|
|
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brought to you by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
States Sue EPA over Vehicle Emissions Ruling On January 2, California and 15 other states filed a lawsuit challenging the EPA’s decision to not grant a waiver allowing states to regulate vehicle emissions. The EPA issued its decision on December 19, citing recently passed federal legislation that would require a fuel efficiency average of 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020, a 40 percent increase from current fuel standards. "We now have a more beneficial national approach to a national problem, which establishes an aggressive standard for all 50 states as opposed to a lower standard in California and a patchwork of other states," EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar said. But supporters of the state law, planned to take effect in 2009, argued that it would require a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 30 percent, requiring vehicles to have a fleet efficiency of more than 40 mpg by 2016. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supported the lawsuit and said federal regulators were “ignoring the will of millions of people who want their government to take action in the fight against global warming.” The suit could affect as many 19 other states that have adopted the same fuel standards as California or announced their intention to do so. Click on the following links for more information: A report issued at the end of 2007 by 75 scientists has projected that the water level in Lake Erie could drop 3.3 to 6.6 feet by 2066 as temperatures rise. The report is based on a three-year effort by the United States and Canada to compile and summarize long-term trend data in the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin, the shallowest region of Lake Erie. The findings show that ice cover on the lake has declined since the 1970s due to warmer temperatures, increasing the rate of evaporation and water loss. Using the midpoint of the predicted water loss at 4.9 feet, the report projects that western Lake Erie’s shoreline could expand by more than 19,685 feet, or nearly 4 miles, greatly affecting the shipping industry and water treatment facilities. “Even though there is considerable uncertainty as to the effects of global warming on Lake Erie water levels over the next several decades, projections are that there will be a decline,” the report said. Click on the following links for more information: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a workshop on January 8 to examine the emerging market for carbon-offsets in the United States. Carbon-offsets are generally classified as money pledged to reduce carbon emissions through different means, such as planting trees. With these programs growing so quickly, “There’s a heightened potential for deception,” said Deborah Platt Majoras, the FTC chairwoman. At the workshop, panelists raised questions about the certification of offsets, as well as the extent to which certain measures actually reduce carbon emissions. The FTC is currently gathering information on current carbon-offset programs and soliciting comments to update guidelines as such programs move forward. “The carbon market is a leading example of the challenge of making sure that when people put their money into what they hope will improve their planet, that there is real follow-through,” said Daniel Esty, director of the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale University. Click on the following links for more information:
Environmental Groups to Sue for Polar Bear Protection On January 9, three conservation groups filed a formal notice of their intent to sue the Bush Administration for missing the deadline to decide whether or not polar bears will be listed under the Endangered Species Act as a result of global warming. In January 2007, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced its proposal to list the polar bear as “threatened,” and had one year to make its final decision. Following the missed deadline on January 9, 2008, the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace sought legal action to force a decision from the agency. “Endangered Species Act listing decisions must be based only on science, and the scientists have finished their work on the polar bear listing. There is no reason for political appointees to interfere,” said Kassie Siegel, climate program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. This marks the first time a species would be listed as threatened or endangered due to the effects of climate change. Polar bears are marine mammals that spend most of their time on sea ice, which has been declining in the polar region in recent years. The USGS has predicted that by 2050, two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population would be extinct, including all of the population within the United States. The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it hopes to have a decision within the next few weeks, but that it is requiring more time because the research effort has been taxing and challenging. Click on the following links for more information: A study published in the January 3 issue of Nature has found that the net carbon uptake in forests in the northern hemisphere is decreasing due to warmer autumn temperatures. Autumn temperatures in the northern latitudes have risen in the past 20 years by about 1.1°C, while spring temperatures are up by 0.8°C. While warmer temperatures in the spring can accelerate the growth of vegetation and increase the uptake of CO2, warmer autumnal temperatures can actually have the opposite effect, with more CO2 being released than taken in. “If warming in autumn occurs at a faster rate than in spring, the ability of northern ecosystems to sequester carbon will diminish in the future,” said lead author Shilong Piao of the Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Sciences in Gif-sur-Yvette, France. The authors of the study cautioned against generalizing the results too much. “Further, more detailed studies are needed to quantify historical changes in [the] seasonal carbon cycle for each ecosystem,” Dr. Piao said. However, John Miller of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted, “Most models predict that the land biosphere will start to lose carbon faster than it gains it.” Click on the following links for more information:
Increased CO2 in Atmosphere Will Cause More Human Deaths A researcher at Stanford University has linked an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere to a higher rate of mortality. In a study accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, Stanford University professor Mark Jacobson used a computer model of the atmosphere to see the effects on human health. His model showed that for every degree Celsius rise from atmospheric CO2, there are 20,000 more air-pollution-related deaths per year worldwide, with about 1,000 deaths in the United States. Additionally, there are many more cases of asthma and respiratory illness as CO2 levels rise. Health effects would be more profound in areas that already experience high levels of air pollution, Dr. Jacobson said. “This is a cause and effect relationship, not just a correlation,” Dr. Jacobson said. “The study is the first specifically to isolate carbon dioxide's effect from that of other global-warming agents and to find quantitatively that chemical and meteorological changes due to carbon dioxide itself increase mortality due to increased ozone, particles and carcinogens in the air.” Click on the following links for more information:
Climate Change Chiefly Responsible for Coral Reef Destruction A study published in the December issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin indicated that climate change and overfishing are primarily responsible for killing of coral reefs. The researchers from the Wilderness Conservation Society, Columbia University, and the University of Maryland looked at the effect of two pollutants, phosphorus and nitrogen, on coral reef growth. While both pollutants had an effect on coral reef destruction, the team concluded that massive coral die-offs were actually due more to warming ocean temperatures and declines in fish and invertebrate populations. “Pollution has been seen as one of the major culprits in the loss of coral reefs around the world, but our study indicates that it cannot explain the widespread changes we are seeing, which leave climate change and overfishing as the major culprits,” said lead author and Wildlife Conservation Society senior conservation zoologist Tim McClanahan. "This helps us further pinpoint the causes of coral loss, but neither climate change or fishing are easy problems to solve.” Click on the following link for more information:
Kerry, Snowe Push for Energy Efficiency Funding for Small Businesses On January 2, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship urged the Bush Administration to invest more resources to help small businesses become more energy efficient and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Although small businesses represent half of the nation’s economy and are responsible for half of the country’s energy consumption, the government spends less than two percent of the Energy Star program’s $50 million annual budget reaching out to help small businesses. In a letter sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which implements the Energy Star program, the Senators urged the Bush Administration to increase funding for the Energy Star small business program to $2 million a year, in order to provide technical assistance and resources necessary to small businesses. According to the letter to EPA Administrator Steve Johnson, a recent survey conducted by the National Small Business Association finds 75 percent of small businesses believe that energy efficiency can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, only 33 percent of those had successfully invested in energy efficiency programs for their businesses. Click on the following links for more information:
Events January 14, 2008 Briefing: Natural CO2 Sinks and Their Policy Implications The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is holding a Congressional briefing on "Natural CO2 Sinks and their Policy Implications: A Closer Look at Where Current CO2 Levels are Headed, in Historical Context." Questions to be addressed include: What is the current and historic annual rate of growth in CO2 emissions? What is the future trajectory of CO2 emissions and concentrations based on present rates of emissions? Is the natural uptake of CO2 by the biosphere limited? The briefing will be held Monday, January 14 from 12:00–2:00pm in Russell Senate Office Building, Room 253, Washington, DC. Click on the following link for more information: Meeting by teleconference of the Human Impacts of Climate Change Advisory Committee, to review of the revised Synthesis and Assessment Product (SAP 4.6) that analyzes the impacts of global change on human health, human settlements, and human welfare. The conference call starts at 12 noon on Monday, January 14. To register, contact Joanna Foellmer, 703-347-8508, Foellmer.Joanna@epa.gov . For more information on SAP 4.6 see http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-6/default.php The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), in collaboration with the American Bar Association's (ABA) Renewable Energy Resources Committee will host a teleconference entitled "Emerging Capital Sources for Renewables." The event takes place on Wednesday, January 16 from 12:00-1:30 pm ET. There is a $25.00 fee to participate. For more information see:
January 16-18, 2008 National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) invites you to participate in the 8th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment to develop and advance science-based solutions to climate change. Join NCSE in the dialogue with leading scientists, policy makers, industry leaders, educators, and other solutions-oriented innovators to develop comprehensive strategies for protecting people and the planet against the threat of climate change. The three-day conference will be held January 16-18, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. An interactive agenda features skill-building workshops, targeted breakout sessions, plenary sessions, and symposia to provide participants with an expansive understanding of climate change solutions—and how we can achieve them. For more information see: http://www.ncseonline.org/2008conference/ Quick Links SUBSCRIBE to our newsletters and other products ARCHIVE: Past issues of the newsletter are posted on our website under "publications" SUPPORT EESI: This newsletter and EESI's other valuable work in energy, climate change, agriculture, transportation and smart growth are made possible through financial support from people like you. Please donate now.
Fredric Beck This EESI publication is a free, weekly electronic newsletter intended to inform interested parties, particularly the policymaker community, of the latest climate change-related news. Permission for reproduction of this newsletter is granted provided that EESI is properly acknowledged as the source. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to provide timely information on energy and environmental policy issues to policymakers and stakeholders and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path. |
|||
Printer-friendly version