By Sasha Williams

Kentucky has recently made changes which could lead to a reduction of overall greenhouse gases.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher has formed a Commonwealth Energy Task Force to address the issue of energy efficiency. In 2004, Fletcher signed Senate Bill 247, which allowed for individuals and companies to access renewable energy made up of solar electric systems. Also, LaJuana Wilcher, secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, stated that employees using the Transportation Cabinet’s fleet of vehicles are asked to use either E10 ethanol blend or B2 biodiesel blend whenever possible. These types of fuel are easier on the environment than regular gasoline.

Another change is the integration of the hybrid car into the state fleet. The hybrid is a vehicle that runs on a combination of electricity and gasoline and emits far less carbon dioxide than a normal car. In May, Fletcher announced that Toyota will begin production of a new hybrid version of the Camry in 2006 in their largest North American plant, which is located in Georgetown, Ky. Hybrids have never previously been manufactured in the United States.

W. Geoffrey Cobourn, a U of L professor of mechanical engineering, says promoting hybrids is a smart move for car companies. “U.S. automakers are really lagging behind on this,” he said. He also said he is glad that the gas-guzzling SUV craze has waned. He suggests one of the most important things people can do in their daily lives to reduce global warming is pay attention to fuel and energy efficiency.

Global warming occurs when greenhouse gas emissions, mostly carbon dioxide, are released into the Earth’s atmosphere. The emissions have no way to escape, so they form a thick layer of gas that heats up the core of the planet and warms the surface of the Earth. The main causes of global warming are deforestation and power plants and automobiles that both burn fossil fuels, scientists claim.

The most noticeable effects of global warming include melting glaciers, frequent draughts, wildfires and abnormally warm oceans which may affect the frequency and strength of hurricanes. According to the Enviornmental Protection Agency, average surface temperatures have increased 0.6 to 1.2 degrees since 1890. During the 1990s, global temperatures increased to their highest average in a century. It is estimated that Kentucky’s average temperature could increase 3 degrees by 2100.

In 2004, the top five global warming polluters were companies that owned coal-burning power plants. Three out of those five companies own power plants in Kentucky. According to Corp Watch, a group dedicated to holding corporations accountable for their actions, the annual carbon dioxide emissions for the American Electric Power Company/Electric American Power Service, Inc., were 171 billion tons. The Tennessee Valley Authority’s annual emissions were 110 million tons, and the Cinergy Corporation’s emissions were 70 million annually.

Kentucky receives over 90 percent of its electrical energy from coal, and residential electric usage is 28 percent higher than the national average, according to Wilcher.

U of L sophomore Brittney Garrett said that everybody should be part of the solution. “For any progress to be made, everyone has to be on board,” she said. Garrett also said she thinks that the government should have done something about global warming before now, but she doesn’t think it is the responsibility of one particular administration.

Cobourn believes that action will be taken eventually by the government. He said he thinks the United States will have to initiate some programs to lower greenhouse gas emissions due to international pressure and mounting scientific evidence.

However, not everyone is sold on the idea of global warming. The Web site http://www.globalwarming.org claims that it was created by the National Consumer Coalition to “dispel the myths of global warming by exposing flawed economic, scientific and risk analysis.” The site also states that only 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are man-made while the rest mostly comes from water vapor. However, Cobourn said there are few skeptics in the field of science.

“In the scientific community, there is practically no controversy about the existence of global warming,” he said.

Cobourn suggests that if people want to be part of the solution, they should insulate their houses, patch up any drafts, use compact fluorescent bulbs and replace aging appliances with high-efficiency ones.