CHARTS: 2008 ANNUAL REVENUE; CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS (Sources: Carbon Disclosure Project; Bloomberg).
The law also extends to emissions sources like Alcoa's Rockdale smelting plant, which produces 291,009 tons of aluminum per year.
Victoria, responsible for 23.8% of Australia's emissions, sources more than 90% of its energy from coal-fired power, including highly polluting brown coal.
Mr. Lee's spokeswoman, Christine Falvey, defended the city's "comprehensive methodology," which she said accounted for emissions sources within city limits and "within the city's ability to influence".
The Earth Networks system would be capable of real-time measurements at the national and even regional level, allowing regulators to more accurately pinpoint emissions sources.
The International Energy Agency reported last week that CCS, which is fitted to emissions sources to trap carbon, was being rolled out at a rate of just one project every year.
"I think collectively we as humanity have become more mature in this climate battle, and we understand collectively that we've got to turn off all the emissions sources in order to win," he said.
For one thing, with such a vast number of different emissions sources and no single method for measuring emissions, enforcing compliance becomes hard, tempting companies to fudge the numbers.
The Clean Air Act provides that pollution sources are controlled under "state implementation plans," approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, that bring a state's emissions sources into line with national air quality standards.
The development of carbon capture technology for power plants and other large emissions sources has made significant strides in recent years, and the federal stimulus package included billions of dollars for research and demonstration projects.
That is partly because the treaty left out big emissions sources such as deforestation (see article), but also because potential participants were put off by the idea of internationally binding commitments.Australia has proposed another route.
