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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brought to you by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
UN Climate Change Talks Held in Vienna During the week of August 27, diplomats, scientists, and business leaders from 150 countries met in Vienna for climate change talks organized by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The talks set the stage for development of a post-Kyoto agreement during the upcoming UN Climate Summit to be held in Bali this December. During the talks, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, presented a recently released UN report on the financial aspects of climate change mitigation over the next 25 years. “Climate change may turn out to be an environmental question with an economic answer,” de Boer said. The report “shows us that a conscious effort to shift from traditional investment to more climate-friendly alternatives will require governments to adopt new policies and change the way they use their funds.” Energy efficiency and “significantly expanded” carbon markets are highlighted as means of making this transition. “The bulk of cost-effective opportunities are in developing countries,” de Boer said. US climate negotiator Harlan Watson acknowledged the importance of curbing global emissions but did not commit to specific targets. “A long-term goal will mean probably substantial reductions, at least from a business-as-usual case,” Watson said. He emphasized that while Congress is actively considering the possibility of a nationwide carbon market, there is currently no consensus on the matter. “Right now, we do not see our participation in a global carbon market. It's unclear when and where and if there's going to a global carbon market,” Watson said. Click on the following links for more information: A coalition of activists from US civic and religious groups concerned about the impact of climate change on the global community, particularly the poorest, are organizing a fast on September 4, 2007 to call for concerted action by Congress and the Administration. Among those who will take part are well-known environmental author Bill McKibben and former National Council of Churches USA General Secretary the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar. The groups are calling for the following: no new coal or coal-to-liquid plants; a freeze and then major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions nationally; and $25 billion in FY 2008 for energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy. The national effort is called, “So Others Might Eat: The Climate Emergency Fast.” Over 900 people have committed to fast. Click on the following links for more information:
USDA Study: CO2 Damages Grazing Lands A study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that increased carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations accelerate the displacement of grasslands by woody shrubs. “This process replaces grasses, the preferred forage of domestic livestock, with species that are unsuitable for domestic livestock grazing,” the study said. USDA scientists found that over the course of five years greenhouses with extra CO2 produced 40 times more than the normal amount of fringed sage, a woody plant. “A 40-fold increase in biomass is huge,” said Jack Morgan, a lead researcher for the USDA. “Most people, when they hear climate change discussed, think it's always about the future. CO2 has been going up for the past couple of hundred years, so this relates to changes that are already under way.” The results of the study were published August 28 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Click on the following links for more information:
Greenhouse Gases Likely Caused 2006 Record Temperatures A study by four scientists at NOAA’s Earth System Research Lab in Boulder, CO has shown that greenhouse gases are likely responsible for more than half of the widespread warmth across the continental United States in 2006. The researchers found it very unlikely that the 2006 El Niño played a role. “We wanted to find out whether it was pure coincidence that the two warmest years on record both coincided with El Niño events,” said lead author Martin Hoerling of NOAA/ESRL. “We decided to quantify the impact of El Niño and compare it to the human influence on temperatures through greenhouse gases.” The researchers used historical data collected since 1965, along with 18 climate models provided for the latest assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to examine the effects of El Niño and greenhouse gases on US surface temperatures. They found that a slight cooling effect was associated with El Niño, while greenhouse gases produced a warming effect consistent with the models’ projections. The findings will be published September 5 in Geophysical Research Letters. Click on the following links for more information:
Rising CO2 Levels to Delay Next Ice Age Dr. Toby Tyrrell of the University of Southampton's School of Ocean and Earth Science at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton has found that atmospheric CO2 due to the burning of fossil fuels will delay future ice ages by up to half a million years. “Our research shows why atmospheric CO2 will not return to pre-industrial levels after we stop burning fossil fuels. It shows that if we use up all known fossil fuels it doesn't matter at what rate we burn them. The result would be the same if we burned them at present rates or at more moderate rates; we would still get the same eventual ice-age-prevention result.” Dr. Tyrrell’s research team used a mathematical model to investigate the interaction between ocean chemistry and rising levels of atmospheric CO2. The research has been published in the journal Tellus B. Click on the following links for more information:
Efficiency Upgrades Reduce Office Depot’s CO2 Emissions by Ten Percent Office Depot has achieved a 10.1 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from natural gas and electricity used in its North American retail stores, warehouses, and offices by adopting more energy efficient technology. From 2005 to 2006, Office Depot reduced electricity consumption by approximately 65 million kWh and natural gas consumption by 50,000 MBTU. During the same period, the size of Office Depot’s facilities in North America increased by 1.7 million square feet. The company adopted energy efficient lights, installed high efficiency HVAC systems, added sensors to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms, and upgraded energy management systems in most stores. Click on the following links for more information: Using solar thermal systems to heat water could save US consumers $8 billion a year in retail energy costs, according to a report released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The report explains that “Solar water heating (SWH) represents a significant opportunity to reduce natural gas use in the building sector,” and that greater use of solar thermal could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 50 to 75 million tons and protect against fuel price escalation. The report blames expiration of federal tax credits and decreased energy prices for the limited deployment of solar thermal systems since 1985, but notes that increased energy prices, concerns over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and technological improvements are creating renewed interest. It concludes that “The actual potential of SWH depends largely on economic and market barriers to the deployment of current and future SWH systems.” Click on the following links for more information:
Rising Sea Levels Threaten Southern China The China Daily reported that over 400 square miles of land in southern China will be flooded by 2050 as sea levels rise due to global warming. "The Pearl River Delta area, a leading manufacturing hub, will be hard hit by climate change in the coming decades," according to Du Raodong, an expert with the Guandong provincial weather center. The cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Foshan are expected to be the worst hit as sea levels rise by at least 30 centimeters (12 inches) by 2050. "Climate change will negatively affect the economic development of Guangdong, which is currently one of the biggest consumers of energy and producers of greenhouse gases," Du said. Click on the following links for more information:
Peatlands Disappearing in Southeast Asia Peat bogs are one of the most effective carbon sinks on Earth, but recent deforestation has caused an increase in carbon emissions from peatlands, especially in Southeast Asia. "When you clear land, the easiest way is by burning. But that emits sequestered carbon into the atmosphere," said Bostang Radjagukguk, an Indonesian peat expert. "In Indonesia, some 5 percent of 20 million hectares of peatland has already been converted into agricultural land." Drained peat bogs decay and emit carbon dioxide. The remaining material is highly flammable, resulting in fires that threaten public health and release further carbon into the air. Dutch research institute Wetlands International estimates that peatlands in Southeast Asia store at least 42 billion tons of soil carbon or peat carbon. "By 2025, peatland emissions will decrease because easily degradable peatlands would have disappeared altogether," said Marcel Silvius, a senior program manager for Wetlands international. "In Indonesia alone, 3 million hectares of shallow peatland have already disappeared." Click on the following link for more information:
EESI Briefings Why is Concentrating Solar Power Good for America? EESI invites you to learn about the most recent developments in concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies and how this fits into the energy bills and conference committee coming before the Congress this fall. CSP is clean, non-polluting, and has no carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. It can serve intermediate and peak load, and provides reliable domestic energy. As the energy bill goes to conference, policy support is required to realize the benefits of CSP for America. Click on the following link for more information:
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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. |
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