By AMANDA PACITTI

Local environmentalists have a plan.

Rhode Island Climate Coalition recently issued a near-50-page report presenting what the organization considers a comprehensive strategy to promote fuel efficiency within the state and curb global warming. The report, “Tomorrow’s Energy Today: How to Ease New England’s Energy Crisis and Curb Global Warming Starting Now,” took nearly a year to compile and represents the work of Environment Rhode Island and Clean Water Action and is symbolic of regional efforts led by parent organization New England Climate Coalition.

Fifty canvassers and officials from Clean Water Action and Environment Rhode Island gathered in the Bell Room of the State House last Tuesday afternoon, sharing the floor with Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts and a cadre of senators and representatives, who spoke on the necessity of passing a handful of legislation promoting energy efficiency, including the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which aims to reduce pollution from power plants, specified as the state’s second largest source of global warming pollution by the Environment Rhode Island Web site, environmentrhodeisland.org.

“We need new solutions now,” said Matt Auten of Environment Rhode Island, emphasizing that the report sought to quell global warming, which he characterized as the greatest environmental problem to face this generation.

Denise Parillo of Clean Water Action, a partner in the effort, agreed, noting that New England only uses enough energy to power businesses, residences and cars for two hours and 15 minutes a day. The report, something her organization worked to bring together, aims to reduce Rhode Island carbon dioxide emission by 18 percent and 20 percent regionally.

“The report highlights how important it is to reduce our energy consumption,” said Parillo, who says that this doesn’t apply exclusively to limiting consumption of gasoline, but also to providing more energy-efficient methods of heating, cooling plus some appliance improvement.

Auten, Parillo and members of the Conservation Law Foundation spent the greater part of last Friday and Saturday at the State House lobbying members of the General Assembly to pass legislation to guide the implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which passed on 3 a.m. Saturday morning. As effected, the legislation will culminate the state’s January commitment to join nine other states in an effort to reduce power plant emissions.

Additionally, the report includes a call to reduce energy emissions by 80 percent by 2050, something one may characterize as a lofty goal.

“It is indeed possible, especially if we make changes in various sectors, as the report advises,” said Parillo.

Key improvements called for by “Tomorrow’s Energy Today” are reproduced below:

-Technological improvements to cars and light trucks that would enable vehicles to achieve an average fuel economy of at least 33 miles-per-gal­lon over the next decade and much better fuel economy in the years to come;

-Improvements to heavy-duty trucks that can reduce their fuel consumption per mile by 29 percent;

-Weatherizing homes in New England to reduce their use of fuel for space heating during the cold winter months and reduce air conditioning demand in the summer;

-Improved water heaters and other major appli­ances for homeowners that achieve significant reductions in energy consumption;

-More energy-efficient space heating, cooling and lighting equipment in commercial buildings;

-More efficient motors in industrial facilities, along with smarter integration of motors into industrial processes; and

-Combined heat-and-power technology that allows business and industry to create heat and electricity at the same time – resulting in a large improve­ment in overall energy efficiency.

According to Tomorrow’s Energy Today, New England’ solar and wind energy resources are sufficient to power the region several times over.