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Eleven Eastern States Agree to Low Carbon Standard On January 5, eleven eastern states agreed to a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction program that will impact standards for fuels used in transportation and domestic heating. Development of the program was led by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and members include the ten Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) partners – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maryland, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island – plus Pennsylvania. Officials said they decided upon a regional initiative due to “the interconnected nature of the fuel distribution system that currently exists in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic.” The agreement will require GHG emissions per unit of energy to be reduced, although specific reduction targets have yet to be announced. For additional information see:
Markey to Chair Key Energy and Commerce Subcommittee On January 8, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced that Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) will be named chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, which will have legislative and oversight jurisdiction over national energy policy, climate change, fuel economy standards, Superfund, hazardous waste, and safe drinking water. Rep. Markey replaces the current subcommittee chair Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA), who will take over Markey’s current position as chair of the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee. “At a time when our economy and planet are both in crisis, I am eager to chair the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment,” Rep. Markey said in a press release announcing the appointments. “I look forward to pursuing the legislative agenda on climate change and clean energy at this critical time. I also look forward to working with Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Waxman, my friend Rick Boucher and other members on these issues.” Following the announcement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) praised Markey's “knowledge, experience, judgment and ability to communicate on this subject so effectively.” Markey is also chair of the Select Committee on Global Warming, and Speaker Pelosi noted, “[T]his makes him really a powerhouse on the issue of global warming and energy independence.” For additional information see:
Exxon CEO Calls for Carbon Tax over Cap-and-Trade Program On January 8, Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson called on Congress to enact a national carbon tax in a speech given at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. In contrast to a cap-and-trade program, Tillerson called a carbon tax “more direct, a more transparent and a more effective approach.” He also said a cap-and-trade regime would be more costly and bureaucratic. “My greatest concern is that policy makers will attempt to mandate or ordain solutions that are doomed to fail,” said Tillerson. Prior to this speech, Tillerson had not endorsed any specific policy for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. “When the biggest company in the world says this is OK, that is giving permission for a whole lot of people who have resisted carbon policy on the grounds it is bad for business to soften their resistance,” says Michael Webber, associate director of the University of Texas Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy. For additional information see:
Power Plant Company Pulls Out of Coal Plant Venture On January 2, power plant operator Dynergy Inc. announced it will end its development joint venture with LS Power Associates due to the challenges posed by credit markets and new regulatory measures to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “Today, the development of new generation is increasingly marked by barriers to entry including external credit and regulatory factors that make development much more uncertain,” said Bruce Williamson, Dynergy chairman and CEO. In Georgia, a state court last year invalidated a permit to build the venture's 1,200 megawatt Longleaf coal-fired plant in a ruling that cited a failure to limit emissions of CO2. Following the dissolution, Dynergy will retain rights for expansion projects at already running power plants, and ownership for plants under consideration will be given to LS Power. LS Power seeks to continue development of new coal plants, though economic difficulties led it to cancel one coal plant proposal in Iowa. For additional information see:
Michigan Residents Urge Moratorium on New Coal Plants On January 6, a coalition of environmentalists called on Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to block all current and future coal plant proposals in Michigan. Anne Woiwode, the director of a Michigan-based Sierra Club chapter, said Michigan had tremendous renewable energy resources that should be called upon instead. “Let’s not waste our future building coal plants,” she said. Coal currently generates 58 percent of Michigan’s power, but the development of new plants has come under increasing scrutiny in light of environmental and health concerns, and the possibility that CO2 emissions will soon be subject to national regulations. Governor Granholm, an advocate of alternative energy, said she is “not eager to approve a whole slew of new [coal] power plant permits.” The governor has yet to publicly respond to the environmental coalition’s call for a coal plant moratorium. For additional information see:
US Agricultural Carbon Credit Market Evolving Beginning on January 30, the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) announced that it will limit its sale of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions “offset” initiatives to those occurring in the current year or future years. Current rules allow companies to purchase offsets from ranchers for practices reducing GHG emissions that were implemented as far back as 2003, leading some to question the efficacy of the CCE’s ability to reduce emissions. “From here forward, we think it will be more bulletproof in terms of criticism if you just offer current year and forward credits,” said Dale Enerson, director of the National Farmers Union Carbon Credit Program (NFU). Ranchers can participate in the program by using certain rotational grazing practices or by planting grasses and trees that process carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Farmers and landowners participate by using no-till farming practices or by converting cropland into pasture or forest. Livestock producers also can participate in the program by installing systems to capture methane from manure. Although the CCE is voluntary, recent participation in the exchange has risen sharply as participants prepare for a possible national cap-and-trade program in the coming years. For additional information see:
First “World Bank Green Bonds” Launched On January 5, the World Bank announced it recently launched its first series of “green bonds,” raising $350 million in the process. The bonds are designed to finance low-carbon projects in developing economies. “Tackling climate change is going to take immense resources that will only come from a well-orchestrated flow of public and private finance,” said World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Created to respond to a growing interest in sustainable and environmentally-conscious investments, Annika Falkengren – President and CEO of Swedish bank SEB, a World Bank partner – said the green bonds are expected to have broader appeal as well. “With this issue, we have been able to offer our clients a product through which they can accomplish three things: take a stand towards fighting global warming; support the World Bank and its members in their efforts to fight poverty; and secure a higher return than government securities by investing in the World Bank’s Aaa/AAA-rated bonds,” she said. For additional information see:
Massachusetts Launches Efforts to Protect Coastal Residents On January 2, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced the creation of StormSmart Coasts, a pilot program to identify the most effective methods to defend the state’s 1500 miles of coast against the challenge posed by rising sea levels due to climate change. The program will take place in seven communities, including Boston, and seeks to broaden the discussion on the prevention of climate change to include adaptation as well. “All the research, including mine, shows it makes a lot more economic, environmental, and social sense to adapt rather than wait a few decades until the full impacts of climate change are felt,” said Dr. Paul Kirshen of Tufts University. As participants of the program, the communities will be able to tap into state resources and expertise while implementing measures such as constructing elevated buildings and developing disaster plans for storms. “This program gives mayors, zoning boards, and emergency response teams the tools they need to plan for – and recover from – the impact of rising sea levels and severe coastal storms,” said Ian Bowles, Massachusetts Energy and Environment Secretary. For additional information see:
Yellow Submarine to Probe Antarctica Glacier On January 8, the British Antarctic Survey launched a submarine to explore the underside of Antarctica’s Pine Island glacier in an effort to discover how deep currents may be driving the melting of ice from below. The Pine Island glacier is currently flowing into the ocean at a rate of 2.3 miles per year, 50 percent faster than in the 1990s and currently faster than any other glacier in the world. “You have to start worrying whether the system is speeding up, moving ice more rapidly into the ocean than it was even 50 years ago,” Dr. Stan Jacobs of Columbia University. In the region of Pine Island glacier, scientists expect a shift in deep currents has led to warm waters entering the region and melting the arctic ice shelf, the barrier that impedes the descent of continental glaciers. Last year, the UN Climate Panel projected world sea levels will rise 18-59 centimeters by 2100. The results of this research could alter those estimates. For additional information see:
Sea Level Rise Could Reach One Meter within Next 100 Years On January 6, Climate Dynamics published a study that found sea level could rise a meter over the next century, a significant change from the 18-59 centimeter rise predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last year. “CO2 reductions will help but we are already committed to a considerable rise in sea level. There is simply too much inertia in the system,” said Dr. Aslak Grinsted of the University of Copenhagen. The study differed in methodology from previous studies, in that it looked at past indicators of temperatures and ocean levels. “Instead of making calculations based on what one believes will happen with the melting of the ice sheets, we have made calculations based on what has actually happened in the past,” explained Grinsted. Under the optimistic scenario of 2°C warming, the researchers predict sea level will rise 80 centimeters. Under the more pessimistic scenario of 4.5°C warming, sea level could rise by as much as 1.35 meters. “Hopefully infrastructure planners will listen and plan accordingly,” said Grinsted. For additional information see:
Scientists Take Flight to Measure Greenhouse Gases On January 7, the National Science Foundation’s High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platfrom for Environmental Research (HIAPER) aircraft embarked on its first of five flights over the next three years to sample atmospheric conditions in some of the most inaccessible regions in the world. The flight will cross both poles and a number of latitudes along the way, making the mission the first to conduct a global, real-time sampling of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG). “Nobody has ever done that. Satellites see the whole globe, but they don’t see it in great detail,” said Dr. Steven Wofsy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental science at Harvard. Scientists hope to achieve greater insight as to where GHGs originate, and how well oceans and forests absorb them. “When we finish up, we’ll have a completely new picture about how greenhouse gases are entering the atmosphere and being removed from the atmosphere both by natural processes and by humans,” said Wofsy. For additional information see:
Study Finds More Polar Bears in Arctic Going Hungry Due to Climate Change In the January 3 issue of New Scientist, a study by Seth Cherry of the University of Alberta found the number of polar bears living in food-stressed environments in the Arctic has increased to 29.3 percent in 2006 – nearly a three-fold increase over rates 20 years earlier. Researchers say climate change, which is causing arctic ice-melt seasons to lengthen, is the principal culprit. “It is clear that the changes in the sea ice are affecting the hunting opportunities available to the bears,” said co-author Andrew Derocher. As sightings of polar bear cannibalism and bears searching for food further offshore increase, anecdotal evidence appears to lend support to Cherry’s research. “The study proves polar bears are in serious trouble,” said Rick Steiner, a marine conservationist at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. For additional information see:
Other Headlines Czech EU Presidency's Environmental Priority is Climate Protection
Events January 13, 2009 The Strategic Role of States in Supporting Clean Energy The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) invite you to a briefing to discuss the significant role that states are playing in developing and deploying clean energy technologies. This briefing will release new data on the results of state activity in project deployment and describe the investment models, financing tools, market development strategies, and other policies powered by states to successfully stimulate technological innovation and move wind, solar, and biomass technologies out of the laboratory and into the mainstream. The briefing will be held Tuesday, January 13, in 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, please contact Maria Blais at maria [at] cleanegroup.org or (802) 223-2554. The High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition will be hosting the first in a series of briefings on high-performance buildings on Tuesday, January 13, from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m. in 2325 Rayburn House Office Building. All interested Congressional staff are invited to attend this event. There is no charge for the event, but space is limited. Please RSVP by January 8 to Patricia Ryan by fax at 202-833-0118 or pryan [at] ashrae.org. Lunch will be served. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to examine the major health impacts and costs associated with transportation in the United States. The briefing will address how federal policies regarding transportation infrastructure can play an important role in improving public health and address climate impacts from transportation at the same time. This briefing will be held Wednesday, January 14, from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. in 485 Russell Senate Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Jan Mueller at (202) 662-1883 or jmueller [at] eesi.org. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Working Group for Investment in Reliable and Economic Electric Systems (WIRES) invite you to the first of two briefings designed to explore key issues associated with the planning, construction, operation, and regulation of the nation’s high voltage interstate electric transmission network. This briefing will be held Thursday, January 15, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in 210 Cannon Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
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Amy Sauer 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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