Posted on July 28, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese
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Colorado: More than $1 billion in losses due to impacts on tourism, forestry, water resources and human health from a predicted drier, warmer climate.
Georgia: Multi-million dollar losses from predicted higher seas along Georgia's coast.
Kansas: Losses exceeding $1 billion from impact on agriculture of predicted warmer temperatures and reduced water supply in much of the state.
Illinois: Billions of dollars in losses from impact on shipping, trade and water resources. Warmer temperatures and lower water levels predicted for much of the state.
Michigan: Billions of dollars in losses from damage to the state's shipping and water resources. Warmer temperatures and lower water levels predicted for much of the state.
Nevada: Billions of dollars in losses from a much drier climate and pressure on scarce water resources. Water limitations could affect tourism, real estate, development and human health. Many western states may confront similar challenges.
New Jersey: Billions of dollars in losses from higher sea levels and the impact on tourism, transportation, real estate and human health.
Ohio: Billions of dollars in losses from warmer temperatures and lower water levels and the resulting impact on shipping and water supplies.
The report does not cover efforts to address the most plentiful greenhouse gas — carbon dioxide — or the biggest sources of it, transportation and electric power plants.
"If EPA wishes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond this point, it needs to consider additional policy options," the report said. Persuading companies to spend money on optional activities "presents a significant challenge to using voluntary programs as the current solution to reducing greenhouse gases."
The Bush administration has been relying largely on the voluntary programs to reduce carbon intensity — the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to economic output — by 18 percent by 2012. That goal would slow the growth of greenhouse gases, but not actually reduce them.
The White House has rejected using existing law to regulate greenhouse gases from motor vehicles and smokestacks despite a Supreme Court decision last year saying it could do so.
President Bush and other world leaders at last month's G-8 summit in Toyako, Japan, made a commitment to a voluntary 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gases worldwide by 2050 but offered no specifics on how to do it.
Check your doors for a good seal: Check the seals on your refrigerator and freezer for a good seal by closing a piece of paper in them. If you can pull the paper out, it's time to adjust or install a new seal.
Keep it cool: Allow for 2 inches of airspace around the appliance and nearby walls and cabinets. Keep your refrigerator out of direct sunlight and as far away as you can from the dishwasher, stove and heating vent.
Turn off the icemaker: We know you love the crushed iced function, but you might want to reconsider going back to old-fashioned ice cube trays. An icemaker can increase a refrigerator's energy consumption by 14 to 20 percent. Yikes.
Set the temp right: Keep your refrigerator between 37 and 40 degrees F, and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F.
Vacuum the condenser coils: Once a year, pull your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum the coils behind it.
