Inside the Effort to Fight Climate Change Beyond the Power Sector
The transportation, manufacturing and agriculture industries have received a fraction of the attention of the power sector in the fight against climate change, but together they account for more than twice the harmful pollutants that are emitted during the production of electricity in the United States. And as sources of clean energy such as wind and solar comprise more of the nation's power, many experts believe it's time to focus attention on those other sectors.
Targeting industries such as aviation, trucking and steel production will be critical to stopping global temperatures from rising to unsafe levels, according to a recent report from the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), an international non-profit comprised of activists and business leaders devoted to reducing carbon emissions.
"If we decarbonize the whole of power and electrify as much as possible that will generate about half of all the carbon emissions we’ll need," says ETC Chair Lord Adair Turner. "But we’ll still be left with sectors of the economy where we cannot electrify."
NASA Goddard Space Flight