A remarkable new study predicts that at least 14 million electric cars will be zooming around the US by 2020, and reckons that EVs could account for a startling 75 percent of all light-duty miles driven by 2040.

The ambitious claims form part of an in-depth study, called the Electrification Roadmap, backed by a coalition of business leaders including Nissan, FedEx, Coda Automotive and Coulomb Technologies.

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We know a bit about the current situation on climate change. We know which countries are emitting the most global warming emissions. We know that the EU is actively implementing policies to get their emissions down and are serious about keeping climate change at the top of the priority list, even in one of the biggest economic struggles in history. We know that little nations like Tuvalu are working to address climate change. We know that ambitious and engaged countries are running into unseen problems and are unsure where to go in the future. We know that the US is looking to pass a climate bill for the first time and could change history in the process, and the USDA supports it but climate change groups, consumer advocate groups, and social equity groups are quite concerned about some of the changes made by the House of Representatives at the last minute. We know that China, India, and Brazil’s growth in greenhouse gas emissions have skyrocketed (several times faster than developed countries’ still growing emissions) in the past two decades.

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 World Wildlife Fund International has an interactive online game up called Face the G8 and it asks the questions “What would you do if you were a member of the G8? Would you choose the right policies that lead us to an environmentally sustainable future, or make the same old empty promises and continue with ‘business as usual’?”

Leaders of the wealthiest industrialized countries on our planet are gathering in L’Aquila, Italy for G8 this week to commit to keeping the global average temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius in order to prevent climate change from threatening the future of our planet.

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The Irish government has announced radical plans to introduce more than 250,000 electric cars onto the nation’s roads by 2020, a staggering ten percent of the total vehicles in the country.

If the scheme is successful, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), the state energy agency, estimates an annual cut in CO2 emissions of around 350,000 tonnes. Transport currently accounts for more than a third of Ireland’s carbon emissions, higher than any other sector.

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The campaign is working to get the ad aired on the next 20/20. The ad details how massive ad dollars spent by oil and coal companies is the key reason America hasn’t switched to cleaner renewable energy sources. Help the We Campaign get this advertisement aired!

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Video source: We Campaign

£100bn investment (200bn USD) in renewable energy has been proposed meaning that thousands of wind turbines will be built.

The prime minister has described these plans as his “green revolution” and suggested it is to be the country’s largest energy initiative since nuclear power.

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I reported in the Guardian last month that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) were objecting to wind farms in the UK because they felt the turbines interfered with military radar. The turbines were, in their words “in the line of sight.”

(Of course, were we not a bellicose little island nation, always eager to attack and interfere with foreign disputes, we wouldn’t need to concern ourselves with defense quite so much.)

I demanded answers. Demanded, if their objections were true, that there be immediate improvements in radar technology so that the UK could proceed with meeting renewable energy targets.

75 miles was the round figure given. Were a turbine any closer than that, then interference would be unacceptable, the UK’s defense at risk.

Yet, last week there was a U-turn by the MoD. A complete turnaround that must have caused wind farm planners along the east coast of England millions of pounds: financial waste caused by military indecision.

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On Friday, April 20 ABC will feature news anchors and correspondents reporting from all seven continents throughout the day culminating with a 20/20 special hosted by Diane Sawyer called Planet Earth 2007: Seven Ways to Help Save the World.

Their coverage will look at environmental issues from all corners of the globe and will more than likely end on a cheery note as they highlight some success stories of how different businesses and governments are working to create positive change. They will also give examples of what viewers can do on an individual level, and have an extensive on-line supplement at ABCnews.com.

It looks like the "save the world" theme will appear in various ABC News programs during that day like Good Morning America and Nightline, so even if viewers only tune in to a portion of the day they'll get a taste of the broad coverage. Of course the date, Friday, April 20, was probably chosen as the last weekday before Earth Day (April 22) - the perfect tie-in to the multi-continental theme. However, Fridays aren't the best day for ABC. According to the Programming Insider at MediaWeek.com for the past few weeks ABC has ranked 3rd in network ratings for Friday primetime. A special edition of 20/20 may garner additional audience as long as it isn't up against new episodes or specials running on other networks.

I'm curious to see how in-depth they are able to go in covering the most pressing environmental issues in brief 20/20 segments (and even shorter segments during the news hour), and what they decide to push as the "what YOU can do" (my prediction is on the energy focus with the suggestion to switch to CFLs and to turn down the thermostat).

While I do think that these types of issues should be covered on a more regular every day basis, it is nice to see a major network dedicate special coverage to environmental themes, and even nicer to see that they're spinning a positive approach, which is often missing in general overall news coverage.