NOV 19

The Climate Group and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative published a report called Smart 2020: Enabling the Low Carbon Economy in the Information Age that outlines how the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector can dramatically cut global emissions and energy costs by 2020.

The report sees the potential for a global reduction in emissions of 15 percent and energy efficiency savings of $946.5 billion through five key components.

1. Smart motor systems: optimized motors and industrial automation
2. Smart logistics: increases in transport and storage efficiency
3. Smart buildings: better design, management and automation technologies
4. Smart grid: better monitoring and management of electricity grids
5. Dematerialization: e-commerce, e-government and videoconferencing replacing physical products and meetings

The report concedes that the growth of ICT will double its carbon footprint by 2020, but it has the ability to cut emissions in other sectors by up to five times that amount.

In the U.S. special section (PDF) of the report, released just yesterday, the groups claim that ICT solutions could cut U.S. emissions by up to 22 percent and save up to $240 billion in energy costs. The technology already exists to achieve these savings, but it will take changes in government policy to implement them on a large scale and quickly.

This report, along with many others that outline the road to carbon reduction, stresses the importance of a smart grid above all else. Obama reaffirmed his commitment to environmental policy again yesterday, but let's hope that the advisers who have his ear are convincing him of the need for a national grid.

Comments (4)

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New PR?!
written by Skyler, November 19, 2008

Nobody is going to care what they have to say when you're blinded by trying to read white on yellow.

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The soon to open US depression will do a
written by fuller, November 19, 2008

The coming Great US Depression v2.0 will do a much better job of throttling carbon emissions than any cockamamie designed by committee carbon reduction initiatives.

Unfortunately, the colateral damage inflicted on other nations is also significant, but it does give the planet its best shot for a long time.

The depression will give other countries a chance to reverse the damage by implementing LCT (Low Carbon Tech) without subversion and interference from the US.

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: (
written by Clinch, November 20, 2008

Yet another useless buzzword-filled report on how the world could be slightly greener in the future.

Or is this one different from the others, and has not only plans how to bring about these changes, but are also investing money in doing so?
No? Thought not.

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Green, Green, Green
written by Jim Peden, November 21, 2008

I think if I hear the word "Green" one more time, I'll probably puke. Never in the history of civilization have more scientifically illiterate people been mislead by things like "Climate Crisis", or "Global Warming".

Global Warming effectively ended in 1998, and there never was a "Climate Crisis". Producing ethanol from corn uses up more fossil energy than the resultant ethanol can supply. Have we become a nation of idiots?

See http://www.middlebury.net/op-e...ng-01.html .

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