients stay healthy and lighten their load on the planet,” said Gwen Ruta, vice president of Corporate Partnerships at EDF. “As foodservice companies recognize how easily they can cut costs and environmental impacts, we expect these best practices to spread throughout the industry.”

EDF works with leading corporations to create environmental innovations that lead to sector-wide change. Its first corporate partnership ever was with McDonalds to reduce packaging waste in the 1990s. EDF has also worked with Compass Group to reduce the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture and to improve fish farming practices. EDF accepts no funding from these or any other corporate partners.

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(Washington –June 22, 2009) Implementing the goals and reforms of the $450 billion transportation reauthorization bill, if accompanied by real accountability and performance measures, will move America’s transportation system in a direction that supports our national economic, energy, and environmental goals, according to Environmental Defense Fund. 

The bill, formally called The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009, was introduced today by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN), and cosponsored by the top ranking GOP member on the Committee John Mica (R-FL), Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and the top ranking GOP member of the Subcommittee John Duncan (R-TN).

“Chairman Oberstar, Chairman DeFazio, and Ranking Members Mica and Duncan have put forward a clear vision for transportation policy that shines a spotlight on both environmental and economic sustainability,” said Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate and Infrastructure Policy Director Colin Peppard. “Their vision seeks to reduce the substantial greenhouse gas pollution produced by the transportation sector, supporting ongoing efforts to fight climate change by capping carbon emissions.”

“However, more work needs to be done to ensure that these forward-thinking goals are fully supported by the policies, programs, and funding laid out in this critical piece of legislation,” concluded Peppard. “Questions remain as to whether state and local governments will truly be held accountable for delivering better transportation, economic, and environmental performance. Environmental Defense Fund is looking forward to working with the leadership and members of the Transportation Committee to craft a bill that will yield the concrete results and performance that justify an increased investment of taxpayer dollars in our nation’s transportation infrastructure.”
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Today the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee reported out a bill that would provide increased funding for international initiatives to tackle global warming, including funding for the Climate Investment Funds of the World Bank. The funding was part of the Treasury Department’s FY 2010 budget request.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, National Wildlife Federation, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Sierra Club release the following statement in response to this vote.

“Today’s action is an important sign of commitment by the Obama Administration, supported by leaders in Congress, to reasserting US leadership in tackling global warming. The funding in the legislation will help support efforts in developing countries to drive clean energy solutions, reduce tropical deforestation, and aid the most vulnerable in adapting to climate change. Such funding represents a concrete step to address the international dimension of global warming while strengthening the US position leading up to negotiations on an international climate agreement in Copenhagen this December.

“While it is a first step, however, much work remains to be done to ensure that the funding is used exclusively to finance truly strong clean technology investment that will advance the effort to avert catastrophic global warming, rather than undermining it. In approving this funding, Congress should direct the Treasury to (i) ensure that no funding from the World Bank’s Clean Technology Fund be used to finance coal-fired power plants without carbon capture and sequestration technology, and (ii) ensure that the World Bank employ comprehensive carbon accounting for all of its relevant projects that reflects the global economic, social, and environmental cost of carbon emissions.

“In addition, we urge President Obama and Secretary Geithner to take a stronger and more proactive role in ensuring that the broader funding carried out by multilateral development banks and export-import banks, including the World Bank as well as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank, pursue their objective of promoting economic growth in developing countries in a way that supports international efforts to address climate change.

“We look forward to working with Members of Congress and the Administration to achieve these goals as the legislation moves through Congress.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Tony Kreindler, 202-445-8108, tkreindler@edf.org

(Washington – June 17, 2009) Environmental Defense Action Fund (EDAF), the legislative arm of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), applauds Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) bill, the American Clean Energy Jobs and Manufacturing Act of 2009, as an important contribution to our clean energy development.

Brown announced the legislation today at a news conference in Washington DC. The measure will serve as vital framework for American manufacturing as the country moves toward a clean energy economy.

EDF President Fred Krupp appeared with Brown at his news conference today.

“Senator Brown’s bill will help boost the U.S. economy,” said Krupp. “It will give our manufacturing sector key resources to be competitive in a low carbon economy, and keep jobs here at home.”

The American Clean Energy Jobs and Manufacturing Act of 2009 will support manufacturers by expanding the clean energy supply chain and investing in energy efficiency. It will boost American production by establishing loans to assist small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in domestic clean energy operations. It will also increase the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) on clean energy manufacturing.

To see more about Sen. Brown’s bill, please visit http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=9f3064d8-3f11-4fc5-9e3d-5fe77e102b8c

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Environmental Defense Action Fund
Founded in May 2002, Environmental Defense Action Fund is at the forefront of educating legislators about developing new solutions that protect the natural world. Through grassroots and direct lobbying, EDAF amplifies Environmental Defense Fund’s ability to champion laws that are based on science, economic incentives, and, above all, the protection of our environment
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact
Gerald Karnas, 941-587-1803, gkarnas@edf.org
Sharyn Stein, (202) 572-3396, sstein@edf.org

(Sarasota, FL – June 15, 2009) A new economic analysis of a national cap on carbon pollution shows that even under worst-case scenarios the cost to Florida’s economy would be “very modest or even negligible” – costs that are far outweighed by potential damages to the state’s economy if no action is taken to curtail climate change. 

The report, The Florida Economy and a Federal Carbon Cap: a Quantitative Analysis, uses state-of-the-art economic modeling to assess the impact of a national carbon cap on the Florida economy. It found that even under the most conservative estimates, a national carbon cap would slow the growth of Florida’s Gross State Product only a minute amount by 2025. Florida’s economy is predicted to grow from $809 billion today to about $1.5 trillion in 18 years; the study finds that under a carbon cap, Florida would reach that same level of growth a mere eight weeks later than it would in a cap’s absence.

“We did a very conservative analysis, and still found that the Florida economy could thrive under a carbon cap,” said lead author David Roland-Holst, Ph.D., of the University of California at Berkeley. “For instance, we pessimistically assumed that a carbon cap would not induce any new technologies or business innovations. Of course this flies in the face of history, where we have been reminded over and over again that necessity is the mother of invention. It’s much more likely that a carbon cap will create a burst of technological creativity. By taking early action, Florida can capture these innovation benefits and establish technology standards for the rest of the country stimulating new business opportunities for Florida’s economy.”

The report also does not factor in another huge economic factor – the cost of inaction.

“The additional costs of damage from worsening global warming could be devastating for Florida’s economy,” said Roland-Holst. “The costs of reconstruction after stronger hurricanes, defensive coastal infrastructure, etc., would be a huge expense to the state. We deliberately omitted the costs of inaction to keep our analysis as conservative as possible, but if you look at the bigger picture, you see what a cost-effective strategy a carbon cap really is.”

Florida is already working at the state level to fight climate change. Governor Charlie Crist announced a series of initiatives in 2007 to reduce Florida’s greenhouse gas emissions, and last year the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change unanimously recommended that Florida “advocate for” a “strong national cap-and-trade program” as the most effective way to take action against climate change. “This report further underscores the urgency and efficacy of passing a national cap on greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kathleen Shanahan, CEO of WRS Compass and former member of Governor Crist’s Climate and Energy Action Team. Federal climate legislation is expected to reach the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in late June or early July (the American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454).

“Florida has been a leader in the fight against global warming, but there have been some questions about whether a national carbon cap would be good for the state,” said Gerald Karnas, Director of the Florida Climate Project at the Environmental Defense Fund, which commissioned the report. “This report shows that a national cap on carbon is the right move for Florida. A cap will help protect us from the damage caused by climate change, it will move us towards energy independence, and it will help boost the economy and create jobs across America – including right here in our state. We’ll get all those benefits in exchange for two months worth of patience. That’s the best investment we can make.”

The full report is available at http://are.berkeley.edu/~dwrh/CERES_Web/index.html
 

BONN, Germany — “Slow progress at the U.N. climate talks in Bonn is proof positive that the world needs to hear U.S. President Barack Obama say he is pursuing a climate pact with a very good chance of keeping global warming below two degrees celsius, ” said Annie Petsonk, Environmental Defense Fund International Counsel, on Friday.

“When President Obama goes to the July G8 meeting in Italy, he’ll be on stage with world leaders asking him, ‘Are you willing to commit and say we have to limit warming to two degrees above pre-industrial levels?’ “

“He has to be able to stand up and say yes. Because if he wavers, these talks will crumble into 180 government pledges that don’t add up to stopping dangerous climate change,” Petsonk said in Bonn, as the latest round of U.N. climate talks came to a close.

“The painstakingly slow progress we’ve seen in Bonn tells us that countries are waiting for Obama to come forward and say what science-based goal he is aiming for,” Petsonk said.

“Right now we’re just treading water,” she said. “Because without that basic measure without knowing how much warming the world’s richest nation is willing to accept nobody has any way of knowing how much negotiation and compromise is needed.”

Petsonk said many nations were signaling, on the sidelines of the Bonn session, a willingness to move forward if the U.S. President shows he is committed to leadership. She pointed to Wednesday’s announcement by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva saying Brazil is open to adopting a greenhouse gas emissions target if rich countries do more to curb climate change.

Andrea Welsh / 202-572-3230 / awelsh@edf.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Doug Rader, Environmental Defense Fund, (919) 523-8763, drader@edf.org

(RALEIGH, NC - June 12, 2009) “Sometimes saving things that most people can’t see takes a long time, but they are worth fighting for,” said Doug Rader, a scientist with Environmental Defense Fund who has worked for more than a decade to protect the deep-sea coral reefs that stretch down the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Yesterday, a federal fishery council agreed to continue its commitment to protecting the 25,000 square miles of pristine corals - one of the largest, continuous deepwater coral habitats in the world.

“This area is a spectacular new world, complete with bizarre animals and dark, unexplored canyons,” said Rader, chief ocean scientist for EDF. “Every time scientists visit the reefs, they find new species and see places no human has ever seen before. The reefs are unique and their full value documented.”

Since 1998, Rader has worked with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, marine scientists and fishermen to protect the ancient and fragile reefs against both fishing and non-fishing threats. Working together, they designed a plan that safeguards the corals and also allows traditional fisheries in the reefs.

A first for fishery councils in the United States, the plan strikes a novel and unique balance between achieving protection of critical habitat, while allowing fishermen to continue to have access to traditional fishing grounds with gears that do minimal damage. The council is expected to give final approval to the entire habitat area in September.

“The council’s action sets an important example of co-management that is based on science and can be replicated in other fisheries,” said Sarah Hagedorn, EDF ocean scientist. “Hats off to the commercial fishermen in the golden crab and royal red shrimp fisheries and the fishery council for efforts to manage fisheries based on ecosystems, rather than one species.”
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

(Denver, CO – June 4, 2009) Environmental Defense Fund called legislation signed into law today by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to protect Colorado’s vulnerable rivers and streams “a national model for protecting the iconic and vulnerable waterways of the west.”

The bill creates a new, refundable income tax credit for farmers and ranchers who donate their water to protect rivers and streams in the state. A broad coalition of groups supported the legislation, including Environmental Defense Fund, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Colorado Water Trust, Trout Unlimited, and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

“By enacting this legislation, Colorado is taking the lead in crafting and implementing incentives to encourage conservation of our most precious resources and creating a national model for protecting the iconic and vulnerable waterways of the west,” said Dan Grossman, Rocky Mountain Regional Director for Environmental Defense Fund and a former vice chairman of the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee in the Colorado Senate, who attended the bill signing. “This law gives Colorado’s farmers and ranchers the opportunity to build partnerships with the state and the conservation community to protect critical stream reaches and avoid the often-draconian implications of more Endangered Species Act listings.”

Passed by the legislature during the 2009 session, House Bill 1067 creates a new incentive for individuals to contribute to the long-term health of important stretches of stream in all of Colorado’s river basins. Under current law, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) can receive donations of water rights to protect stream flows and benefit the environment. The legislation authorizes the Colorado Water Conservation Board to award tax credit certificates to donors of water rights that the Board deems worthy of such consideration. The Board negotiates the tax credit values with the water right donor.

“Giving Colorado’s family farmers more options in deciding how to benefit from their property will help our agricultural communities,” said Kent Peppler, President of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. “As good land stewards, family farmers will look favorably upon this program as an alternative to selling their rights to water developers who often export the water to urban and suburban parts of the state.”

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