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The report projects that Michigan will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions by the end of the century, particularly under a higher-emissions scenario. It highlights risks to public health from extreme heat and ozone pollution, as well as threats to the state's dairy and corn industries. To mitigate these effects, the document advocates for strengthening renewable energy standards, updating building codes, and implementing federal cap-and-trade and fuel economy policies.

The report projects that Minnesota will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural threats if current emissions trends continue. Under a high-emissions scenario, the state could see a 12°F increase in average summer temperatures by the end of the century, with Minneapolis-St. Paul experiencing nearly 70 days over 90°F per summer. These changes are expected to increase heat-related mortality, worsen air quality through higher ozone and particulate levels, and disrupt farming via heat stress and pest expansion. The document advocates for a transition to renewable energy, increased energy efficiency, and a federal cap-and-trade program to mitigate these risks.

The report projects that Ohio will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions if current emissions trends continue. It highlights severe risks to public health from heat waves and ozone pollution, and warns of crop and livestock stress. The document advocates for a transition to clean energy through stronger renewable electricity standards, updated building codes, and federal cap-and-trade legislation.

The report projects that Wisconsin will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions if current emissions trends continue. Under a high-emissions scenario, Milwaukee could see more than 55 days per summer over 90°F by the end of the century. The document advocates for a transition to clean energy through renewable electricity standards, energy efficiency, and federal cap-and-trade policies to mitigate these risks.

The report projects that Indiana will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions if heat-trapping emissions continue to rise. It highlights severe risks to public health from heat waves and poor air quality, and suggests that the state transition from its heavy reliance on coal-fired power to renewable energy and energy efficiency to mitigate these effects.

The report argues that RGGI's design, which caps emissions only for power plants within participating states, creates a price advantage for imported electricity from coal-heavy states like West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This 'leakage' is exacerbated by excess capacity in existing coal plants and planned transmission upgrades that facilitate power flow from west to east. The authors suggest that RGGI states should implement retail-level carbon caps, prohibit contracts with high-emission plants, and prioritize transmission projects aligned with climate goals to prevent the expansion of coal-based power.

The report warns that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) risks 'undercutting itself' because it only prices emissions from power plants within its region. This creates an economic incentive for electricity suppliers in RGGI states to import cheaper, carbon-intensive power from coal-producing states like West Virginia and Ohio. The document provides 'carbon math' showing that utilizing excess capacity from 15 existing coal plants could produce pollution 'three and a half times the cuts expected under the initiative,' and that six plants under construction nearby could emit pollution equal to '140 percent of RGGI’s reductions.' To prevent this 'leak,' the authors suggest capping the entire portfolio of local electricity suppliers, limiting contracts with polluting plants, and requiring suppliers to account for emissions from electricity produced outside the region.

The document lists 22 provisions of a U.S. energy bill that the authors claim fail to address global warming or oil dependence. Key criticisms include the provision of billions in subsidies to the nuclear and coal industries, the weakening of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and the reduction of state authority over liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and transmission lines.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the United States must stop building new coal plants without carbon capture and storage (CCS) to avoid locking in decades of high carbon emissions. The report recommends funding 5 to 10 commercial-scale CCS demonstration projects, implementing a strong economy-wide cap-and-trade program, and shifting federal R&D funding toward energy efficiency and renewable energy. It also highlights the severe environmental and health costs of the coal fuel cycle, specifically calling for a ban on mountaintop removal mining and the elimination of subsidies for coal-to-liquid technology. Internationally, the report advocates for sharing CCS technological lessons with developing nations, particularly China and India, to curb their expanding use of conventional coal.

The guide highlights that Americans' per capita emissions are 21 tons, four times the global average. It argues that while system-wide change is necessary, individual actions—such as improving vehicle fuel economy, sealing home air leaks, reducing beef consumption, and using LED bulbs—can significantly lower emissions and save money. It also encourages political advocacy and public awareness to drive larger systemic shifts, such as the potential closure of 200 coal plants if all Americans reduced emissions by 20 percent.

Earthjustice calls for the resignation of EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, citing a rebellion by 10,000 agency employees who accuse him of ignoring scientific advice to appease political interests. The document highlights specific failures, including the refusal to allow California to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and delays in obeying a Supreme Court order to regulate greenhouse gases. It further notes congressional investigations into conflicts of interest on EPA advisory panels and contrasts Johnson's inaction with the tenure of former administrator Christine Todd Whitman.

The document concludes that CFLs are significantly more environmentally friendly than incandescent bulbs over their life cycle. Despite more energy-intensive manufacturing and the presence of mercury, CFLs reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% over 10,000 hours of use. The analysis shows that mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants used to power incandescents exceed the mercury released by a CFL's operation and disposal. While frequent on-off cycling reduces a CFL's lifespan and increases its relative assembly emissions, they remain a net win for the environment and typically pay for themselves through energy savings.

The document details the aftermath of the 2008 Kingston disaster, where over 1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry were released. It tracks TVA's legal battles, the health impacts on local communities and cleanup workers, the disposal of ash in Perry County, Alabama, and the prolonged struggle to compel the EPA to finalize federal coal ash disposal regulations by 2014.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the MIT "Future of Coal" study relies on outdated data and ignores the commercial availability of carbon capture for IGCC plants. CATF contends that IGCC is a superior alternative to pulverized coal (PC) due to lower emissions of criteria pollutants and a significant cost advantage when 90% carbon capture is implemented. The document highlights that while PC carbon capture remains speculative, IGCC carbon capture is a "commercially proven process." CATF warns that following MIT's recommendation to build efficient PC plants today could lock in high global emissions, particularly in China, and instead advocates for banning new coal combustion plants in favor of rapidly commercializing advanced gasification and geologic storage.

Earthjustice blocked Florida Power & Light's proposal for a massive coal-fired power plant at the edge of the Florida Everglades in 2007. The Florida Public Service Commission rejected the project based on evidence regarding climate change, lack of energy conservation, and cost effectiveness. Consequently, Florida Power & Light invested $300 million in a 75 megawatt solar thermal facility, completed in 2010, which became the largest of its kind in the eastern United States.

Earthjustice successfully challenged the air permit for a proposed coal-fired power plant in Kansas, leading the Kansas Supreme Court to invalidate the permit in 2013. The project, proposed by Sunflower Electric, was criticized for being unnecessary and potentially emitting significant greenhouse gases and pollutants.

The document asserts that new conventional coal plants are imprudent investments due to the certainty of future U.S. federal CO2 regulations, likely in the form of a cap-and-trade system. It argues that such regulations will significantly raise the cost of coal-fired electricity, making energy efficiency and renewables more competitive. The report urges state regulators to protect ratepayers by either denying the construction of new coal plants or requiring that shareholders, rather than customers, bear the financial risk of future carbon compliance costs.

The document consists of several appendices. Appendix A lists Class I areas not evaluated by the EPA. Appendix B compares SO2 and NOx reductions under CAIR versus the Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) standard. Appendix C is a detailed scientific critique of the ARIES study, arguing that utility industry claims using ARIES to downplay the health risks of sulfates are not supported by the study's actual data or broader medical literature. Appendix D lists counties remaining in nonattainment for PM2.5 and ozone. Appendix E contains a statement from the Institute of Clean Air Companies on the achievability of NOx and SO2 limits. Appendices F through L provide detailed modeling data, cost summaries, and emission projections for various policy scenarios (CATF11, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23).

The report documents that fine particle pollution from U.S. power plants causes nearly 24,000 premature deaths annually, including 2,800 from lung cancer, and 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks. It argues that the Bush administration's 'Clear Skies' proposal is insufficient compared to the Clean Air Act or the more stringent Jeffords bill, which could avoid 22,000 deaths per year. The analysis highlights that elderly populations, children, and communities of color—particularly in the Midwest and Southwest—are disproportionately affected.

In April 2004, air quality modelers from nine EPA regional offices protested a policy change allowing states to select their own baseline years for measuring pollution in 'Class I' areas. This policy emerged from a compromise with North Dakota, which had been out of compliance with the Clean Air Act regarding Theodore Roosevelt National Park, hindering plans for new coal-fired power plants. EPA scientists argued the change 'artificially inflate[s]' baselines to mask policy changes and feared it would set a national precedent, as other states like Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming sought to follow suit.