Emission bills would impact little

Every day, we find global warming stories in our newspapers exhorting us to cut our carbon emissions to save the earth.

What's missing is how much we must reduce these emissions and at what cost.

There are three bills in the Senate -- Bingaman-Specter, Lieberman-McCain and Kerry-Snowe -- that if implemented will require massive cut in CO2 emissions.

The Kerry-Snow offering requires emissions should be no greater than 35 percent of our 1990 levels by 2050. Senators Bingaman and Specter requested the EPA analyze these bills and estimate the net impact each will have in moderating the rise of carbon dioxide concentrations and global warming.

The EPA study showed that by taking no action, CO2 concentrations in 2050 would reach about 505 ppm, up from 2007's level of about 385. If implemented, the Kerry-Snowe bill, with complete international cooperation, which incidentally would exempt China and India from taking any action until 2025, would reduce the concentrations to approximately 460 ppm, down about 45 ppm.

What does that mean for you and me? The per capita emissions in the U.S. are and have been about 20 tons/person/year. With the Census Bureau forecasting U.S. population to reach 420 million in 2050, we would have to limit average emissions to no more than 4.1 tons per person, a reduction of 79 percent from today's levels.

And how much effect will this potentially catastrophic reduction have on global warming? According to the landmark study by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Dr. T.M.L. Wigley, we can expect a temperature reduction of about .1 degree centigrade for a 40-ppm reduction.

This is the information that the public is not getting.

Joe H. Heater

Palatine