At the Sierra Club, a Focus on Race, Gender and the Environment, Too
The U.S. government has created a Climate Action Plan for the United States, which contains both economic and environmental objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of the key targets under this plan is a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels. This targets is also reflected in the proposed “Strategy for American Solutions to Combat Climate Change.” This Strategy recognizes the connection between clean energy development and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and emphasizes the economic and energy benefits of the transition to clean energy. In fact, Clean Energy for America’s website reads, “Clean energy is the way forward, and we can grow the economy, create jobs, and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil by as much as 36 percent by 2020 without affecting our standard of living.”
A significant contributor to the proposed 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is increased energy efficiency. The U.S. residential and office sector is the largest consumer of electricity in the world, and the largest consumer of natural gas, at approximately 3,500 gigawatts of the total global consumption. The U.S. residential and industrial sector is also responsible for approximately 30 percent of total carbon emissions in 2007, and is projected to grow to 27 percent by 2020. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if the U.S. achieved its current energy efficiency goals, we would cut our greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2035.
When people hear the words “climate change,” the image of a dark, angry, storm-swept sky or a rising sea dominates their perception. It is true that climate change is a serious problem; it is even a crisis, but it is not a threat that is threatening every aspect of daily life, nor does it threaten people’s livelihood as a result of this crisis. It is not a crisis that threatens our quality of life, our jobs and our nation’s economic security.
In fact, we have the tools and