Energy+Policy+Briefing

1) US Greenhouse Gas Regulations **2) ****The Gulf Oil Spill Lawsuit ** **3) ****Finding Funding for Alternative Energy ** **4) ****Whether or Not to Collaborate With China on Alternative Energy Sources ** **5) ****Getting the United Nations on Board to Reduce Emissions **
 *  1. What Are the Top Five Energy Issues Facing the United States? **

**2. ****Main Energy Issue: (eg. running out of oil, energy grid, alternatives) ** · US Greenhouse Gas Regulations

**3. ****Main Causes: (in general / scientific reasoning) ** · The emission of infra-red radiation in the atmosphere warms the planet’s surface. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">The natural causes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are the emissions of gases like nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and water vapor. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Human made processes speed up the process of the greenhouse effect through deforestation, burning fossil fuels, oil, coal and gas (as from electrical appliances.) · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Population growth contributes to the greenhouse effect because of the increase in manufacturing and industrial processes.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">4. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Main Contributors: (specific industries / companies / nations) ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Shell Gasoline (in Nigeria) · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Asia · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">The Middle East · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Africa · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Central America · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">South America

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">5. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Region(s) Impacted: ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Brazil, Africa, Southeast Asia, and China due to a change in weather which could affect food production. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Southeast Britain due to a possible drought. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">The Arctic due to the change in climate and the loss of plants and animals. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Egypt and China where populations live on the coasts may move inward. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">All countries will be impacted in some way.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">6. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Estimated Economic Cost of Problem: ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">The Clean Air Act has been put in place in the US to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which costs up to $65 billion a year.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">7. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Estimated Economic Cost of Expansion / Development: ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">A UN report says that spending $1 trillion a year globally over the next two decades could curb global warming.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">8. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Estimated Cost if Not Cleaned Up:(economic / human / environmental) ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">The regulations will save 2.2 million lives. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">The benefits of the Clean Air Act totaled about $110 billion in 2010. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Cancer causing air toxics will continue to pollute if the environment is not cleaned up. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Crops and ecosystems will be depleted if the environment is not cleaned up.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">9. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Possible Solutions: ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Forego fossil fuels. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Upgrade or invest in new infrastructure. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Reduce transportation. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Cut down on long distance travel (such as on airplanes.) · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Consume less, buy less stuff. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Be efficient with cars, appliances, etc. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Go vegetarian. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Stop deforestation. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Unplug electronic devices. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Only have one child. · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Use alternative fuels.

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">10. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Political Allies of Solution: (cite specific legislation or public comment) ** · <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">“There are many who still do not believe that global warming is a problem at all. And it's no wonder: because they are the targets of a massive and well-organized campaign of disinformation lavishly funded by polluters who are determined to prevent any action to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming out of a fear that their profits might be affected if they had to stop dumping so much pollution into the atmosphere.” – Al Gore

**<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">11. ****<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%;">Political Adversaries of Solution:(cite specific legislation or public comment) ** · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, said there is absolutely no evidence that carbon dioxide, whether from power plants, vehicle emissions or elsewhere, harms anyone. And she dismisses claims of global climate change because "that data was tampered with and flawed'' to produce a desired result.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Citations <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Above <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 40.5pt; tabstops: 40.5pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">5. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">6. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">7. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">8. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tab-stops: 40.5pt; tabstops: 40.5pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">9. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">10. [] <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; tabstops: 40.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">11. []