Green House gas emissions continue to rise – NJ’s control efforts a sham

coal power must be phased out

A new national report by Environment America  Too-Much-Pollution-Report-11.12.09.pdf shows that US emissions of green house gas continue to rise. The study analyzed only carbon dioxide emissions, a key global warming pollutant, for the periods 1990-2004 and 2004-2007.

This Report calls into question whether current efforts to reduce emissions are serious – because they clearly are not effective. The Report also calls into question whether the “cap and trade” approach in legislation pending before Congress is workable.

I want to make just two quick key points on what the NJ data mean (more extensive analysis can be found here and here and here and here and  here and here and here)

#1 – Cap and trade is a fatally flawed approach and will not produce emissions reductions (watch the YouTube video) – we made many of the same points 2 years ago about offsets and false caps in this post);

#2 – Multi-sector across the board mandatory regulatory emission controls are required to reduce emissions. (see: Star Ledger Op-Ed: “No teeth in “tough” pollution law“

So let’s take a look at NJ’s efforts that were highly touted as solutions to the problem:

Sunoco refinery received subsidies from NJ RGGI law

The 10 northeastern state’s Regional Green House Gas Initiative (RGGI) – a so called “cap and trade” program – was sold by government officials and environmental groups as a way to CAP and REDUCE power plant emissions.

Instead those emissions INCREASED – just like we predicted they would. US Energy Department data shows that NJ in state emissions from the electric sector increased by a staggering 58% from 1990 – 2007, and still continued to increase by 2% from 2004 – 2007.

According to the US Department of Energy data, NJ electric sector emissions in 2007 were 19.4 million tons. The RGGI “cap” for NJ is 22.9 million tons. Therefore RGGI will allow emissions to INCREASE another 18%, before any emissions reduction requirements kick in during the years 2015 – 2019.  Those missions reductions are approximately 10%, so the net effect of RGGI is to lock in the current status quo emissions for over a 20 year period – with a slight net INCREASE in emissions!

So why aren’t environmental groups demanding a renegotiation of the RGGI caps they they agreed to?

This same kind of fatal flaw of a generous cap is likely to be replicated in the national cap and trade bill now pending before Congress because there is no accurate national emissions inventory and it is easy to game the system like was done in RGGI.

NJ Turnpike – carbon emitting oil refineries, power plants, and cars. Wind and solar powered electric cars are the only workable solution.

The NJ Global Warming Response Act mandated a 20% REDUCTION in total emissions from all sources by the year 2020 (the in state electric sector  accounts for about 15% of NJ total emissions).

Instead total emissions INCREASED by 16% from 1990-2004 and continued to increase by 3% from 2004-2007. That large increase means that reductions in NJ must be even steeper to meet GWRA goals – yet there is no progress in emission reductions because emissions are increasing and no measurable and enforceable controls have been put in place by DEP.

This data shows that both NJ laws are a SHAM – this is critically important as Congress debates legislation on a national cap and trade program similar to RGGI.

Why aren’t the NJ environmentalists and NJ media criticizing this performance, demanding real action, and holding NJ officials and polluters accountable for their poor performance?

See Bergen Record: N.J. spews key pollutant at record rate

See Star Ledger: Study finds Jersey’s pollution on the rise

NJ Turnpike – Oil industry lobbyists got millions of dollars of subsidies in NJ RGGI law – instead of pollution caps, RGGI provides caps on the amount of emissions fees – just $2 – $3 per ton.