How low can the carbon go? Mass. leaders want to develop low carbon fuel standards
By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
Massachusetts leaders today pledged to develop limits on how much carbon can be in gasoline, diesel and heating fuel – an ambitious initiative aimed at dramatically reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
The move is the latest in the state's efforts to establish itself as a national leader, by limiting power plant emissions, investing in clean energy and reducing pollution from vehicle tailpipes.
“Only one other state has done this – California,’’ said Ian Bowles, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary. We are “collectively frustrated with the federal government. Massachusetts is taking a leadership role.”
The announcement by Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi came as the state released a 96-page Advanced Biofuels Task Force Report. The report suggests ways to aggressively pursue biofuels and research in the region, including setting standards for how much carbon should be in fuel.
A substitute for traditional liquid petroleum products, biofuels are derived from renewable sources such as corn, soy, switch grass, agricultural waste, wood and waste oil. They have come under sharp scrutiny in the last year because they can emit more greenhouse gases than traditional fuels if their entire lifecycle is analyzed. There are also worries that production of wide-spread biofuels could push out other crops needed for food around the world.
The report suggests “advanced fuels” – those that come from non-food sources and emit less greenhouse gases during their lifecycle than petroleum, offer the greatest potential for reducing carbon in fuel. Other options for vehicles include all-electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cells. Bowles said the state would only pursue fuels that really give a benefit to the environment.
The state is not pursing biofuels alone. Taking the lead from a landmark regional pact to reduce power plant emissions that starts next year, Massachusetts will ask other Northeast states and Canadian provinces to join in, create a regional cap for carbon in fuel.
“A Low Carbon Fuel Standard is the next step in encouraging the growth of our clean energy sector,’’ said Governor Patrick. “We get our fuels from a regional market, so the best way to encourage alternatives to petroleum is through a regional approach.”
Environmentalists applauded the move.
“This is a critical step in addressing the largest and fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions, and it needs to play out on the regional stage,’’ said Seth Kaplan, vice president for climate advocacy for the Conservation Law Foundation.
Even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the announcement.
“I applaud Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick and Legislative leaders for taking bipartisan action to fight global warming today by adopting a Low Carbon Fuel standard modeled after California’s,” Schwarzenegger said.
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“Only one other state has done this – California,’’ said Ian Bowles, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary.
GAS IS $4.49/g in CA. Real good idea morons...
This is a great idea. Another would be to really invest in public transit (make the silver bus a rail line and have it continue past Dudley, make the fairmount line a rapid transit line like the D line, really start moving on the somerville green line extension, extend the blue line to lynn north and west to kenmore and watertown) and destroy storrow highway and replace with bike & walk lanes and trees.
John says - "destroy storrow highway and replace with bike & walk lanes and trees"
Who wouldn't want more trees to hug...
We will sit in traffic for hours, our cars idling, burning all of that $5/gallon gas.
What is wrong with this state? I can't wait for the new corrupt midget (Deval) to move on...
Beautiful, we can contribute to food riots in Haiti AND make Massachusetts less attractive to businesses. Now that’s thinking globally and acting locally.
Nice to see folks completely absorbed with how much the price of gasoline rather than focusing their energy on alternatives. As long as I can fill up it SUV for cheap -the world's alright with me. Come on folks, we can be better.
Gas is more expensive in CA, but not $4.49 a gallon. I was in the SF bay area (the most expensive gas in the state) this past weekend and gas was anywhere from $3.77 a gallon (outside SF) to $4.15 a gallon (in SF). Get your facts straight.
Destroy storrow? Let's come up with good ideas, not unrealistic dumb ones. How about people carpool more often? I see so many people driving alone in their cars which wastes time and energy and money. We're more individualistic than we've ever been it seems.
It would make more sense if other New England States and New York would also take part in it. Otherwise, Massachusetts residents pay, and with prevailing westerly winds, New York and CT send their dirty air towards us, and Massachusetts gets tailpiped again.
No doubt a new fuel blend will add to the cost per gallon. Thanks Deval.
Biofuels are the perfect answer for Massachusetts heating fuel needs.
Between all the BS and Hot Air coming out of Beacon Hill, we have enough biofuel resources to heat all of New England.
This is stupid. I have been in the energy conservation industry for more than 15 years. How about applying conservation everywhere and actually funding MBTA so it works. I have been taking the commuter rail for 5 years and this is the worst. They put no money into maintenance. They just line their pockets. Get Mass politicians OUT of the picture and things work well.
And after we're done with destroying Storrow Highway lets all ride our bikes to the common, hold hands and sing Kumbayah (don't worry, we'll substitute "my word" for "my lord" so as not to be offensive). Then lets go plant daisies and talk about how we all "hope" that everyone will be as enlightened as us one day.
And then, oh yeah... it's just us enlightened kids because we forgot that there are a few million other people in the state that don't live within spitting distance of public transportation and *gasp* have to use those awful automobiles - I think we might have actually seen some of them building that rapid transit line.
Oh well, we'll worry about the peasants who actually have to work for a living tomorrow. Lets plant more daisies and talk about how we're going to spend that trust fund! Together we can!
More bike trails would be nice. I could bike to work and not have to go to a gym for exercise after work.
Speaking as a biker, There's absolutely no need to destroy Storrow highway. There's bike paths all along both sides of the Charles, pretty much mimicking Storrow.
What they should do is extend the minuteman bike path from its current endpoint in Davis all the way to the river. Almost all of the land needed for this is abandoned train tracks.
I think we should devote our attention to long and short term alternatives to gas, diesel, and home heating oil especially. A lot of people are going to need help in this area especially the retired. Commuting costs? Suck them up or look to car pool.
Cadillac Deval will simply retire to his mansion in the Berkshires while the rest of us live out his dream. I can't wait to be forced to ride my bike along what was Storrow Drive in the ice of February. Forty mile an hour winds, the paths not plowed, and some Boston City cop writing tickets for cyclists who peddle too slowly or park their bikes more that 3.74 inches from the curb.
Get your facts straight. Gas is $4.99/g in CA.
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