Iowa DNR News
Environmental Services Division
 
For immediate release                                                                                   Dec. 21, 2007 
 
ICCAC DETERMINES PRELIMINARY REPORT FOR 2008 GENERAL ASSEMBLY
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Jason Marcel, Supervisor, Emissions Inventory, at (515) 281-4873.
 
URBANDALE—In its preliminary statement to the Iowa Legislature, the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council (ICCAC) will report goals for greenhouse gas reduction scenarios at 50 percent and 90 percent by 2050. 
 
The goals will help Iowans take action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, are believed to contribute to climate change and resulting temperature and rainfall fluctuations. 
 
Although many other states are using 1990 as a baseline year, ICCAC members agreed to set 2005 as the baseline due to the greater accuracy of the greenhouse gas pollution data. More accurate data will provide a better picture of reduction efforts.
 
Years 2012 and 2020 were selected as interim target dates, but members refrained from setting actual interim reduction targets until policies and actions could be studied and deliberated. State Senator Robert Hogg advocated setting targets: “We need immediate guidance to flatten out greenhouse gas emissions quickly and then cut deeper,” he said.
 
“We have an array of scientific and technological solutions that can help us make the needed changes in our uses of fossil fuels,” said Richard Leopold, DNR Director. “As the council members look at more than 400 policy options, I look forward to seeing their concrete recommendations for policy and actions that can be accomplished economically in the next two to five years.” 
 
Hogg also argued for broad-range goals to anticipate what would be learned down the road, both in feasibility and with new and emerging technology.
 
“We made good progress on goal-setting,” summarized Chairman Jerald Schnoor after the meeting. Schnoor is also co-director of the U of I College of Engineering’s Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research. “Going forward, we’ll look at steep cuts to make the 50 and 90 percent reductions, concentrating on near- and medium-term goals.”
 
Check the council’s Web site at www.iaclimatechange.us/ for more information about its recommendations and work.
 
Written by Mindy Kralicek
 
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