CARMA, an Online Database - Find Out How Much CO2 Your Local Power Plant Produces

Internet (TGW) – The Center for Global Development has compiled an online database of the CO2 emissions of 50,000 power plants across the world.

The database is named CARMA, for Carbon Monitoring for Action. The database can be found at http://www.carma.org.

A research team led by David Wheeler put together the information to rank individual power plants.

"CARMA makes information about power-related CO2 emissions transparent to people throughout the world," says Dr. Wheeler, an expert in the use of public information disclosure to reduce pollution. "Information leads to action. We know that this works for other forms of pollution and we believe it can work for greenhouse gas emissions, too."

"We expect that institutional and private investors, insurers, lenders, environmental and consumer groups and individual activists will use the CARMA data to encourage power companies to burn less coal and oil and to shift to renewable power sources, such as wind and solar," Dr. Wheeler says.

The database has a huge potential for individual activists and activist groups.

"CARMA is unique, one of a kind--a world standard," says CGD president Nancy Birdsall. "Never before has this kind of detailed information been made available on a global scale. Not only is it likely to catalyze action to cut emissions now, it also strengthens the knowledge base for monitoring any future international market-based agreement, whether a carbon tax or cap-and-trade. Let us hope it speeds the way to an agreement -- which matters immensely for the well-being of hundreds of millions of people in developing countries."

Via :: Science Daily