|
|
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clinton Says United States Is Ready to Lead on Climate On April 27, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told delegates from 16 nations that the United States is ready to lead efforts to address climate change. “The United States is fully engaged and determined to lead and make up for lost time both at home and abroad,” Clinton said. “We are back in the game.” The statement came at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate at the State Department in Washington, D.C., which brought together nations that are responsible for roughly 75 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Clinton also said that any new agreement to curb GHG emissions should require developing nations such as China and India to limit emissions as well. “There is no sense in negotiating an agreement if it will have no practical impact in reducing emissions to safer levels,” Clinton told the participants at the start of the two-day meeting. “So we all have to do our part, and we need to be creative and think hard about what will work in order for us to achieve the outcomes we hope for.” Dinesh Patnaik, a member of the Indian delegation said India and other developing nations hoped the talks would establish a level of trust with the industrial world that had so far been lacking. “We want assurances that the developed countries will not renege on their commitments,” he said. “The United States cannot solve the world’s problems, but the problems cannot be solved without the United States.” For additional information see:
Arctic Nations Meet to Discuss Cutting “Black” Carbon That Helps Thaw Ice On April 29, the eight nations that make up the Arctic Council agreed to address “black” carbon, or soot, that darkens ice and accelerates global warming, particularly in the polar regions. In a statement made by the Council, which includes the United States, Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway, the nations agreed to set up a “task force” to examine ways to cut down on soot along with two other short-lived greenhouse gases. The task force would then “recommend further immediate actions that can be taken” and report back on progress at a next meeting in 2011. At a meeting that took place alongside the conference held in Norway, former Vice-President Al Gore said carbon dioxide and methane remain the greatest challenges, but that black carbon from diesel engines and fires also is a threat. “The principal [climate change] problem is carbon dioxide, but a new understanding is emerging of soot,” Gore said. Of particular concern is the melting of permafrost, which could release vast stores of methane, another potent greenhouse gas. Jonas Gahr Stoere, the Norwegian Foreign Minister who co-hosted the meeting with Gore, said soot could be reduced quickly and regionally. “It might give regions of ice and snow a chance to survive long enough for greenhouse gas reductions to have an impact,” Stoere said. For additional information see:
World Must Drastically Shift Away From Fossil Fuels to Stay Within 2ºC Rise In the April 30 issue of Nature, two new studies report that to limit global warming to around 2ºC this century, the world will be able to burn less than a quarter of the proven reserves of fossil fuels by 2050. The scientists measured the total amount of greenhouse gases that could be released between 2000 and 2050 to stay within the limit of 2ºC, creating a “carbon budget” that would be equivalent to 1,000 billion tons of CO2. In the first nine years of this century, the world has already used up one-third of that budget, said the lead author Malte Meinshausen of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. “If we continue burning fossil fuels as we do, we will have exhausted the carbon budget in merely 20 years, and global warming will go well beyond two degrees,” Meinshausen said, adding, “Substantial reductions in global emissions have to begin soon – before 2020. If we wait longer, the required phase-out of carbon emissions will involve tremendous economic costs and technological challenges.” President Obama has called for a cut in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent. That is a “good start but it's not enough to limit warming,” said co-author Bill Hare, also at the Potsdam Institute. In addition, if other countries were to cut emission levels to match the United States, the United States would have to cut its overall pollution by 90 to 95 percent to keep the world from exceeding the 1.1 trillion ton mark, Hare said. For additional information see:
Montreal Protocol Could Be Used to Reduce Potent Greenhouse Gas On April 30, two island states, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Mauritius, filed proposed amendments to the Montreal Protocol, a treaty to reduce ozone depletion, to phase down a class of potent greenhouse gases that are commonly used as coolants. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) currently make up 2 percent of global climate emissions, but their production and consumption for use in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment is growing so fast that they will produce 11 billion tons of CO2-equivalent emissions per year by 2040. Under a climate stabilization scenario, this would be one third of total climate emissions by 2040. “Continuing to emit these super greenhouse gases is irresponsible when we have climate and ozone-friendly alternatives available,” said Ambassador Masao Nakayama, the FSM’s ambassador to the United Nations. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA), chairs of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Energy and Environment Subcommittee, respectively, wrote the Obama Administration on April 3, urging them to propose a similar amendment. “Although we strongly support a comprehensive international agreement on climate change, we believe that adding HFCs to the existing Montreal Protocol would be a sensible, cost-effective method of addressing a small but growing piece of the problem,” the letter stated. On April 30, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairs of the Senate Foreign Relations and Environment and Public Works Committees, respectively, sent a separate letter to the Administration in support of an HFC amendment. The deadline for proposing an amendment to the Montreal Protocol is May 4, six months ahead of a scheduled treaty meeting. White House spokesman Benjamin LaBolt said that “the administration has not developed a position on this.” For additional information see:
Arctic CO2 Levels Growing at an 'Unprecedented Rate' On April 27, measurements taken at the Arctic research station on Svalbard, Norway, indicated that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere reached over 397 parts per million (ppm), an increase of more than 2.5 ppm since 2008. The level has since declined and remains steady at around 393 ppm. Levels of CO2 recorded at that station tend to be higher than the global average, but scientists said that level was unprecedented even for that location. “These are the highest figures collected in 50 million years,” said Johan Strom, professor of atmospheric physics at the Norwegian Polar Institute, which collected the data. Strom also noted that the level of CO2 was not considered as alarming as the pace at which it has been increasing. “What is very worrying is the speed of change. Levels [here] are now increasing 2-3 ppm a year,” he said. “The rate of increase is much faster than only 10-20 years ago. You can almost see the changes taking place. Never before have CO2 levels increased so fast.” For additional information see:
ADB Warns of Severe Climate Change Impact on Southeast Asia On April 27, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) released a report which found that Southeast Asia will be one of the worst affected areas from the impacts of climate change. The area covered in the report included Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, which has a combined population of more than 563 million people. This area is considered more vulnerable than others because of the large number of people who live near the coasts and the high rate of poverty. The report found that the total cost of lost agricultural production and other negative impacts from climate change would be equivalent to as much as 6.7 percent of gross domestic product in the included nations by the end of the century. Sea level rise also will contribute to the impacts experienced by Southeast Asian nations. “Our modeling shows that sea levels will rise up to 70 centimeters [about 28 inches],” said Juzhong Zhuang, an economist at ADB and an author of the report. “That will force the relocation of many millions of people.” The authors of the report urged leaders of the affected governments to invest in infrastructure that will help the countries adapt to the predicted impacts, arguing that it can also serve to help the nations respond to the economic crisis. “The investment in climate change adaptation can serve as an effective fiscal stimulus,” said Tae Yong Jung, one of the authors of the report. For additional information see:
A Low-carbon Path for China is Hard But Doable, Study Finds On April 29, a study from Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the United Kingdom reported that China would be able to transform into a “low-carbon” economy, but that it would require swift and strong policies that encourage clean energy, development mechanisms and carbon storage technology. In addition, such a transition would require vast investments from developed countries in order to make it possible. “It's vital for China to have the technical and financial assistance to make the fast transition which is necessary,” said Tao Wang, a researcher at the University of Sussex and one of the authors of the report. The report stated that China’s economy could grow more than 10 times by 2050 while its CO2 emission growth stays at or below 450 parts per million, the recommendation made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Wang and co-author Jim Watson took the CO2 limit of 450 ppm and measured how much China could potentially emit as part of an international agreement to limit GHG emissions. They found that from a total global CO2 emissions budget equal to 490 gigatons of pure carbon, China may potentially get to emit 70 to 111 gigatons. Taking this emissions limit and modeling various energy and development settings, China's economy could expand to between 8 and 13 times its current size by 2050 while sticking within the emissions budget, researchers found. “They would not be signing up to just a number,” Watson said. “They'd be signing up to a huge set of infrastructural changes, behavioral changes, institutional changes.” For additional information see:
Hundreds of Miles of Ice Drop from Antarctic Shelf On April 29, researchers reported that satellite images taken from the European Space Agency show massive amounts of ice breaking away from the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The first icebergs broke away on April 24, and since then roughly 270 square miles of ice have dropped into the sea, according to the satellite data. The shelf had been stable for several years but began retreating in the 1990s. Two large chunks broke off in the past year and on April 5 of this year, the bridge shattered completely. “The retreat of Wilkins Ice Shelf is the latest and the largest of its kind. Eight separate ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula have shown signs of retreat over the last few decades. There is little doubt that these changes are the result of atmospheric warming on the Antarctic Peninsula, which has been the most rapid in the Southern Hemisphere,” said David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey. Over the next several weeks, scientists estimate the Wilkins shelf will lose around 1,300 square miles – a piece larger than the state of Rhode Island. For additional information see:
Fire Influences Global Warming More than Previously Thought In the April 24 issue of Science, a new report found that CO2 emissions released from forest fires contribute more to the effects of climate change than previously thought. Scientists have long been aware of the increased wildfires that are expected to take place as temperatures rise, but emissions from fires appear to be underestimated. Specifically, scientists in this study looked at the amount of emissions that would result from intentional fires set to clear forest land. “We've estimated that deforestation due to burning by humans is contributing about one-fifth of the human-caused greenhouse effect – and that percentage could become larger,” said co-author Thomas W. Swetnam of the University of Arizona. In addition, the scientists reported that CO2 emissions from all fires was equal to half of all emissions released by the burning of fossil fuels. In the report, the authors call on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to recognize the overarching role of fire in global climate change and to incorporate fire better into future models and reports about climate change. Lead co-author David Bowman of the University of Tasmania in Australia said, “We're most concerned that fire has not been rigorously and adequately incorporated in the climate models. It's remarkable that such an integral part of the landscape has been so sidelined.” For additional information see:
Other Headlines Poll Finds Fewer Consumers Willing to Cut Back on Flights Due to Emissions Worries
Events May 5, 2009 Alternative Transportation Fuels Part 2: Tar Sands, Oil Shale Please join the Sustainable Energy Coalition—in cooperation with Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses—for the 12th annual Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum. This year’s EXPO will bring together nearly 50 businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and near-term potential of the cross-section of renewable energy (biofuels/biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) and energy efficiency technologies. A morning news conference will feature Members of the U.S. Congress while afternoon speakers will discuss the role sustainable energy technologies can play in meeting America’s energy needs. For more information, please contact Ken Bossong at the Sustainable Energy Coalition by phone at 301-270-6477 ext. 23 or email at kbossong614@yahoo.com.
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.
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. |
|||
Printer-friendly version