Climate science, policy, politics, and action
Witnesses
_Witnesses_
Host: Sen. John Kerry
Speakers:
Dial-In Number: 1-866-931-7845
Conference Code: 727028
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a lunch briefing about the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in improving energy efficiency across all major sectors of the economy. As the Congress seeks solutions to the country’s urgent economic and climate crises, energy efficiency has emerged as a prominent win-win solution. According to the 2008 report Smart 2020, the use of ICT hardware, software, and broadband technologies could reduce global energy use enough to save over $900 billion in costs and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2020. Within the United States, these strategies could save $140-240 billion in costs and reduce emissions by up to 22 percent by 2020. This briefing will explain ICT technologies, outline their impacts on our nation’s energy, climate, and economic objectives, and provide federal policy recommendations for maximizing their deployment and efficacy. Speakers for this event include:
Energy-saving ICT solutions include the smart grid, smart manufacturing, dynamic building energy management, optimized data centers, smart transportation and telework. The ICT industry is responsible for approximately 2 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, but has the potential to significantly reduce the other 98 percent of emissions. Both the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) and the pending American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 (S. 1462) contain numerous provisions that support the role of ICT solutions in advancing energy efficiency.
Witnesses
Witnesses
The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on energy and related economic effects of global climate change legislation.
On Wednesday, October 7, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will be joined by Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner and other top Administration officials in hosting a Clean Energy Economy Forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with business leaders from around the country. The Administration officials will reiterate the need for a comprehensive energy plan that puts America back in control of its energy future and breaks a dependence on oil that threatens our economy, our environment, and our national security. They will also have the opportunity to answer questions from and get the perspective of business leaders who have first-hand experience creating jobs while contributing to American energy independence.
On September 30th, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA) introduced The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. The draft legislation includes access and opportunity in the clean energy-economy, and strong climate standards.
Join us to talk about the bill, and our next steps to get it passed through the Environment and Public Works Committee and the full Senate. Expert speakers will analyze the draft and discuss the significance of two key provisions: the Green Construction Careers Demonstration Project and funding for the Green Jobs Act.
To register for the call, please fill out this form.
Featured Speakers:
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the stockpile of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in old equipment and building infrastructure, and the enormous potential for these potent greenhouse gases to accelerate climate change. These CFC “banks” store the equivalent of 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide, approximately one-third of which will be emitted over the next decade under business as usual. This briefing will explain how CFCs contribute to climate change, opportunities in international treaties and pending federal legislation such as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) to incentivize safe collection and destruction, and the pros and cons of alternative gases.
Speakers for this event include:
Decades ago, CFCs were identified as detrimental to the stratospheric ozone and are being effectively phased out by the Clean Air Act and the 1987 international treaty known as the Montreal Protocol. These chemicals are now also known to be greenhouse gases with a global warming potential of up to 11,000 times as strong as carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, millions of products such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers and aerosol cans that contain CFCs are still in use around the world and are nearing the end of their usable lives. The next 10-20 years present a unique one-time opportunity to prevent emissions from these products as they are retired and therefore mitigate ozone damage and global climate change.
This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Amy Sauer at (202) 662-1892 or [email protected].