X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00800000 BCC: Dan Winters , Doug Pierce , Steve Castellanos , Keith Winn , Joan Biermann , Ralph Bicknese , Lou Newett , Bill Reed , Niels Wolter , Denny Darragh , Tim Cole , Eric Marsh , Bill Gregory , Bruce.Blair@lafarge-na.com, Rich Pietrafesa , Leanne Tobias , "Harrison, Phil" , Mary Hunt , Rachel Kanarowski , Ginny Dyson , Deborah Dunning , Rik Master , RobertCongel@Destinyusa.com, Eric Corey Freed , "Bohn, Michael" , "Tiefenbacher, Danyel" , Michi Pena , John Albrecht , Stacey Munroe , Ginny Dyson , Ken Baker , Sherrie Gruder , Tim Nolan , CFix@ci.syracuse.ny.us, Dean Kubani , Don Reed , Steve McGuire , Eric Corey Freed , Kevin Cail , Don Ingerson , Steve Hoffmann , Alison Dillon , Manuel , Eddie Mirsky , John Howard , paul watchman , David Springer , Beth Brummitt , Chuck Angyal , JOHN BOECKER , Jim Dougherty Message-ID: <45CF7498.608@SustainableProducts.com> Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:55:04 -0500 From: Mike Italiano User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.7.2) Gecko/20040804 Netscape/7.2 (ax) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: James Hansen CC: dcain@giss.nasa.gov Subject: Re: Verifying 60% Carbon Reduction Requirement in the 5-10 Year Window to Stop Dangerous & Irreversible Climate Change References: <45BD5933.5090007@SustainableProducts.com> <6.2.1.2.2.20070203180325.02a43340@popserver.giss.nasa.gov> In-Reply-To: <6.2.1.2.2.20070203180325.02a43340@popserver.giss.nasa.gov> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="------------020406040507040209080805" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------020406040507040209080805 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Jim, We very much appreciate your prompt response! It is very helpful for identifying the needed levels of sustainable technologies in the 5-10 year Window. We understand this means we must in the next 5-10 years, stop/flatten out the increase in climate change pollution which requires roughly twice the reductions in developed nations as compared to underdeveloped ones. We must achieve this to prevent irreversible dangerous climate change and subsequent global economic, social and environmental collapse. We wish you the best in your very important efforts making policy makers understand this imminent need to stop irreversible dangerous climate change. Thank you. With best regards, Mike James Hansen wrote: > Mike, > > The "alternative" scenario, designed as an alternative to "BAU", and > specifically aimed at keeping additional global warming (beyond 2000) > less than 1°C requires reducing global emissions by ~30% by 2050 and > 60-80% by 2100. In practice a global reduction of 30% will require a > larger reduction by developed countries, perhaps 60% (by 2050) > > Jim Hansen > > At 09:20 PM 1/28/2007, Mike Italiano wrote: > >> Darnell, >> >> I'm an environmental scientist and attorney, Founder of the US Green >> Building Council, Founder & CEO of the nonprofit Market >> Transformation to Sustainability (MTS), and have been developing >> environmental regulatory standards since 1972. If you recall, you >> and I talked a number of months ago about climate change and Dr. >> Hansen's extraordinary leadership. >> >> I'm writing to ensure that Dr. Hansen has not repudiated the 5-10 >> year Window part of what's needed to stop dangerous and irreversible >> climate change, i.e., statements that we must reduce 60% of global >> carbon in the next 5-10 years: >> >> "If we wanted to stabilize atmospheric CO2 for the next few years, we >> would need to cut fossil fuel emissions by about 60% (Hansen, Keeling >> Talk, Dec. 2005. p.3)." >> >> "We have to, in the next 10 years, get off this exponential curve and >> begin to decrease the rate of growth of CO2 emissions, and then >> flatten it out. And before we get to the middle of the century, we've >> got to be on a declining curve (Hansen, 60 Minutes 2006)." >> >> "If that doesn't happen in 10 years, then I don't think we can keep >> global warming under one degree Celsius and that means we're >> going to, that there's a great danger of passing some of these >> tipping points. If the ice sheets begin to disintegrate, what can you >> do about it? You can't tie a rope around the ice sheet. You can't >> build a wall around the ice sheets. It will be a situation that is >> out of our control (Id.)" >> >> The percent carbon reduction needed for the 5-10 year Window to >> prevent irreversibility is the most critical information for all >> climate policy decisions. Leading scientists I've talked with in the >> UK and Austrian governments, and the AAAS President concur on the 60% >> requirement with Dr. Hansen as he states above, but have not done so >> in writing. If climate change does go out of control, the UK's Stern >> Review states there will be global economic collapse and insurers >> testifying before the Stern Review are more pessimistic stating that >> insurance damages alone will almost exceed global GDP ($33 >> trillion). Several weeks ago the EU said there will also be global >> environmental and social collapse. >> >> Given what's at stake, we also need to set a margin of error in our >> regulatory approaches to help ensure that climate change does not >> become irreversible. >> >> We have used this 60% requirement for our Capital Markets Partnership >> to Stop Dangerous Climate Change and know it is achievable through >> the markets in the 5-10 year Window based on successful precedent, >> given their enormous speed and size, undisputed legal responsibility >> to address climate risk, and since we already have the required, >> approved consensus standards for the following needed sustainable >> technologies that would achieve the 60% reduction through the markets: >> >> * 100 million certified climate/carbon neutral buildings >> * 100 million certified sustainable products >> * 170 million clean vehicles >> * 1600 200 MW green power facilities >> * 44% increase in clean rail and mass transit >> >> If you or Dr. Hansen could get back with me at your earliest >> convenience, we would very much appreciate it. As another option, >> I'm meeting with the Sierra Club and American Solar Energy Society >> this week in Washington about their climate change activities >> including their scientific report they are releasing on the Hill and >> I understand Dr. Hansen will also be joining them. I could meet >> briefly with Dr. Hansen at that time to discuss this very important >> and critical issue. Thank you. With best regards, >> >> >> Michael L. Italiano >> President & CEO >> Founder/Director/CEO Board, US Green Building Council >> >> Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability >> 1511 Wisconsin Avenue, NW >> Washington, DC 20007 >> 202-338-3131 p >> 202-338-2800 f >> http://mts.sustainableproducts.com >> >> [] >> >> Accelerating the Global Market >> Transformation to Sustainability . > --------------020406040507040209080805 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jim,

We very much appreciate your prompt response!  It is very helpful for identifying the needed levels of sustainable technologies in the 5-10 year Window. 

We understand this means we must in the next 5-10 years, stop/flatten out the increase in climate change pollution which requires roughly twice the reductions in developed nations as compared to underdeveloped ones.  We must achieve this to prevent irreversible dangerous climate change and subsequent global economic, social and environmental collapse.

We wish you the best in your very important efforts making policy makers understand this imminent need to stop irreversible dangerous climate change.  Thank you.  With best regards,


Mike

James Hansen wrote:
Mike,

The “alternative” scenario, designed as an alternative to “BAU”, and specifically aimed at keeping additional global warming (beyond 2000) less than 1°C requires reducing global emissions by ~30% by 2050 and 60-80% by 2100.  In practice a global reduction of 30% will require a larger reduction by developed countries, perhaps 60% (by 2050)

Jim Hansen
 
At 09:20 PM 1/28/2007, Mike Italiano wrote:
Darnell,

I'm an environmental scientist and attorney, Founder of the US Green Building Council, Founder & CEO of the nonprofit Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS), and have been developing environmental regulatory standards since 1972.  If you recall, you and I talked a number of months ago about climate change and Dr. Hansen's extraordinary leadership.

I'm writing to ensure that Dr. Hansen has not repudiated the 5-10 year Window part of what's needed to stop dangerous and irreversible climate change, i.e., statements that we must reduce 60% of global carbon in the next 5-10 years:

"If we wanted to stabilize atmospheric CO2 for the next few years, we would need to cut fossil fuel emissions by about 60% (Hansen, Keeling Talk, Dec. 2005. p.3)." 

"We have to, in the next 10 years, get off this exponential curve and begin to decrease the rate of growth of CO2 emissions, and then
flatten it out. And before we get to the middle of the century, we’ve got to be on a declining curve (Hansen, 60 Minutes 2006).”

"If that doesn't happen in 10 years, then I don’t think we can keep global warming under one degree Celsius and that means we’re
going to, that there’s a great danger of passing some of these tipping points. If the ice sheets begin to disintegrate, what can you
do about it? You can’t tie a rope around the ice sheet. You can’t build a wall around the ice sheets. It will be a situation that is
out of our control (Id.)"

The percent carbon reduction needed for the 5-10 year Window to prevent irreversibility is the most critical information for all climate policy decisions. Leading scientists I've talked with in the UK and Austrian governments, and the AAAS President concur on the 60% requirement with Dr. Hansen as he states above, but have not done so in writing.  If climate change does go out of control, the UK's Stern Review states there will be global economic collapse and insurers testifying before the Stern Review are more pessimistic stating that insurance damages alone will almost exceed global GDP ($33 trillion).  Several weeks ago the EU said there will also be global environmental and social collapse.

Given what's at stake, we also need to set a margin of error in our regulatory approaches to help ensure that climate change does not become irreversible.

We have used this 60% requirement for our Capital Markets Partnership to Stop Dangerous Climate Change and know it is achievable through the markets in the 5-10 year Window based on successful precedent, given their enormous speed and size, undisputed legal responsibility to address climate risk, and since we already have the required, approved consensus standards for the following needed sustainable technologies that would achieve the 60% reduction through the markets:
  • 100 million certified climate/carbon neutral buildings
  • 100 million certified sustainable products
  • 170 million clean vehicles
  • 1600 200 MW green power facilities
  • 44% increase in clean rail and mass transit
If you or Dr. Hansen could get back with me at your earliest convenience, we would very much appreciate it.  As another option, I'm meeting with the Sierra Club and American Solar Energy Society this week in Washington about their climate change activities including their scientific report they are releasing on the Hill and I understand Dr. Hansen will also be joining them.  I could meet briefly with Dr. Hansen at that time to discuss this very important and critical issue.  Thank you.  With best regards,


Michael L. Italiano
President & CEO
Founder/Director/CEO Board, US Green Building Council

Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability
1511 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20007
202-338-3131 p
202-338-2800 f
 http://mts.sustainableproducts.com

[]

Accelerating the Global Market
Transformation to Sustainability . 
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