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Climate Bill Introduced in House; Committee to Begin Markup Next Week
A key concern of some committee members was to protect industries that rely heavily on fossil fuels. The bill did not initially designate whether permits to emit GHGs would be auctioned off or given away for free, but an agreement has since been made to give away some permits to vulnerable industries. At the beginning of the program, utilities would receive 35 percent of the free permits; trade-vulnerable industries such as steel, cement and glass would get 15 percent; firms making electric and advanced technology vehicles would get three percent; and oil refiners would receive two percent. These free permits would be phased out as the program progresses and the number of permits decreases, lowering the cap on overall GHG emissions. Republicans in the committee indicated that they plan to offer over 100 amendments to the bill in hopes of slowing down the markup, scheduled to begin the week of May 17. For additional information see:
Climate Change May Be World's Biggest Health Threat In the May 14 issue of The Lancet, a team of medical and climate change researchers reported that climate change is the biggest public health threat in the 21st century. A year-long study by scientists at the University College of London (UCL) concluded that effects from climate change such as food shortages, heat waves and an increase in tropical diseases will kill billions of people in this century. “Effects of climate change will affect most populations in the next decades and put the lives and well-being of billions of people at increased risk,” the report concluded. Increased temperatures will lead to mass migrations of coastal residents, which could trigger conflicts over resources such as food and water, the researchers said. In addition, the report found that warmer temperatures will spread diseases like malaria and increase deaths from flooding, drought and more intense storms. “Climate change is a health issue affecting billions of people, not just an environmental issue about polar bears and deforestation,” said Dr. Anthony Costello, a UCL pediatrician and lead author of the report. “We are setting up a world for our children and grandchildren that may be extremely frightening and turbulent.” For additional information see:
Plans Dropped for Washington Coal Gasification Plant, Louisiana Coal Plant on Hold On May 12, officials from Energy Northwest withdrew their application to build a 680-megawatt coal gasification plant in Kalama, Washington, citing increased costs associated with limiting the plant’s carbon emissions. In late 2008, Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council found that the proposal did not comply with a 2007 state law that limited the amount of carbon emitted from the power plant. Energy Northwest, a consortium of 25 public power agencies, attempted to find other ways to limit emissions, but this caused the price of the plant to rise from $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion. Rochelle Olson, an Energy Northwest spokeswoman, said the decision “was simply a reflection of the fact that the law passed by the state Legislature made it financially and probably legally impossible for us to move forward with the gasification plant. Carbon sequestration is really still in the research and development stages, and as a public agency we are prohibited from accepting open-ended risk.” On May 13, the Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously accepted Entergy Louisiana's recommendation to put on hold for three years plans that would convert a natural gas plant to burn coal and petroleum coke. The decision to put the plans on hold was due in large part to lower natural gas prices and uncertainty over the cost to Louisiana ratepayers if climate legislation were passed, putting a limit on CO2 emissions from utilities. Coal is used for 17 percent of Louisiana's electricity production, but is responsible for 58 percent of the CO2 emitted from power plants in the state. For additional information see:
West Antarctic Sea Level Rise May Be Overstated In the May 15 issue of Science, a group of scientists reported that a meltdown of the West Antarctic ice sheet would cause a rise in sea level of approximately 3.3 meters, or roughly half of the 5-6 meter estimate previously given by scientists. “The long-term impact of West Antarctica may not be as serious as previously believed,” said Jonathan Bamber of Bristol University lead author of the report. “But 17 million people in Bangladesh alone would be displaced by a sea level rise of 1.5 meters. The consequence for the planet and stability of society as a whole for even a 1-2 meters rise is very, very serious.” Antarctica’s mass exerts a gravitational pull that raises water levels in the Southern Ocean. If that ice were to melt, computer models project that sea levels would rise fastest around North America, while falling in the Southern Ocean. Bamber and his team of researchers used new information on the shape of the bedrock and the height of the ice to develop a computer model to predict how the ice sheet would respond if parts of the outer shelf broke free. The West Antarctic is considered more vulnerable than others because much of the bedrock it sits on is below sea level. Previous studies had concluded that enough ice would melt to cause a 5-6 meter sea level rise, but Bamber said, “Our calculation shows those estimates are much too large, even on a 1000-year time scale.” For additional information see:
Arctic Explorers Find More Evidence of Global Thaw On May 13, three British scientists ended their 73-day mission to map Arctic sea ice, having found a greater proportion of thin first-year ice than originally predicted by scientists. The team had initially hoped to reach the North Pole in 100 days, but the trip had to be cut short due to equipment failures that slowed their process. Earlier estimates for the thickness of the sea ice were about three meters, but members of the team observed an average thickness of 1.773 meters, said Pen Hadow, leader of the Catlin Arctic Survey team. “Whereas the scientists who had been advising us had predicted it would be a mixture of this (new ice) and the older, thicker, multi-layer ice, we saw no evidence of that,” Hadow said. The team took about 1,500 measurements of sea ice thickness and density for scientific analysis. Older, multiyear ice is typically more than three meters thick and less likely to disappear during the summer melting season than first-year ice. “We expected them to travel on multiyear ice at the start of the expedition,” said Andy Pag, the science coordinator for the team. The findings “are an illustration of how reduced the extent of the multiyear ice is.” For additional information see:
Obama Upholds Bush Decision on Polar Bear Protection On May 8, the Department of the Interior announced that it would uphold a Bush Administration rule that blocked climate advocates from using the Endangered Species Act as a means to force the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “We must do all we can to help the polar bear recover, recognizing that the greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change,” said Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar. “However, the Endangered Species Act is not the proper mechanism for controlling our nation’s carbon emissions. Instead, we need a comprehensive energy and climate strategy that curbs climate change and its impacts – including the loss of sea ice. Both President Obama and I are committed to achieving that goal.” The announcement provoked criticism from several environmental groups who are looking for more aggressive action to combat the impacts of climate change. “The special rule [imposed by the Bush Administration] is a death warrant for the polar bear,” according to Bill Snape of the Center for Biological Diversity. “With its sea ice habitat rapidly disappearing, the polar bear needs the full protection of the Endangered Species Act.” For additional information see:
Poorest Need Funds to Combat Climate Change For additional information see:
World Ocean Conference Focused on Climate Change On May 14, representatives from more than 120 countries concluded a five-day World Ocean Conference in Manado, Indonesia, and issued a joint declaration calling for international action to address climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, over-fishing, and other mounting threats to marine ecosystems, upon which tens of millions of people worldwide depend for basic sustenance. “The declaration represents a political commitment by participating governments to address the common questions of sea level rises, ocean acidification, changing weather patterns and other climate-related phenomena,” said Mary Glackin, head of the U.S. delegation. Grenada’s UN ambassador, Dessima Williams, who also serves as chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, said, “I don’t think it is adequate . . . but I think the pieces of the solution are being laid and that is important at this juncture.” At the conference, the World Wildlife Fund issued a new report warning that unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut 25 to 40 percent by 2020, rising sea levels and ocean temperatures could destroy much of the Pacific Ocean Coral Triangle upon which more than 100 million people in the region depend for food. For additional information see:
Michigan Mammals Moving North Due to Climate Change In the June issue of Global Change Biology, a study concluded that populations of a number of key mammal species are moving north as predicted by earlier climate change studies. The study examined trends in populations of various species of squirrels, mice, voles, chipmunks, and opossums in the northern Great Lakes region. The results indicated that southern species are moving north rapidly and replacing northern species and climate change appears to be the driving factor. Because of the dominant roles these species play within their ecological communities, these migrations are likely to have a significant impact on the composition and structure of the forest communities over time. “We're talking about the commonest mammals there, mammals that have considerable ecological impact,” said lead author Philip Myers, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at University of Michigan. “They disperse seeds, they eat seeds, they eat the insects that kill trees, they disperse the fungus that grows in tree roots that is necessary for trees to grow, and they're the prey base for a huge number of carnivorous birds, mammals and snakes. But we don't know enough about their natural history to know whether replacing a northern species with a southern equivalent is going to pass unnoticed or is going to be catastrophic. It could work either way.” For additional information see:
Carbon Capture Demonstration Project Successful On May 7, results of a successful carbon capture project that Alstom Power conducted at its We Energies facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin were announced at a carbon capture and storage (CCS) conference co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The project ran continuously for over 4600 hours, and successfully captured 88-90 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions, energy industry representatives reported. Although the Alstrom Power project demonstrated the feasibility of carbon capture, the project did not include an attempt to sequester captured gases underground in deep geological formations. The captured gases were maintained at purity levels exceeding 99 percent, however, which allows them to be used as an input in a variety of industrial processes. Alstom’s Amy Ericson said, “The preliminary results from the We Energies demonstration project and other projects we’re undertaking are encouraging. Alstom looks forward to continuing to work with our various partners to move this technology to a commercial scale as quickly as possible.” Also at the conference, officials from American Electric Power (AEP) announced plans for a new CCS demonstration project at the Mountaineer plant in West Haven, West Virginia. The project is slated to come online later this year and, if successful, will represent the nation's first fully-integrated CCS demonstration facility, capturing CO2 from coal combustion and sequestering it more than 8000 feet underground. For additional information see:
EPA Being Sued Over Ocean Acidification On May 14, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to list the waters off the coast of the state of Washington as impaired because rising levels of CO2 in the air are making the ocean more acidic. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle and stated that the EPA violated the Clean Water Act by not listing Washington ocean waters as impaired despite research that shows that increased CO2 causes an increase in ocean acidification. “The EPA has a duty under the Clean Water Act to protect our nation's waters from pollution, and today, CO2 is one of the biggest threats to our ocean waters,” said Miyoko Sakashita, an attorney with CBD. Enesta Jones, a spokeswoman for the EPA, said, “We take concerns regarding acidification of ocean and coastal waters very seriously. Protection of the nation's water quality is among EPA's highest priorities.” Jones said the agency will respond after reviewing the complaint. For additional information see:
Other Headlines EU Industry CO2 Emissions Fall Three Percent in 2008
Events May 21, 2009 A Global Nuclear Renaissance: Is the United States Missing Out? The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to examine the renewed interest in nuclear power globally and its prospects in the United States. This briefing will address developments in the nuclear industry in Europe, projections for new nuclear power in the United States, and the financial risks associated with investing in nuclear power to address the urgent climate situation. The briefing will take place on Thursday, May 21, from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in SVC 212/210 Capitol Visitor Center (PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME AND LOCATION). This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Amy Sauer at (202) 662-1892 or asauer [at] eesi.org. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) invite you to a briefing to learn about state actions on climate and energy, and how they can inform the current Congressional debate on climate policy. This briefing will feature representatives from states in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, who will share their experiences about garnering support in their states, and offer their perspectives on how the federal government and states can best coordinate actions to provide effective climate and energy policies. The briefing will take place on Thursday, May 28, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. in 2168 Rayburn House Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Amy Sauer at (202) 662-1892 or asauer [at] eesi.org. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and WIRES (Working group for Investment in Reliable and Economic electric Systems) invite you to a briefing to discuss the upgrade and expansion of the nation's electric transmission systems. This briefing also will help advance an understanding of the grid's operational capabilities and related investment opportunities and how they are changing. The briefing will take place Thursday, June 4, with time and location TBD. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Laura Parsons at (202) 662-1884 or lparsons [at] eesi.org.
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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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