AUGHTIES MOMENTS TO REMEMBER

Top 10 environmental moments of the decade
Constance Cheng, December 28, 2009 (CNN)

"What a difference a decade makes. Since [2000, there has been]…a marked shift toward all things green in politics, technology and perhaps most importantly, society…[There is a wide] understanding of climate change…[and has] started to change the way more us live our lives…10 environmental developments…defined this…green decade…

"…[1] In 2001, the Toyota Prius became the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle to be sold worldwide. It heralded the beginning of an era…Industry insiders called it a game-changer…[M]ore than one million Priuses have been sold worldwide, and other major manufacturers [are developing] their own hybrid and electric-only vehicles…[2]
December's U.N. summit on climate change held in Copenhagen, Denmark garnered unprecedented attention…[T]he accord that was reached fell short of the expectation of nearly every interested party…"

The 2001 Toyota Prius changed the game forever. (click to enlarge)

"…[3] Al Gore's 2006 "An Inconvenient Truth" has its place in history. The film was instrumental in spreading the message of climate change…[and] was one of the highest grossing documentaries of all time…[I]t has been maligned by some critics for "fear-mongering." …Yet despite its doomsday scenarios, it explained the basics of climate change to an audience that till then had no access…[and] brought Al Gore…the Nobel Peace Prize…[4] Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) brought environmentalism into the home…[Producers overcame initial objections and early technical problems] and in 2007, sales of CFLs reached record heights worldwide. Australia has already implemented a ban of traditional incandescent light bulbs while the European Union and Canada are also phasing out the old bulbs…[T]he average CFL uses 75 percent less energy…a $30 saving which would pay for itself in 6 months. It was an important coup for the environmental movement, but green groups now say much more needs to be done…

"…[5] Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a string of deadly hurricanes devastating Haiti in 2008 and the heat wave in Europe in 2003, just some examples that this decade was plagued by wild weather…[C]limate change may…[make] ordinary [or extreme] weather events…more extreme…Recently, the U.N.'s weather agency said that this decade was the hottest on record…[6] Growing awareness for the environment meant that noughties vocabulary included words like "carbon footprint," "carbon neutral" and "greenwashing." Perhaps the most significant step was when they were accepted into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2007…"

About the time "September 11" is taking its place in history alongside Pearl Harbor and Custer's Last Stand, global climate change may be reaching anthropological proportion. (click to enlarge)

"…[7] In 2007…in Paris…The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued the first scientific consensus on climate change, which included an unprecedented acknowledgement that it was "very likely" that climate change was caused by human activity. The report went on to project a temperature rise of 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius and a sea-level rise of between 28 to 43 cm by the end of the century…[8] [A] healthy mix of existing technologies especially in the renewable energy sector will [likely] be enough to significantly cut emissions. Wind, solar, hydro all saw significant support in the past ten years…In 2008, global power capacity from renewables topped 280,000 MW…That is three times more than what nuclear power plants in the United States currently produce…India and China are now among the leaders in the installation and manufacture of renewable energy. In 2008, China's wind power capacity doubled for the fourth year running…[S]olar technology had a few key breakthroughs including improved energy yields (it now tops 20 percent) and the creation of ultra-thin solar panels…

"…[9] In 2006, [British economist Sir Nicholas Stern and] former vice president of the World Bank issued a 700-page report calculating the cost of climate change to the world's economy. Green groups called the report a wake-up call for governments…The report estimated that climate change would cost at least 5 percent of global GDP annually, now and forever. The worst case scenario would be 20 percent a year ($7 trillion)…The UN Framework Convention for Climate Change suggests that climate change could cost between $70 to $100 billion by 2030..[10] Carbon trading, also known as "cap and trade," became a hotly debated policy that many hope will help counter climate change. Using free-market principals and government regulation, participants in cap and trade schemes buy and sell permits to emit carbon dioxide. Governments limit the amount of emissions allowed and slap heavy fines on those who exceed those limits. Reducing the amount of permits issued over time should then reduce pollution levels…There are also questions over regulation and accounting…It's a complex and controversial issue but one that looks set to a key feature of mainstream climate change solutions…"