Solving Global Warming

Midwest Solutions

The Environmental Law & Policy Center is actively engaged in activities throughout the Midwest to reduce global warming.

Midwest-focused solutions are critical. Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin account for 20% of the nation’s carbon pollution. The Midwest alone is responsible for more global warming pollution than any country, except China, India, Russia and Japan. That’s because the Midwest has the largest concentration of old, dirty coal plants that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide which cause global warming, and because we are the hub of the U.S. transportation industry.

Much of our work focuses on environmental solutions that can dramatically reduce global warming pollution:

wind powerCLEANER ENERGY: 32% of our country’s global warming pollution comes from generating electric power. How we produce that power, and how much we generate, has a profound impact on global warming.

  • Creating Markets for Renewable Energy. Renewable energy resources are the fuel of the future and passage of renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in every Midwestern state is a critical step to building a clean energy future.
  • Cleaning Up Dirty Coal Plants. The Midwest still depends on coal-fired power plants for more than 75% of its electrical power. Coal plants are among the dirtiest sources of power. ELPC is working to bring these older plants up to modern pollution control standards.
  • Promoting Farm Energy. Producing energy from biofuels, biogas, wind power, and solar energy can reduce our demand for foreign oil, create jobs in America’s heartland, and reduce carbon pollution.

istock_trainTRANSPORTATION: Motor vehicles consume almost 75% of the oil we use and produce about 26% of our global warming pollution.

  • Promoting High-Speed Rail. Trains are three times as efficient as cars. By promoting fast, frequent rail service, we can reduce our dependence on cars and planes.
  • Advocating Cleaner Cars. Under new federal standards, average fuel economy for passenger cars will increase from 27.5 mpg in 2009 to 37.8 mpg by 2016 – an improvement of nearly 40 percent.
  • Opposing Wasteful Highway Spending. ELPC partners with local environmental groups to oppose unnecessary highway projects, such as I-69 in Indiana, which promote sprawl and encourage more fuel consumption.

GREEN BUILDINGS: Heating, cooling, and lighting buildings is a major source of carbon pollution. That’s why ELPC works to promote green buildings that reduce our demand for fossil fuels.

  • Implementing Energy Efficient Building Codes. Doing energy efficiency “right” at the new construction and major rehab stage is by far the most cost-effective time to make these pro-environmental and energy cost reduction investments. ELPC was instrumental in getting a commercial energy efficiency building code passed in Illinois in 2004 and a residential energy efficient building code in Illinois in 2009.

Learn more about global warming and how you can make a difference at GlobalWarmingsolutions.org, our comprehensive website focused on climate change in the Midwest.

We publish one of the Midwest’s most important online information hubs on global warming; visit us at GlobalWarmingSolutions.org.

News

Illinois Coal Plant Expected to Raise Electricity Rates, Fuel Global Warming

The Chicago Tribune reports that the cost of a new coal plant under construction in southern Illinois has more than doubled to $4.4 billion, an increase which will affect residents in the Illinois towns that signed long-term contracts to purchase power from the plant. The Prairie State coal plant, built by Peabody Energy, the world’s largest private coal company, will burn coal from Peabody’s nearby mine, generating 1600 megawatts of electricity and generating 13 million tons of global warming pollution each year, the equivalent of putting 2 million more cars on the road.

Some argue that coal is the cheapest source of electricity available, but proposed federal regulations on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases could add additional costs to the power from this plant.

ELPC opposed the construction of the plant. As Executive Director Howard Learner told the Tribune, “These cities and towns are captive buyers at the mercy of Peabody and its ever-increasing costs. People are going to pay higher rates for more pollution. That isn’t a winning formula.”

Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.