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Global warming potential is measured by the IPCC over three time
periods: 20, 100 and 500 years. While Kyoto policymakers set the
current standard for calculating emissions over the 100 year
impact, the IPCC states the choice of time period is a policy
decision, not a scientific one. The attached document speaks more
to the background of why GHG emissions can be evaluated over any
of these three timelines and why the 20-year timeline is essential
to moving climate solutions forward. 

I urge the California Air Resources Board to consider both the 100
and 20 year time periods in your GHG calculations. This means
recalculating only the non-CO2 emissions in your inventory since
CO2 emissions are normalized as 1 across all time periods. The
benefits of this approach are tremendous. We have little time to
make substantial changes across all sectors of our economy. Short
term reductions of potent GHG emissions will essentially buy us
precious time to make the longer term reductions needed in CO2
emissions from transportation and energy use. These reductions
offer more "bang for the buck" at a time when every penny counts.


Paramount to short term emission reductions is eliminating methane
releases from landfills. A commitment to ending the practice of
sending organic materials - yard trimmings, food scraps and paper
products - to landfills will eliminate potent methane emissions.
Methane is 72 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year time
period, and will comprise a much larger percentage of overall GHG
emissions when evaluated over the short term. Again, looking at
the whole picture through a short and long term scope gives a more
accurate view of what is needed to move us forward, quickly and
efficiently.

Investing in composting infrastructure to keep these organic
materials out of landfills will also yield carbon storage
benefits. Soil is one of our largest carbon stores, yet we have
rapidly depleted its carbon content over the past 150 years of
industrialized farming. Soil holds more carbon than the atmosphere
or biomass (see www.cool2012.org) and replenishing soil carbon
stocks by applying compost from otherwise landfilled organic
materials is a no-brainer climate solution. 

This opportunity to achieve substantial emission reductions in the
near term is a must for local and national climate strategies. I
urge California to be a leader in evaluating both the short and
long term impacts of our GHG emissions and implementing strategies
to address both needs.   

Original File Name: methane20yearimpactecocycle.pdf

Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-07-29 09:44:12