[meanwhile Washington and Oregon are building more CO2-neutral windpower than all of Europe is this year - and wind is cheaper than oil or gas - Will] ----- forwarded message ---- Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 12:54:54 -0800 From: radtimes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: CO2 emissions climbing, NAFTA study says
CO2 emissions climbing, NAFTA study says < http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1006790765229&call_page=TS_Canada&call_pageid=968332188774&call_pagepath=News/Canada&col=968350116467 > Nov. 26, 2001 Toronto Star Study finds 2,000 energy plants planned for North America OTTAWA (CP) - Utilities and investors have announced plans to build more than 2,000 new electricity generating plants in North America, most of them fossil-fuel fired, says a study by the NAFTA environmental agency. Not all the plants are likely to proceed, but the push toward a continental energy policy will cause increased carbon dioxide emissions, says the North American Commission for Environmental Co-operation. U.S. carbon emissions from electricity generation ? currently 2.3 billion tonnes a year ? are projected to rise by between 14 and 38 per cent by 2007. Mexican emissions are projected to rise by between 48 and 76 per cent and Canadian emissions by between four and 16 per cent. The prevailing scientific view is that carbon dioxide emissions threaten the global climate because they trap solar heat in the atmosphere, causing average temperatures to rise. The commission is sponsoring a conference in San Diego this week to discuss the prospects and make recommendations to environment ministers, said CEC executive director Janine Ferretti. "In some ways it's perfect timing because there's been an effort to explore North American approaches to important energy issues, including electricity," Ferretti said today in an interview. "It is timely to look at some of the environmental dimensions of those approaches." The commission suggests the three NAFTA countries develop compatible environmental policies to address concerns about pollution havens and reduce the likelihood of environment-related trade disputes. Under the Kyoto climate protocol, most industrial nations have agreed to curb their greenhouse emissions by 2008. The United States has withdrawn from the protocol, but officials say it is still working to curb emissions. Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale and Environment Minister David Anderson were to announce their plan to cut Canadian emissions at a news conference today.
