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February 23, 2015
This brief gif is from European Space Agency, which assembled data collected over five years to show sea-surface salinity. The satellite used to collect this data has been re-purposed to collect information on ocean acidification.
During a visit to a native Alaskan community on February 17, Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell announced DOI will make $8 million available to Native American communities to mitigate the effects of climate change. The $8 million will be split evenly between funding climate change adaptation measures, and ocean and coastal management planning. The Tribal Climate Resilience Program at DOI will administer the funding to American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. “The cultural and economic needs of tribes are tied to the land and protecting that land is a critical component of advancing tribal sovereignty and self-determination,” stated Kevin Washburn, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at DOI. This funding program will be in addition to the previously allocated $2.3 million DOI awarded last December to more than 40 federally recognized native groups and organizations for tribal climate resilience and preparedness projects.
For more information see:
The Huffington Post, The Hill, Star Tribune
On February 18, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy hinted that the 2020 interim targets for the Carbon Power Plan will likely be changed during a statement at a National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) meeting. “I think that the comments that we received showed a lot of real concern that there were a few states where the combination of the interim target and the aggressiveness of that, and the goal that we wanted to achieve to provide ultimate flexibility to the states — there was a lot of concern that those collided in a few states,” said McCarthy. Some states have voiced concern over the 2020 interim targets, saying they are too high, not achievable in the time allotted, and/or may increase electricity prices and hurt grid reliability. The EPA set the interim targets on a timeline in which they calculated states would be able to shift large amounts of electricity generation from coal to natural gas power generation. The EPA is set to finalize the Carbon Power Plan by mid-summer of this year.
Governors Wind Energy Coalition
Related news:
Inside Climate News, Washington Examiner
On February 19, New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) announced a new climate change working group, which will study state and federal policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for extreme weather. The group includes ten lawmakers and will be chaired by Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who currently heads the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee. “With the creation of this new work group on climate change, we will help to ensure that our choices moving forward are informed, responsible, and in the best interests of our environment and our citizens,” said Heastie. Heastie assumed the Assembly Speaker position earlier this month, after the resignation of former speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), who was arrested on federal corruption charges in January.
WXXI News, BK Reader
On February 13, the World Bank signed an agreement with India to create an $8 million fund for climate change adaptation projects in rural India. The projects will focus on assisting low-income farmers in the Indian states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. These programs will help communities adapt to issues such as resource scarcity, economic sustainability, and low-emissions development. The United Nations will support the projects through its Fund for Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaptation to Climate Change (SLACC).
The Economic Times, Domain-b
Related:
The Washington Post
Citigroup Inc. announced on February 18 that it will facilitate, invest and lend $100 billion total over the next ten years to support climate change mitigation and sustainability programs. The investments will finance projects such as greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and helping communities adapt to climate change. “Simply put, it is a $100 billion investment in sustainable growth,” said Citi CEO Michael Corbat. “These efforts do not constitute philanthropy, nor do they represent costs. In fact, they reduce costs.” Environmental finance programs are one part of Citi’s five-year sustainability and social responsibility plan. By 2020, Citi plans to reduce its GHG emissions by 35 percent, energy and water use by 30 percent, and waste by 60 percent.
The Hill, Bloomberg Business, Press Release
On February 17, the New York City Panel on Climate Change released their 2015 report, which found that New York City can expect more extreme precipitation, more frequent heat waves, and more sea level rise. Local temperatures are expected to rise 4.1-5.7 degrees Fahrenheit by mid-century and 5.3-8.8 degrees F by 2080. The report projects sea levels in New York will rise 11-21 inches by 2050, 18-39 inches by 2080, and up to six feet by 2100. The report recommends the city both reduce harmful greenhouse gases and use innovative engineering and existing ecosystems to adapt to climate change. “Adapting the city for the risks of climate change is one of the great challenges of our time,” Daniel Zarrilli, director of the mayor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, said in a press release. “That’s why we are moving forward on projects across the city in partnership with a wide array of community partners and other stakeholders.” For more information see: The Huffington Post, Inside Climate News, Observer, Report
An article published February 15 in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B linked climate change to an increased risk of localized epidemics. Two zoologists, one in the tropics and another in the Arctic, independently found that natural habitats altered by climate change will force humans, plant life, and wildlife to relocate and become exposed to new pathogens. “There are going to be a lot of localized outbreaks putting pressure on medical and veterinary health systems. It will be the death of a thousand cuts,” said Daniel Brooks, lead author of one of the studies, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Researchers recommended that medical and veterinary health systems will need to adapt to this changing landscape in order to better respond to future epidemics.
Newsweek, The Washington Post, Science Recorder
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1. Catholic Group Begins Lenten Fast for Climate Justice
2. 400 Events in 48 Countries Held on Global Divestment Day
3. Health Insurance Company Kaiser Permanente Plans to Cut Carbon Emissions 30 Percent
4. Bill Nye Asks Media to Use the Words ‘Climate Change’
5. Iditarod Moves North for 2nd Time in Race History
6. Overall, Sea Ice Declining Despite Antarctica Gains
7. NOAA Warns of 3rd Possible Bleaching Event in 10-years
1. The 2016 Budget: Impacts on Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
Wednesday, February 25 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
New Room: Senate Dirksen 366 (Energy committee)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) – in partnership with the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus – invites you to a briefing on the energy efficiency and renewable energy implications of the fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget proposal released by President Obama on February 2. The Administration's overall $4 trillion budget proposal provides a renewed focus on addressing climate change, and would invest $7.4 billion in clean energy technology programs across all agencies, led by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Agriculture. This briefing will focus on the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), whose budget would increase 42 percent over 2015 enacted levels, to $2.7 billion.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in.
2. Focus 2015: A Forum of Communities for Urban Sustainability
Thursday, March 5, 8am - 6pm Friday, March 6, 8am - 12pm Embassy of France 4101 Reservoir Road NW Washington DC, 20007 zacharie.bruyas@ambafrance-us.org Registration: france-focus2015.eventbrite.com For more information: focus2015.franceintheus.org
The French Embassy is hosting FOCUS 2015, a forum for U.S. and French decision makers to share their experiences and best practices in sustainable urban planning. The conference, which will be held over two days (March 5-6, 2015) in Washington, is open to elected officials, public administrators, academics, business and finance executives, NGO representatives, and others who are willing to engage in a problem-focused, goal-oriented discussion on how to tackle climate change in cities while promoting sustainability and economic growth. Participation is free of charge but seats are limited to 250.
EESI is a sponsoring organization for the forum.
Authors: Samuel Beirne, Rachael Shook, and Caitlin Madera
Editor: Laura Small
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