Environmental and Energy Study Institute

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Climate Change News
Brought to you by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Carol Werner, Executive Director
June 5, 2009
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Stern Says U.S. Role in New Climate Treaty Hinges on China, Climate Talks Continue in Bonn

On June 3, Todd Stern, the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, announced that he would go to China next week to discuss emission reductions under the next global treaty on climate change.  He said that any future agreement must include strong action by China.  “Developed countries who do agree to take strong action won't long accept a world in which economic competitors are allowed to free-ride with respect to CO2 emissions,” Stern said.  “China and other developing countries do not need to take the same actions that developed nations are taking – but they do need to take significant national actions that they commit to internationally, that they quantify and that are ambitious enough to be broadly consistent with the lessons of science.”  Stern said that he would “listen, not lecture” in China and would not emerge with any written agreements.  Although he stressed the need for the United States to take urgent action on climate change, Stern said that U.S. reductions without a commitment from China would be futile, as China is the number one overall emitter of CO2.  “What China can do – and what many in the Chinese leadership clearly recognize – is not to stop growing, but to grow smarter,” Stern said.

Representatives from more than 180 nations are meeting in Bonn, Germany from June 1- 14 to work toward an agreement in Copenhagen in December, to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol.  Jonathan Pershing, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, said that the United States may not be ready with concrete numbers in December, as climate change legislation currently working its way through the House of Representatives must still pass the full House and Senate.  “It might mean that you have a framework in place as opposed to absolute numbers. Those numbers may come a bit later,” he said.

For additional information see:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5isU--m_vJofhmgBKFzifD...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gvs_XUapLrhxZuGdut2tmY...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkbeAj3yojTN0AEWQq_dkP...
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/04/content_11483312.htm

Renewables Took Bulk of Global Energy Investment in 2008, Will Recover Quickly in 2009

On June 3, the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative released a report titled “Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009” which found that renewable energy investments overtook carbon-based fuels for the first time ever in 2008. A record $155 billion was invested worldwide in renewable energy, with wind attracting the highest investments at $58.1 billion, followed by solar at $33.5 billion, and biofuels at $16.9 billion.  The total for 2008 is four times the investments made in renewable energy in 2004, though there is a decline of 53 percent in the first quarter of 2009, with $13.3 billion invested in renewable energy so far this year.  “Without doubt the economic crisis has taken its toll on investments in clean energy when set against the record-breaking growth of recent years,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General.

On June 5, the research group New Energy Finance released data which projects that 2009 investments will total $95 to $115 billion, representing a drop of 26-39 percent from last year's total of $155 billion. “It is disappointing that 2009 will look likely to show such a significant fall in new investment in clean energy. However, the good news is that it does look as though the worst is past,” said Michael Liebreich, chairman and chief executive of New Energy Finance.  Data from the group has shown that renewable energy investments in the second quarter have already surpassed the first quarter by a third.  With a total of $184.9 billion of stimulus funds aimed at clean energy or energy efficiency pledged by major economies since September 2008, New Energy Finance projects that these funds will help this energy sector recovery quickly. “The bulk of (the money) is likely to arrive next year and thereafter, by which time the clean energy sector may be well on the way to recovery under its own steam,” Liebreich said.

For additional information see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/03/renewables-energy-spen...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ij9mBRC5LIj4BXd_-avg8...
http://www.reuters.com/article/smallBusinessNews/idUSTRE5542Y620090605
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=589&Ar...

Big Business 'Failing to Disclose Climate Risks' to Investors

On June 3, a report from Ceres, a coalition of sustainable energy businesses and investors, and the Environment Defense Fund announced that the world’s major corporations failed last year to provide shareholders with information about the risks of climate change.  The report found that 59 of 100 global firms surveyed did not mention greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, even in the face of growing demand from financial regulators for climate disclosure.  “What an investor is looking for is adequate information to make smart decisions,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres.  The report found that in the insurance industry, which now offers climate change related insurance policies, only 9 of 27 firms mentioned damages from climate change to investors.  Lubber indicated that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should ensure that companies provide relevant climate information to shareholders.  “As the nation responds to the challenges of global warming, investors have a right to know which businesses are forging innovative solutions for the 21st century and which are lagging behind,” Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp said.

For additional information see:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hUwipsc2OgosJTngQzQwqO...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/03/business-investors-cli...
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE5525SY20090603

Interior Department Issues Recommendations for National Carbon Capture

On June 3, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released a report containing recommendations for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) on U.S. public lands.  The report contains information about potential sites and a plan for leasing lands, environmental protection, and federal liability issues.  “President Obama’s national energy plan calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050,” said Secretary Salazar. “Capturing carbon dioxide emissions in secure geologic formations prevents their release into the atmosphere, reducing the carbon intensity of our economy. These recommendations provide a structure for a national initiative to identify appropriate public land geological sequestration sites that will help us reach our clean energy goals.”  CCS involves injecting CO2 underground into permeable rock, which can be found in old or existing oil and gas fields, coal mines or deep saline water formations, the most plausible option for the United States.  A main concern of CCS is leakage of stored CO2 into drinking water or back into the atmosphere.  The Interior report calls for more research on long term carbon storage and environmental safety.  The Interior’s Bureau of Land Management has experience injecting CO2 underground for the technique called Enhanced Oil Recovery, which has provided DOI with an opportunity to study the long term effects of carbon storage.

For additional information see:
http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/060309.html
http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/EISA_Sec._714_Report_to_Congres...

Boulder Raises Carbon Tax to Reach Kyoto Goal

On June 4, the Boulder City Council voted to increase the city’s voter-approved carbon tax from the minimum to the maximum level.  The tax, which is built into utility bills, would provide the city with an additional $810,000 annually and help the city reach 95 percent of the Kyoto Protocol’s goal – a 7 percent reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) from 1990 levels by 2012.  The new tax revenue will be put to use helping residents to reduce their carbon footprints.  The carbon tax is expected to increase residential utility bills by $21 per month.  David Driskell, Boulder’s Deputy Director for Community Planning, said the city must reduce its CO2 emissions by 400,000 metric tons by 2012 to meet its short-term goals, which is currently on track to fall just short of that at 396,800 tons.

For additional information see:
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jun/04/kyoto-boulder-raises-carbon-...

Study: Climate Change Causes 315,000 Deaths a Year

On May 29, a study commissioned by the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) reported that climate change causes about 315,000 deaths per year through hunger, sickness and extreme weather events.  The report also found that climate change causes economic losses of $125 billion annually, mainly in the agricultural sector.  GHF expects both casualties and economic losses to increase dramatically by 2030.  The report indicated that developing nations bear 90 percent of the human and economic burden, but the 50 poorest nations have contributed less than one percent of global CO2 emissions.  African, South Asian, and island nations are the most vulnerable nations to climate change, according to the report.  “Climate change is the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time, causing suffering to hundreds of millions of people worldwide,” said Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General and GHF president.

The report examined existing studies and data sets of health, disaster, population and economic trends to draw its conclusions.  Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado in Boulder, said that the report is flawed because there is no way to distinguish deaths and economic losses due to climate change from those caused by other forces.  “Climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost attention,” he said.  But the report “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed.”

For additional information see:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLS1002309
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/science/earth/29climate.html?ref=earth
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jrmN_Icu2k5JA-4rbWKAiV...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h51196bVBSLexxkG15hPB...

Scientists Warn Acid is Killing Oceans

On June 1, scientists from 70 national science academies from around the world announced that ocean acidification must be part of the climate change talks in Copenhagen in December.  The scientists indicated that because 30 percent of atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, increased CO2 emissions could cause severe damage by 2050.  Damage to corals can reduce their effectiveness in protecting coastlines, and fishing communities could be devastated if large amounts of fish die as a result of acidification.  Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society in the UK, said there may be an “underwater catastrophe.”  “The effects will be seen worldwide, threatening food security, reducing coastal protection and damaging the local economies that may be least able to tolerate it,” he said.  Scientists have indicated that even if CO2 levels were stabilized at 450 parts per million (ppm), over 10 percent of the world’s oceans would be affected by acidification, including over 90 percent of tropical and sub-tropical coral reefs.  The current level of CO2 is 387 ppm.  Terry Hughes, director of the Australian Research Council Centre for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University and contributor to the academies’ statement said, “Unless the world can sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the combination of repeated bouts of bleaching, more extreme storms and slower growth due to acidification will have a severe impact on coral reefs and the tourism and fisheries industries they support. We only have a narrow window of opportunity to prevent further severe damage to coral reefs before it's too late.”

For additional information see:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/5420048/CO2-levels-may-caus...
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLV214036
http://www.smh.com.au/national/scientists-warn-acid-is-killing-oceans-20...

Land-based Carbon in Emission Reduction Strategies Lowers Costs and Preserves Forests

On May 28, a study published in Science found that including emissions from land use change in greenhouse gas mitigation policy will decrease carbon prices and deforestation.  Researchers from the Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI) in College Park, Maryland, used models to compare different climate scenarios.  They compared two different policies; one which placed a tax on terrestrial, industrial and fossil fuel emissions sources and another that placed a tax only on industrial and fossil fuel emissions sources.  The researchers concluded that ignoring terrestrial sources of carbon led to nearly a complete loss of unmanaged forests by 2010, mainly due to the expansion of bioenergy crops.  Study co-author James Edmonds, an economist with JGCRI, said that currently the carbon held by forests has no economic value, which increases the pressure of deforestation.  “If the carbon emissions from chopped-down forests are factored into the overall cost of capping atmospheric carbon this century, the price is much less than if only industrial and fossil fuel emissions are considered,” Edmonds said.  The study estimated that carbon prices in 2095 at a CO2 concentration of 450 parts per million (ppm) will be $1300 per ton of carbon when including terrestrial carbon and $3500 per ton if it is not included.

For additional information see:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142817.htm
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE54R6JK20090528

Study Finds Climate Change Boosts Texas Storm Flood Risk

On June 1, a study by Texas A&M University, sponsored by the National Committee on Energy Policy, said that climate change can be expected to increase flooding from hurricanes on the southern Texas coast.  The study specifically targeted Corpus Christi, which has three oil refineries that could be affected by flooding.  The study said that coastal land is sinking and that barrier islands are eroding, which will increase the risk of hurricane flooding and damage costs as sea level rises.  The study used models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to predict sea level rise and intensification of storms.  “I think the broad conclusions and the ballpark numbers would be applicable across the entire Texas coast,” said Jennifer Irish, study author and an associate professor at Texas A&M. “I think that it’s really prudent to consider the possibility of global warming scenarios, even the highest estimates.”

For additional information see:
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE55030620090601
http://www.caller.com/news/2009/jun/02/climate-study-bigger-surges/
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=af55a36282586790

EU Carbon Emissions Tracked Downward in 2007

On May 29, the European Environment Agency said that Europe’s carbon emissions fell for the third year in a row, due to decreased heating demand as a result of a warmer climate.  Overall European emissions decreased by 1.2 percent, or 59 million metric tons.  European Union Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas says that the EU will meet its Kyoto goal of 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.  This latest drop “gives us confidence that we will successfully reach our Kyoto target,” Dimas said in a statement on Friday. “The proactive climate policies and measures taken nationally and at EU level since Kyoto are starting to pay off.”  The EU’s own report admits that much of the reduction in emissions was due mainly to a warmer climate and industry reductions.  Transportation emissions in the EU increased dramatically.  Emissions in Spain, Italy and Ireland grew by large amounts, and Dimas said that these nations could face sanctions under the Kyoto agreement.  

For additional information see:
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE54S2GQ20090529
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iuTj8IXgEZmQq2CJo-OZX...
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4290440,00.html

Growing Climate Change May Escalate Middle East Conflict

On June 3, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) released a report warning that climate change and water shortages could create further conflict in the Middle East.  The report, entitled “Rising Temperatures, Rising Tensions:  Climate Change and the Risk of Conflict in the Middle East,” discussed six main threats to peace and security in the region:  water scarcity, food scarcity, decreased economic growth, increased poverty, climate refugee tensions and decreased availability of natural resources.  Oli Brown, who co-wrote the report with Alec Crawford, highlighted some of the report’s important implications.  “Climate change itself poses real security concerns to the region. It could lead to increased militarization of strategic natural resources, complicating peace agreements,” he said.

The region has already seen its first climate refugees migrate from rural villages to crowded urban centers.  IISD reported that 160 villages in northern Syria were abandoned in 2007-2008 because of a climate change induced drought.  This type of migration is expected to increase as the population of the region is forecasted to nearly double by 2050.  According to the report, sea level rise threatens to contaminate Gaza’s only aquifer, which supplies 1.5 million Palestinians with water.  Brown is optimistic that these problems can be solved with international cooperation.  “Building up contacts, building up shared approaches to dealing with regional problems is something . . . could lead to greater understanding and greater interdependence,” he said. “Maybe that would build some sort of discussion.”

For additional information see:
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/06/03/Growing-climate-change-may-es...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jXbS8a3ggiMm4ekludBbm...
http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINTRE55152920090602
http://www.canada.com/business/fp/Climate+change+could+stall+Middle+East...

Soviet Legacy Seen Worsening Climate Change Impact

On June 2, the World Bank declared that the countries of the former Soviet-Bloc face huge challenges to avoid the worst effects of climate change in the coming decades.  In a report titled “Adapting to Climate Change in Europe and Central Asia,” the World Bank said that years of Soviet mismanagement left the region ill-prepared to deal with climate change.  Former Soviet-Bloc countries are poor and have run-down housing and infrastructure which will be vulnerable to damage, the report said.  Additionally, Soviet toxic waste dumps could release substances into water supplies if they are flooded due to changing weather patterns.  “Many countries are already suffering from winter floods and summer droughts – with  both southeastern Europe and Central Asia at risk for severe water shortages,” said Marianne Fay, a director of the World Bank's World Development Report 2010.

Average temperatures have already risen by 0.5 to 1.6°C across the region.  The World Bank indicated that climate change impacts will be manageable for a decade, giving these countries a small window of time to prepare for adaptation.  Tajikistan is the country that the World Bank says is most at risk, followed by Albania and Kyrgyzstan.  The World Bank report did not estimate the cost for the former Soviet countries to adapt to climate change.

For additional information see:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCyc1KCPqGghe4ChrFKxD...
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL2485911
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=amz_Fi.P1nuc

Other Headlines

South Africa Plans Green Tax Cuts
http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=72530

Australia’s Lower House Passes Carbon Reduction Laws
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aX.F4JVo5s1g&refer=a...

Climate Change Threatens African Farmland: Study
http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINTRE55202A20090603

Small Islands Win UN Vote on Climate Change Security
http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINTRE5525W920090603

BP Unveils First Electrically-Powered Oil Tanker
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_12514080

Events

June 9, 2009            Effective Global Climate Change Policy: Technical and Regulatory Challenges  

RTI International invites you to a seminar addressing the need for a multi-faceted approach including developing and implementing technical and policy solutions to slow, halt or reverse global climate change and its consequent effects in the 21st century.  This seminar will feature a panel of distinguished researchers from Duke University and RTI International will present their research regarding the technologies and policies needed to address this vital national issue.  The event will take place on Tuesday, June 9, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Newseum (please enter at the Freedom Forum/6th Street entrance).  A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m.  For more information on this event please see http://www.rti.org/seminar/climatechangepolicy.

June 10, 2009         “Small Wonders:” How America’s Small Businesses are Helping Fuel a Green Economic Recovery

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Center for Small Business and the Environment (CSBE) invite you to a briefing exploring the role of small business as the engine for job growth and the transition to a clean energy economy. At the briefing, CSBE will release a new report, Small Wonders, the first assessment of the widespread and proliferating phenomenon of small green businesses. This briefing will help advance an understanding of why it is essential that the decentralized half of the economy – small business – is assisted in its efforts to green its operations. Speakers also will address how stimulus funding can be directed to most effectively support green entrepreneurs.  This briefing will take place Wednesday, June 10, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in 438A Russell Senate Office Building.  The briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.  For more information, contact Kristin Gomez at (202) 374-2398 or kgomez [at] loudmouthdc.com or Laura Parsons at (202) 662-1884 or lparsons [at] eesi.org.

June 11, 2009        Forest Biomass: Renewable, Low Carbon, and Limited

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to learn about the role that forest biomass can play in contributing to renewable energy supplies in the United States.  It will focus on the size of the forest biomass resource in the United States, as well as its position within a larger context of national and global wood fiber markets.  This briefing will take place on Thursday, June 11, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. in 332 Russell Senate Office Building.  This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Jesse Caputo at (202) 662-1882 or jcaputo [at] eesi.org or Ned Stowe at (202) 662-1885 or nstowe [at] eesi.org.

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Amy Sauer
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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.