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ENERGY: Coal Plants Dominate the “Dirty Dozen”

Haider Rizvi

NEW YORK, Nov 16 2007 (IPS) - The Dirty Dozen. That is what they are called by independent environmentalists researching the role of power companies responsible for the highest levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States.

Number one is Southern Co., which annually releases 172 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, according to the first-ever inventory of the world’s 50,000 power stations, conducted by the Centre for Global Development, a Washington-based policy think tank.

The second largest polluter is American Electric Power Company Inc., followed by Duke Energy Corporation and AES Corporation.

Scientists say electricity generation is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s total CO2 emissions – the main cause of global warming – and U.S. power plants account for fully 25 percent of the emissions generated by the power sector worldwide.

Half of the “dirty dozen” plants in the United States are located in just three states – Georgia, Texas, and Indiana. All 12 are coal-fired plants.

The study comes as a major U.N.-sponsored international conference on climate change is due to take place in Bali, Indonesia next month.


The Centre’s new Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) web site reveals that, on a per capita basis, Australia has become the world’s number one carbon emitter in the power sector, although, in overall terms, the United States still remains the largest polluter.

On average, each individual in the United States is responsible for no less than nine tonnes of emissions per year, whereas the average Australian’s emissions amount to about 11 tons in the same span of time.

According to the CARMA database, populous developing nations have far lower per capita emissions than the richest countries. For example, the average Chinese citizen produces just two tonnes of CO2 emissions from power generation annually, and Indians emit only half a tonne per person per year.

In terms of total CO2 output, however, China is the only country to approach the 2.8 billion tons of CO2 produced annually by the U.S. power sector.

Following China (2.7 billion tonnes) on the list are Russia (661 million tonnes); India (583 million tonnes); Japan (400 million tonnes); Germany (356 million tonnes); Australia (226 million tonnes); South Africa (222 million tonnes); Britain (212 million tonnes); and South Korea (185 million tonnes).

Centre reseachers say they hope that a large number of investors, insurers, lenders, and environmental experts will use the CARMA data to encourage power companies to turn to renewable and clean energy sources, such as wind and solar.

“CARMA makes information about power-related CO2 emissions transparent to people throughout the world,” said Dr. David Wheeler, a senior researcher at the Centre and leader of the team that compiled the data on power stations.

“It is unique, one of a kind – a world standard,” said CGD president Nancy Birdsall of CARMA. “Never before has this kind of information been made available on a global scale. Not only it is likely to catalyse action to cut emissions now, it also strengthens the knowledge base for monitoring any future market-based agreement.”

Birdsall may be right, as the Centre’s early research is already being used by environmental communities and lenders in the power sectors in large developing nations, such as Indonesia and China.

“This would help reduce carbon emissions by focusing pressure on major emitters and providing reputational rewards for clean producers,” she added in a statement.

Though the United States and Australia are, in their respective categories, the world’s largest emitters of CO2, both countries remain reluctant to join any international pact to set definite cuts in emissions. Neither has signed nor seems willing to endorse the 1997 Kyoto treaty, which is due to expire in 2012.

That despite the fact that there is no longer any serious doubt among climate scientists that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are altering the Earth’s climate.

In fact, now there is also broad consensus that controlling emissions will require so-called “carbon pricing”, a market-based system whereby carbon polluters are charged a fee and those who help clean carbon from the atmosphere reap economic benefits.

CGD’s Wheeler said he wants to see the world community set up an institution to collect, verify, and publicly disclose information about emissions from all significant global carbon sources.

 
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