{"id":29976,"date":"2022-06-22T22:32:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T22:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=29976"},"modified":"2022-06-26T03:59:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-26T03:59:09","slug":"heres-how-to-meet-bidens-2030-climate-goals-and-dramatically-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-todays-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/heres-how-to-meet-bidens-2030-climate-goals-and-dramatically-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-todays-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how to meet Biden\u2019s 2030 climate goals and dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions \u2013 with today\u2019s technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

John Reilly<\/a>, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unprecedented forest fires in the drought-stricken western United States<\/a>. Tropical storms and rising seas threatening the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Sizzling heat across large swaths of the country. As climate change unfolds before our eyes, what can the U.S. do to sharply and rapidly reduce its share<\/a> of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biden administration has committed<\/a> to reduce those emissions 50% by 2030 below 2005 levels. That\u2019s a critical first step of a global energy transition that must achieve net-zero<\/a> emissions by midcentury to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) and thereby avert the worst impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty years ago, I would have regarded the U.S. 2030 pledge as crazy talk. But a new study in the journal Science<\/a> that I co-authored, which compares results from six independent analyses conducted by academic, industry and nongovernmental organization researchers, lays out a road map to the 50% target that\u2019s both doable and affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what\u2019s changed since the early 2000s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Ramping up renewable energy production is crucial for the shift to electric vehicles to pay off. Sean Gallup\/Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Back then it seemed that without major policy measures, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions would continue to rise indefinitely. However, inexpensive natural gas and falling costs of solar and wind power, combined with some modest state and federal renewable energy programs, resulted in a more than 20% reduction<\/a> in annual emissions between 2005 and 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that reduction under our belts, reaching the 2030 target will require a further reduction of about 37% from current levels. That puts the target closer, but it\u2019s still a bigger drop in 10 years than the U.S. achieved over the past 15 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our study shows that by exploiting declining costs of zero- and low-carbon energy sources in a more aggressive and focused way, the U.S. can meet its target within eight years<\/a> \u2013 all while substantially reducing its dependence on fossil fuels, including high-priced gasoline<\/a>, and cutting back the air pollution, climate and health impacts resulting from their combustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new road map for the US energy transition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there are differences among the six analyses in our study<\/a>, all find that most of the needed emissions reductions \u2013 about 70% to 90% \u2013 can come from the electric power and transportation sectors. These can be achieved through a further transition to solar and wind power as costs for those technologies continue to drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar and wind can\u2019t do it all; we found that natural gas \u2013 some of it accompanied by technology that captures the carbon emissions released during its combustion \u2013 and nuclear power and hydropower can play supporting roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the needed emissions reductions \u2013 about 10% to 25% \u2013 can be achieved through a rapid transition to electric light-duty vehicles along with additional reductions from freight transportation. Our study shows that electric vehicles, which accounted for about 4% of new car sales<\/a> in the U.S. in 2021, would need to rise to between 34% and 100% of sales by 2030 to meet that target. That\u2019s a huge jump. But it now appears that battery costs<\/a> have fallen enough to allow production of EVs at a cost equivalent to that of conventional vehicles. Moreover, EVs are typically cheaper to operate and maintain, further reducing total ownership costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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