Advanced Search
June 23, 2014
Obama Announces New National Disaster Resilience Fund During College Graduation Speech
On June 14, President Barack Obama spoke at the University of California – Irvine commencement, where he acknowledged the need to address climate change and announced a National Disaster Resilience Competition. During the speech, Obama stated that, "The climate change deniers suggest there's still a debate over the science . . . there’s not.” The National Disaster Resilience Competition allocates $1 billion in funding for mechanisms to support resilience to extreme weather through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). The majority of the funds ($820 million) will go towards local and state governments which experienced major natural disasters in 2011, 2012, and 2013, with the remaining $120 million going specifically to housing needs in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. According to the White House, the competition will “support innovative resilience projects at the local level while encouraging communities to adopt policy changes and activities that plan for the impacts of extreme weather and climate change and rebuild affected areas to be better prepared for the future.”
For more information see:
The Wall Street Journal, Press Release
New Poll Shows Majority of America Backs EPA’s Clean Power Plan
According to a poll released by Washington Post/NBC News Poll on June 18, more than two thirds of Americans support the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new proposed carbon dioxide regulations. Twenty-nine percent of Americans do not support the new regulations, which would limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector. The poll also showed that nearly 60 percent of Americans would be willing to pay a higher price for electricity if it meant utility companies were cutting CO2 emissions. The poll reported that 61 percent of Americans believe climate change is happening, and there should be some sort of action to reduce its effects. This number is up from 54 percent five years ago. The new EPA regulations are still contentious because of the possible costs and effects on the coal industry. The EPA has stated that the health and economic benefits will outweigh these costs.
For More Information see:
Wall Street Journal, Wall Street Journal, Politico
Four Former EPA Chiefs Push for Action on Climate Change
On June 18, the Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety held a hearing entitled, “Climate Change: The Need to Act Now.” The witnesses were all former heads of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Republican Administrations: the Honorable William Ruckelshaus, who served under Presidents Nixon and Reagan; the Honorable Lee Thomas who served under President Reagan; the Honorable William Reilly, who served under President George H.W. Bush; and the Honorable Christine Todd Whitman who served under President George W. Bush. According to Whitman, “There are a lot of Republicans that do believe that the climate is changing and humans play a role in that . . . if they hear from the public that this is an issue of importance to them . . . you're going to find more and more of them speaking out." Ruckelshaus seconded this sentiment, citing a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll which found the majority of the American public supports climate action, saying “That [poll] is indicative of what seems to be a shift in public opinion on that, and if that turns into a demand for action, something will happen."
National Journal, Oregon Live, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Website
New York Legislature Passes Climate Change Bill
On June 19, the New York State Legislature passed the Community Risk Reduction and Resiliency Act, which would require all state-funded projects to factor climate change and extreme weather events into their planning and implementation. Earlier versions of the bill included climate change mitigation provisions, such as carbon pollution control, but these were opposed by business groups and later removed. The bill still needs to be signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, but if approved, would make New York one of the first states to mandate climate change preparation in state legislation. The bill was sponsored by Senator Diane Savino and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney.
Capital New York
California Discusses How to Spend the $5 Billion in Annual Cap-and-Trade Revenue
On June 15, California state lawmakers passed their state budget allocating the cap-and-trade revenue generated from the buying and selling of carbon dioxide permits. Notably, 25 percent of the cap-and-trade revenue raised yearly will go toward California’s $68 billion high-speed rail project, which has been in the works since Democratic Governor Jerry Brown proposed the project in the 1980s. Currently, only stationary sources – utilities, manufacturers, and food processors – are required to pay for the release of greenhouse gas emissions, which will account for an estimated $845 million in revenue for 2014-2015. During 2015, however, mobile sources will be required to pay, contributing to increased revenue expected to be $5 billion per year from 2016 on. The budget “invests in cleaning up the single-biggest source of carbon pollution in California — transportation,” says Ann Notthoff, California advocacy director with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Investing in transit and sustainable communities is a major down payment on a clean energy future.” The rest of the funding will go to water and energy efficient programs, natural resource conservation, cleaner transportation, and affordable housing projects.
Daily Caller, CBS Local - San Francisco, Sustainable Business
Berkley Could Be First City to Have Global Warming Warning Sticker on Gas Pump
On June 12, Berkeley City’s Community Environmental Advisory Commission approved a proposal to mandate climate warning labels on gas pumps. If the city council approves this proposal in the coming months, Berkeley will become the first city in the nation to require warning stickers on gas pumps that inform consumers that the state has concluded that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions contribute to global warming. The idea was modeled on warnings on cigarette packaging. A statement on the proposed design reads, “California has determined that global warming caused by CO2 emissions poses a serious threat to the economic well-being, public health, natural resources and the environment of California." Councilman Kriss Worthington said, “It's a perfect opportunity to remind people that there are greenhouse gas impacts and there are alternatives. . . I’d be happy for every other city to do it first and we could be 101st but so far it looks like we’re on track to be the first.” Campaign manager Jamie Brooks commented, “We want to connect cause and effect for consumers.” However, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the petroleum association, opposed the proposal by sending a letter to the commission stating that the plan would violate gas station owners’ First Amendment rights. Rehis-Boyd explained, “Though the proposed ordinance calls these messages ‘warnings,’ they are, in reality, forced reproductions of the state’s and city’s policy opinions. . . But the messages are not ‘purely factual and uncontroversial information’ – they touch on issues that represent some of the most contentious issues in existence today.”
Los Angeles Times, The Daily California, Grist
New Stern Paper Says Economic Damage of Climate Change Underestimated
On June 5, a report released by Simon Dietz and Lord Nicholas Stern of the London School of Economics stated that current climate models are “grossly underestimating” the cost of climate change. According to the report, the current model used by organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to predict the impact of climate change on economies, known as the “DICE” model, has serious limitations, including an overly simplistic view of economic growth. Dietz and Stern have developed a new model that includes a more complete analysis of how economies work, climate sensitivity, and the risk and implications of extreme weather events on both the environment and economies. “It is extremely important to understand the severe limitations of standard economic models, such as those cited in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which have made assumptions that simply do not reflect current knowledge about climate change and its potential impacts on the economy,” said Stern. “Models that assume that catastrophic damages are not possible fail to take account of the magnitude of the issues and the implications of the science.”
For More Information:
Blue Green, Paper
Secretary Kerry Discusses Climate Change at Ocean Conference
On June 17, Secretary of State John Kerry opened the two-day “Our Ocean” conference with a global call to action to protect the oceans from threats such as climate change. In his remarks, Kerry explained that currently only two percent of the world’s oceans are protected through piecemeal policies, and said countries should try to raise that level to 10 percent. Kerry stated, "If we are going to be able to honor our shared responsibility to protect the ocean, the ad hoc approach we have today, with each nation and community pursuing its own independent policy, simply will not suffice.” Globally, oceans face problems from climate change-related acidification, coral bleaching, and sea level rise, as well as marine pollution and overfishing. Also speaking at the conference was President Anote Tong of Kiribati, a small island nation that is highly vulnerable to sea level rise. President Tong stated, "our hope of addressing climate change lies in the oceans.” The “Our Oceans” conference came just days after World Oceans Day (June 9) which John Kerry celebrated with a blog calling on the need for action to protect our oceans.
The Washington Times, Reuters
UN Discusses Emissions Targets in Bonn
On June 14, Reuters reports that United Nations (UN) Climate negotiations made progress towards an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. During the event, 1,900 diplomats from 182 nations discussed a potential compromise on what should be included in countries’ emissions reduction proposals for the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Paris in 2015. Although it is generally agreed that signs of action from China and the United States, the world’s top two emitters, are positive, there was little progress on deciding whether developed or developing countries should make the largest sacrifices. Seyni Nafo, a Malian envoy representing a negotiating bloc of over 50 African states, said, "We are getting to the point where all parties have a sense of trust that we can act together to combat climate change, but my biggest concern is about the cash." Developing nations are still facing a shortfall in funding from the UN “Green Climate Fund,” for initiatives to adapt to and mitigate climate change.
Reuters
Interior Department Allocates $102 Million for East Coast Resilience
On June 16, the Interior Department announced it will grant $102.7 million to eleven states in the eastern United States to help protect against future storms like hurricane Sandy. The largest amount of funded projects will be in New Jersey and New York. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell commented, "We know we have a lot to learn from Mother Nature. Climate change is going to make weather events more frequent and more severe." According to the Interior Department, the projects will restore an estimated 6,634 acres of wetlands and marshes, 225 acres of beach, 364 acres of riparian barriers and 16 miles of streams. Tim Dillingham, executive director of the New Jersey-based American Littoral Society said, “We've seen the vulnerability in the communities where Sandy hit.” He added that projects such as the ones funded by these grants are indicative of “reshaping our relationship with the coast in anticipation of the next storm." The Interior department estimates the projects will create 600 jobs in local communities. Young people and veterans will be given special consideration in hiring.
ABC news, The Hill
Report Warns of Climate Change Impacts to Energy Systems
On June 18, the World Energy Council (WEC) published a study jointly with Cambridge University and with the European Climate Foundation urging energy generators to examine their vulnerability to climate change. The report found that energy systems and electricity distribution networks are particularly vulnerable to floods and droughts – but with precautions to ensure power plants are protected from water shortages, and by building resilience into the grid, the worst could be avoided. "Climate change is certain to impact the energy sector,” said Christoph Frei, secretary general of the WEC. “We need robust and transparent policy frameworks to unlock the long-term investments that are urgently needed to deliver the future we want. Leadership will be required at all levels."
The Guardian, Report
No More Polar Vortex; Study Says Climate Change Will Cause Warmer Winters
On June 15, Nature Climate Change released a report predicting that coming years will see a decrease in extreme cold weather days like the "polar vortex" of 2014. Study author Dr. James Screen found that climate change is warming cold winds from the north faster than southern winds, leading to fewer cold extremes in the air and reducing the risk of winter storms in the Northern Hemisphere. The “arctic amplification phenomenon,” as identified by Screen in the report, is causing arctic temperatures to increase faster than anywhere else on earth. As warmer temperatures melt the region's snow cover, the dark ground revealed underneath absorbs more energy from the sun and causes the snow to melt even faster. Due to this warming effect, the traveling arctic air which typically drops the temperature in the mid-latitudes will no longer be cold enough to cause winter storms. Although this year's long, cold winter and “polar vortex” has caused some scientists to disagree, Screen studied U.S. and European weather patterns of the last several decades and found a general decrease in cold weather extremes. Screen said, "Autumn and winter days are becoming warmer on average, and less variable from day-to-day. Both factors reduce the chance of extremely cold days."
For more information:
Techtimes, Motherboard, HHGN, Study
Headlines
=====================
1. Brazil World Cup Stadium Powered by Solar
2. Gina McCarthy Discusses Carbon Pollution Standards with HBO’s Bill Maher
3. EPA Rules Will Not Harm Grid
4. Al Gore Discusses “New Hope for the Climate” in Rolling Stone Article
5. EPA Begins 120-Day Comment Period on the Clean Power Plan
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity