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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stern, Prince Charles: Risks of Global Warming Greater than Financial Crisis On October 27, Sir Nicholas Stern, former British Treasury economist and author of the 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, announced that “The risk consequences of ignoring climate change will be very much bigger than the consequences of ignoring risks in the financial system,” including a loss of up to 1/5 of world GDP and “extreme” conflict. Drawing an analogy between the current financial crisis and the potential effects of climate change, Stern noted, “One thing we should have learned from this experience of the financial crisis is if we ignore risk building in the system, that risk will get much more difficult to manage than if we recognize it and tackle it early.” These statements came at a climate and carbon conference in Hong Kong, where Stern suggested that governmental efforts to stimulate the national economies can simultaneously focus on promoting the development of climate-friendly industries and green technologies. Stern also addressed the prospects for a global successor treaty to the Kyoto protocol, following European Union discussions the week before where some member states suggested the scaling back of targets agreed to under the protocol in the wake of the financial crisis. While Stern said discussions around the successor treaty next year at Copenhagen will be “very tense,” he maintained that the chances of a successful outcome are “very high.” In related news, during a visit to Tokyo, Prince Charles warned that the financial crisis should not distract from the longer-term problem of the “climate crunch.” The prince spoke on October 28, after viewing exhibits related to global warming at Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. For additional information see:
On October 28, Governor Ted Kulongoski introduced a 2009 legislative climate change package with proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, establish wind and solar energy incentives, increase energy efficiency of buildings, and encourage the purchase of electric cars. “We have made great progress in the fight against climate change over the last five years, but that was just the beginning. This next session we must be bolder, more strategic and even more visionary,” said Kulongoski. “Climate change is the most important environmental and economic issue of our time. We no longer have the luxury of looking a few years down the road.” While many applauded the governor’s efforts, some environmentalists felt the package did not sufficiently emphasize conservation and clean energy. Others argued that the requirements will pose a heavy burden on homeowners and small businesses. "There are a number of positive incentives the governor is proposing that protect our air, water and forests," said Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli. "However . . . calm and caution are important as we examine all of the possible consequences in these proposals." For additional information see:
On October 25, Asian and European leaders discussed the issues of sustainable development, energy security, and climate change during the second day of the biennial Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM). Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a new agreement on climate change at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in late 2009. Following the ASEM discussions, the leaders issued the Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development, further confirming agreement on a list of climate change issues, particularly the notion of common but differentiated responsibilities on behalf of the developed and developing nations. The officials also noted the EU’s intent to encourage "the maximum commitment we can get" from Asia for the post-Kyoto global agreement on addressing climate change. For additional information see: China's Negative Coal Effects Equal to 7 Percent of Its GDP According to an October 28 report commissioned by Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Federation, and the Energy Foundation, negative effects of coal cost China 7 percent of its GDP each year. These effects included pollution, environmental damage, health defects, and accidental deaths in coal mines. "Currently these costs are paid by the people in China suffering from the damage," said co-author Dr. Mao Yushi of the Unirule Institute of Economics. Because the Chinese already pay the “hidden cost” in the form of environmental damage, health care bills, and loss of work, the study concluded that a price increase in coal would have a minimal impact on China’s economic growth. A 23 percent price increase in coal would offset these costs. According to Ms. Yang Ailun, the Climate and Energy Campaign Manager of Greenpeace China, rising coal prices could benefit China. "Recognizing the true cost of coal would create incentives to developing cleaner, sustainable energy sources,” she said. “The government should introduce an effective price signal for coal, which would ensure a massive improvement in energy efficiency and large-scale implementation of renewable energy. This would reduce China's environmental pollution and show its leadership in fighting climate change.” For additional information see: China Calls for One Percent of Developed Nations’ GDP to Fight Climate Change On October 28, China unveiled new demands for climate change policy that asked rich countries to contribute 1 percent of their GDP towards helping poor nations fight global warming. The funding would amount to about $300 billion and would be largely spent on renewable energy technologies. “Developing countries should take action, but a prerequisite for this action is that developed countries provide funds and transfer technology," said Gao Guangsheng, head of the climate change office at the National Reform and Development Commission, the Chinese government's main planning body. “The present mechanism is unsuited to the needs of addressing climate change. Developed countries have not carried out their relevant commitments.” For additional information see: Carbon Financing Scheme Can Boost Farming, Reduce Global Warming – UN Expert On October 28, agricultural experts met in West Lafayette, Indiana, to discuss ways to use money under the UN-sponsored Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism to cut greenhouse gases (GHG) but also improve the lives of poor farmers. Agriculture accounts for about 30 percent of GHG emissions but receives little money for mitigation efforts, so agricultural representatives wanted to invest in mechanisms farmers could use to reduce carbon emissions like no-till farming techniques. “This is a win-win-win opportunity,” said Senior Officer Theodor Friedrich of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. “We have a chance to slow climate change, help poor farmers make a better living and improve soil health and productivity all at the same time.”
For additional information see: Global Businesses Back UN Efforts to Reach Climate Change Deal On October 29, global business leaders met in Warsaw for roundtable talks and endorsed UN efforts to reach a climate change agreement for the 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen. "Business leaders must show the leadership, focus, and spirit of common understanding that has been lacking in the political process," said Lars G. Josefsson, president and CEO of European power giant Vattenfall. "Business is a solution to the climate change crisis.” Despite the financial crisis, representatives at the meeting agreed that significant investment in green energy must be made. For additional information see:
On October 29, the Carbon Trust, Defra and the British Standards Institute (BSI) launched a new standard that will measure the carbon footprint of products in an effort to end confusion on eco-labels. The system, known as Publicly Available Specification (PAS 2050) will be managed by BSI British Standards and will be displayed as a carbon footprint label on a number of products. This voluntary scheme has received criticism for not addressing other problems like chemical fertilizers but praise for offering clarity to consumers on climate inpacts. “The value of this project is that when people look at these numbers there is some confidence there that a process was followed and the result is not just a random choice but a real reflection of the carbon impact of this product,” said Dr. Graham Sinden, a technical manager at the Carbon Trust. For additional information see:
For additional information see: Salt Levels in the Ocean Reflect Human-Induced Climate Change In the October 27 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, researchers from the United Kingdom Meteorlogical Office and Reading University released a study that explicitly links increased ocean salinity with global warming. As temperatures rise, more liquid evaporates, which leaves behind a more concentrated body of water. Lead Scientist Peter Stott of the Met Office said, "With global warming we're talking about very big changes in the overall water cycle. This moisture is being evaporated and transported to higher latitudes. Knowing how our oceans are changing over what are essentially vast data-sparse areas is important." Understanding how water changes will aid in predicting climate change on land. As salt concentrations increase, scientists project a drier future for Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. For additional information see: Arctic Ice Found to be Thinning Even in Winter In the October 23 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, Dr. Katharine Giles of the Center for Polar Observation & Modeling at University College London released a study that found that arctic ice thickness during last year’s winter was 19 percent thinner than the average thickness of the previous five winters. Scientists found that the area of ice coverage had shrunk as well, eliminating the possibility that the thinning was due to the ice mass spreading over a larger area. “I think this is the first time that we can definitively say that the bulk overall volume of ice has decreased,” said co-author Dr. Laxon. Winter air temperatures were too cold to explain all of the shrinking, leading researchers to question the role of other factors such as wind patterns and ocean temperatures. These new factors have led some scientists to rethink how long the icecap may remain intact. “About five years ago, the average projection for the sea ice disappearing was about 2080,” Dr. Laxon said. Some scientists now predict the icecap could vanish within the next decade. For additional information see: Accelerated Arctic Ice Breakup due to More Intense Storms According to a study in the October 3 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, cyclones and other intense storms are appearing more frequently and further north, causing an accelerated breakup of arctic ice. Data from the study came from meteorological figures compiled by NASA, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute between the years 1950 and 2006. Typically, scientists attribute the breakup of polar ice sheets to global warming. However, in the case of breakup due to storms, the implications for climate change are complex. Increasing water turbulence from higher storm activity and greater areas of open water actually may cause the oceans to absorb atmospheric CO2. “Although it remains to be seen how this may ultimately play out in the future, the likelihood this increasing trend and link between storminess and ice drift could expand the Arctic's role as a sink for extracting fossil fuel-generated carbon dioxide from the air is simply fascinating,” said lead author Dr. Sirpa Hakkinen of NASA. “This scenario could, of course, affect the whole climate system and its evolution.” For additional information see:
In the October 27 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it was reported that amphibian populations in Yellowstone National Park are in decline due to climate change. The park is home to four native species of amphibians, three of which experienced significant population declines when comparing observations in 1992 to those in 2006 and 2008. Additionally, the number of different species in the observation areas, known as the “species richness,” has also decreased. The study, which focused on 46 ponds ideal for amphibious life, noted a four-fold increase in the number of permanently dried-out ponds. “These ponds are changing, the environment is changing, the landscape is drying up and the amphibians no longer have a place to breed,” said author Dr. Sarah McMenamin. Other regions of the world have seen amphibian decline like Yellowstone because of dry breeding grounds, degradation of land, and increased vulnerability to disease due to climate change. For additional information see: Polar Bears Dying Out in Region of Russia On October 23, Dr. Nikita Ovsyanikov of the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned that environmental damage due to climate change and human hunting activities are leading to a massive decline of polar bears in the arctic region of Chukotka, home to about 5,000 bears. Shrinking ice sheets are causing polar bear populations to move inland and toward villages in search of food, where they are killed by humans for their fur or in self-defense. “If this tendency continues, the population will disappear very quickly,” Dr. Ovsyanikov cautioned. “We need to create new protected areas in the Arctic.”
For additional information see:
On October 24, the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) and Greenpeace released a study indicating the world could reduce fossil fuel use to zero by 2090. On the way to zero emissions, the study suggested renewable energies could contribute to 30 percent of world energy use by 2030, and 50 percent by 2050. To achieve these results, the study calls for a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases (GHG), the phase-out of subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power, stringent efficiency standards for buildings and transportation, and binding targets for renewable energy use. Addressing the economic impacts of such a change, Mr. Oliver Schäfer, director of policy at EREC, said, “Renewable energies such as wind power at good sites are already competitive with conventional power. From around 2015 onwards, we are confident that renewable energies across all sectors will be the most cost effective.” For more information see:
In the October 28 issue of the Proceedings on the National Academy of Sciences, the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and the University of Queensland published a study indicating that the rate of coral bleaching may be higher than originally predicted. “The results, frankly, are alarming,” said co-author Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg. “Previously, only the direct effects of planetary warming and sunlight on coral reefs were looked at to make predictions on the future of coral reefs.” Dr. Hoegh-Guldberg said these predictions “have been far too conservative, because they didn’t factor in the effect of acidification on the bleaching process and how the two interact.” The potential acceleration of coral bleaching will harm the fish communities that depend on the ecosystem. In another recent study in Geophysical Research Letters, “Analysis showed that the decrease in the proportion of living coral and modification of its architectural complexity were two decisive factors behind changes to the structure of fish communities in the reef ecosystem.” For additional information see:
In the October 30 issue of Nature Geoscience, a study by an international team of scientists revealed strong data that links climate change at the poles to human greenhouse gas emissions. The study included four computer models and global climate data from the last 60 years that show warming cannot be attributed to natural variations. “In my mind, the most important issue is the potential implication of polar ice sheet melt on sea level rise," said Andrew Monaghan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. "At the same time we have this increased sense of urgency to gain a better understanding of the various factors that influence polar climate variability . . . So that's why this study is so important. It formally demonstrates the human contribution for the first time." For additional information see:
On October 29, Britain’s Royal Society launched a study in geoengineering schemes that could help mitigate the impacts of global warming. "We need to investigate if any of these schemes could help us avoid the most dangerous changes to our climate and to fully understand what other impacts they may have," said John Shepherd, heading the Royal Society working group that will conduct the study. "Whatever solutions technology may offer us in the future, it's clear that the need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is now more urgent than ever." Some proposals include introducing iron particles into the ocean to grow plankton to absorb more CO2. Another idea involves using giant mirrors as a sun-shade to reflect solar energy. Some environmental advocates and scientists are very skeptical about the geoengineering approach, fearing it could cause more problems. "Some of these proposals seem fantastical, and may prove to be so. Our study aims to separate the science from the science fiction and offer recommendations on which options deserve serious consideration," said Shepherd. For additional information see:
Swiss Set to Reach Greenhouse Gas Emission Goals
November 6, 2008 Webinar: Hydrogen in Action - Canada This webinar, hosted by the Partnership for Advancing the Transition to Hydrogen, features two leaders of the most ambitious and successful hydrogen projects in Canada: The Hydrogen Village in Toronto and BC's Hydrogen Highway. Learn the critical roles of the public and private sectors in this emerging market model and why both projects have remained financially and politically successful through 2008. Speakers include Gary Schubak, Manager of the British Columbia Hydrogen Highway; Ry Smith, Director of the Hydrogen Village; and Terry Kimmel, President of the Canadian Hydrogen Association. This online event takes place on November 6 from 11am-12pm EST. There is a $29.99 charge for participating. For those who cannot attend live, please note that a video recording of the event will be made available to all registrants. For more information and to register, visit: http://www.hpath.org/webinar.asp
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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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