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Climate Change News Brought to you by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute Carol Werner, Executive Director September 12, 2008 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Experts Recommend New Laws for Polar Regions On September 7, 40 legal experts from across the globe met in Iceland for a conference aimed at constructing a legal framework for regulating new Arctic industries like shipping and oil exploration, due to the opening up of both the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route in the rapidly changing Polar region. "With the area being more accessible, there's more activity and thereby more risk of some form of accident, like a vessel sinking or even a new oil spill along the lines of Exxon Valdez," said symposium chairman David Leary of the UN University. Members of the symposium have addressed concerns about regulating fish stocks, bio-prospecting by pharmaceutical industries, tourism, and mining. "Arctic sea routes are among the world's most hazardous due to lack of natural light, extreme cold, moving ice floes, high wind and low visibility, and the Arctic marine environment is particularly susceptible to the effects of pollution," said Tatiana Saksina of the World Wildlife Fund's International Arctic Program. “Yet there are no internationally binding rules to regulate operational pollution from offshore installations. Strict standards for the transportation of Arctic oil are also urgently needed." For additional information see: http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL747871420080907 http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jnTq2a4zaRtQl2hW-lMEc8nCtiig http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/unu-emo090108.php http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/science/earth/07arctic.html UN’s IPCC Chair Calls for People to Stop Eating Meat On September 7, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Rajendra Pachauri called for citizens of the world to cut their meat consumption to combat climate change. “In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,” said Pachauri. “Give up meat for one day (per week) initially, and decrease it from there.” Dr. Pachauri, who is a vegetarian, claimed that the diet change would result in a small-scale decrease of greenhouse gas emissions. “I'm not in favor of mandating things like this, but if there were a (global) price on carbon perhaps the price of meat would go up and people would eat less,” he said. Ambassador for Compassion in World Farming Joyce D'Silva said thinking about climate change could spur people to change their habits. “Surveys show people are anxious about their personal carbon footprints and cutting back on car journeys and so on; but they may not realize that changing what's on their plate could have an even bigger effect.” For additional information see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7600005.stm http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hdCN-kDIKxCtylh9Bs8auAOno09A http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/07/food.meat http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1839995,00.html?imw=Y Thawing Permafrost Holds Vast Carbon Pool During the week of September 8, Edward A. G. Schuur of the University of Florida and an international team of coauthors released a study in the journal Bioscience that more than doubles previous estimates of the amount of carbon stored in the permafrost. This carbon could be released as CO2 or methane with increased thawing. “There are relatively few people living in the permafrost zone,” Schuur said. “But we could have significant emissions of carbon from thawing permafrost in these remote regions.” Permafrost is frozen ground that contains roots and other organic matter that decompose very slowly. Scientists are concerned about the effects of warming especially in the northern latitudes. As the ground thaws, bacteria and fungi can break down the organic matter much more quickly, releasing it to the atmosphere as CO2 or methane, both greenhouse gases. It contains twice the amount of carbon found in the atmosphere, making it a potentially huge contributor to global warming. For additional information see: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134309.htm http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Thawing_Permafrost_Likely_To_Boost_Glo... Pyrenees Glaciers Will Melt by 2050, Say Scientists On September 8, Spanish researchers from the University of Cantabria, the Autonomous University of Madrid and Valladolid released a report in the magazine Holocene that warns 21 glaciers in the Pyrenees will melt by 2050. The article aims to discuss the current situation of the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada and Picos de Europa. “High mountains are particularly sensitive areas to climate and environmental changes, and how glaciers evolve there in response to climate change is one of the most effective indicators of current global warming, in this case evidenced in Iberian mountain ranges,” said Juan Gonzalez Trueba, professor at Cantrabria. Between 1880 and 1980, about 94 glaciers melted in the Iberian Peninsula. Since 1980 another 17 have disappeared. “From 1990 to today, our calculations show this rapid thawing caused the smallest glaciers to completely disappear whereas the surface area of the larger glaciers was reduced by 50 to 60 percent," said the statement published on the Scientific Information and News Service (SINC) website, a public multimedia scientific news platform based in Spain. For additional information see: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gwLioc5EaUXlf3DgNj3I8RmQzUMA http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/umwelt_naturschutz/glacie... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/06/2357213.htm http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/09/08/now-european-mainland-glaciers-unde... New Zealand Passes Carbon Trading Bill On September 11, the New Zealand parliament passed climate change legislation that includes an emissions trading scheme (ETS) with 27 other countries, as part of its effort to meet its targets from the Kyoto Protocol. “The ETS does not create costs, it minimizes the cost of reducing emissions," Climate Change Minister David Parker said. "It does so in a fair and effective way by charging the polluter for increases in emissions and rewarding decreases. It will save New Zealand hundreds of millions of dollars between now and 2012 alone." After months of negotiation, the final bill sets the carbon trading to begin in 2009. Different sectors of the economy will have staggered start times. The trading scheme for emissions from forestry will begin in 2008, while stationary energy such as coal-fired power stations will begin by 2010, and transport fuels by 2011 and agricultural waste by 2013. About 60 percent of New Zealand’s power comes from hydro-electricity, and 47 percent of its total greenhouse gas emissions come from agricultural emissions. "It's obviously good news whenever we get a bill like this passed ... but we won't see the rest of the scheme for a couple years because it has a phased-in beginning," said Trevor Sikorski, director of carbon market research at London-based Barclays Capital. "It's really from 2010, when most of the big power producers come in, that it starts to look interesting." For additional information see: http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/parliament-passes-climate-change-bill-35068 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/230776,new-zealand-passes-climat... http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLA22139820080910 Bangladesh Requests Billions in Climate Change Aid On September 10, Great Britain pledged to donate $133 million to Bangladesh in its efforts to combat climate change. Denmark, the Netherlands and the World Bank are also expected to contribute to the Bangladesh fund, which was launched this week. Bangladesh will use the funds to protect homes, schools and farms from flooding and to develop new crop strains. "A 30-45 cm sea-level rise will dislocate about 35 million people from [Bangladesh] coastal districts by 2050," said Dr. Atiq Rahman, Bangladeshi lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "The climate is changing far more rapidly than anticipated. Bangladesh is experiencing climate-related natural disasters and extreme events like prolonged and repeated floods which have deadly consequences on agriculture and food security." During the conference, both Great Britain and Bangladesh called for more money and a strong world agreement to be established in Denmark next year. "Adaptation on the ground is not enough. We believe more must be done at a global level," said Britain's International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander. "This is why today the UK and Bangladesh are announcing a new partnership calling for a comprehensive deal in Copenhagen, leading to the stabilization of greenhouse gases at a level that avoids dangerous climate change -- and benefits some of the world's poorest people." For additional information see: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8MLYce_ziN6gTM4DYPLu86CiYTg http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35413320080910 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/08/bangladesh.climatechange http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7606024.stm Chinese Government Advisor Urges GHG Cuts On September 8, Hu Angang, a public policy professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and prominent policy advisor, broke from China’s official position on climate change negotiations and warned China to meet international goals of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions or doom climate change talks. "It's in China's own interest to accept greenhouse gas emissions goals, not just in the international interest," Hu said. "China is a developing country, but it's a very special one, with the biggest population, high energy use and sooner or later, if not now, the biggest total greenhouse gas emissions. So this is a common battlefront we must join." In the past, China has insisted that as a developing country it must grow first before adhering to any emission caps. Backing caps has been a minority view in China since most believe developed countries should take the lead in cutting emissions. "Like joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), this should be used as international pressure to spur our own transformation," Hu added, referring to China joining the WTO in 2001. "If China makes a 1 percent error in handling climate change, that could mean 100 percent failure in making agreement." For additional information see: http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSPEK19898020080908 UN Focus Group Addresses Telecommunications Solutions to Climate Change From September 1-3, the United Nations held its first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, for the recently created Focus Group within its Telecommunications Standardization Sector to work on standards related to the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on climate change. The new group will focus in particular on the reduction of ICT emissions and how ICTs can assist in cutting emissions in other industry sectors such as energy, transportation, and buildings. It is estimated that ICTs could help cut global GHG emissions by between 15 to 40 percent through monitoring and mitigation systems. This group will analyze and identify gaps in definitions, principles, methodology and tools to characterize the impact of ICTs on climate change. In addition, it will support the development of appropriate international standards. Its next meeting will be November 24-28 in Geneva, and the Focus Group will conclude its work and report its results to the UN International Telecommunications Union in April 2009. For additional information see: http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/focusgroups/climate/index.html Montreal Protocol Prevented Drastic Regional Climate Change On September 5, researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Hadley Center and the Meteorological Office in Exeter released findings from climate-chemistry models in the journal Geophysical Research Letters that showed the Montreal Protocol not only prevented damage to the ozone layer but also slowed global warming. The models showed that as the ozone layer depleted, marked temperature changes occurred at the poles, which could have resulted in thawed ice. "We're very confident in saying that had there not been the Montreal Protocol the ozone impact on the polar world would have been significant," said John Pyle of Cambridge. For additional information see: http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/gl0816/2008GL034590/ http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080905/full/news.2008.1081.html Installing White Roofs Could Slow Global Warming On September 10, California’s annual Climate Change Research Conference released data that showed making roofs and pavement more reflective would slow global warming. Dark surfaces absorb heat and since white surfaces reflect heat, less energy would be consumed by homes and buildings for air conditioning. "White roofs can cut a building’s energy use by 20 percent and save consumers money," said California Energy Commissioner Art Rosenfeld. "The potential energy savings in the US is in excess of $1 billion annually. Additionally, by conserving electricity, we are emitting less CO2 from power plants." The data suggests that if 100 of the world’s largest cities installed more reflective roofs and pavement, significant global cooling would take place. "I call it win-win-win," said Hashem Akbari, a physicist with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "First, a cooler environment not only saves energy but improves comfort. Second, cooling a city by a few degrees dramatically reduces smog. And the third win is offsetting global warming.” For additional information see: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-roofs10-2008sep10,0,2976609.story http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/09/08/daily35.html http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/community_content/_low_carbon_news/1855/... Old Forests Absorb More CO2 Than They Release In the September 12 issue of Nature, a study done by forest scientists from the United States and Europe suggests that old forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing more CO2 than they release. "If you have an old forest on the ground, it's probably better to leave it there than to cut it," said co-author Beverly Law of Oregon State University. "The absolute amount of carbon stored in these forests is significant. Once you disturb them by logging or fire, there is carbon loss. When that occurs, there is material left on site that decomposes. And some is lost in the manufacturing process." Some of the researchers also suggested that countries that participated in the Kyoto Protocol should earn credits for the protection of old forests. The benefits of old forests are not absolutely certain since the method of CO2 measurement could have been skewed by young trees and high elevations. "To really test this, one would need a far better data set that had different ages in the same system: that is very young, mature, old-growth and super old-growth in each system," said ecologist Mark Harmon of Oregon State University. But "older forests should not be written off as places to store more carbon. Even if they aren't taking up more carbon, their harvest releases a great deal." It is uncertain whether tropical forests have the same effect, but preliminary data suggests that they do. For additional information see: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/09/11/ap5412821.html http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910133934.htm http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=old-growth-forests-help-combat-clima... Global Sea-Rise Levels by 2100 May Be Lower Than Some Predict, Says New Study In the September 5 issue of Science, researchers from University of Colorado's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research released a study that claims sea-rise levels will not increase beyond 6 feet. "If you look at the actual mechanics of how glaciers work, there doesn't seem to be a realistic way that we know about to get more than about 2 meters of sea level rise in the next century," Tad Pfeffer of the Institute. The three primary contributors to rising sea levels are Greenland, Antarctica and the world’s small glaciers and ice caps. The current rate of change is an increase of about 3 millimeters per year. Areas that could be severely affected include India, China, Bangladesh, New Orleans, Amsterdam and Venice. "These places throughout the world where third world populations live within a meter of sea level and grow a lot of their food within a meter of sea level, they're the ones who are really going to be hurt," Pfeffer said. Researchers say that claims of 20 to 30 feet of sea rise by the end of the century are not substantiated with solid data. Though the predicted changes are much smaller, they still have serious consequences. "Even a sea level rise of 20cm (8in) in a century will have quite dramatic implications," said Shad O'Neel from the US Geological Survey. “This work is in no way meant to undermine the seriousness of climate change, and sea level rise is something we're going to have to deal with.” For additional information see: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145113.htm http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN0442173820080904 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7598861.stm Study Finds Canadian Oil Refineries Underestimate Release of Emissions On September 6, the Alberta Research Council released a report that found an Alberta oil refinery released 19 times more benzene than it had reported under Environment Canada disclosure regulations, about 15 times more smog-causing volatile organic compounds, and 9 times more methane, a greenhouse gas. The study used a new method to track the emissions and has led many to believe that all refineries in Canada and the United States are undercounting emissions. The city of Houston filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency requesting a change in the way emissions are measured. "The current system relies on formulas, equations and assumptions, known as 'emission factors,' which have been proven by direct observations of facilities to be inaccurate, unreliable and biased toward undercounting," the city said in a statement. With the new method of measurement, the air quality surrounding the refinery still remained within the provincial guidelines, but the report recommends making further cuts. The new method uses a type of laser technology called Differential Absorption Light Detection (DIAL), which few companies in North America supply, nor do governments demand it. "When you start talking methods that you require industry to do, then you need to have the equipment available, you need to have companies that can supply the service, and you need to have protocols so you have consistent results," said Allen Chambers, author of the report. For additional information see: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080906.POLLUTANTS06/T... http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hI803_gUuuV7Pm_wNsbTiC31LRfA Climate Change Could Stop Corals From Fixing Themselves On September 5, researchers released a study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters linking rising ocean temperatures to the inability of corals to repair their hard skeletons. Corals are constantly battling erosion and need the mineral, calcium carbonate, to patch up their bodies. Greenhouse gases have made oceans more acidic, which decreases the amount of dissolved calcium carbonate. A major storm could seriously threaten coral populations since they would lack sufficient minerals to rebuild. "We've already seen this in the Galapagos, where a single bleaching event wiped out a coral reef that had been around for thousands of years," said Ken Caldeira of Stanford University. For additional information see: http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn14676-climate-change-could... http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/climate-change-could-stop... Role of Aerosols in Climate Change Examined In the September 5 issue of Science, a study by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program was released that proposes a new framework to better account for the effects of aerosols on precipitation in climate models. Aerosols, tiny particles suspended in the air, come from transportation, agriculture, industry and urban use. They can affect human health, the climate and weather. According to the models, they are suspected to alter the global water cycle and make climate systems more likely to experience precipitation extremes. “The proposed framework improves scientists' ability to simulate present and future climates by integrating, for the first time, the radiative and microphysical effects of aerosols on clouds,” the article said. For additional information see: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905153801.htm Butterflies Struggle in Fight against Climate Change On September 6, Dr. Rob Wilson, an ecologist at Exeter University, announced that the break-up of suitable butterfly habitats by urban spread and agriculture is driving "staggering" declines. Butterflies are becoming trapped in small pockets of the countryside, unable to escape the effects of climate change. “In the past 35 years, species such as the High Brown Fritillary and Grizzled Skipper have suffered declines in their distribution of ¬ 79 percent and 49 percent, respectively,” the article said. As pollinators, butterflies are crucial to the food chain and their decline could cause some ecosystems to collapse. For additional information see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/06/eabutt... Spanish Wine Makers Battle Climate Change On September 6, wine experts expressed concern about the effects of climate change on the Spanish wine industry. Until now, experts say, the changes to grapes caused by higher temperatures – like fruitier flavors and higher concentrations of alcohol – have generally had a positive impact on the taste of wines all over the world. Now many winemakers say climate change has caused grapes to ripen about a month earlier than they had ten years ago. "It may be that in 30 or 40 years this place here, this vineyard, becomes too hot, too warm for the merlot," said wine maker Miguel Torres. "So then what we have to do, and we may do this in the next years, is to move merlot slowly to the mountain area. Mountain area why? Because with the altitude you have cooler climates." To address climate change, Torres has installed giant solar screens between his vines to generate heat energy, dozens of photovoltaic panels to produce electricity and recycles the water. "We are dedicating 5 million Euros with two purposes," he said. "Purpose number one is reforestation, we have done this already in Catalonia and in Canary Islands. And the second purpose is anything related to research on trapping and storing carbon dioxide, and as a consequence of this we are already experimenting in our own cellars trying to capture the CO2 produced at fermentation." For additional information see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7547610.stm Events September 15, 2008 Energy Options for Ukraine The Washington Group, in conjunction with the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council, and the Ukrainian American Environmental Association, is hosting a panel of speakers who will discuss options for Ukraine to become energy independent, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. The event will take place Monday, September 15, 2008, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm, in the Rome Auditorium at the Johns Hopkins University on 1619 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. You are invited to attend in person or on-line. Due to limited space, those planning to attend in person are encouraged - but not required - to RSVP. Please contact Andriy Blokhin at andriy.blokhin@gmail.com or 202-297-2484. To register for the free-of-charge live video webcast, please go to: http://thewashingtongroup.org/Events/2008/energy091508.php. September 16, 2008 Climate Change Legislation and Revenue Recycling Clean Air Cool Planet and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 8:00 – 10:00 am in B369 Rayburn House Office Building. As Congress debates the various options for tackling climate change, the policy questions go beyond which mechanisms can most efficiently reduce carbon emissions, to how to use the revenue that carbon reduction programs can generate to offset the costs of our transition to a lower carbon world. Speakers at the briefing include Rep. John Larson (D-CT); Terry Dinan, Congressional Budget Office; Kenneth P. Green, American Enterprise Institute; Robert Repetto, Senior Fellow, UN Foundation; and Robert J. Shapiro, Chairman, Sonecon, LLC, and former Under Secretary of Commerce. Please RSVP to Brenda Rogers at (202) 775-8971, or send an email to BRogers@cleanair-coolplanet.org. Please include your name, affiliation, phone number and email address. September 18, 2008 Energy Justice: Alleviating Global Poverty and Climate Change through Sustainable Energy The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is hosting a policy briefing to highlight how the U.S. government and REEEP plan to address global poverty and climate change through the development and deployment of appropriate energy technologies. Speakers include Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Dr. Kandeh Yumkella of UN Energy and UNIDO, Undersecretary Paula Dobriansky of the U.S. State Department, Dr. Marianne Osterkorn of REEEP, Dr. Valerie Caton, U.K. Ambassador to Finland, and Dr. Lakshman Guruswamy of the Center for Energy and Environmental Security. This free event will be held from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm on September 18 in Room G-11 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Please RSVP to Ms. Cactus Woodworth-Lies at cactus@colorado.edu. 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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. |
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