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July 21, 2014
President Obama Announces New Local Efforts on Resilience
On July 16, President Obama announced a series of new climate change initiatives to support communities to develop more resilient infrastructure. These actions are based on the initial recommendations of the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, which the president met with the same day. The Task Force, formed last November, will issue its final recommendations this fall. President Obama said, “Climate change poses a direct threat to the infrastructure of America that we need to stay competitive in this 21st century economy . . . We should see this as an opportunity to do what we should be doing anyway, and that's modernizing our infrastructure and . . . making sure that they're more resilient.” The initiatives aim to encourage state and local government to take action. The Department of Agriculture will give $236.3 million to enhance rural electricity infrastructure in eight states, and the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs will provide $10 million to develop and conduct climate change adaptation training for tribes. According to the White House fact sheet, “President Obama is responding to guidance from governors, mayors, county and tribal officials who are proven leaders in helping their communities prepare for climate impacts.” In addition, DOI’s U.S. Geological Survey will put $13.1 million towards the development of a 3-D elevation map of the United States. This map is expected to be a useful tool to help states and communities identify climate risks and develop resilience strategies.
For more information see:
White House, The Hill, New York Times, Politico, USA Today
House Passes Amendments Barring Federal Agencies from Using Climate Reports
On July 10, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to bar many U.S. government agencies from considering climate change and climate change-related science in their policies. The 229-188 vote was almost entirely along party lines. The amendment, proposed by Representative David McKinley (R-WV), prohibits those agencies from using the U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) or the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports to “to design, implement, administer or carry out specified assessments regarding climate change.” It was attached to a $34 billion energy and water appropriations bill, which the House also passed on July 10. Many of the agencies funded by this bill, including the Department of the Interior and the Army Corps of Engineers, work on issues highly impacted by climate change. According to Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who spoke out against this amendment, “This amendment requires the Department of Energy to assume that carbon pollution isn’t harmful and that climate change won’t cost a thing. That’s nothing but a fantasy.” The House passed similar amendments to the defense appropriations bill on May 22 (see Climate Change News June 2) and the commerce, justice, and science appropriations bill on May 29 (see Climate Change News June 9).
Amendment, West Virginia Gazette
California Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Delay Climate Law’s Limitation on Transportation Emissions
On July 3, California Assemblyman Henry Perea (D-Fresno) introduced Assembly Bill 69 (AB 69). The bill would delay the implementation of the state’s carbon cap-and-trade program on transportation fuels for three years. The program is expected to raise gas prices by approximately 12 cents per gallon. Said Perea, “The cap-and-trade system should not be used to raise billions of dollars in new state funds at the expense of consumers, who are struggling to get back on their feet after the recession. In some areas of the state, like the Central Valley, constituents need to drive long distances and they will be disproportionately impacted by rising gas prices.” However, the state agency in charge of the cap-and-trade program – the California Air Resources Board – underlined that transportation fuels are a critical component of the program in order for the state to meet its 2020 carbon emission reduction goal. Dave Clegern, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, explained, “The cap-and-trade program is part of a group of complementary programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from California sources to help manage climate change." He further stated, “Our projections indicate that by 2020 these programs will lower the cost of driving by about $400 a year per motorist.” Thirty-two state Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Governor Jerry Brown saying they did not support AB 69, calling on the governor to regulate transportation fuels via the cap-and-trade program on schedule.
LA Times, The Sacramento Bee, 610 KDAL
Australian Parliament Votes to Repeal Carbon Tax
On July 17, the Australian Senate voted to repeal the nation’s carbon tax, three days after the measure was approved by the country’s House of Representatives. The carbon tax obligates 348 of Australia’s largest carbon emitters to pay a tax of Australian $24.15 ($22.70 in U.S. dollars) for every metric ton of emitted carbon. The bill repeals both the carbon tax and legislation to implement an emissions trading scheme, which would have come into effect in 2015. "The changes to the main repeal bill balance new compliance obligations with the need to ensure that households and business customers benefit - already strong protections are being further strengthened," said Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt. The action has been criticized by members of the Labor Party. "We must stand on the right side of history," said Labor leader Bill Shorten. "But this Liberal Party, this once great party of the free market and free enterprise, wants no part of this market solution." The repeal of the carbon tax was one of the main platforms that Prime Minister Tony Abbot ran on in 2013. This is his third attempt at repeal; it was struck down the previous two times it has been brought before Parliament, including as recently as July 10 (see Climate Change News July 14).
The New York Times, Reuters, ABC, SMH
NOAA Study Finds Lack of Rainfall in Southeastern Australia is Due to Anthropogenic Climate Change
On July 13, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) released a report that predicts southern Australia will see a 40 percent decline in rainfall by the end of this century. This result was part of a study that examined the causes of rainfall decline over the last few decades. The findings concluded that an increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) and ozone depletion from human activity are to blame. The NOAA team used a high-resolution climate model to try to understand the drop in autumnal and winter rain in southern and southwestern Australia over the last 40 years. The model found that western winds in Australia are moving towards Antarctica, increasing the air surface pressure on southern Australia. Dr. Nerilie Abram, a member of the college of physical and mathematical sciences at the Australian National University, who was not associated with the study, commented that the westerly winds could cause the oceans on Antarctica's edge to warm and melt ice sheets, which could have a huge impact how quickly sea-levels will rise around the world. In the more immediate future, the declining rainfall could have serious implications for agriculture in the area, specifically the winemaking region of Margaret River and Western Australia's capital, Perth. Dr. Abram said, "This new study adds another compelling piece of evidence to the idea that we can expect southern parts of Australia to keep getting drier over the coming century, unless strong action can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emission."
The Guardian, NOAA, Study, SMH
Report Finds Benefits of EPA’s Power Plant Regulations Outweigh Costs
On July 13, the Analysis Group released a study concerning the costs of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed regulations to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants. According to the report, there will be some costs associated with cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) from plants, but “the impacts on electricity rates from well-designed CO2-pollution control programs will be modest in the near term, and can be accompanied by long-term benefits in the form of lower electricity bills and positive economic value to states’ and regional economies.” The analysis found that the flexibility of EPA’s plan will allow states to utilize different programs and policy tools, but that distribution of costs and benefits among consumers, power plant operators, and the economy will largely depend on how the compliance plans are designed. According to Susan Tierney, a senior advisor with the Analysis Group and one of the authors of the report, "Several states have already put a price on carbon dioxide pollution, and their economies are doing fine . . . The bottom line: the economy can handle -- and actually benefit from -- these rules." The study was funded by the Energy Foundation and the Merck Family Fund.
EE News, Politico, Report
NRG Energy Announces $1 Billion Carbon Capture Project
On July 15, NRG Energy, in partnership with Japanese company JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp., announced the Petra Nova Carbon Capture Project. The $1 billion project will capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from a coal-fired power plant in Fort Bend County, Texas. The carbon dioxide will then be piped 82 miles away to an oil field, where it will help increase production capacity. Arun Banskota, president of NRG’s carbon capture group, said, “This project is such a game changer because it acts like a bridge between the power and oil industry . . . Carbon dioxide is something we need to increasingly manage. There is a huge shortage for carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery.” Petro Nova is NRG’s first carbon capture project. After its expected completion in 2016, Petro Nova is projected to capture the emissions equivalent of 336,000 cars. “This project is an enormous step in that direction, plus it continues the trend of enhancing domestic oil production; thus further reducing our national dependence on foreign sources of oil,” said David Crane, NRG president and CEO. The project’s funding includes a U.S. Department of Energy grant of $167 million, $300 million investments from both NRG and JX Nippon, and a $250 million loan from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation and Mizuho Bank.
Forbes, Houston Business Journal, Bloomberg, Fuel Fix
IEA President Announces Support for EPA Power Plant Regulations
On July 14, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven voiced support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed power plant rule to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, but warned that further steps must be taken to meet the goal of keeping global temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. During her remarks at the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s annual conference, she said, “It is our view that implementing the EPA rule can be achieved without damaging economic growth and while maintaining and even improving energy security.” Van der Hoeven further emphasized the role of the United States in leading climate talks by example, saying other countries may be disincentivized to act if the United States does not make meaning emissions reductions. She added, U.S. commitment to emissions cuts “sends a very clear signal to the international community ahead of the make-or-break climate talks,” referring to the Paris conference in late 2015.
The Hill
Florida Scientists Want to Discuss Climate Change with Governor
On July 15, ten prominent Florida scientists delivered a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, asking for the opportunity to explain to him the impacts of climate change on Florida. Gov. Scott initially ran for office in 2010 claiming that he has “not been convinced that there’s any man-made climate change.” In the letter, the scientists note that often when asked about his thoughts on climate change, Gov. Scott’s response is, “I’m not a scientist.” The letter states, “We are scientists and we would like the opportunity to explain what is at stake for our state.” Since Scott became governor in 2011, Florida has repealed or defunded most of the climate change initiatives established under former Gov. Charlie Crist. “Florida is one of the most vulnerable places in the country with respect to climate change,” the scientists wrote, “This is not hypothetical.” Jeff Chanton, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University, and co-author of the letter said, “This is not a ‘save the earth’ message. This is about the continued comfort and amiability of civilization, or human beings.”
Tampa Bay Times
2014 Was the Hottest June on Record, According to Japanese Agency
On July 14, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported the June 2014 global average temperature was the warmest June in more than 120 years of their records. According to the JMA, June temperatures were +0.32 Celsius higher than the 1981-2010 average and +0.68 Celsius higher than the 20th century average. The JMA had earlier reported that the 2014 spring (March to May) average global temperate was the hottest on record (dating back to1891). The JMA report concluded, “On a longer time scale, global average surface temperatures have risen at a rate of about 0.68 Celsius per century.”
Think Progress, JMA Data, JMA Data
CDC Releases Report on Climate Change-Related Health Threats
On July 16, the Climate and Health program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a framework to help health departments prepare for and respond to the effects of climate change impacts, many of which have been linked to increased prevalence of infectious disease. This report, Assessing Health Vulnerability to Climate Change, is the first in a five-part series done under the auspices of the CDC Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework. The report describes five actions health departments can take to address climate change-exacerbated health vulnerabilities, including: determining the scope their climate vulnerability assessment will have; identifying known risk factors of patients; acquiring information on health outcomes associated with the risk factors; assessing the adaptive capacity for health care providers’ ability to address and reduce hazardous exposure and its health consequences; and mapping this information to visually display communities and places vulnerable to disease or injury. This localized approach can be used to build climate resiliency by identifying where vulnerabilities exist, tailoring solutions to specific communities, and providing necessary information on public health interventions that aim to reduce the rate of hazardous exposures.
Politico, Report
Google Working With Environmental Groups to Map Methane Leaks
On July 16, Google Earth Outreach and the Environmental Defense Fund released maps that revealed the locations of methane leaks from natural gas distribution in three U.S. cities. Sensors strapped on top of Google StreetView cars were used to map leaks in Boston, New York’s Staten Island, and Indianapolis. Boston and Staten Island, in which the majority of gas pipes are more than 50 years old, have approximately one methane leak per mile. Indianapolis, where the majority of the pipes were replaced in the 1980s, only has leaks once every 200 miles. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas which warms the atmosphere 84 times more than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Project organizers hope that the collected data will be used by cities to better identify and fix leaks, cutting methane emissions while improving public safety.
Boston, New Scientist, EDF
Headlines
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1. Texas Water Planners Are Not Taking Climate Change Into Account When Designing for Future
2. Conservative Journalist Predicts Carbon Bubble Will Burst
3. Zurich Insurance Group Doubles Its $1 Billion Investment in Green Bonds
4. Polar Bears Adapting to Lack of Sea Ice, Finding Other Food Sources
5. Tom Steyer: “How Climate Change Changed Me”
6. Eli Lehrer Op-Ed on Conservative Global Warming Agenda
7. Rabbi Travels Kansas to Discuss Climate Change With Congregations
Writers: Jenifer Collins, Marisa Perez-Reyes, Yi Xu, Katherine Lynn, and Amanda Kastrinos
Editor: Laura Small
EESI Briefing Friday, July 25 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm, 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building on examining the current and projected impacts of climate change in the Northeast, as well as strategies being developed to mitigate the associated risks. According to the Third National Climate Assessment, climate change is already having wide-reaching impacts in the region, affecting the region’s environmental, social, and economic systems. How have federal, state, and local government initiatives acted to increase resiliency against current and future impacts of climate change? Learn more at www.eesi.org/072514northeast.
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