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December 5, 2016
A coalition of Native American tribes, environmental advocates, and other volunteers have been conducting a long-term protest in North Dakota to halt construction of an oil pipeline in close proximity to water resources there. Image courtesy of Joe Brusky via flickr.com.
Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit representing 21 young people aged 9-20, has been allowed to take its case against the U.S. government to trial as it attempts to force the country to take more stringent action toward curtailing the impacts of climate change for future generations. The trial is slated for summer or early fall of 2017. The case is built upon several legal claims, including the “public trust doctrine” which holds the federal government accountable for the preservation of public resources, such as clean water and air. The case also leans on the concept of “substantive due process,” which prevents the government from hindering an individual’s right to “life, liberty, or property without due process of law.” The plaintiffs are arguing that these liberties and common resources are under threat due to the government’s inadequate action to address climate change and reduce fossil fuel consumption. James May, a law professor at Widener University, calls the case “terrific,” but says its unique nature will prove challenging: “The federal judiciary of the United States is not yet ready, by and large, to apply federal common law public trust doctrine and substantive due process to climate change. I think it’s likely that the cases will be struck.” However, legal experts agree that the case represents a milestone in environmental law. Mary Wood, a law professor at University of Oregon, argues the case advancing this far sets a precedent for the plaintiffs to sue for their constitutional right to a safe and clean environment. Wood added, “If the [plaintiffs] can show that the federal government is neglecting its fiduciary duty of trustee … then they can force a remedy.”
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Washington Post
The Obama administration’s environmental legacy has come under renewed scrutiny following a report on the U.S. Export-Import Bank’s (EXIM) involvement in the development of fossil fuel-based projects. EXIM, housed in the executive branch, provides American companies with loans to sell goods and services abroad when private lenders do not. Since 2009, EXIM has financed nearly $34 billion in low-interest loans and guarantees to expand the use of fossil fuel-based projects overseas. The amount of activity under President Obama is three times what EXIM spent on fossil-based projects under President George W. Bush and twice the amount spent under Presidents Reagan, H.W. Bush, and Clinton combined. According to EXIM calculations, the 70 fossil fuel projects it has financed since 2009 will contribute 164 million metrics tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to 95 coal-fired power plants currently operating in the United States. However, the calculation does not include the foundries, mines, smelters, and other projects EXIM has also financed during that period, making its portfolio’s carbon footprint even larger. Most of EXIM’s fossil fuel-oriented activity occurred before 2014 when the Obama administration began to put a stronger emphasis on climate mitigation policy.
Guardian
In September 2016, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to regulate emissions emanating from livestock operations for the first time. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is a byproduct of digestive cycles for cattle. According to a United Nations report, livestock account for 14.5 percent of global emissions stemming from human activity. In the past decade, California has passed sweeping legislation to regulate vehicles, buildings, and factories, but has not yet addressed livestock emissions despite being the largest milk-producing state in the United States. Dairy farmers in fierce opposition of the legislation are worried that with drought, rising labor costs, lower milk prices, and new legislation increasing overtime pay, they will be forced to shut down their operations. One option is for farmers to buy methane digesters to convert cattle waste byproducts into energy, but farmers are concerned about the technology’s cost. To alleviate the financial burden on farmers, California has allocated $50 million to subsidizing the digesters.
Associated Press
A newly proposed regulatory package from the European Commission is showing the depth of Europe’s commitment to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2030 under the Paris Agreement. The proposal looks to decrease total energy consumption by establishing a binding target of 30 percent for energy efficiency. In support of the target, new incentives will be implemented for the deployment of smart meters and technological innovation. The utility industry will have to achieve a 1.5 percent reduction in energy usage annually from 2021 to 2030. Greater integration of renewable energy sources and the renovation of buildings to promote energy efficiency are two additional priorities in the proposal. Buildings account for 40 percent of Europe’s current energy consumption. The proposal will require approval by individual European Union states and the European Parliament.
BBC
While China’s recent actions in the international climate arena have sparked hope among climate activists, recent trends in the Chinese coal industry are causing concern. Coal generates nearly 75 percent of Chinese electricity, while coal consumption in China causes more emissions than the consumption of oil, coal, and gas combined for the United States. A series of policy initiatives and aggressive investment by China in renewable energy led to a 3 percent reduction in the nation’s coal production during 2015, creating optimism in the climate community that China was on the path to de-carbonization. Economic pressures, such as a housing production boom, have created a spike in demand for electricity across multiple sectors, leading to an increase in the production and consumption of coal. China will face significant domestic policy challenges associated with its coal industry as the nation looks to take on a larger leadership role within international climate negotiations and better manage its air pollution issues.
New York Times
As attention turns toward improving the climate resilience of cities, the nation of Bolivia presents a case study in how to manage water resources when faced with uncertainty from climate change. Bolivia’s major cities receive a large percentage (20-28 percent) of their water supply from glaciers that are steadily shrinking. The Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) released a report detailing how a two degree Celsius increase in global temperatures would eliminate small glaciers and drastically shrink larger ones by 2050, presenting a major challenge to Bolivia’s population. Furthermore, climate impacts, such as drought, will drive even more people to relocate to cities, putting an additional strain on urban water resources. The SEI report recommended utilizing a community stakeholder participation model to develop innovative policy solutions, stating, “Conservation and recycling methods will be needed to build the resilience of Bolivian cities’ water systems.” The lessons learned from Bolivia could serve as a valuable template for developing solutions elsewhere.
On November 30, over 2,300 scientists, including representatives from all 50 states and 22 Nobel Prize recipients, submitted an open letter to President-elect Trump and the incoming 115th Congress, advising them to foster a “strong and open culture of science” in crafting policy. According to Andrew Rosenberg, the Director of Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy, the scientific community perceives the Trump administration as inaccessible and prone to the “political manipulation of the science,” motivating the group to pen the open letter. Many scientists and researchers are concerned not only about what Trump will do within his term, but the lasting effects of his actions. Climate scientist Ken Caldeira, a researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science, said, “It takes decades to build up leadership in a scientific area, because you have to train people for many years. It would be very easy in just a couple of years to destroy what has taken many decades to build up.”
Washington Post, Letter
On November 25, the Washington Post explored the long history of disenfranchisement and exploitation of Native American peoples in the Dakotas by the federal government over natural resources and land management. The ongoing protest in North Dakota over the construction of the final segment of the Dakota Access oil pipeline is the latest flashpoint. A coalition of tribes, including the Standing Rock Sioux, environmental advocates, and other supporters have been encamped on federal lands in an effort to physically block the completion of the pipeline project. Opponents to the pipeline claim its construction and operation will damage the ecological integrity of the Missouri River ecosystem. The 1,172 mile (1,885 km) pipeline would run across more than 200 waterways, including those that local tribes rely upon for drinking water. In addition, environmental advocates worry that the pipeline would transport up to 570,000 barrels of shale oil a day, the extraction and usage of which would contribute significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Tensions at the site have risen in recent months, culminating in the use of riot gear and heavy-handed tactics by authorities. North Dakota’s governor, in conjunction with local authorities and the Army Corps of Engineers, issued an “emergency evacuation” order for the protesters to disperse, citing, "life-threatening conditions by remaining exposed to the elements with little shelter.” President Obama has issued a halt on the pipeline’s construction permits, but it is unlikely that the issue will be resolved under his administration.
Washington Post, Thomson Reuters Foundation News
A new study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters has confirmed scientists’ fears that longstanding glacial formations are weakening from the inside out. In 2015, analysis of a major rift in the Pine Island Glacier had originated 20 miles away from the edge of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, where such breakups tend to occur due to weaker ice. These unusual glacial rifts are fueled by the ice’s increased exposure to warming ocean waters. The glacial melt leads to a “self-perpetuating cycle” where the melting ice exposes new parts of the glacier to the warmer ocean waters and destabilizes the ice sheet. Research indicates the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is at risk of collapsing within 100 years, which could raise global sea levels by up to 10 feet. Study leader Ian Howat of The Ohio State University, said, "This kind of rifting behavior provides another mechanism for rapid retreat of these glaciers, adding to the probability that we may see significant collapse of West Antarctica in our lifetimes."
Christian Science Monitor
Nature published a comprehensive study exploring the carbon emission potential of soil. Soil acts as a carbon repository due to the growth and death of plants and roots in the soil over long periods of time. Scientists fear that microorganisms occupying the soil will react to warming temperatures by increasing their rate of respiration, releasing carbon dioxide and methane and creating a climate feedback loop. This feedback loop was often left out of past projections due to uncertainty associated with its impacts. The study estimates that by 2050, global soils have the potential to emit 200 billion tons of carbon dioxide under a “business as usual” scenario. Jonathan Sanderman, a scientist with the Woods Hole Research Center, said, “This is really critical, because if the additional release of carbon is not counterbalanced by new uptake of carbon by plants then it’s going to exacerbate climate change.”
On November 28, scientists studying the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef released a map showing the damage that the reef has experienced. In March 2016, scientists observed widespread mortality across the reef system due to an oceanic “heat wave” that raised regional water temperatures by a full degree Celsius above normal. A combination of factors from long-term climate change and the seasonal El Nino are behind the temperature spike. The latest analysis of the reef revealed its central and northern sections did not experience as much coral death as was feared, but the northern section experienced severe bleaching and coral death. “The big threat … is that we’ll actually see a 4th or even a 5th bleaching event happen in the time frame it takes for those corals to recover,” said Terry Hughes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. According to Hughes, the reef would need 10-15 years (without further bleaching) to recover fully.
Naval Base Ventura County to Partner with Nature Conservancy to Prepare for Rising Sea Levels
Province of Nova Scotia to Implement Cap and Trade Program to Comply with Canadian Emissions Standard
Pope Urges World Leaders to Implement the Paris Climate Agreement Without Delay
Former Military Officials Warn “Climate Change Could Lead to a Humanitarian Crisis of Epic Proportions”
Fund Managers Shed U.S. Apparel Stocks as the Industry Struggles to Adapt Products to Warmer Seasons
District Energy, CHP, Microgrids: Resilient, Efficient Energy Infrastructure
Tuesday, December 6
9:30 am - 11:00 am
Room G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE
Cities, communities and campuses throughout the nation are actively seeking more resilient, sustainable energy infrastructure to support economic growth and achieve environmental objectives. District energy microgrids incorporate combined heat and power (CHP) to deliver greater energy efficiency and optimize the use of local resources while strengthening the local and regional power grids.
The International District Energy Association (IDEA), the Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC), and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) are pleased to invite you to a briefing providing policy guidance and showcasing proven technologies and exemplary cases that illuminate the potential for more robust U.S. investment in district energy microgrids.
The panel of speakers includes Ted Borer, Energy Plant Manager at Princeton University; Jim Lodge, Vice President at NRG Energy; Grant Ervin, Chief Resilience Officer with the City of Pittsburgh; Michael Rooney, Manager of District Energy Initiatives at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Energy; and Rob Thornton, President and CEO of the International District Energy Association.
A live webcast will be streamed at 9:30 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
RSVP requested
Restoring the Carbon Budget
Thursday, December 15
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST
Webinar
The Security and Sustainability Forum, in partnership with Arizona State University, is hosting the first of a three-part webinar series called “Restoring the Carbon Budget.” The series will discuss the need for and status of negative emission technologies (NETs). EESI is a supporting organization for this event.
Even after the December 2015 Climate Conference in Paris, the pace to transform economies away from emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will likely be too slow to achieve the goal of holding the global average temperature increase to two degrees Celsius. This concern has led the International Panel on Climate Change to conclude that Negative Emissions Technologies (NETs), which remove CO2 from the air, will be needed to meet climate goals. However, NETs are still in the research, development, or demonstration stages of commercialization and may not be ready in time, or feasible at the necessary scale, suggesting new policy solutions will be needed to accelerate their development.
The first session will feature Jeffrey Sachs, prominent economics professor and former director of the Columbia University Earth Institute; Kevin Anderson, Professor of Climate Change in the School of Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester; and David Biello, Science Curator at Ted Talks and former Energy and Environment Editor of Scientific American.
Click here for more information and to register
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