David Victor on the Reduction in U.S. Carbon Emissions
From Coal To Gas: The Potential Risks And Rewards
07/15/2012
NPR Staff,
NPR
This past week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a report linking climate change to some of the extreme weather events of 2011, like the devastating drought in Texas and record high temperatures in Britain.
None of this bodes well for the future, but there is a glimmer of hope. It turns out that U.S. carbon emissions are down nearly 8 percent since 2006.
Much of that has to do with the weak economy — people are consuming less electricity. But another part could be related to the decline of coal and the rise of cleaner-burning natural gas. This boom in natural gas has been killing the Appalachian coal industry, but it also has environmental impacts both good and bad.
Click here to read the full article.
Related Links
David G. Victor is a professor at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and director of the School’s Laboratory on International Law and Regulation. His research focuses on how the design of regulatory law affects issues such as environmental pollution and the operation of major energy markets. He is the author of Global Warming Gridlock, named one of The Economist's best science and technology books of 2011.
Related Stories
From Coal To Gas: The Potential Risks And Rewards - Minnesota Public Radio
From Coal To Gas: The Potential Risks And Rewards - Milwaukee Public Radio
