Cutting Edge Research

Coastal Impact Study:
Nation Under Siege

THE POWER OF COAL

HOME DEPOT
Home Depot is funding the planting of 300,000 trees in cities across the US to help absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions... The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized (500 MW) coal-fired power plant, in just 10 days of operation, will negate this entire effort.

WAL-MART
Wal-Mart is investing a half billion dollars to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of their existing buildings by 20% over the next seven years. If every Wal-Mart Supercenter met this target... The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized coal-fired power plant, in just one month of operation each year, would negate this entire effort.

CALIFORNIA
California passed legislation to cut CO2 emissions in new cars by 25% and in SUVs by 18%, starting in 2009. If every car and SUV sold in California in 2009 met this standard... The CO2 emissions from only one medium-sized coalfired power plant, in just eight months of operation each year, would negate this entire effort.

EVERY HOUSEHOLD
If every household in the US changed a 60-watt incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent... The CO2 emissions from just two medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.

EDUCATION
The Campus Climate Challenge calls for all college campuses in the US to reduce their CO2 emissions to zero. If every college campus building in the US met this challenge... The CO2 emissions from just four medium-sized coalfired power plants each year would negate this entire effort.

NY, ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI, PA, NJ, DE, MD
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative effort by 11 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce their CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2014... The CO2 emissions from just 13 medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year will negate this entire effort.

CONGRESS
Congress is considering many climate change bills this year to reduce US carbon dioxide emissions... The CO2 emissions from any new coal-fired power plants work to negate these efforts.

These efforts, and many others, are critical in our attempt to address global warming. They are wasted if we do not also come to terms with the damaging effects of burning coal.

 

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Foreword
Introduction
Sea Level Rise
Visual Imaging
One Meter of Sea Level Rise... and Rising
A Lesson Learned?
Current Trends
Timeline
Fossil Fuels and Climate Change
The Power of Coal
Silver Bullet: Moratorium on Coal
Replacing Coal
The 2030 Challenge
Been There, Done That
Revisiting Katrina
Conclusions
Appendix

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