Experts to Utah: Climate change is real 4

If this happened any place else but Utah, it might not be worth noting, but in that state I believe it's progress:

A state blue ribbon task force on climate change stated emphatically Monday that humans are to blame for global warming and offered a slate of recommendations on ways Utah can fight the changes.

Glad that's settled!

This is somewhat surprising:

But one much-discussed option, developing nuclear power, was only on the B list of recommendations by the Blue Ribbon Advisory Council on Climate Change.

Dirty hippies!

Here are some highlights from the "high-priority" options to fight climate change:

* Develop significant amounts of renewable energy resources, with the state having a portfolio of renewable energy, energy development zones, tax credits and incentives for renewable energy, pricing and metering strategies, and research and development on energy.

* "Encourage carbon capture and sequestration technology," in which carbon dioxide from emitters like coal-burning power plants is caught before it can reach the smokestacks, then pumped into an underground storage area.

* "Develop and deploy advanced generation technology," with incentives for advanced fossil fuel technologies that yield a reduction of carbon emissions.

* "Improve efficiency and reduce CO2 (carbon dioxide) at existing electricity generation plants." Tactics could include retrofitting plants to capture CO2, retiring old plants and building new, low-carbon plants.

* Promote combined heat and power distributed generation.

* "Develop and implement aggressive mass transit strategy."

* Reduce vehicle idling and vehicle speed, to cut down on emissions.

* Have the state vehicle fleet take the lead in changes.

* Set voluntary efficiency targets for residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

* Improve building codes.

* Preserve open space and agricultural land, trying to protect forests.

* Promote production of biomass fuel.

Not bad.

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