BIGGEST U.S. CORPS READY TO COUNT & CAP EMISSIONS

Climate change deniers ridicule activists’ heralding of the plight of the polar bear. Bjorn Lonborg, a leader among deniers, amuses audiences by pointing out that climate change may be causing the death of one polar bear per year while 100 are killed by hunting every year. What Lonborg and the others ignore is that the 100 can be prevented by a hunting regulation while the 1 cannot be saved by anything but a reversal of the way Earth’s people do things. The 1, therefore, is an indicator of inevitabilities.

In the same way, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the other big corporate entities (Shell Oil, Duke Energy) joining The Climate Registry are indicators when they voluntarily submit to the extra self-monitoring and record-keeping required to report their greenhouse gas emissions to the registry.

Indicators. Of coming inevitabilities. Cap-and-trade is coming to the U.S. The smart ones are getting ready now.

The Climate Registry is one of many organizations leading the way on inventorying U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in anticipation of the coming cap-and-trade system. (click to enlarge)

Climate Registry nears first U.S. emissions reporting
Bernie Woodall (w/David Gregorio), January 17, 2008 (Reuters)

WHO
58 companies, cities and organizations, including Shell Oil, Xcel Energy, Alcoa, Duke Energy, PG&E, PPG Industries, National Grid and the United States Postal Service (USPS); The Climate Registry

WHAT
Recognizing the inevitability of coming U.S. greenhouse gas emissions control regulations, the 58 companies, cities and organizations have voluntarily signed up to report their emissions to the Climate Registry

The Senate has yet to decide on precisely the form of the system, and the House will weigh in, but emissions trading is coming. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
Reporting will begin in June 2008. The U.S. Senate is expected to debate proposals for a U.S. cap-and-trade system around that same time though passage of the measure and institution of the system is not likely to come until after the 2008 election.

WHERE
- The Climate Registry is represented in 39 U.S. states & D.C., 6 Canadian provinces, 3 Native American tribes and 2 Mexican states.
- Not represented: Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

WHY
- The Climate Registry has 51 members. The agreement was made at the Registry’s 3rd board meeting. It is an outgrowth of the California Climate Action Registry.
- The list of “emissions reporters” is expected to grow past 100 by the time reporting begins. Those joining by May 1 will be dubbed “founders.”
- The membership of USPS and its annual $75 billion revenues, 700,000 employees, 35,000 facilities and 200,000 vehicle fleet is considered pivotal. It signals a recognition of the inevitably at the federal level.
- The states not represented tend to have the larger fossil fuels operations like oil refineries.

How the registry does its work. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
Diane Wittenberg, executive director, Climate Registry: "The Climate Registry is building the infrastructure and the (reporting guidelines) to get the companies, states and provincial programs started…"