ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the hydrogen economy, climate change, the impact of fossil fuels on the environment, legislative acts to deal with air pollution, and energy efficiency and conservation. The goal of the Energy Star program is to have all manufacturers offer Energy Star-labeled products, making it impossible for consumers to buy cheap energy-inefficient products. The primary focus of the Energy Star program is to enhance efficiency in order to reduce pollution from residential and commercial sources, which account for 35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, equally divided between the two. The Energy Policy Conservation Act of 1975 established the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles and light trucks, administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the Secretary of Transportation. The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark international agreement for controlling air pollution on a global scale.
