GLOBAL WARMINGGLOBAL WARMING 101

Americans are feeling the impacts of global warming now—they’re clear, costly, and widespread. With damag-ing floods, devastating wildfires, record drought, and natural disasters like super-storm Sandy—which cost hundreds of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars—we can’t afford to wait any longer to act. For the health and welfare of Americans, our economy, and the environment, it’s time to reduce pollution from America’s power plants, dramatically increase energy efficiency, and replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.

Heat-trapping air pollutants, most no-tably carbon dioxide, are changing the climate. The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased by 41 percent since the beginning of the industrial era, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Around the world, temperatures have risen as a result. According to thermom-eter records, the 1980s were the hottest decade on record across the globe—until they were surpassed by the 1990s and then the 2000s. The hottest year on re-cord in the United States was 2012.

Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the aver-age global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. Climate scientists say that unless we curb the emissions that cause climate change, average U.S. temperatures could be 3o to 11o F higher by the end of the century.

WHAT CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING? WE DO.The primary cause of global warming is human activity— most significantly the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas—to generate electricity, fuel transportation, and operate businesses and homes. Coal-burning power plants are the

GLOBAL WARMING: HERE AND NOW

Global warming is the single biggest

environmental and humanitarian crisis

of our time. The Earth’s atmosphere

is overloaded with heat-trapping

carbon, which threatens large-scale

disruptions in climate—with disastrous

consequences. We must act now to

speed the adoption of cleaner energy

at home and abroad.

2

biggest culprit. In the United States, electric power plants emit approximately 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year—roughly 40 percent of the nation’s total emissions. The second largest source of carbon in the United States is transportation.

The Environmental Protection Agency has taken important first steps by setting standards that will cut carbon pollution from automobiles and trucks nearly in half by 2025. But we have yet to tackle the carbon pollution from hundreds of existing coal-burning power plants in the United States.

THE HIGH COST OF INACTION

Global warming means significant costs for the health of our families, communities, and environment. Scientists warn that if we do not aggressively curb climate change now,

the results will likely be disastrous.

According to the 2013 National Climate Assessment, a report produced by 13 federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and NASA, we’re already seeing some of the consequences of global warming, including more severe storms, floods, and droughts, and increased illness and death from more severe heat waves and worsened air pollution.

Global warming is projected to change where crops are able to grow and cause the spread of insect-borne diseases. It is already causing more acidic oceans, which can affect the very base of the food chain. In fact, the Pentagon views global warming as a major national security threat because of the many ways it can increase global geopolitical instability.

GLOBAL WARMING AND OUR HEALTH Global warming is the most

serious global health impact of

the 21st century. According to

the American Lung Association,

coal-burning power plants

cause 24,000 premature deaths,

550,000 asthma attacks, and

38,000 heart attacks each year.

“Power plants should no longer

be allowed to emit unlimited

amounts of carbon pollution

into the air. The nation owes

it to our kids and future

generations to act now.”

American Lung Association

June 25, 2013

In 2012, American taxpayers paid

to cover damages from crop losses, wildfires, disastrous flooding, and storms made more extreme by global warming.

$110 BILLION

EXTREME WEATHER = EXPENSIVE WEATHER

THE WORLD’S 12 HOTTEST YEARS ON RECORD

1. 2010

2. 2005

3. 1998

4. 2013

5. 2003

6. 2002

7. 2006

8. 2009

9. 2007

10. 2004

11. 2012

12. 2011

Global warming is already causing the spread of insect-borne diseases and increasing weather extremes like severe storms, floods, and droughts across the globe.

3

Global warming is a big challenge, but the solution isn’t overwhelmingly complicated: we must transition from the inefficient use of fossil fuels to the efficient use of clean energy. Clean energy solutions are practical and feasible, and we need to implement them on a large enough scale to match the size of the challenge.

FIGHTING GLOBAL WARMING

CLIMATE SCIENCE

ACTIONS MATTER

IMPACTS ON PEOPLEWEATHERThe consequences of global warming already include more severe storms, floods, and droughts, endangering lives and racking up billions in damages.

CLEAN CARSThe most important action the United States has taken yet to cut carbon pollution.

THE CLEAN AIR ACTEighty-seven percent of Americans support Environmental Protection Agency action to reduce carbon pollution.

Source: EPA19793

8

Mill

ion

sq

ua

re k

m

2012

Decline of Average September Arctic Sea Ice Extent

Source: NASA GISTEMP Analysis1880-0.6

0.8

Te

mp

era

ture

a

no

ma

ly (

c)

2012

Air Temperature Rise Measured By Thermometers

Source: EPA18800

200

mm

ris

e

2012

Global Average Sea Level Rise

HEALTHGlobal warming is the most serious global health impact of the 21st century, causing increased illness and death from heat waves, floods, and air pollution.

DOCUMENTED EVIDENCEHuman activity has changed the chemistry of the atmosphere, and scientists can measure global warming.

CAUSESHUMAN ACTIVITYThe amount of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased by 41 percent since the beginning of the industrial era, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.

The miles per gallon set by clean car

standards by 2025

4

Illustration by Curtis Whaley, Tablet Infographics

ACTIONS MATTER

IMPACTS ON PEOPLEThe consequences of global warming already include more severe storms, floods, and droughts, endangering lives and racking up billions in damages.

AGRICULTUREGlobal warming is projected to change where crops are able to grow and drastically affect global water supply.

INVESTMENT IN EFFICIENCYWhen businesses and residents save energy through efficiency, it eliminates the need to produce more power, saving money and cutting carbon at the same time.

THE CLEAN AIR ACTEighty-seven percent of

Environmental Protection Agency action to reduce carbon

Source: EPA

CAUSESThe amount of carbon in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased by 41 percent since the beginning of the industrial era, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil,

PRACTICALSOLUTIONSSCIENCE-BASED CARBON LIMITSA national climate policy with responsible limits and fair prices for carbon pollution is an integral part of fighting global warming.

RENEWABLE ENERGYPolicies that boost renewable energy accelerate private investment in renewable energy, reduce carbon pollution, and boost local communities.

WHAT YOU CAN DOThere’s a lot you can do to fight global warming.

TOTAL U.S. GREENHOUSE

GAS EMISSIONS BY ECONOMIC SECTOR IN 2011

33%ELECTRICITY

8%AGRI-CULTURE

11%COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

20%INDUSTRY

28%TRANSPORTATION

The number of power plants that Xcel Energy has not needed to build,

thanks to efficiency

Stay up to date on energy issues by signing up to receive Fresh Energy’s publications at fresh-energy.org.

Contact your state and federal officials and urge them to support policies that fight global warming.

Share this infographic and Fresh Energy’s other materials with your friends and colleagues, and explain why the issue of global warming is important to you.

Donate to Fresh Energy and support our work to replace electricity from coal-burning power plants with clean energy.

5

Clean energy is an abundant and reliable resource. The sun produces more energy than humans could ever use, and has been doing so—without an outage—for over 4 billion years. Wind power is an advanced technology, providing power that is clean, abundant, and cost-effective. The technology that converts solar and wind to heat and power our homes is widely available, at costs that are competitive with fossil fuels in many applications.

PRACTICAL AND FEASIBLE The viability of clean energy is thoroughly documented. McKinsey and Company’s “Pathways to a Low-Carbon Economy” finds that we already have solutions that can be deployed at a pace and scale sufficient to avert catastrophic climate change, at a cost of less than one percent of global gross domestic product.

Additionally, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that “renewable electricity generation from technologies that are commercially available today, in combination with a more flexible electricity system, is more than adequate to supply 80 percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2050 while meeting electricity demand on an hourly basis in every region of the country.”

These solutions are practical and economically sound. Across the country, Americans are stepping forward to develop and deploy these solutions, while state and local policies that deliver clean energy, efficiency, and better transportation choices are helping us build stronger local economies and healthier communities.

But we can’t implement climate solutions on a widespread scale without the active engagement and partnership

of our federal government.

THE ROLE OF POLICYBecause the United States is one of the world’s largest carbon-emitting countries, actions we take are critical to slowing climate change around the world. U.S. leadership is also essential to catalyze parallel action by the world’s other large emitting nations.

While there is no single law that will provide all of the necessary solutions, there are policies that will signal the United States’ genuine commitment to reducing fossil fuel dependency and cutting carbon.

�� )LUP��VFLHQFH�EDVHG�OLPLWV�RQ�FDUERQ�SROOXWLRQ. A national climate policy with responsible limits and fair prices for carbon pollution is an important part of the equation. Some states are already passing such policies. For example, Minnesota’s Next Generation Energy Act of 2007 set a carbon reduction goal for Minnesota, calling for economy-wide reductions in carbon pollution

FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY: THE CLEAN AIR ACT In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to limit carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act if the agency concludes that heat-trapping gases endanger public health and welfare. The EPA issued such an “endangerment finding” for carbon pollution in 2009, legally requiring the EPA to limit carbon pollution from motor vehicles and power plants.

President Obama has directed the EPA to finalize the carbon pollution standard for new power plants, and has set the timetable for setting standards for existing coal-burning plants. Cleaning up dirty power plants is the strongest step we can take to protect us from the harmful effects of climate change.

There is no longer any doubt in the expert scientific community that the Earth is warming—and it’s clear that human activity plays a significant role. We cannot ignore the growing risks to our health and our economy, and the changes in our own backyard; we owe it to our children to address climate change now.

OPPORTUNITY: CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

6

of at least 30 percent by 2025 and at least 80 percent by 2050. We need to enforce firm limits nationwide.

�� ,QYHVWPHQW�LQ�HIILFLHQW�HQHUJ\�WHFKQRORJLHV�DQG�SURJUDPV��When businesses and residents save energy through efficiency, it eliminates the need to produce more power (saving money and cutting carbon at the same time). In the Midwest, energy efficiency has been the biggest, cheapest, and most successful part of the energy strategy for more than 20 years. According to Xcel Energy, the utility has avoided building 10 power plants, thanks to efficiency requirements.

�� ([SDQGLQJ�WKH�GHSOR\PHQW�RI �UHQHZDEOH�HQHUJ\. Twenty-nine states and Washington, D.C. have adopted renewable energy standards that set requirements for the amount of renewable energy utilities produce by a certain date. These policies accelerate private investment, reduce carbon pollution, and deliver good jobs in local communities.

�� &OHDQ�FDU�VWDQGDUGV. Carbon pollution from cars and light trucks is being cut by technology that also increases mileage, saving consumers billions of dollars at the gas pump. In 2010 and 2012, the Obama administration set standards

under both the Clean Air Act and fuel economy laws that will cut new vehicles’ carbon pollution in half and double their fuel economy (to 54.5 miles per gallon) by 2025.

Many other complementary climate solutions are available and already proven effective, including

�� clean transportation infrastructure,�� high-efficiency energy codes,�� low-income weatherization for

homeowners who can’t afford to improve the efficiency of their homes,

�� tax credits for clean energy production and manufacturing, and

�� international leadership in climate solutions.

MOVING FOWARDClimate leadership is urgently needed at every level of government—by local policy makers, state leaders, Congress, and the president. It’s not just important for our health and well-being, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Clean energy, efficiency, and cleaner transportation options will create thousands of new jobs, boost local economies and support our families and communities.

There’s no time to wait. We need to get to work so that we can tell our future children and grandchildren: we did everything we could to fight climate change—and it worked.

FRESH ENERGY’S ROLE For more than 20 years, Fresh Energy has conducted vital analysis and promoted market-based policy solutions to climate change.

We continuously reach out to business and civic leaders and speak about the costs of climate inaction, inspiring and promoting realistic, visionary solutions.

Invite Fresh Energy to speak at your community group, company, or congregation.

Contact J. Drake Hamilton at hamilton@fresh-energy.org.

“We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.” Barack Obama

W W W. FRESH - E N E RGY.ORG 7