Mayors Challenge Use of Tar Sands Oil and Other High Carbon Fuels
by NRDC.org
The U.S. Conference of Mayors convened in Miami this weekend and adopted a resolution that challenges the use of high carbon fuels such as tar sands, liquid coal, and oil shale.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors convened in Miami this weekend and adopted a resolution that challenges the use of high carbon fuels such as tar sands, liquid coal, and oil shale. The resolution calls for the creation of guidelines and purchasing standards to help mayors understand the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the fuels they purchase.
MIAMI (June 23, 2008) - These unconventional and synthetic fuels are derived from
difficult-to-access, lower-grade raw materials, and production can emit
two-to-five times more global warming pollution than conventional oil.
The resolution:
- "In the last few years, U.S. mayors have come out as leaders on environmental initiatives, specifically in the fight to stop global warming," said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). "Mayors see their residents' needs every day, and they see the impact that global warming is going to have on their cities. That’s why over 850 mayors across the nation already have taken action on climate change. This resolution will help implement their commitment to fight global warming by giving mayors the information they need about dirty fuels such as tar sands oil.”
The resolution:
encourages fuel lifecycle emissions analyses that include emissions from production, not just from burning the fuel;supports Federal and State guidelines for tracking the origin of various types of fuel;encourages mayors to track and reduce lifecycle emissions from their cities’ municipal vehicles, paying special attention to the use of unconventional and synthetic fuels.
- "We don't want to spend
taxpayer dollars on fuels that make global warming worse," said Mayor
Kitty Piercy, of Eugene, Oregon, who submitted the resolution. "Tar
sands oil emits up to three times the greenhouse gases in the
production process per barrel as conventional oil production. Our
cities are asking for environmentally sustainable energy and not fuels
from dirty sources such as tar sands."
- "The mayors have once
again confirmed that they're serious about combating climate change,"
said Mayor Marty Blum of Santa Barbara, California. "Not only will we
give preference to clean, renewable energy sources, we are standing our
ground when it comes to synthetic petroleum-based fuels that exacerbate
global warming."
- "Global warming is the one of the most critical issues facing our cities," said Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, IA. "This resolution shows our willingness to take action to move forward - not backwards which is where fuels such as tar sands oil will take us."
The High Carbon Fuels Resolution was submitted by Mayor Piercy of Eugene, OR and co-sponsored by 10 other mayors:
Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, CA; Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines, IA; Mayor Marty Blum of Santa Barbara, CA; Mayor Jennifer Hosterman of Pleasanton, CA; Mayor Larry Nelson of Waukesha, WI; Mayor Douglas Palmer of Trenton, NJ; Mayor Roy Buol of Dubuque, IA; Mayor Christopher Cabaldon of West Sacramento, CA; Mayor Dan Coody of Fayetteville, AR; Mayor Will Wynn of Austin, TX; and Beverly Johnson of Alameda, CA.
The resolution is available at http://docs.nrdc.org/air/air_08062301A.pdf
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Josh Mogerman in Chicago, 312-780-7424; Elizabeth Heyd in Washington, DC 202/289-2424
If you are not a member of the press, please write to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or see our contact page
If you are not a member of the press, please write to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or see our contact page
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (0)

Write comment

Mister Wong
Digg
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Googlize this
Blinklist
Facebook
Wikio