|
|
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brought to you by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute Report Suggests Climate Challenge Underestimated In a commentary article published in the April 2 issue of Nature, climate policy expert Roger Pielke Jr., climatologist Tom Wigley, and economist Christopher Green say that greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios developed in 2000 and used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its 2007 reports seriously underestimate the challenge and costs of stabilizing GHG emissions in the 21st century. They said that most of the IPCC’s 'business as usual' emission scenarios assume that an unrealistically high rate of technological change would occur in the absence of policy drivers. They argue that this deceives policy-makers and the public about the crucial role policy must have in encouraging the development of technologies--such as energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy development--that are needed to prevent dangerous climate change. Bert Metz, co-chair of the IPCC’s Working Group III on mitigation of climate change, said, “The assumptions about the rate of technological change in the scenarios have been thoroughly reviewed and are accepted by the community of technological change experts.” Pielke said, "While energy efficiency has continued to improve in the richest countries, including the United States and Europe, it has declined in fast-developing countries like China as demand increases there." Click on the following links for more information: Utah Enacts 20 Percent “Zero Carbon” Renewable Portfolio Standard To qualify as an adjustment to total retail sales, zero carbon facilities must be located within the geographic boundary of the WECC become operational on or after January 1, 2008, not produce carbon emissions, may be powered by nuclear fuel, and not be renewable generation that would satisfy the RPS requirement. Fossil-fueled facilities located within the WECC using permanent carbon sequestration are also eligible. Nothing in the legislation requires a utility to enter into any transaction that it reasonably believes is not cost-effective or otherwise not in the public interest. Click on the following links for more information: Climate Change Killing Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Scientists say early snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains is killing off the region's wildflowers. In recent decades, snow has begun to melt earlier in the season, warming the ground and leading to the premature arrival of leaf and flower buds. But the timing of spring frost events has remained fixed, and without the protective blanket of snow, delicate plant parts are left exposed and freeze. David Inouye of the University of Maryland found that an average of 36 percent of Aspen sunflower buds were frosted between 1992 and 1998, but that this increased to 74 percent in the 1999–2006 period. Declining wildflower populations could affect the entire ecosystem, from plant-specific seed-eating fruit flies to large mammals such as deer and elk that eat the wildflower blossoms. Click on following link for more information:
On April 2, the Alliance for Climate Protection, founded by Nobel laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, launched a US marketing campaign on climate change. The cost of the campaign is estimated at more than $100 million a year for three years, focusing on the urgency of the climate problem and its solutions. To support the cause, Gore has devoted all his proceeds from the Oscar-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," the best-selling companion book, his salary from the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers and prize money from his 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Gore said, "This climate crisis is so interwoven with habits and patterns that are so entrenched, the elected officials in both parties are going to be timid about enacting the bold changes that are needed until there is a change in the public's sense of urgency in addressing this crisis. I've tried everything else I know to try. The way to solve this crisis is to change the way the public thinks about it." (Editorial note: this article adds new information to an article published in last week's EESI Climate Change News.) Click on the following links for more information:
On March 28, the UN Human Rights Council endorsed a resolution stressing that global warming threatens the livelihoods and welfare of many of the world's most vulnerable people. In particular, the Council said climate change could erode the human rights of people living in small island states, coastal areas and parts of the world subjected to drought and floods. The Council agreed to conduct a study on the impact of climate change on human rights. The Council said it is "concerned that climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the world and has implications for the full enjoyment of human rights." The Maldives, which consist of 1,200 islands and 360,000 inhabitants, were joined by other small island countries such as the Fiji Islands and Tuvalu in offering the resolution. Click on the following links for more information:
UNFCCC Concludes Global Climate Talks in Bangkok From March 31 to April 4, the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) held Climate Change Talks with delegates from 162 countries in Bangkok. The talks concluded with agreement on a work program that structures negotiations on a long-term international climate change agreement set to be concluded in Copenhagen by the end of 2009. The Bangkok meeting also sent a signal that the use of market-based mechanisms, such as the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), should be continued and improved as a way for developed countries to meet emission reduction targets and contribute towards sustainable development. After considerable debate, developing countries succeeded in rejecting Japan's proposed "sectoral approach" which would purportedly replace the national binding emissions cut imposed on developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol, with targets counted on the basis of industries and sectors in both developed and developing countries. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said, “Not only do we have the certainty that critical issues will be addressed this year, we now have the bite-sized chunks which will allow us to negotiate in an effective manner.” Click on the following links for more information:
At 8pm on March 29, lights were turned off around the world in celebration of Earth Hour, a symbolic hour of darkness to remind people of the need to combat global warming. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) orchestrated the event, based on last year's popular Earth Hour in Sydney, Australia. WWF Australia chief, Greg Bourne, said from Sydney to Asia, Europe, Canada and the United States, "many tens of millions" of people flicked the switch, plunging cities, towns and homes into darkness. Earth Hour was organized in order to make a statement, to help people find new ways to reduce their impact on the environment, and to start a movement that ends with a solution to the common challenge of addressing global warming. WWF Thailand said the campaign in Bangkok saved 73.34 megawatts of electricity, which would have produced 45.8 tons of carbon. Bourne said, “We had 2.2 million last year; I reckon by the time we finally count it up, we will have about 100 million people involved around the world.” Richard Moss, WWF’s vice president for climate change, said, “The main point is not to make a significant dent in climate change, but to demonstrate the need for people to take leadership on their own to address this problem. It's not about sitting in the dark, it's about making a serious commitment over the next year and beyond over how we contribute to climate change.” Click on the following links for more information:
On March 27, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen L. Johnson shelved his agency's findings that greenhouse gases (GHG) are a danger to the public by telling Congress that he will initiate a lengthy public comment period about whether such emissions are a risk before responding to a US Supreme Court order. It is believed the move means there is almost no chance the Bush administration will act to regulate GHGs in response to the High Court's decision in their time left in office. The decision by EPA infuriated Democratic lawmakers and attorneys who won the landmark case before the high court last spring. Vickie Patton, an Environmental Defense lawyer, said, “As glaciers disintegrate, EPA's response is delay, deny and obfuscate. EPA career staff has developed policies that are ready to go. They're awaiting a simple signature [from Johnson], but instead he's walking away.” Last April the Supreme Court ruled that under the Clean Air Act, EPA was required to evaluate whether CO2 was a risk to public health and welfare, and if so, to impose regulations on polluters, in particular automobiles. EPA staffers told The Times they had concluded that such GHGs were a major threat to water supply, crops, wildlife and other aspects of public welfare, and their finding was forwarded to the White House for review in December. In addition, under orders from Johnson, the staff last fall completed a draft regulation to reduce GHG emissions from vehicles. But on March 27, Johnson wrote to key members of Congress outlining an exhaustive public-comment approach to the Supreme Court decision that he said would better address what harm GHGs may cause, based on thorough study of all industry sectors—not just vehicles—that emit such gases. Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) said, “This is a transparent delaying tactic and a major reversal of EPA's position. The Bush administration is recklessly abandoning its responsibility to address the global warming crisis.” Click on the following links for more information: Markey Speaks Out Against Johnson’s EPA Letter On March 27, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson said the agency will issue an ‘Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking’ (ANPRM) “later this spring” on “the specific effects of climate change and potential regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary and mobile sources.” Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement in response to Johnson’s EPA letter: “The ‘A’ in this document should stand for ‘absurd.’ This is the latest quack from a lame-duck EPA intent on running out the clock on the entire Bush Presidency without doing a thing to combat global warming. The planet is sick, and instead of rushing to provide emergency medical attention, the Bush Administration has said ‘take 2 aspirin and call me after I leave office’.” The letter from EPA comes almost one year to the day after the landmark Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts vs. EPA which affirmed the EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act, and after the EPA broke its May 2007 commitment to issue final regulations to reduce GHG emissions from motor vehicles by the end of 2008. Markey said, “This cynical step by EPA to announce an ‘Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking’ in the coming months should be seen for what it is: an “Aspirational Notice of Procrastinational Rulemaking’.” Click on the following links for more information: Eighteen States File Suit Against EPA Over GHG Pollutants The new proceedings come after months of warnings from the petitioners that continued inaction would not be tolerated. However, EPA chose not only to continue to ignore the High Court’s ruling, but instead proposed an alternative course that had been advocated by the Heritage Foundation, industry, and other special interests—a course of action explicitly rejected by the High Court in its ruling. David Bookbinder, Sierra Club Chief Climate Counsel, said “While EPA has spent seven years finding new and creative ways to delay, obfuscate, deceive, block action in the states, and otherwise refuse to take action on global warming, it seems it took them only a week to do what was demanded by the Heritage Foundation and other special interests. This latest provocation, combined with a nearly decade-long trail of broken promises from President Bush on down the line, left us with no other choice but to take EPA back to Court.” Click on the following links for more information: Bank of America Announces Adoption of the Carbon Principles On April 1, Kenneth D. Lewis, Bank of America (BofA) Chairman and CEO, was recognized by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) at its tenth annual award gala for his guidance of the company's efforts to address climate change. He announced that BofA will adopt The Carbon Principles, a set of guidelines developed by Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, that help advisors and lenders to power companies evaluate and address carbon risks in the financing of projects. Lewis said, “The Carbon Principles are critical as we work to secure a more sustainable energy future. It is my hope that these principles, when combined with BofA’s commitment to assess the cost of carbon in our risk and underwriting process, will enable us to better evaluate the business models of utility sector companies and, ultimately, help them move to cleaner technologies in the future.” BofA’s ten year, $20 billion environmental initiative addresses climate change by championing sustainable business practices through innovative lending and investing strategies, new financial products and services and operations. Lewis said, “Helping our nation reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as encourage renewable energy and low carbon technologies, is not only the right thing for our planet, but it is also smart business—and BofA is proud to be at the forefront.” In related news, also on April 1, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Energy Action Coalition and Co-op America gave Lewis the “Fossil Fool of the Year” award. Lewis was given the award because of BofA’s support for past coal projects: The groups say the bank is a top financial backer of mountain top coal mining and new coal-fired power plants. Click on the following links for more information:
A report released March 31 by WWF-UK claims the United Kingdom could transform its housing stock through cutting household energy bills and at the same time reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. However, it says without a radical shift in government policy, the United Kingdom will miss out on this big opportunity. In the report, How Low?, WWF carried out the first ever modeling of the country's entire housing stock to reveal that the widespread introduction of solid wall insulation and low and zero carbon technologies will put the country on track to meet its emission targets. While this would require a significant program of training, investment, and policy support by the government, the pay-back would be increased efficiency of the housing stock and a greater skilled workforce. However, the report claims the government is relying too heavily on homeowners adopting “cost-effective” measures such as cavity wall, loft, and hot water cylinder insulation, and Chancellor Alistair Darling had failed in the budget to offer any financial incentives which would have encouraged people to do more. Simon McWhirter, WWF-UK One Planet Homes Campaign Manager, said “Our homes are the low hanging fruit in terms of achieving the deep cuts we need in carbon emissions but the government is currently investing inadequate resources in inappropriate places. Its short term vision as to what energy efficiency measures should be applied to our existing stock is leading to significant missed opportunities.” Click on the following links for more information: Study Finds Switching to Zero-Carbon Homes in United Kingdom is Unpopular A study by the National House-Building Council (NHBC) found UK homeowners may be unwilling to make the leap to “zero-carbon” homes and are worried about the potential costs involved. The study found that most people were unaware of what constituted a zero-carbon home and were put off by their appearance when shown designs. The government has pledged that all new homes from 2016 must be zero-carbon—defined as those having “zero net emissions of CO2 from all energy use in the home.” Builders, who also were surveyed by the NHBC, said they were “not very confident” that they would be able to build such houses profitably by the government’s deadline. Despite widespread media coverage of climate change, the study found that energy efficiency was not a major factor when it came to choosing a new home. About 60 percent of people polled preferred traditional looking houses. More than 30 percent said they had no interest in buying a house with built-in equipment to generate energy. Many raised concerns over other potential features, including windows that do not open as far as usual to ensure that the home leaks less hot air. The survey found that, although nine out of 10 people thought the climate was changing, only 45 percent thought this was mainly the result of rising greenhouse gas emissions. Nick Raynsford, MP and chairman of the NHBC Foundation, said “It is vital for homebuyers to actually want to live in zero-carbon homes if they are to be a successful reality.” Click on the following links for more information:
On March 27, California's Air Resources Board voted for a 70 percent reduction of the number of emission-free vehicles that carmakers must sell in the state in coming years. The panel set new rules requiring automakers to build tens of thousands of plug-in hybrid cars and adopted a motion to overhaul its entire Zero Emission Vehicle program to align it with tougher greenhouse gas emission standards enacted in California in recent years. Under the new standards, passed unanimously, the board will require the largest companies selling cars in the state to produce 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles for sale, lease or loan in California from 2012 to 2014—down from the 25,000 required in the period under the previous rules. Additionally, carmakers will be called upon to make about 58,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the same period. Air board member, Daniel Sperling, who introduced the proposal that ultimately passed, said “Clearly advocates would like to have more of these technologies available. But it's my view that both plug-in hybrids and [emission-free vehicles] are tremendous stretches for the industry.” The previous regulation, passed in 2003, made no provisions for plug-in hybrids because they were not considered viable at the time. By inserting last-minute provisions that create a hierarchy among types of zero-emission vehicles, the number of such cars that automakers will have to make by 2014 could vary greatly. Chelsea Sexton, executive director of Plug In America, said “It's a huge blow. They sent the message to the carmakers that they can always get what they want from the board.” Click on the following links for more information:
At the Mallik site in Canada’s Mackenzie Delta, researchers have successfully extracted methane gas from frozen gas hydrates found beneath hundreds of meters of permafrost. Gas hydrates are a potential energy source found in permafrost environments and under the sea floor. They form when water and methane gas come together under extreme pressure and in a cold environment. The water and gas are frozen together at a molecular level. One cubic meter of gas hydrates contains 164 cubic-meters of methane gas and 0.8 cubic meters of water. When frozen gas hydrates are heated or undergo a change in pressure, they melt. The water runs off and the methane gas is released. As a fuel, methane is cleaner burning than gasoline or oil. However, methane gas it is a potent greenhouse gas, 21 times more active than CO2. Natural Resources Canada and the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation worked in partnership on the project with the Aurora Research Institute in Inuvik acting as the operator. Since this is a research project and not a commercial venture, most of the methane was brought to the surface and burned off. There was no attempt to capture the methane. Scott Dallimore, the chief Canadian scientist for the program, said this was only early research, and it could be years before it is ever determined if gas hydrates are economically and environmentally feasible as an energy source. Click on the following links for more information: Events April 7, 2008 Briefing: Adapting to Climate Change April 9, 2008 Hearing: Climate and Public Health In recognition of National Public Health Week and World Health Day, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-Cali.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming introduced a resolution and announced a Congressional hearing in recognition of the critical relationship between public health and global warming. The hearing will be held on Wednesday April 9th, 10AM ET in the Capitol. Location to be announced. The hearing will be webcast. For more information see: http://globalwarming.house.gov April 10, 2008 Hearing: Regulating GHGs Under the Clean Air Act The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 10, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled “Strengths and Weaknesses of Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using Existing Clean Air Act Authorities.” For more information see:
In conjunction with Earth Day, the Koshland Science Museum will host an interactive forum for educators on Monday, April 21, from 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Teachers will meet with researchers to learn about current research on climate change and disease that can be used to support the teaching of biodiversity and ecology. For more information see: April 21, 2008 BLM Seeks Public Comment on Oil Shale and Tar Sands The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has reopened the Public Comment Period for the Draft Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resource Management Plan Amendments to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. Public comments must be received by April 21, 2008. For more information see: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-6645.htm
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on a draft strategy that describes the potential effects of climate change on clean water, drinking water, and ocean protection programs and outlines EPA actions to respond to these effects. The National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change focuses on actions designed to help managers adapt their water programs in response to a changing climate. Public comments must be received by May 27, 2008. For more information see: http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange/ 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