The right energy plan addresses all of Global Warming, Peak Oil, Energy Independence (2/3 of U.S. oil is imported), and Economic Stimulus spending (investing in green jobs and future economic sustainability).
Here's my summary in four images (click to enlarge).
Nearly half of U.S. oil is used for gasoline, and over half of California's global warming emissions come from passenger vehicles and electricity generation.
The greatest leverage is Efficiency in transportation and buildings' energy use. 
The most practical renewable energy in large quantities is electricity from solar, wind, and geothermal.
The most sustainable transportation is electric - EVs and plug-in hybrids, transit, passenger and freight rail.
There is a growing consensus around these main policies, as recently noted by Adam Stein in Gristmill and the Post Carbon Institute's The Real New Deal.
Sources:
World Oil Production - ASPO Newsletter and OilPoster.org
Crude Oil and Products' sources - U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Monthly, Tables 4, 38
Oil Uses - U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Monthly, Table 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions - California Air Resources Board
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Solution to ...
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
New Metro Long Range Transportation Plan
The new post-Measure R staff-proposed Long Range Transportation Plan was noted by the LA Times' Steve Hymon and is available for download from the Planning & Programming Committee agenda here (PDF).
Here is the Recommended list of Transit Corridor projects (first page of Attachment B):
Metro Gold Line Eastside Light Rail Transit (LRT) -- 899 -- 2010
Exposition LRT Phase I: 7th Street Metro Center to Culver City -- 862 -- 2011
San Fernando Valley North-South Metro Orange Line Canoga Extension (R) -- 223 -- 2013
San Fernando Valley East North-South Rapidways (R) -- 100 -- 2013
Exposition LRT Phase II: Culver City to Santa Monica (R) -- 1,646 -- 2015
Wilshire Boulevard Bus Rapid Transitway -- 124 -- 2015
Metro Gold Line Foothill LRT Extension (6)(R) -- 905 -- 2017
Metro Green Line LRT Extension to LAX/Crenshaw Corridor: Segment 1 - 1 mile -- 443 -- 2018
Metro Green Line LRT Extension to LAX (R): Segment 2 -- 300 -- 2018-2022 (depending on LAX contribution)
Regional Connector (R) -- 1,158 -- 2018
Westside Subway Extension to Westwood (R):Segment 1 to La Cienega -- 2,350 -- 2019
Segment 2 to Century City -- 2,597 -- 2026
Segment 3 to Westwood -- 1,497 -- 2032
Crenshaw Corridor (3)(R): Segment 2 (mode is TBD) -- 2,004 -- 2029
Metro Green Line LRT Extension: Redondo Beach to South Bay Corridor (R) -- 570 -- 2035
Metro Gold Line Eastside LRT Extension (R) -- 2,845 -- 2037
San Fernando Valley 1-405 Corridor Connection (R) (mode is TBD) -- 2,420(8) -- 2038
West Santa Ana Branch ROW Corridor (R) -- 405(8) -- As additional funds become available
(R) Projects included in Measure R
(3) Technology to be determinted; cost assumes LRT
(6) Measure R funds estimated to fund segment to approximately Glendora, including yard and vehicles
(8) Measure R contribution only
Tier 1: Currently Under Planning Study/Environmentally Cleared/Route Refinement Study/Previously Studied
Burbank/Glendale LRT from LA Union Station to Burbank Metrolink Station
Harbor Subdivision Alternate Rail Technology (ART)
Metro Gold Line Eastside LRT Extension Branch not funded in Recommended Plan
Metro Gold Line Foothill LRT Extension (beyond segment funded by Measure R)
Metro Green Line LRT Extension between Norwalk Station and Norwalk Metrolink Station (Elevated or Underground Light Rail)
Westside Subway Extension (beyond segment funded by Measure R)
Tier 2: Candidates for Further Project Definition
Metro Green Line LRT Extension between South Bay Galleria and Pacific Coast Highway Harbor Transitway Station
Metro Green Line LRT Extension from LAX to Expo Santa Monica Station
Metro Red Line Extension from North Hollywood Station to Burbank Airport Metrolink Station
"Silver" Line LRT between Metro Red Line Vermont/Santa Monica Station and City of La Puente
SR-134 Transit Corridor BRT between Metro Red Line North Hollywood Station and Metro Gold Line Del Mar Station
Vermont Corridor Subway
"Yellow" Line LRT between Metro Red Line North Hollywood Station and Regional Connector
Saturday, December 13, 2008
AB 32 Scoping Plan
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed the AB 32 Scoping Plan Thursday (press release; LA Times).
AB 32 is California's landmark 2006 law to reduce global warming emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, about 30% from business-as-usual projected for 2020, 15% from today’s levels.
The long-range goal is 80% from 1990 levels by 2050.
The largest two sectors of greenhouse gas emissions (left) are transportation — 38% — and electricity generation — 23%.
(click to enlarge)
This timeline shows CARB's first milestones in 2007; developing the high-level Scoping Plan over the last year; and the upcoming detailed rulemaking through 2011 to implement it.
Following is the overview of how the Scoping Plan expects to reduce emissions.
Recommended Reduction Measures — Counted Towards 2020 Target (MMTCO2E*)
ESTIMATED REDUCTIONS FROM CAP AND TRADE PROGRAM AND COMPLEMENTARY MEASURES — 146.7
California Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Standards — 31.7
Energy Efficiency — 26.3
Renewables Portfolio Standard (33% by 2020) — 21.3
Low Carbon Fuel Standard — 15
Regional Transportation-Related GHG Targets — 5
Vehicle Efficiency Measures — 4.5
Goods Movement — 3.7
Million Solar Roofs — 2.1
Medium/Heavy Duty Vehicles — 1.4
High Speed Rail — 1.0
Industrial Measures (cap-and-trade sources) — 0.3
Additional Reductions Necessary to Achieve the Cap — 34.4
ESTIMATED REDUCTIONS FROM UNCAPPED SOURCES — 27.3
High Global Warming Potential Gas Measures — 20.2
Sustainable Forests — 5.0
Industrial Measures (non-cap and trade sources) — 1.1
Recycling and Waste (landfill methane capture) — 1.0
TOTAL REDUCTIONS COUNTED TOWARDS 2020 TARGET — 174
*Million Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent emissions. Source (PDF), page 2, update to Proposed Scoping Plan (PDF), Table 2, page 17 (PDF page 37). Charts source (PDF).
CARB Chairman Mary Nichols (far left) and board members Barbara Riordan and Dr. Daniel Sperling at the December 2007 meeting in El Monte that set the 2020 emissions limit at 427 MMTCO2E.
CARB's senior staff, led by Chuck Shulock (far left), at a July public workshop during development of the Scoping Plan.
Dr. Steven Chu
Another to bookmark: Dr. Steven Chu's presentation on climate change impacts, energy efficiency, and advanced renewable energy technologies — photovoltaics and biofuel grasses — at the National Energy Summit in Nevada last summer demonstrates what an excellent choice he is to be Obama's Energy Secretary (via Gristmill).
