Climate Change News - January 19, 2010

Senate Democrats Oppose Murkowski's Actions on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Rules

On January 11, the 12 Democratic members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) signed a letter opposing the proposal by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s endangerment finding on greenhouse gases (GHGs). Murkowski, the ranking member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee, has come out in opposition of the EPA’s recent finding that GHGs pose a danger to public health and welfare and should be regulated under the Clean Air Act. "Personally, I believe that's a terrible way to pursue climate policy, and beyond that, a terrible way to govern this country," Murkowski said in December while speaking on the Senate floor. Instead, Murkowski has said that she prefers addressing climate change through legislation, and is considering offering an amendment as early as January 20 that would remove EPA’s authority to regulate GHGs. In their letter to fellow Senators, the EPW Majority members noted, “Debating policy choices regarding the appropriate response to unchecked climate change is fair, and the Senate will continue to evaluate the best tools for addressing greenhouse gas emissions, but repealing an endangerment finding based upon years of work by America's scientists and public health experts is not appropriate.”

For additional information see: Politico , New York Times , McClatchy News , Bloomberg , Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Majority Press Release

Farm Bureau Rallies Against Climate Bill

On January 10, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), America’s largest farm group, said they will "aggressively" fight back against any attempts to change the landscape of American agriculture, including the farm bill. Bob Stallman, who leads the AFBF, in a speech at the farm lobby's four-day convention in Seattle, said that farmers and ranchers must unite to respond to "misguided, activist-driven regulation." The self-described "national voice of agriculture," the Farm Bureau has been a vocal critic of cap and trade legislation in Congress, arguing that it would cost too much for farmers because of potentially higher fertilizer and fuel prices. In recent weeks, economic studies from both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have come to a variety of conclusions about how a national cap and trade system would affect the bottom line for farmers, and the benefits may depend on the area of the country and what crops or animals a farmer raises. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has argued that the benefits to farmers from carbon offset revenues would outweigh the higher costs of production.

For additional information see: Reuters , New York Times , Farm Bureau Press Release

States Want Delay on EPA Emissions Rules

On December 24, the California Energy Commission (CEC), in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that while it supported the agency’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rules, it urged the EPA to phase them in slowly. As written, the CEC continued, the proposed rules would "likely retard, rather than facilitate, reductions in (greenhouse gas emissions) from the electricity sector." This claim stemmed from the fact that the new EPA rules might delay the process of obtaining permits for new natural gas plants which are needed as a supportive energy supply in California’s plan to build more wind and solar power farms.

The CEC letter echoed similar concerns that have already been voiced by other state regulators. In recent weeks, states such as Kansas, Pennsylvania and Florida have also urged EPA to slow down. Some regulators, such as the CEC, believed that the EPA’s proposals simply need minor adjustments; others have predicted more drastic consequences. In a letter to the EPA dated December 23, South Carolina regulators said that the emissions rules will put many construction projects and jobs at risk. The EPA, which is still reviewing all the comments, declined to comment, saying only that no decisions have been made about the final rule, a spokeswoman said.

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal , Reuters

Montana Lawmakers Hold Off on Setting State-level Greenhouse Gas Rules

On January 8, the Environmental Quality Council, a legislative oversight panel in Montana, blocked plans by the state government to develop a greenhouse gas rule in preparation for the pending federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations. The Council said that the Montana Board of Environmental Review, the organization working on the state-level rule, should slow down its work and threatened to disregard the plans altogether if it does not like the end product. The board plans to proceed with public comment later this month, but lawmakers have made it clear there will be no quick action. “We have mandates after mandates after mandates coming down, and Montana has a rich tradition of waiting to see where we want to be,” said State Sen. Jim Keane (D-Butte). “We have to send a message that we need to halt this.”

In related news, on January 6, Kentucky State Rep. Jim Gooch (D-Providence), chairman of the Kentucky House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, introduced a resolution questioning the science of climate change. The resolution would prohibit any branch of state or local government in Kentucky from enacting any “federal, state or local law, regulation, ordinance or executive order that limits, regulates or controls the emission of carbon dioxide.” Gooch said he did not know how far the resolution could go in the General Assembly and viewed it as “more of a statement.” Tom FitzGerald, the director of the Kentucky Resources Council, said that while he understands the legislators concerns regarding their state economy and its heavy reliance on coal, the solution was not to prohibit agencies from addressing emissions. Instead, he noted, Kentucky should actively plan for a carbon-constrained world, making energy efficiency investments and diversifying the state’s energy portfolio to include lower-emission sources.

For additional information see: Louisville Courier-Journal , AP

Investors Urge Governments to Act on Climate Change

On January 13, the first gathering of business leaders since the Copenhagen climate summit urged world governments to take immediate action on global warming, or risk losing the opportunity to establish a clean and sustainable low-carbon economy. "Given that Copenhagen was a missed opportunity to create one fully functional international carbon market, it is more important than ever that individual governments implement regional and domestic policy change to stimulate the creation of a low carbon economy," said Peter Dunsombe, chairman of the IIGCC, a network of European investors. "Leaders from both developed and developing countries need to act now to compensate for the lack of progress," he continued. The investors said it was critical that governments – including the United States – adopt rigorous targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade as well as for 2050. In addition to renewable energy, they also called for policies to speed the development of green building practices, cleaner cars and public transit systems. "Investors remain committed to taking action," the group of 450 investors from Europe, the United States and Australia said. "But for us to deploy capital at the scale needed to truly catalyze a low-carbon economy, policy makers must act swiftly."

For additional information see: The Guardian , Wall Street Journal , Reuters , Ceres Press Release

California Adopts First State 'Green' Building Codes

On January 12, a California state commission unanimously voted to approve what are considered the nation’s strongest "green" building code standards. Dubbed Calgreen, the new rules go into effect January 2011 and include requirements such as reducing indoor water use, using low-pollutant paints, carpets and floorings and installing separate water meters for different users (in non-residential buildings only). Calgreen also mandates the inspection of heaters, air conditioners and other energy systems in nonresidential buildings to ensure maximum efficiency. The code was supported by a wide range of building industry and realty associations, as well as the state Chamber of Commerce. Industry officials said that the new regulations would increase construction costs only slightly while helping California meet its goal to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30 percent by 2020. Buildings currently account for roughly 25 percent of the state's total GHG emissions.

The new regulations did receive some opposition. Six groups, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, waged a last-minute campaign to derail some of the rules, saying they fall short of more rigorous standards adopted by more than 50 California jurisdictions in league with the U.S. Green Building Council. In general, the groups largely applauded the code's mandatory rules as a baseline minimum standard, but they take issue with its two-tier labeling system, saying it would open the door to conflicting interpretations and thus be practically unenforceable. Despite their objections, however, the rules were passed unanimously.

For additional information see: San Francisco Gate , Central Valley Business Times , Los Angeles Times

California Panel Recommends Selling Most Carbon Allowances

On January 11, a California panel proposed that the majority of new fees the state plans to impose on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be returned to consumers in the form of tax cuts or annual dividend checks. The idea is part of a larger effort to find the best uses for proceeds from a carbon allowance auction and attempts to balance a reduction in emissions with protection for households affected by higher energy prices. A 16-member panel, the Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee, was charged with figuring out the simplest, most cost-effective way to design the carbon allowances program for California. The state’s approach stands in contrast to similar federal bills under consideration. The climate bill passed in the House of Representatives last June, The American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), would return most of the revenue from emissions-permit sales to power companies, rather than directly to consumers. It has been difficult to date for policy makers to calculate how much more consumers would pay for energy under the California proposal; an economic analysis to be released next month is expected to provide further insight.

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal , NASDAQ

Pope Denounces Failure to Form New Climate Treaty

On January 11, Pope Benedict XVI spoke out regarding the world leaders’ inability to agree to a new climate change treaty last month in Copenhagen. He told nearly 100 ambassadors accredited to the Vatican that the preservation of God’s creation was the continual responsibility of our world leaders and denounced the “economic and political resistance” to combating environmental degradation. Since Benedict became Pope, the Vatican has joined a reforestation project, aimed at offsetting its CO2 emissions, as well as installed solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. Due to his increasingly vocal concern about protecting the environment, an issue he has reflected on in encyclicals, during foreign trips and most recently in his annual peace message, Benedict has been dubbed the "green pope".

For additional information see: BBC , AP

Climate Conditions in 2050 Crucial to Avoid Harmful Impacts in 2100

In the January 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a study was published which analyzed the relationship between mid-century emissions targets and the likelihood of achieving long-term outcomes. The study was conducted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, and made suggestions regarding the actions needed in the next 40 years in order to keep long-term options viable for avoiding dangerous levels of warming. "Setting mid-century targets can help preserve long-term policy options while managing the risks and costs that come with long-term goals," said co-lead author Brian O'Neill, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). During the recent international negotiations in Copenhagen, many nations recognized the case for limiting long-term warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, but they did not agree to a mid-century emissions target. One "business as usual" scenario depicted in the new study indicated that global emissions would need to decline by roughly 20 percent below 2000 levels by mid-century to preserve the option of hitting the 2°C target. A second case accounting for a more rapid increase in demand for land and energy would require a 50 percent by 2050. The report authors cautioned that their study is just one of many looking at the technological feasibility of mid- and end-of-century emissions targets, and said that more feasibility studies are obviously needed. "We need to know whether our current and planned actions for the coming decades will produce long-term climate change we can live with," O’Neill said. "Mid-century targets are a good way to do that."

For additional information see: Science Daily , AFP

Major Antarctic Glacier is 'Past its Tipping Point'

In the January 13 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society, scientists reported that the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) on the West Antarctic ice sheet appears to have passed a “tipping point,” and is on track to lose at least 50 percent of its ice in as little as 100 years. This could lead to a global sea level rise of 24 centimeters, scientists noted. A team from the University of Oxford developed a 3-dimensional model to explore whether the retreat of the "grounding line" – the undersea junction at which a floating ice shelf becomes an ice sheet grounded on the sea bed – could cause ice sheets to collapse. The model showed that the PIG grounding line likely reached a crest in 1996, and has begun to lose ice since that time. "Once the grounding line passes the crest, a small change in the climate causes a rapid and irreversible loss of ice," said Richard Katz from the University of Oxford. Observations have already begun to show that the model developed by Katz and others may be underestimating the rate at which the PIG grounding line is retreating. "Ours is a simple model of an ice sheet that neglects some important physics," Katz said. "The take-home message is that we should be concerned about tipping points in West Antarctica and we should do a lot more work to investigate," he says.

For additional information see: News Scientist , Times of India , Royal Society Publishing

Polar Bears Changing Habits in Response to Decreasing Sea Ice

In the December issue of Arctic (the journal of the Arctic Institute of North America), the results of a 27-year study conducted by the staff of the U.S. Minerals Management Services found that polar bears are spending more time on land and open water as sea ice has declined. Between 1979 and 1987, 12 percent of bear sightings in the study were associated with no ice. This increased to 90 percent between 1997 and 2005, said Karyn Rode, a polar bear biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska. Additionally, the number of bears sighted steadily near shore increased from 138 bears between 1979 and 1987, to 271 bears between 1988 and 1996, and 468 bears between 1997 and 2005. The change in habits among polar bears appears to be linked to the decline in sea ice, Rode said. "When bears were seen, they were more often seen in open water and on land than on sea ice. At the same time, changes were observed in ice, suggesting that these observations are connected," said Rode. "This is one of the few data sets available over such a long time frame. It shows there has been a shift in habitat use.” The data used for this investigation was drawn from a different study created to track bowhead whale migration routes.

For additional information see: Science Daily , UPI , Winnipeg Free Press

Arctic Permafrost Leaking Methane at Record Levels

In the January 15 issue of Science, researchers announced that higher temperatures on the surface of the earth are causing an increase in frozen methane emissions in the Arctic. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is approximately 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2), much of it frozen in permafrost in high latitudes. The study looked at satellite measurements of the atmospheric concentrations of methane as well as surface temperature changes and variations in surface water to measure the amount of methane released in various wetlands. The results showed that methane emissions rose globally by 7 percent through the years 2003-2007, with emissions specifically from the Arctic area increasing 31 percent. Paul Palmer of Edinburgh University supervised the study and said, “These findings highlight the compound effect of increasing global warming – higher temperatures lead to faster warming.”

For additional information see: BBC , Guardian , Science Abstract

Climate Scientists to Meet in March for Geoengineering Summit

On January 12, scientists announced plans to hold a high-level summit to look at how geoengineering principles, such as blocking out part of the sun, could be utilized to slow global warming if needed. The summit, which is scheduled to take place in March, will evaluate the possibility of various geoengineering methods that could reduce the predicted rise in global temperatures without directly limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The meeting aims to address the risks and benefits of such options, and also establish ground rules for research in the process. Possible geo-engineering solutions include: stratospheric aerosols, ocean fertilization, cloud whitening, space mirrors and artificial trees among others.

For additional information see: Guardian , Telegraph

Longer Growing Season Cuts Tree CO2 Intake

In the February issue of Global Change Biology, a new study from the University of Colorado at Boulder found that, contrary to conventional wisdom, a warmer climate and longer growing season will likely result in subalpine forests soaking up less carbon dioxide (CO2), creating larger concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. "Our findings contradict studies of other ecosystems that conclude longer growing seasons actually increase plant carbon uptake," said Jia Hu, who conducted the research in conjunction with the university's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). Working alongside CIRES Fellow Russell Monson, Hu found that while smaller spring snowpack tended to extend the growing season, it also reduced the amount of water available to forests. These resulting drier trees were then less effective in converting CO2 into biomass as summer rains are unable to make up the difference in water intake. Subalpine forests currently make up an estimated 70 percent of the western U.S.'s carbon sink, or storage area.

For additional information see: UPI , Science Daily

Pine Beetle Turns Trees into Carbon Emitters

On January 10, the Globe and Mail reported a finding by Canadian researchers saying that pine beetles have now killed so many trees that the forests of British Columbia currently put more greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the air than they store. This has been true since 2003, the experts continued, and by 2009, dead lodgepole pines had a bigger carbon footprint than the province's human population. Experts estimate that the pine beetle has killed roughly 1 billion trees, most of them expected to decay over the next half-century or so, which returns carbon stored in the trees to the atmosphere.

For additional information see: The Globe and Mail , UPI

January 21: Promoting Renewable Energy Policy

The World Future Council invites you to a policy briefing entitled “Promoting Renewable Energy Policy”. The briefing will examine feed-in tariff policy in the United States and will consist of presentations by public and private sector experts. Topics will include using federal energy policy to both develop a sustainable renewable energy sector and transition to a low carbon economy, including job creation, energy security and greenhouse gas avoidance. Speakers for the event include Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA), and representatives from the World Future Council, First Solar, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Deutsche Bank, and Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International. The briefing will take place on Thursday, January 21, from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. in 2247 Rayburn House Office Building. This event is open to the public and no RSVP is required. For more information, please contact Randy Hayes at the World Future Council at 202-547-9359.

January 28-29: Bridging Carbon Conference -- Building the Bridge from Pre-compliance to Compliance