One policy proposed for
Brazil involves adopting energy efficiency requirements for new commercial
buildings. The requirements would be slightly amended for different regions of
Brazil to account for changes in climate. A vital part of this policy would be
training architects, engineers, and builders in how to create an energy
efficient building.
Another
proposal is for limits on fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions for new
passenger vehicles. There are currently no fuel efficiency requirements for new
passenger vehicles; consequently, the efficiency is at an average of about 23.5
miles per gallon. This policy would require a 40% reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions for new passenger vehicles sold in Brazil.
While
wind power has been used in Brazil, it is not widespread. Due to many setbacks,
such as a lack of regulations, it didn’t become popular in Brazil during the
1990s like it did in other countries. A policy called PROINFA set a goal of
renewable energy accounting for 10% of total energy supply by 2022;
consequently, many wind farms were proposed and are under development.
There are many more policies proposed for Brazil, such as setting standards for efficiency of appliances; utilizing more renewable methods other than hydroelectricity; and converting sugar cane into ethanol to be used as fuel.
The
Obama Administration plans to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
Although there are already limits on the amount of arsenic, mercury, and lead
emissions, there are no restrictions on carbon pollution. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has been tasked with setting standards for both new and
existing power plants.
Similar
to Brazil, the Obama Administration has proposed increasing standards on fuel
economy. Two years ago the first fuel economy standards were finalized, to be
put in place in 2014. These standards will apply to trucks, buses, and vans,
and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 270 million tons.
Furthermore, all new passenger vehicles must have a minimum of 54.5 miles per
gallon by 2025.
To
reduce other greenhouse gas emissions, the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will
be decreased. Using incentives to get automakers to reduce the HFC leakage and use the less harmful
HFCs will aid in this reduction. The EPA will also aid in approving more
environmentally friendly chemicals as a substitute for HFCs.
Other proposed policies include installing hydroelectric generators in new and existing dams; giving loans to businesses and start-ups for developing green technology; and using corn to make ethanol to be used as fuel.
However, the Obama Administration is not only focused on renewable energy. When looking at this infographic, it is clear that they are more focused on becoming less dependent on foreign oil. It is also misleading; when looking at the Figure 1 (shown below), it seems as though utilization of renewable energy has become popular and a widely-used method across the nation. But when compared to Figure 2 (taken from eia.gov), it is clear that renewable energy (the green data points) as barely increased over the years while fossil fuels have steadily increased, with the exception of the past 7 years or so. Granted, there are no units shown on the y-axis, so it is difficult to fully analyze this graph. Nevertheless, it is clear that although wind power utilization has increased from 2008, it accounts for less than 1% of total energy used. If oil and fossil fuels were shown on the graph in Figure 1, the data would be off the charts.
Figure 1: Graphic from The Obama Energy Agenda
Figure 2: Graphic from eia.gov - Monthly Energy Review
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