Iowa Global Warming

WASHINGTON — Representative Henry A. Waxman of California ousted Representative John D. Dingell of Michigan from his post as chairman of the influential Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday, giving President-elect Barack Obama an advantage in his plans to promote efforts to combat global warming.

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By LIZ SIDOTI
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Calling climate change an urgent challenge, President-elect Barack Obama promised Tuesday that Washington would take a leading role in combating it in the United States and throughout the world. “My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change,” Obama said in a video message to governors and others attending a Los Angeles summit on the issue.

In the roughly four-minute message, Obama reiterated his support for a cap-and-trade system approach to cutting green house gases. He would establish annual targets to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them another 80 percent by 2050. Obama also promoted anew his proposal to invest $15 billion each year to support private sector efforts toward clean energy.

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Ames, Ia. – Steve Schainker sometimes makes his rounds as Ames city manager in a two-seater Zenn, an electric car.

The tiny vehicle, plugged in to an electrical outlet behind City Hall, tops out at 25 mph and gets 35 miles to a charge. It is one of the more visible elements of an EcoSmart program designed to save fuel and to cut carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change.

Ames is one of 34 Iowa cities that have pledged to create strong local policies and programs to reduce global warming. From Shenandoah to Cedar Falls to Davenport to Des Moines, cities large and small are overhauling vehicle fleets, checking buildings for energy efficiency, and changing light fixtures to save money and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The efforts are paying dividends at the bank and in the air.

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