good news for the climate

In all-star day for, well, the world, the European Union announced the creation of a binding target for the implementation of renewable energy including solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. According to the BBC:

The 27 EU states will each decide how they contribute to meeting a 20% boost overall in renewable fuel use by 2020.The measures could include a ban on filament light bulbs by 2010, forcing people to switch to fluorescent bulbs....It is thought the EU could offer to extend its 20% target for emissions cuts to 30% if other heavy polluters like the US, China and India come on board.

The EU's agreement will have a large net impact on climate change and will hopefully force the rest of the industrialized world into taking more considerable action to combat global warming.

Meanwhile, President Bush signed a deal today with President Lula de Silva of Brazil to cooperare on the development of ethanol from sugar cane. According to SmartMoney.com, "the two nations intend to help third countries, beginning in Central America and the Caribbean, to stimulate private investment for local production and consumption of biofuels." Unfortuntely, President Bush stopped short of reviewing tariffs on imports of ethanol.

While the United States is now officially lagging behind Europe in the development of renewable energy, the ethanol agreement might be a step in the right direction. Furthermore, we may see more positive developments come 2008 when the Bush administration is out of office. Meanwhile, write your congressional representative, copy this story, and tell them that you want the House to debate binding targets for renewable energy.