If this happened any place else but Utah, it might not be worth noting, but in that state I believe it’s progress:
A state blue ribbon task force on climate change stated emphatically Monday that humans are to blame for global warming and offered a slate of recommendations on ways Utah can fight the changes.
Glad that’s settled!
This is somewhat surprising:
But one much-discussed option, developing nuclear power, was only on the B list of recommendations by the Blue Ribbon Advisory Council on Climate Change.
Dirty hippies!
Here are some highlights from the "high-priority" options to fight climate change:
* Develop significant amounts of renewable energy resources, with the state having a portfolio of renewable energy, energy development zones, tax credits and incentives for renewable energy, pricing and metering strategies, and research and development on energy.
* “Encourage carbon capture and sequestration technology,” in which carbon dioxide from emitters like coal-burning power plants is caught before it can reach the smokestacks, then pumped into an underground storage area.
* “Develop and deploy advanced generation technology,” with incentives for advanced fossil fuel technologies that yield a reduction of carbon emissions.
* “Improve efficiency and reduce CO2 (carbon dioxide) at existing electricity generation plants.” Tactics could include retrofitting plants to capture CO2, retiring old plants and building new, low-carbon plants.
* Promote combined heat and power distributed generation.
* “Develop and implement aggressive mass transit strategy.”
* Reduce vehicle idling and vehicle speed, to cut down on emissions.
* Have the state vehicle fleet take the lead in changes.
* Set voluntary efficiency targets for residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
* Improve building codes.
* Preserve open space and agricultural land, trying to protect forests.
* Promote production of biomass fuel.
Not bad.
