Humanity is running out of time to stop the most dangerous impacts of global warming. But there is still hope. The Way Forward on Global Warming provides a substantive and strategic roadmap for rejuvenating the climate protection movement and achieving concrete reductions in global warming pollution through the pursuit of clean energy policies, mainly at the local and state levels.

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Ten northeastern states created the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) as a tool to cut global warming pollution and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In its two years of operation, it has succeeded in promoting clean energy development and demonstrated that a market for global warming pollution allowances can function smoothly. It needs a lower cap on pollution to deliver the cuts in global warming pollution the region needs. (June 2011)

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Maryland has committed to reducing its emissions of global warming pollution by 25 percent by 2020 - reducing the state's dependence on fossil fuels and doing its share to prevent the most dangerous impacts of global warming. However, the state is thus far falling behind in taking the actions needed to achieve those emission reductions. Too Little, But Not Too Late tracks the state's progress in curbing global warming pollution and calls for renewed effort to put Maryland on track to a clean energy future. (June 2011)

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Patterns of extreme weather are changing in the United States, and climate science predicts that further changes are in store. Global Warming and Extreme Weather reviews the latest science linking global warming to expected changes in flooding, snowfall, drought, heat waves, wildfires and hurricanes, and highlights recent extreme weather events across the United States that illustrate the costs of inaction on global warming. (September 2010)

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In February 2010, the Obama administration announced that it would help finance two new nuclear reactors at the Vogtle nuclear power station in Georgia, offering an $8.33 billion loan guarantee to Georgia Power (a subsidiary of Southern Company) and two other companies invested in the project. This report concludes that this loan is an expensive gamble. New nuclear reactors are not cheap, not clean, and will set America back in the race against global warming. Most importantly, they are not necessary. Clean energy technologies can begin cutting global warming pollution right away, do so at lower cost and with less risk, and will create more jobs in the process. (June 2010)

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America’s dependence on oil threatens our economy and harms our environment. The Obama administration unveiled new standards for automobile fuel economy and global warming emissions—based on the “clean cars program” developed by California and adopted by 13 other states—that will make a significant contribution toward reducing America’s dependence on oil and reducing the impact of our vehicles on the environment. The new standards will reduce gasoline consumption by as much as 11.6 billion gallons per year in 2016, save consumers up to $31.8 billion annually at the pump in 2016, and reduce global warming pollution from vehicles by 108 million metric tons per year in 2016. (April 2010)

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Even during the Bush administration, when the federal government stood in the way of action to address global warming, state governments were taking innovative steps to promote clean energy and reduce global warming pollution. America on the Move shows that those efforts – combined with recent actions taken by the Obama administration – are significant on a global scale, and will reduce global warming pollution in 2020 by more than 500 million metric tons per year. These broad and ambitious efforts by the states are evidence that America is ready to embrace necessary reductions in global warming emissions. (December 2009)

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The nuclear industry has worked tirelessly over the last decade to position itself as a solution to global warming. However, Generating Failure concludes that nuclear power is too slow and too expensive for the job. To do its part in the fight against global warming, America must cut power plant emissions roughly in half over the next 10 years. Building new nuclear reactors could contribute little or nothing to this effort, since only a handful of new reactors –- if any –- could be operational within the next decade. Meanwhile, building new reactors would cost billions of dollars, diverting resources from more cost-effective energy strategies. Moreover, nuclear power is not necessary to provide clean, carbon-free electricity for the long haul. (November 2009)

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For decades, America’s global warming pollution from fossil fuel use has been on the rise. But this trend is starting to change in some states—in part because of the move to clean energy. Too Much Pollution shows that emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading global warming pollutant, increased by 19 percent in the United States from 1990 to 2007. Nationally, the rate of emissions growth has slowed in recent years, and emissions peaked in many states in 2004 and 2005. Seventeen states saw declines in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use between 2004 and 2007. (November 2009)

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Oregon has already taken several major steps to cut its global warming pollution, but opportunities to further reduce emissions remain. Global Warming Solutions: A Progress Report summarizes the state of the science and the necessary scope of pollution reductions. It then provides a progress report on Oregon’s work to reduce global warming pollution by detailing the expected pollution reductions from policies that Oregon has already adopted, and, finally, identifies six additional policies that would enable Oregon to meet its pollution reduction goals for 2020. (March 2009)

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Global warming poses a serious threat to the future of Ohio's environment and economy, and the health and welfare of its citizens. Unchecked, global warming could shift Lake Erie's shoreline, deplete fishing stocks, cut forest cover, threaten many economically important species of plants and animals, cause dangerous flooding, and worsen health problems many Ohioans already face. What's At Stake details Ohio's global warming problems and describes policy solutions to help the state avoid the worst impacts of climate change. (December 2008)

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As Western states consider plans to reduce global warming pollution, a key question is whether the region will give away emission allowances created in any “cap-and-trade” program for reducing global warming pollution or sell them in an auction. Fair Deal for Consumers or Free Ride for Polluters? lays out the case for auctioning allowances in any Western global warming cap-and-trade system, documenting the economic and environmental benefits of auctions. (September 2008)

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The growing threat of global warming, air and water pollution, and rising energy costs are a few of the many problems that result from our current over-reliance on petroleum-based transportation fuels. Alternative transportation fuels, in conjunction with an array of other energy-related strategies, have the potential to help mitigate these problems—if public policy prioritizes those fuels that can deliver the greatest benefit for the environment and the American people. (July 2008)

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The latest climate science suggests that the United States must make deep cuts in its emissions of global warming pollution – on the order of 80 percent by 2050 – if we hope to prevent the worst consequences of global warming. Achieving that target will be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Global Warming Solutions that Work tells the story of cutting-edge efforts throughout the United States and around the world that are cutting global warming pollution and can serve as models for further action. (June 2008)

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America needs to dramatically ramp up its production of clean, renewable energy to address global warming. Solar thermal power plants – those that harvest the sun’s heat to generate electricity – can provide that energy. On the Rise shows that solar thermal power is already more cost-effective than zero-carbon sources of energy like nuclear power and coal with carbon sequestration and that solar thermal has the potential to provide vast amounts of round-the-clock electricity to help meet America’s energy needs. (May 2008)

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North Carolina could limit its contribution to global warming over the next 15 years by implementing policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks. Carbon dioxide pollution from cars and light trucks in North Carolina could increase by 12 percent from 2005 to 2020 unless action is taken to reduce emissions. Putting the Brakes on Global Warming finds that by implementing the Clean Cars Program as soon as possible, North Carolina could reduce carbon dioxide pollution from cars and light trucks by 10 percent below the levels that would be achieved under the recently improved federal fuel economy standards by 2020. (May 2008)

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Transportation is California’s largest source of global warming pollution and any strategies to achieve the state’s aggressive emission reduction targets must reduce pollution from cars and trucks. Getting California on Track describes seven strategies – from investments in public transportation and high-speed rail to measures to curb emissions from heavy-duty trucks – that the state can use to reduce global warming pollution from transportation. (Spring 2008)

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Recognizing the danger presented by global warming, in 2001 the New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers adopted a landmark commitment to reduce the region’s emissions of global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2010 and to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. An analysis of global warming emission data for 2005, the most recent year available, shows that New England is not on track to meet the targets for global warming pollution reductions set by the New England governors in 2001. However, the good news for New England is that global warming pollution fell slightly from 2004 to 2005—the first year-to-year decrease since 2001—and that several indicators suggest that the decrease in emissions continued and accelerated in 2006. (March 2008)

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Global warming poses a serious threat to Wisconsin’s future. The state has already begun to respond to the problem, but additional action is needed if Wisconsin is going to do its share to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. A Blueprint for Action describes 13 policy steps that, if taken, would reduce the state’s global warming emissions to 23 percent below 2006 levels by 2020. (January 2008)

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Global warming poses a serious threat to Colorado’s future. The state has already begun to respond to the problem, but additional action is needed if Colorado is going to do its share to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. A Blueprint for Action describes 16 policy steps that, if taken, would reduce the state’s global warming emissions to 23 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. (December 2007)

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Scientists expect that global warming will cause rainstorms and snowstorms to be more intense – increasing the risk of flooding and other impacts. When It Rains, It Pours evaluates trends in the frequency of storms with extreme levels of rainfall or snowfall across the contiguous United States over the last 60 years, finding that storms with extreme amounts of rain or snowfall are happening more often across most of America, consistent with the predicted impact of global warming. (December 2007)

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New Jersey and nine other northeastern states took a pioneering step to address global warming with adoption of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first regional cap-and-trade program for global warming pollution in the nation’s history. The RGGI agreement, however, gives individual states discretion over how to implement key parts of the program. Cutting Pollution, Cutting Costs describes how New Jersey can maximize the benefits of RGGI by auctioning pollution allowances and avoiding loopholes that would weaken the program. (October 2007)

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New England’s transportation system produces more global warming pollution than any other sector of the region’s economy. Cool Moves documents how New England’s public transportation systems are helping to reduce global warming pollution in the region, while also saving oil and providing a host of other benefits to the region. (Fall 2007)

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Transportation produces roughly 42 percent of Florida’s global warming pollution. The Benefits of Adopting the Clean Cars Program in Florida explains how Florida could reduce global warming emissions from passenger vehicles by adopting California’s clean car standards. By requiring advanced-technology vehicles—including hybrid-electric and eventually hydrogen vehicles—and establishing global warming pollution standards, the clean cars program could begin to reduce Florida’s contribution to global warming. (August 2007)

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Global warming poses a serious threat to Maryland’s future. The state has already begun to respond to the problem, but additional action is needed if Maryland is going to do its share to prevent the worst impacts of global warming, like inundation of parts of the Eastern Shore from rising seas. A Blueprint for Action describes nine policy steps that, if taken, would reduce the state’s global warming emissions to 23 percent below 2006 levels by 2020. (June 2007)

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“Cap and trade” programs are increasingly seen as a leading tool to reduce America’s emissions of global warming pollution. But while cap and trade can be an effective tool to reduce pollution at the lowest possible cost, the devil is in the details. Cleaner, Cheaper, Smarter addresses a critical choice policy-makers must make in designing a cap-and-trade program: the question of whether to give away pollution permits (called “allowances”) to polluters or to sell them in an auction. Auctioning allowances is a fairer, more efficient and more cost-effective solution than giving them away. (Summer 2007)

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Global warming poses a serious threat to the future of New Jersey’s environment, economy, and the health and welfare of its citizens. As explored in An Unfamiliar State, Global warming threatens to alter the coastline, increase extremes of rainfall and drought, raise smog levels in parts of the state, and shift the plant and animal species that call New Jersey home. However, if we act now, there is still time to prevent many of the worst impacts of global warming. New Jersey must do its share to reduce global warming pollution and set an example for other states and the nation to follow. (May 2007)

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While the Bush administration continues to resist efforts to reduce global warming pollution, many states are taking effective actions to address the threat—including the adoption of the “Clean Cars Program,” which sets limits on global warming pollution from cars, light trucks and SUVs. The 12 states that have adopted the Clean Cars Program will cut global warming pollution from cars, light trucks and SUVs by 74 million metric tons per year in 2020. The federal government should not interfere with the progress being made by these states and should grant California’s request for a Clean Air Act waiver so that the states can implement the Clean Cars Program. (May 2007)

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Wisconsin residents have a strong connection with the outdoors. Global warming, however, threatens many of the natural landscapes and outdoor activities that Wisconsin residents hold dear, including the composition and health of the state’s forests, pastimes such as ice fishing and cross-country skiing, and the future of the state’s dairy industry. An Unfamiliar State summarizes the latest scientific findings about the likely impacts of global warming on “Natural Wisconsin” and suggests ways the state can reduce the threat. (May 2007)

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Global warming poses a serious threat to Illinois’ future. Significant action is needed if Illinois is going to do its share to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. A Blueprint for Action describes 13 policy steps that, if taken, would reduce the state’s global warming emissions by 31 percent below projected levels by 2018. (January 2007)

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