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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brought to you by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute UN Chief Urges Immediate Climate Action Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly September 24, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told leaders from more than 80 nations that the “time for doubt has passed,” and that what was needed now was a breakthrough in climate negotiations to follow the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, due to expire in 2012. Mr. Ban organized the one-day summit to build momentum for a conference taking place in Bali this December to initiate a new agreement on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. President Bush, who supports voluntary emissions reductions, was not present for the talks, but did attend a small dinner hosted by Mr. Ban that evening. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke at the event, citing actions by states to combat climate change. “California is moving the United States beyond debate and doubt to action,” he said. “What we are doing is changing the dynamic.” One issue discussed by many leaders at the summit was the importance of developed nations taking a leadership role in emissions reductions. Many developing countries are reluctant to commit to reduction targets, arguing that it could hinder much needed economic growth. Developed countries should “continue to take the lead in reducing emissions after 2012,” Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said. Click on the following links for more information:
Bush Hosts Climate Meeting in Washington DC President Bush held meetings to discuss climate negotiations with representatives from the 16 top greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting nations on September 27-28. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice spoke on behalf of the Bush Administration, calling upon nations to set voluntary goals to reduce GHG emissions using whatever methods “they deem best.” UN negotiations have focused on mandatory emissions reductions; a measure that President Bush has argued will hurt US economic growth. “We share a common responsibility: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while keeping our economies growing,” Bush said in a speech at the conference. Critics of the US-led climate talks have speculated that President Bush is trying to steer future climate change negotiations away from mandatory GHG emissions reductions and require only voluntary emissions cuts. Top UN climate official Yvo de Boer noted that measures would only be successful if industrialized nations go “well beyond present efforts, given their historic responsibilities and economic capabilities.” A key item being discussed is a way to generate funds to invest in new technologies for developing countries. A plan to use a cap-and-trade emissions program would allow businesses in industrialized countries to earn emissions credits if they invest in carbon-reducing technologies in developing nations. A similar program is being used to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals under the Montreal Protocol, and officials from the two-day conference said the same approach could work under a carbon-based cap-and-trade system. Click on the following links for more information: A recent study conducted by BBC has found that the majority of people in the 21 countries polled believe global warming is caused by human activities. An average of 79 percent of respondents to the survey believed that “human activity, including industry and transportation, is a significant cause of climate change.” Additionally, 90 percent of the over 22,000 people surveyed said that action was necessary, with two-thirds of all respondents saying action was necessary “very soon.” In a US-based survey conducted by Yale professor Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, 72 percent of Americans polled said they were “mostly to completely” convinced that global warming is happening. One-third of the over 1,000 respondents also said that “immediate and drastic action” should be taken to reduce global warming. Click on the following links for more information: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sent a letter to President Bush September 24 calling on the President to support mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions as the United Nations and the White House prepared to host climate change talks this week. Majority Leader Reid and House Speaker Pelosi stated that in order to stay within a further 2°F increase in global temperatures, worldwide emissions must be reduced 50 percent by 2050. However, developed countries like the United States, “which are responsible for most of the carbon dioxide now in the atmosphere and have the greatest technological capability, will need to achieve reductions on the order of 60 to 80 percent,” the letter stated. The letter also asks for President Bush to pledge “that the Washington meeting will not start a separate process competing with negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to which the United States is a party, and which is the world’s recognized forum for hammering out the international response to global warming.” Additionally, on September 26, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence, and more than 30 other members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to the President requesting more concrete mandates on GHG reductions. Specifically, the letter asked for mandatory GHG emissions reductions “that will achieve real reductions in emissions.” Click on the following links for more information:
Senators Biden and Snowe Urge Administration to Develop International Global Warming Strategy In a letter sent to the Administration September 25, Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) urged the President to use the Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change summit to develop an international consensus for dealing with the issue of global warming. “The world has been waiting for the President to exhibit world leadership on climate change and I am cautiously hopeful that this moment has finally arrived,” Snowe said. “Now it is time to produce tangible results that demonstrate that the United States can again be a leader on developing a comprehensive solution to an environmental crisis." Click on the following link for more information: Environmental Defense did an analysis of the energy bills before Congress and found that if a number of carbon-cutting provisions from each bill were passed, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced below “business-as-usual” projections, though would not get down to levels necessary for climate protection. In their “optimistic” scenario, the best provisions of the energy bills currently before Congress are passed and signed into law by the President. These provisions include new CAFE standards, a Renewable Fuel Standard for motor fuels and home heating oil, a Renewable Portfolio Standard and a range of energy efficiency measures. According to the analysis, “an energy bill under the more optimistic assumptions achieves 44 percent of the cumulative reductions needed to hold emissions down to the more stringent climate protective targets through 2030.” In order to stabilize the climate long-term, the United States would need an 80 percent or more reduction in GHG emissions by 2050. Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence, acknowledged that to achieve this, “Comprehensive global warming legislation would still be needed. Democratic leaders in Congress are committed to passing robust climate legislation this Congress.” Click on the following links for more information: On September 27, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, unveiled his draft of a new tax plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On his website, Rep. Dingell outlines several proposed taxes that include a 50 cent per gallon tax on gasoline and jet fuel; a $50 per ton tax on carbon released from burning coal, natural gas, or oil; and a phase-out of the interest tax deduction on home mortgages for homes over 3,000 square feet. "This is going to cause pain," Rep. Dingell said, but stated that he will work to ensure that “the pain is shared in a way that is fair, proper, acceptable and accomplishes the basic purpose" of reducing greenhouse gases. Dingell indicated he did not know what will end up in final climate change legislation and did not rule out a cap-and-trade mechanism for carbon emissions. For now, he said, he wants to propose what he believes is a better idea. Click on the following links for more information: Nearly 200 countries reached an agreement on September 21 in Montreal, moving up the deadline to phase out the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 10 years. These chemicals, which are used as refrigerants, pose a risk to the environment both by depleting the ozone layer and as a potent greenhouse gas. In the agreement, developed countries will phase out production of HCFCs completely by 2020, developing countries by 2030. “Governments had a golden opportunity to deal with the twin challenges of climate change and protecting the ozone layer, and governments took it,” said Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme. UN climate experts recently reported that by using alternatives to ozone-depleting chemicals, the world could be spared the equivalent of 1 billion tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. Click on the following links for more information:
FPL to Invest in Solar Thermal Power to Reduce CO2 On September 26, Lew Hay, FPL's chief executive, said FPL will spend $1.5 billion aimed at building solar thermal energy in Florida, California or other states. It is part of a larger $2.4 billion program aimed at cutting emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, including a more efficient power network. Hay said, "We need to put a price on carbon, by doing so the illusion that coal-produced energy is low-cost will go away." Florida Governor Charlie Crist said, "It only makes sense that the Sunshine State would have a solar power plant. This plant will serve as an example to other Florida and American companies that alternative energy can work." Crist recently signed an order setting the goal of reducing the state's carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Click on the following links for more information:
Insurers See Climate Change Peril In a Washington Post Op-Ed on September 26, the state auditor of Montana and chief financial officer of Florida write that increasingly destructive weather--including heat waves, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, hailstorms and drought--accounted for 88 percent of all property losses paid by insurers from 1980 through 2005. Lloyd's of London has warned, "The insurance industry must start actively adjusting in response to greenhouse gas trends if it is to survive." US-based companies AIG and Marsh--respectively, the largest insurer and broker--have joined with other corporate leaders to urge Congress to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions 60 to 80 percent by mid-century. AIG's policy statement on climate change "recognizes the scientific consensus that climate change is a reality and is likely in large part the result of human activities that have led to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere." Click on the following link for more information:
New Zealand Announces "Cap-and-Trade" Policy to Tackle Climate Change On September 20, the New Zealand government said it would gradually introduce emissions trading beginning next year to tackle climate change. Under the scheme, major industries will be allocated a cap on emissions of greenhouse gases. To exceed the cap, polluters will have to buy credits from others who are below their limits or from those planting forests, which absorb carbon dioxide. Prime Minister Helen Clark said, "Climate change is one of the most important global issues facing us. It affects us all and our way of life--it is important that we put a price on greenhouse gas pollution to encourage businesses and households to become more energy efficient." Energy Minister David Parker said the initiative would shave an estimated 0.1 percent off economic growth. Click on the following link for more information:
Lehman Brothers: Carbon Tax, Oil Spike Will Spur Efficiency On September 19, Lehman Brothers published a climate change report which attempted to predict the likely future of climate change policies. Dr. John Llewellyn, Lehman Brothers’ Senior Economic Policy Advisor, said "climate change policy will have to place the price mechanism at its core. In turn, investors and businesses that predict correctly the course of climate change policy should be able to anticipate the direction of asset prices.” Theodore Roosevelt IV, managing director and chairman of Lehman Brothers' Council on Climate Change, said, "We believe the US Congress will enact legislation in the next few years, near term or by 2010, that will increase the cost of CO2 emissions. We look forward to working with our clients to develop the best strategies to address the economic changes that are likely to occur as a result of the new laws.” Lehman Brothers believes the size of the carbon trading market will be $100 billion by 2020. Click on the following links for more information: In the September 25 issue of the Geophysical Research Letters, a team of 25 scientists state that human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will alter ocean chemistry to the point where it will violate US Environmental Protection Agency Quality Criteria by mid-century if emissions are not dramatically curtailed now. Lead author Ken Caldeira from the Carnegie Institution Department of Global Ecology said, "About one-third of the CO2 from fossil-fuel burning is absorbed by the world's oceans--when CO2 gas dissolves in the ocean it makes carbonic acid which can damage coral reefs and also hurt other calcifying organisms, such as phytoplankton and zooplankton, some of the most critical players at the bottom of the world's food chain." Caldeira said, "If atmospheric CO2 goes above 500 ppm, the surface of the entire ocean will be out of compliance with EPA pH guidelines--when we release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, we are dumping industrial waste in the ocean." Click on the following link for more information: In a new NASA study, researchers using 20 years of data from space-based sensors have confirmed that Antarctic snow is melting farther inland from the coast over time, melting at higher altitudes than ever and increasingly melting on Antarctica's largest ice shelf. "Snow melting is very connected to surface temperature change, so it's likely warmer temperatures are at the root of what we've observed in Antarctica," said lead author Marco Tedesco, a research scientist at the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology. According to the study, melting increased on the Ross Ice Shelf. Tedesco said, "Persistent melting on the Ross Ice Shelf is something we should not lose sight of because of the ice shelf's role as a 'brake system' for glaciers--ice shelves are thick ice masses covering coastal land with extended areas that float on the sea, keeping warmer marine air at a distance from glaciers and preventing a greater acceleration of melting." Click on the following link for more information: The fifth annual report by the Carbon Disclosure Project finds that the world's corporate giants are increasingly focused on climate change and many see it as an opportunity for profit, but US firms tend to view it as a risk to their bottom line. In the latest survey of a sample of members in the Financial Times 500 index, 77 percent responded, up from 72 percent a year earlier. Nearly 80 percent of respondents consider climate change to present a commercial risk, such as extreme weather events and tightening government regulations, the report said. Some 82 percent said they recognized commercial opportunities for existing or new products, such as investments in renewable energy. Overall, 76 percent said they had instituted targets and plans to reduce emissions, a jump from last year's 48 percent. Only 29 percent of US respondents had implemented greenhouse gas reduction programs with timelines and specific targets. Click on the following links for more information:
VA and MD Governors Urge U.S. Action on Global Warming On September 26, the governors of Virginia and Maryland urged the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to begin reducing national greenhouse-gas emissions during a hearing that described the impact of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay. Witnesses said long-term studies show that the average water temperature in the bay has increased by nearly 2°F since the 1960s. Even a small-sounding shift can make the water too warm for some species, including eelgrass, a crucial underwater plant. The impacts of rising global sea levels, driven in part by climate change, are magnified in the Chesapeake Bay because land around the bay is slowly sinking. Together, those factors could result in a net rise of two feet or more over the next century. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said, "We must transition from a carbon-based economy to a green, sustainable economy." Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine said, “Virginia is very serious about improving the health of Chesapeake Bay--I am very much concerned that climate change could jeopardize the progress we’re making in restoring the Bay." Click on the following links for more information: Click on the following links for more information: According to the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, internal e-mails show that Transportation Secretary Mary Peters personally directed a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign approved by the White House to oppose EPA approval of California’s landmark standards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. Environmental groups said the revelations about the Transportation Department lobbying would add to the pressure on the EPA to make a non-political decision. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Vermont ruled that states can set their own emissions standards under the Clean Air Act, despite opposition from the auto industry. The Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan arm of Congress, also found in an August report that California "appears to have a strong case" for its request. Click on the following links for more information:
Recent EESI Climate Briefings Click on the following links for the briefing presentations and audio files:
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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. 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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