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Obama's Climate Efforts In South Dakota

Federal officials are outlining efforts underway in each state to combat climate change.   Officials say South Dakota has seen direct impacts from the changing climate.   

The move follows President Barack Obama’s announcement on new efforts to curb global warming.   

SDPB’s Charles Michael Ray has more.
 

The federal report states that in 2011 South Dakota power plants and industrial facilities emitted more than five and a half million metric tons of carbon pollution.  That’s equal to the annual pollution from more than 1-million cars.   But the Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says carbon dioxide isn’t the only greenhouse gas – The feds are also working with dairy producers to reduce methane emissions.

“They have set as a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire supply chain by 25% by the year 2020.  We are assisting them in helping to finance anaerobic digesters that are capturing the methane and utilizing it to help produce electricity,” says Vilsack.  

President Obama says renewable energy use has doubled during his administration.    He is challenging the country to double it again.   Secretary Vilsack says rural states like South Dakota play an important part in the effort.

Vilsack says investments are being made in a range of renewable energy sources.  Including,  more than 80 projects across Western U.S. that are finding new ways to use forest byproducts for fuel.

“Using forests that have been devastated by climate change and Pine Bark Beetles infestations to covert that wood to energy,” says Vilsack.

Vilsack adds that investments are also being made in wind energy, and even in using the methane generated by livestock waste to create electricity.

The report also states South Dakota is getting hotter faster than other parts of the country.   While the average annual temperature increase in the United States is one degree Fahrenheit, in the Dakotas  temperature increases have been over five degrees Fahrenheit.   The report also notes the 11 disaster declarations in South Dakota since 2010.