President Barack Obama today ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to review its previous refusal to allow California and more than a dozen other states to raise emissions standards above and beyond the national standard. The Bush administration had denied the requests.

“Instead of serving as a partner, Washington stood in their way,” President Obama said. “The days of Washington dragging its heels are over.”

And in what he called “a down payment on a broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” President Obama directed the Department of Transportation to establish higher fuel efficiency standards for carmakers’ 2011 model year. The standard, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), was established in 1975 in the wake of the Arab Oil Embargo.

Here are states that are seeking to regulate auto emission standards, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the National Resources Defense Council:

California – On July 22, 2002, former Governor Gray Davis signed AB 1493, a pioneering measure to protect California’s health and environment by reducing global warming pollution from all new cars and trucks sold in the state, America’s largest automobile market.

New Jersey – On January 14, 2004, Governor James E. McGreevey signed legislation that adopted California’s vehicle emissions standards to automobiles sold in New Jersey.

Connecticut – On May 4, 2004, Governor John G. Rowland signed the Clean Car Act, PA 04-84, requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt regulations implementing California’s vehicle emissions standards, and to keep the Connecticut regulations current with changes California makes.

Oregon – In December 2005, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) adopted temporary rules requiring Oregon to meet California’s vehicle emissions standards. On June 22, 2006, the EQC permanently adopted rules requiring all new motor vehicles sold in Oregon to meet California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Washington – On May 6, 2005, Governor Christine Gregoire signed HB 1397, adopting California’s vehicle emissions standards for Washington, conditional on Oregon’s adoption of the standard.

Rhode Island – On October 13, 2005, Governor Don Carcieri announced Rhode Island’s intention to adopt California’s vehicle emissions standards. The standards were officially adopted on December 22, 2005 with approval of Air Pollution Control Regulation no.37, Rhode Island’s Low Emission Vehicle Program.

Vermont – On November 7, 2005, the Vermont Air Pollution Control Division adopted a rule amending its low emission vehicles regulation to be identical to that of California’s vehicle emissions standards.

New York – On November 9, 2005, the New York State Environmental Board approved State regulations that require significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles by adhering to California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Maine – In December 2005, the Board of Environmental Protection adopted amendments to Chapter 127, New Motor Vehicle Emission Standards, which incorporated California’s vehicle emissions standards for new motor vehicles sold in Maine.

Massachusetts – On January 9, 2006, Secretary of Environmental Affairs, Stephen R. Pritchard announced the state’s adoption of California’s vehicle emissions standards, designed to produce cleaner air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts. The standards take effect in Massachusetts starting with 2009 model year vehicles.

Arizona – On September 8, 2006, Governor Janet Napolitano signed Executive Order 2006-13, which directs the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to coordinate with the Arizona Department of Transportation to adopt and implement California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Pennsylvania – On September 19, 2006, Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board approved the Clean Vehicles Program, a plan to meet California’s vehicle emissions standards. On November 2, 2006, the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the implementation of the plan. Despite support from Governor Edward G. Rendell, in late 2006, the Pennsylvania General Assembly debated SB 1025, a rollback bill threatening to block the state from implementing the Clean Cars Law. On November 22, 2006, however, Pennsylvania concluded its ‘lame duck’ session without having voted on the SB 1025.

New Mexico – On December 28, 2006, Governor Bill Richardson issued executive order 2006-69, establishing goals and timetables for steps the state can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including adopting California’s vehicle emissions standards. The New Mexico Environment Department is charged with submitting a proposal to the Environmental Improvement Board no later than January 1, 2008 to implement a state clean car standard consistent with California’s. In November 2007, the Albuquerque-Bernalillio Air Quality Control Board and the Environmental Improvement Board adopted the vehicle standards

New Jersey – On January 14, 2004, Governor James E. McGreevey signed legislation that adopted California’s vehicle emissions standards to automobiles sold in New Jersey

Utah – In May 2007, Utah joined the Western Climate Initiative, a joint effort to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. Other members include Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba. By agreeing to the Initiative’s regional goal, members commit to adopt California’s GHG standards for vehicles.

Florida – On July 13, 2007, Governor Charlie Crist signed Executive Order 07-127, requiring the Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection to develop rules adopting California’s vehicle emissions standards.

Colorado – On November 7, 2007, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter released Colorado’s Climate Action Plan, under which the Governor will issue an executive order directing Colorado’s Air Quality Control Division to propose clean car standards.

Sources: Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the National Resources Defense Council

This week, for the first time in the United States, an auction was held allowing power plants to bid against each other for the right to spew carbon dioxide into the air.

The goal, of course, is to reduce atmospheric carbon by finding the best way of putting a price tag on it for polluters. Ten Eastern states — Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont — have formed the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (or RGGI, pronounced “Reggie”) to coordinate their efforts by placing mandatory overall caps on emissions levels, then auctioning off allowances for CO2 emissions that can be traded between companies. As a result, companies will have a financial incentive to clean up their own act as quickly as possible.

Other regions of the country, from the state of Florida to a Western Climate Initiative, are either studying or actively planning similar cap-and-trade programs; this one is the result of five years of research and planning and is partly inspired by earlier efforts to tackle acid rain. According to Thursday’s press release, “Under RGGI, the ten participating states will stabilize power sector carbon emissions at their capped level, and then reduce the cap by 10 percent at a rate of 2.5 percent each year between 2015 and 2018.”

A ten percent reduction over ten years, of course, is a far cry from what most activists would like to see. But it’s a more substantial measure than any being taken on a nation-wide level, and the states promise to invest the funds raised in “energy efficiency programs, renewable energy stimulus efforts and other programs to benefit consumers. As a result, RGGI will deliver economic and environmental benefits and improve energy security through reduced use of fossil fuels.”

Six of the participating states offered allowances yesterday, selling credits for over 12 million tons of carbon emissions. Other states will sell their credits in future auctions, the next of which takes place in December.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

You’ve heard of No Child Left Behind. Now comes a new program with serious educational goals, but a different approach: No Child Left Inside proposes to re-invigorate environmental education by tapping into kids’ innate curiosity about nature. And communities across America are embracing the fresh, bottom-up concept by holding No Child Left Inside events.

At the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, for example, kids from the Kizarian School recently got their hands dirty with a variety of experiments held along the zoo’s Wetlands Trail, a five acre exhibit surrounding a huge pond.

“The kids were actually looking for real macro invertebrates in the pond, while another learning station had a watershed model to discuss pollutants and effects on water, and then water-quality sampling and testing were conducted,” says Shareen Knowlton, director of education for the Williams Park Zoo. As the children explored outside, zoo residents, Loki, a red-tail hawk, and Teko, a Screech Owl, were on-hand to help the kids learn about native species firsthand. “Being outside and learning, the kids light up one-hundred percent, and they were so thrilled to be there, discovering dragonflies and such. It was so incredible. And that’s what we experience all the time when we get the kids involved in the outdoors,” Knowlton says.

In Greenwood, Indiana, fifth graders at Clark Pleasant Intermediate School spent four days this past school year outside, learning how to navigate with maps and compasses. Then they took a four-day field trip to Eagle Creek Park, where teams of three to five students navigated through the park, locating checkpoints to solve a puzzle and open a treasure chest.

Getting kids outside is the number one goal of the The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act, which could be passed in 2008. If it’s approved, the law would authorize $500 million over five years to states that create “environmental literacy plans” in schools across America.

First introduced in October 2007 by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD), the eco-conscious politicians have been heavily promoting the NCLI Act this year. In April, during Environmental Education Week and on Earth Day, the senators promoted their initiative at a field hearing in Laurel, Md. (held outside of course) of the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee.

“Teaching children about the environment and giving them a hands-on opportunity to experience nature should be an important part of the curriculum in our schools. This legislation will free up critical funding for environmental education to inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists,” said Senator Reed in a media release. “This legislation is a smart investment in our children’s future and the future of our planet.”

“Children today spend more time inside watching television or playing video games than they do outdoors,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “One way to get our young people outside is to educate them about the environment; No Child Left Inside seeks to do this by incorporating environmental education and outdoor opportunities into our schools’ instructional curricula.”

The NCLI Coalition, formed in 2006, was created to promote the NCLI Act and expand environmental education. “Research has shown the value that environmental education brings to schools. Kids grow more engaged in their work and perform better on assessments in every subject. We believe that all children should be given the chance to learn more about their world,” said Tom Waldron, spokesperson for the NCLI Coalition.

“We currently have over 235 organizations as members, representing more than 20 million people. But more individuals are still needed to truly make a difference,” Waldron admits.

You can become a NCLI Coalition member by visiting the group’s website, where you can also learn how to hold No Child Left Inside Days in your community. The website also helps you send a note of support to lawmakers, asking them to pass the NCLI Act, and explains why environmental education is important, citing studies like the one that found 45 million Americans think the oceans are a source of freshwater.

Many environmental advocates and educators are pushing for No Child Left Inside because so many schools are being forced to scale back on their environmental programs and cancel field trips. Environmentalists point to two factors: the unintended consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act and a lack of funding for environmental programs.

Because the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) raised the content standards and testing requirements for reading, math, and science, the change translated into more classroom time, and less outdoor time; environmental education got lost in the shuffle.

“Unfortunately, environmental education has not been a priority under the Bush Administration, but this legislation will begin to change that,” Reed said.

Key elements to the NCLI Act will include:

• Funding to train teachers to deliver high quality environmental education and use the local environment as an extension of the classroom.

• Incentives for states to help prepare students for the environmental challenges of the future.

• Encouragement for teachers, administrators, and school systems to make time for environmental education and integrate it across core subject areas.

In addition, the legislation also would re-establish the Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education to oversee critical environmental education activities; and authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to nonprofit organizations, states, and local education agencies for activities to improve and support environmental education.

Over 100 leading environmental organizations support the initiative, including the Earth Day Network, Ecological Society of America, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Sierra Club.

Getting Kids Involved

Games are essential to getting your kids involved in the outdoors and the NCLI website can help you get started.

One fun activity the NCLI Coalition suggests is called “Schoolyard Bingo,” a fun variation on the scavenger hunt, where cards are made up with a variety of categories and each student must complete the the bingo card either by drawing or describing an object found in the Outdoor Classroom.

Find out how to have a “No Child Left Inside Day” at your school and see the website’s interactive map to see what U.S. schools are doing coast to coast.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media