At the Summit:
> Home
> Schedule

Coverage:
> See all reports
> Gallery
> Random!
> Video

 

New technologies and laws could cool a sizzling planet
Photo by Charlie Powell

by Traci Laird
Visionary Solutions Session
Jom Motavalli, E/The Environment Magazine; Ron Pernick, Clean Edge; Steve Crowley, Sierra Club (moderator)

"Global warming is moving to the center stage," stated Jim Motavalli, editor of E Magazine, as he kicked off his portion of the packed Solutions to Global Warming: Moving Beyond Oil and Coal program Saturday afternoon. With the disastrous affects of Hurricane Katrina still before us and 70 percent of respondents in a recent poll indicating their belief in a link between this most recent hurricane and global warming, the conversation could not be more timely. 

Motavalli focused on moving toward '"transportation that works" and highlighted many currently available options such as hybrid vehicles, biodiesel, partial zero emission vehicles (though these do more for reducing ozone than fighting global warming), plug-in hybrids, congestion charges for vehicles entering urban centers (London and Stockholm currently do this), free parking, and light rail. 

Ron Pernick, co-founder of Clean Edge, Inc., said "this is becoming main stream" as he went through some of the drivers he sees impacting clean energy space today. "This is not your grandfather's granola, Birkenstock wearing revolution." Business is sitting up and taking notice of the global trend toward sustainable, renewable, clean energy options.  "Shift happens!" he said.  And we are seeing a huge shift toward clean energy with the emerging popularity of hybrids, solar BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics), and large-scale wind power.

Though there is a staggering amount to do, the tide is turning.  With Canada embracing the Pavley greenhouse gas emissions law, joining California and eight other states, Motavalli feels it will only take "one more large state" to follow suit before the car companies will give up and give us what we want—cars and trucks with higher fuel economy.

And according to Pernick, with clean energy investment up to more than 3 billion dollars, if we can put consistent and supportive public policies in place and create a level energy playing field with new financial mechanisms to support clean energy development, we will be well on our way to the clean energy future we've been hoping for.

To learn more please visit http://www.emagazine.com/, http://www.carbusters.org/, and http://www.cleanedge.com/

-- 09/10/2005 Sat
3pm