(Seattle – June 1, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency presented its 10th annual Clean Air Excellence Awards for 2009 honoring 14 organizations and one individual for reducing pollution, promoting environmental education and creating green products and jobs throughout the United States
Today’s challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the country’s steadily rising demand for electricity make it essential for legislatures and public utility commissions to shift their focus toward mechanisms that make demand reduction as profitable for utilities as increasing supply. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
Fossil fuels provide more than 85% of all the energy consumed in the US, nearly two-thirds of our electricity, and virtually all of our transportation fuels. (Source: DOE)
Public policies such as appliance and vehicle efficiency standards and building codes are responsible for at least 20% of the improvement in the US's energy intensity--energy use per unit of GDP. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
55 of the world's 65 largest oil producing countries are past their production peaks and in decline.
In 2007, about 58% of the petroleum consumed in the U.S. was imported from foreign countries--primarily Canada, Saudia Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria. (Source: EIA)
