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Boldestbidstocutemissionsnowbeingledbysomebigpollutersofyore <br />ByLaurentBelsie|StaffwriterofTheChristianScienceMonitor <br />Here?saquiz.Forallthetalkaboutslowingglobalwarming,whichofthefollowinghave <br />takenstepstodoit: <br /> a) CountriesthathavejustagreedtoimplementtheKyotoProtocol? <br /> b) Environmentalgroups? <br /> c) Someoftheworld?sbiggestpolluters? <br />Someoftheworld?slargestcorporations,responsibleforspewingmillionsoftonsofgreenhouse <br />gasesintotheair,aretakingtheboldeststepstotrimtheiremissions.Althoughsucheffortsmay <br />notsolveglobalwarmingontheirown,corporationsarepioneeringmethodsandsystemsthat <br />governmentsmayonedaymandate. <br />?Inthelongterm,webelievethatyou?regoingtoseeincreasinglytightenvironmental <br />restrictionsandregulations,andwe?renotsurethat?sabadthing,?saysChrisSchoenherr, <br />spokesmanforAlliantEnergyCorporation.Since1991,themid-sizeutilityandenergycompany <br />basedinMadison,Wis.,hasknockedouttheequivalentof7.3millionmetrictonsofcarbon- <br />dioxideemissionsatitsdomesticoperations.?It?stherightthingtodo.It?sgoodbusinessaswell.? <br />Whilenationslastmonthwrangledoveranagreementtoeventuallycuttheiremissions <br />by5percentbelowtheir1990levels,DuPonthasalreadycutitsemissionsinhalf. <br />Andthechemicalmanufactureraimstoreacha65percentreductionby2010.Even <br />environmentalistsareimpressed.?DuPontisastandout,?saysDanielDudek,senior <br />economistintheNewYorkoftheEnvironmentalDefenseFund.?Theyhave <br />reallysetthebaroutthereforeveryone.? <br />BPbecamethemajoroilcompanytoconcedethatglobalwarmingrepresents <br />aseriousproblem.TheBritish-basedcompanyishalfwaytoits2010goalofcutting <br />emissions10percentfromits1990baseline.It?saccomplishingthatbyvariousmeasures, <br />suchascapturingandsellingmethanefromitsgaswellsinthewesternUnitedStates <br />ratherthanreleasingitintotheair. <br />FordMotorCompanyhasjoinedothercompaniespioneeringacarbon-dioxidetrading <br />exchange.Theexchangecouldserveasamodelforgovernments,astheylookforwaysto <br />implementtheKyototargetsinthecheapestwaypossible. <br /> <br />?Wewantedtogetinonthegroundsowecouldunderstandthebusinesscase?for <br />emissionstrading,saysFordspokeswomanEllenDickson. <br />Tobesure,manyothercompanies-especiallyintheenergysector-opposetheKyototreatyand <br />thenotionofemissionslimits.Butvirtuallyeveryoneapplaudsvoluntaryactions.Theyoften <br />leadtoenergyconservationthatsavescompaniesmoney. <br /> <br />