WASHINGTON —
Greenpeace USA today joined with other climate and energy advocates to release a landmark analysis showing that the United States can address global warming, without relying on nuclear power or so-called “clean coal” as President Bush proposed in his State of the Union Address last night.
“This blueprint not only shows us what needs to be done to address
global warming, but how to do it using existing technologies,” said
John Coequyt, energy policy analyst with the Greenpeace Global Warming
Campaign. “America can deal with global warming without nuclear
power, which is inherently dangerous. We can do it without enshrining
another century of dependence on coal – which is only ‘clean’ if you
ignore the tremendous environmental devastation caused by coal mining.
The fact is we can have our cake and eat it, too.”
The new study details a worldwide energy scenario where:
- In the United States, nearly 80% of our electricity can be produced by renewable energy sources.
- Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced 50% globally and 72% in the
U.S. without resorting to an increase in dangerous nuclear power or new
coal technologies.
- America’s oil use can be cut over 50% by 2050 with much more
efficient cars and trucks, potentially including new plug-in hybrids,
increased use of biofuels, and greater reliance on electricity for
transportation.
“It’s a favorite talking point in Washington that dealing with global
warming means nuclear power and so-called ‘clean coal,’” said Coequyt.
“But now we know we don’t need to make this deal with the devil. The
fact is that a cleaner, smarter energy future is both feasible and
affordable.”
The study, commissioned from the internationally-respected German
Aerospace Centre, shows that significantly increasing renewable energy
and efficiency improvements alone can solve the global warming
problem. It is the first study to fulfill the promise of
Princeton Professors Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow’s “wedge”
framework, by presenting an alternative scenario for reaching
greenhouse gas stabilization.
To listen to today's press conference on the release of this study, go
to: http://usaphoto.greenpeace.org/greenpeaceglobalenergyteleconference/
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