New Report: Pennsylvania ranks 3rd among the states in global warming

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2007

CONTACT:
Michael Fedor
717-234-2651

New Report: Pennsylvania ranks 3rd among the states in global warming
pollution

Forthcoming state plans could reverse course of rising emissions

Philadelphia, PA-Pennsylvania created more global warming pollution in 2004
than all but two states, according to The Carbon Boom, a new analysis of
state fossil fuel consumption data released today by PennEnvironment. The
report, which is the first to analyze 2004 state-by-state data on carbon
dioxide emissions, also found that global warming pollution in Pennsylvania
increased by 5% between 1990 and 2004.

"Pennsylvania has got to deal with its emissions. We are a major producer
of the carbon that is creating this global climate emergency. The good news
is we still have time to act and reverse course," said Michael Fedor,
executive director of the PA League of Conservation Voters. "Leaders in our
Congressional delegation like Congressman Patrick Murphy are to be applauded
for taking the lead in suggesting policies to reduce global warming
pollution by the levels required to prevent its worst effects."

The report's release also comes roughly two weeks before Governor Ed Rendell
is expected to announce a state-level global warming plan for Pennsylvania.
PALCV applauds the governor for taking a leadership role on this issue and
urges him to include global warming pollution reduction targets in line with
what current science says are needed to prevent the worst effects of global
warming.

PennEnvironment's report comes less than a week after the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body charged with assessing the
scientific record on global warming, released its consensus report on the
current and projected impacts of global warming. The report warned of
increasing droughts, floods, heat waves, water stress, forest fires, and
coastal flooding in the United States, but concluded that "many impacts can
be avoided, reduced, or delayed" by quickly and significantly reducing
global warming pollution.

"Global warming pollution levels in Pennsylvania and across the country
continue to rise just as scientists are sounding alarms that we must rapidly
reduce pollution to protect future generations," said Phaedra Jackson, field
organizer for PennEnvironment. "This report is a wake-up call to cap
pollution levels now before it is too late."

PALCV joined Phaedra Jackson of PennEnvironment at the release of the report
in Doylestown to demonstrate the urgency of addressing this issue. Also in
attendance were Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th), Sister Eileen White of
the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, and Mark Bortman, Owner of Exact Solar.

"This report shows us we face a moment of tremendous opportunity," said
Fedor. "Pennsylvania should be the birthplace of the new clean energy
economy in America. Pennsylvania can be the place where we declare our
independence from fossil fuels and from energy consumption that is reckless
and ruining our planet."

Using data compiled by the U.S. Department of Energy, PennEnvironment's new
report examines trends in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel
consumption between 1990 and 2004, the most recent year for which
state-by-state data are available.

Major findings of the report include:
· Pennsylvania emitted 276.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from
fossil fuel consumption in 2004, ranking the commonwealth 3rd nationwide
behind Texas and California. The commonwealth's many coal-fired power
plants were cited as the main source of these emissions.
· Pennsylvania's carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel consumption grew
from 262.2 million metric tons in 1990 to 276.6 million metric tons in 2004,
an increase of 5%.
· Nationwide, emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel consumption
increased by 18% between 1990 and 2004. Coal-fired power plants and the
transportation sector-especially cars and SUVs-drove this emissions
increase.
· In Pennsylvania, carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants
jumped by 12.3 million metric tons between 1990 and 2004, rising from 99.4
million metric tons to 111.6 million metric tons. Carbon dioxide emissions
from the transportation sector jumped by 11.3 million metric tons between
1990 and 2004, rising from 58.7 million metric tons to 70 million metric
tons. Carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas-fired power plants rose by
3.4 million metric tons, from .7 million metric tons to 4.2 million metric
tons.

"The good news is that we have the technology at our fingertips to cut
global warming pollution and forge a cleaner, more secure energy future,"
said Jackson.

Pennsylvania and the United States as a whole could substantially reduce
global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power
plants, businesses, homes, and cars more efficient and increasing the use of
clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

In Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell has proposed an Energy Independence
Strategy to reduce the Commonwealth's dependence on foreign oil and replace
it with increased production of renewable and alternative fuels. In early
May, the Governor plans to release a much anticipated state-specific plan
for attacking the sources of Global Climate Change in Pennsylvania. In
February, two bipartisan bills sponsored by Rep. Greg Vitali (D-166th) and
Sen. Ted Erickson (R-26th) introduced legislation to study the state's
global warming impact.

At the federal level, the Safe Climate Act (H.R. 1590), introduced by
Representative Henry Waxman (CA) in the House, and the Global Warming
Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309), introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (VT)
and Barbara Boxer (CA) in the Senate, would limit global warming pollution
to levels that current science suggests are needed to prevent the worst
effects of global warming. The bills would freeze U.S. global warming
emissions in 2010, reduce emissions by about 15% by 2020 and by 80% by 2050.

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The Pennsylvania League of Conservation Voters is the political arm of the
Pennsylvania environmental community. PALCV is a non-profit with a mission
to educate Pennsylvania voters about the environmental records and positions
of elected officials and to help elect pro-environment candidates to office.
Visit the web site at www.votecleanpa.org to learn more.

Pennsylvania League of Conservation Voters (PALCV)
300 N. 2nd St, Ste. 610
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Ph. 717-234-2651 / Fax. 717-234-5925

Visit the new PALCV website at http://www.votecleanpa.org/!
And check out the PCVEL website at http://www.protectpa.org!