United Nations Foundations on Improving Energy Efficiency Reducing the amount of energy the world wastes is the first and best step toward fighting global warming. Realizing the Potential of Energy Efficiency (UN report) found that, if extended to other major, energy-using countries, achieving 2.5% efficiency/year would contribute to holding carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere to a manageable level for the rest of the century China set a goal that would result in 4% annual improvements in energy efficiency 2014 State of the Union: "climate change is a fact" and lawmakers should be able to tell their grandchildren they built "a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy.“ Mar report of IPCC in Yokohama, Japan. Climate change is already having sweeping effects on every continent and throughout the world’s ocean Problem is likely to grow substantially worse unless greenhouse emissions are brought under control Ice caps are melting, sea ice in the Arctic is collapsing, water supplies are coming under stress, heat waves and heavy rains are intensifying, coral reefs are dying, and fish and many other creatures are migrating toward the poles or in some cases going extinct Oceans are rising at a pace that threatens coastal communities and are becoming more acidic as they absorb some of the carbon dioxide given off by cars and power plants Worst is yet to come come.html?hp&_r=0

CAFE: Corporate Average Fuel Economy US Congress in 1975 intended to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks (trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles) sold in the US in the wake of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo Fuel economy is defined as the average mileage traveled by an automobile per gallon of gasoline (or equivalent of any other fuel). CAFE is the sales-weighted average fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (mpg), of a manufacturer’s fleet of passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 pounds or less manufactured for sale in the United States for any given model year. Current standards: depends on footprint (size) of the vehicle. standards/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. " Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle GHG Emissions and CAFE Standards: Supplemental". " Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle GHG Emissions and CAFE Standards: Supplemental"

Energy efficiency is increasing Energy Intensity: E/GDP Intensity Index: Like EI but only include efficiency improvements

Primary and end-use energy Primary energy is the energy embodied in natural resources prior to undergoing any human-made conversions or transformations. Examples of primary energy resources include coal, crude oil, sunlight, wind, running rivers, vegetation, and uranium. End-use energy: Always less than primary use (2 nd Law of Thermodynamics). Examples: Electricity used to power appliances (obtained from turbines often) Savings in end-use energy correspond to much more savings in primary energy

Hybrid cars 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid Toyota Prius (

Advantages of Hybrids Hybrids combine clean energy of the electrical motor with the power of the gas-powered engine which results into lower emissions and better mileage. Thanks to the ever improving technology, hybrids perform at par with the normal gas-powered vehicles, if not better. Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as any traditional car and they have a tax benefits(only till 2006). There are purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). Hybrids are much cleaner cars than normal vehicles with lesser CO and other greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrids provide a better mileage. The future for hybrids looks bright with rapid developments in hybrid technology to improve engine efficiency. Due to the Regenerative Braking technology, the batteries need not be charged by an external source. Special warranties are provided for the battery pack, the electric motor other costly items. Hybrids help reduce the dependency on fossil fuels which directly affects fuel prices.

Disadvantages to hybrid cars High cost: hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more their non-hybrid versions. More weight due to battery packs. Some states charge additional fees for registration. In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a risk of exposure to high voltage wires. They have a complicated system which needs to be taken care of by experienced mechanics only. Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly. Usually, hybrids have a lower acceleration than that their normal counterparts.

Recommendations for reducing GHG’s Improve efficiency (energy saving appliances, improved CAFÉ standards, recycling, etc) Replace coal burning plants with natural gas (low emissions) or nuclear power plants (no emissions) Use more wind (need improved national grid) Use solar thermal heating Carbon tax on greenhouse gas emitters Strongly recommended

Hydropower (negative: adversely affects ecosystems) Photo-voltaics (But price is coming down!) Carbon capturing or sequestering: needs more research Bio-fuels: Not corn ethanol– does not save on emissions Carbon cap and trade: Complicated Carbon cap and trade Recommendations for reducing GHG’s Less Recommended

California’s cap and trade law A.B. 32,A.B. 32 On Jan. 1, 2013 it became the first state in the nation to charge industries across the economy for the greenhouse gases they emit. The state will set an overall ceiling on those emissions and assign allowable emission amounts for individual polluters. Over time, the number of allowances issued by the state will be reduced, which should force a reduction in emissions. Emitters can secure offset credits, either by buying leftover allowances from emitters that have met their targets or by purchasing them from projects that remove carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere Dozens of verifiers from different fields, will make sure benefits are real. The European Union’s eight-year-old carbon trading market has been tarnished by fake credits and audits that failed to meet minimum standards. fake creditsaudits that failed to meet minimum standards grand-experiment-to-rein-in-climate-change.html?src=me&ref=general

For information on US energy bills: