This document discusses several environmental stories and issues to watch in 2009, including the economic stimulus and how green it is, renewable energy costs, climate change legislation, coal use and emissions by state, China's role and emissions compared to the US, illegal logging, and unsustainable practices. It provides links to related news articles, data sources, images and more to explore these topics in further depth.

1. Environmental Stories to Watch: 2009 Jonathan Lash World Resources Institute February 20, 2009 Global Vision for a Sustainable Earth Practical Solutions for People

2. The Financial Crisis is Topic A

3. #$%!

4. Beth Rooney for The New York Times People Are Angry

5. How Green Is Our Stimulus?

7. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123448815417580333.html

8. http://www.coal-is-dirty.com/files/images/blogentry/wind-power.jpg http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/geothermal-power-project-wairakei-nz693.jpg Geothermal heating/cooling = 0.5-2 U.S. cents/kilowatt-hour On-shore wind = 5-8 U.S. cents/kilowatt-hour Concentrating solar thermal power = 12-18 U.S. cents/kilowatt-hour http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3791

9. Will Congress Answer The 6 billion Ton Question?

10. Source : IPCC AR4

11. “ Delay is no longer an option.” “… start with a federal cap and trade system …[with] annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them an additional 80 percent by 2050.” http://www.barackobama.com/photos/

12. Climate Bills 2006

13. 2 Years Later

15. http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/coal12.jpg

16. “ Gang of 16” Democrats Carl Levin & Debbie Stabenow (MI) Robert Byrd & John D. Rockefeller IV (WV) Blanche Lincoln & Mark Pryor (AR) Jim Webb (VA) Evan Bayh (IN) Claire McCaskill (MO) Sherrod Brown (OH) Benjamin Nelson (NE) Jeff Bingaman (NM) Kent Conrad & Byron Dorgan (ND) Ken Salazar (CO) Tim Johnson (SD) Data from Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) http://cait.wri.org/

17. States where Coal is 60% or more of electricity fuel mix C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Data from Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) http://cait.wri.org/

18. States with the lowest average electricity costs* C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C *refers to states whose residents pay 7 Cents or lower retail per Kilowatt hour Data from EIA Data from Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) http://cait.wri.org/

19. Blame China? Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP Cyclists pass a factory in Yutian in China's north-west Hebei province.

20. China – Priority Or Problem ?

21. FIRST TRIP AGENDA IN CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, & INDONESIA

22. Source: WRI/www.cait.org Source: WRI/www.cait.org Emissions: China United States

23. Minister of National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping at a press conference in Beijing on November 27.[china.org.cn] NDRC reveals details of stimulus package Source: China Daily 11-27-2008 16:58

24. Big Bust For Bad Wood ?

25. State of the World’s Forests Intact - 21% Working - 32% Lost - 47% Areas with weak forest governance & probability of illegal logging is highest Source: WRI

26. Ikonos image – Cameroon Cloud Illegal logging road Wetland area

27. Ikonos image – Cameroon Cloud Illegal logging road Wetland area Fallen tree

28. Ikonos image – Cameroon Cloud Illegal logging road Wetland area Fallen tree

29. What Can’t Be Sustained Won’t Be Source: WRI, CAIT http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-e/wah20-e/1-2.htm

30. www.wri.org