| November 15, 2007 |  |
Midwestern States Form Regional Cap-And-Trade Pact to Cut Global Warming Pollution
New Program Should Spur Federal Government to Take Action, Science Group Says
WASHINGTON (November 15, 2007)—Governors from nine Midwestern states and the Canadian province of Manitoba today committed to establish a regional multisector cap-and-trade program to cut global warming pollution, sending a strong message that states are not waiting for Congress or the administration to take action, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Manitoba are full participants in the agreement, called the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord. Indiana, Ohio and South Dakota are signing the agreement as observers. The governors, along with the premier of Manitoba, were attending a two-day Midwestern Governors Association summit in Milwaukee.
"The Midwestern states have taken a historic step by joining Western and Northeastern states in their commitment to create a cap-and-trade program for their region," said Lance Pierce, UCS Climate Program director. "This brings the total to 22 states that are moving ahead in the absence of federal leadership. This latest development should spur the federal government to step up to the plate. I commend the governors for their initiative."
The Midwestern states now must set firm emissions reductions targets and timetables for reducing their heat-trapping pollution. The region is at serious risk from a changing climate, including more extreme heat in the summer and shorter and warmer winters. Other threats include the likelihood of declining ice cover on the Great Lakes and other inland lakes and extreme precipitation and drought.
Scientific evidence suggests we can avoid some of the worst, irreversible consequences of global warming if we keep the Earth's average temperature from rising 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels. According to a 2007 UCS analysis, to meet that goal, the United States must cut its heat-trapping emissions by at least 80 percent from 2000 levels by 2050.
Midwestern Governors Association members also agreed to increase their reliance on renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, which, according to UCS, are the fastest and cheapest ways to reduce global warming pollution and the region's dependence on coal. Some Midwestern states already have taken steps to rein in emissions by enacting renewable electricity standards requiring utilities to provide a percentage of their electricity from clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and bioenergy.
"Renewable electricity standards in the Midwest are a proven, cost-effective way to reduce emissions, and they generate new manufacturing jobs and boost income for farmers and rural areas," said Steve Clemmer, research director of the Clean Energy Program at UCS. "But there are plenty of opportunities for new standards or to strengthen existing standards in several Midwestern states."
Congress currently is considering adopting a national renewable standard that would require utilities across the country to provide 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has called on Congress to pass the provision, which would provide additional benefits to the Midwest, according to UCS.
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
