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June 30, 2014
White House Holds Roundtable Discussions on Economic Threats from Climate Change
June 25 marked one year since President Obama introduced the President’s Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and tackle climate change. In honor of this date, the White House held two roundtable discussions on the economic risks of climate change. On Tuesday, June 24, Obama advisers John Podesta and Valerie Jarrett, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate met with representatives from the insurance industry to discuss the economic impacts of extreme events due to climate change. On Wednesday, June 25, Lew and other White House leaders met with billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer and former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. The focus of this meeting was the recently released Risky Business report which outlines the economic costs of climate change. According to Dan Weiss, director of climate strategy at the Center for American Progress, “One of the main premises behind the climate action plan is it has required no new money and no congressional action, and that meant such a wide playing field for what the president could do.”
For more information see:
Huffington Post, Politico, The Hill, BNA, Politico
Senators to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Cut HFCs, Black Carbon and Methane
On June 26, Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) announced their plans to introduce the Super Pollutants Act of 2014 to cut short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) by requiring the Administration to establish a task force to review specific policies and laws to reduce black carbon, methane, and high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). SLCPs currently account for 40 percent or more of global warming, and last for a shorter period of time in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, so emissions cuts in SLCPs reduce warming significantly in the short term. The Act calls for the U.S. Agency for International Development to prioritize black carbon mitigation activities as part of aid distribution activities and to give special emphasis to projects that reduce substantial environmental damage. Furthermore, technical guidance will be provided to other countries on containment of emissions from gas drilling, landfills, coal mining, and agriculture when engaging with other governments, including trade delegations, under the auspices of Department of State’s Global Shale Gas Initiative. “The Super Pollutants Act will accelerate and coordinate Administration efforts already underway to reduce SLCPs,” said Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, and “this will reinforce the President’s international leadership on this critical climate strategy. It’s essential to reduce SLCPs along with carbon dioxide to keep the climate within safe bounds.” The proposed legislation will reinforce the Administration’s international efforts to reduce SLCPs. The Secretary of State is directed to help the international community with efforts such as providing vehicle manufacturers with low-emission engine designs to reduce black carbon emissions and establishing partnerships to reduce black carbon in the Arctic.
The Super Pollutants Act, Super Pollutants Act Draft Bill, Senator Murphy Press Release, IGSD Press Release
Senators Manchin and Whitehouse Discuss Climate Change on Senate Floor
On June 25, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) held a joint climate change discussion on the floor of the Senate. The two Democratic senators have their differences regarding climate policy, but they agree climate change is a “problem that we’re responsible for.” While there is no legislation on the horizon, the two say they are looking for areas where they agree; specifically, the senators are encouraging research and development of “clean coal” technology, federal energy efficiency, and asserting leadership globally to bring down carbon pollution from other countries. Manchin stated, “with smart investments, we will lead the world. We are going to fix this.” Manchin and Whitehouse say they hope their example will encourage some of the Republicans to come back into the conversation of climate change. “We don’t have to agree on everything in order to come together and work on something that we agree is a real problem,” Whitehouse said.
For additional information see:
Register-Herald, Politico
New Jersey Legislators Hold Press Conference to Support EPA Climate Regulations
On June 19, Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey called for greater climate action to be taken to ensure the state reduces its carbon emissions. At a press conference at the Statehouse in Trenton, the lawmakers were vocal about their support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newly proposed carbon dioxide (CO2) regulations, which would lead to a 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Climate change action has been a contentious issue in New Jersey, as the state legislature has clashed with Gov. Chris Christie’s reluctance to sign any climate change legislation. While New Jersey has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 24 percent since 2005, Gov. Christie vetoed legislation that would have had New Jersey rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with nine other Northeastern states. New Jersey was particularly hard hit by superstorm Sandy in November 2012, and much of the state is still vulnerable to extreme weather. "This mess is going to get really messy," State Senator Bob Smith said. "In the case of New Jersey, we have been the subject of horrific storms. If we don't do something, it's only going to get worse."
For More Information:
National Journal, Philly.com
Mayors Unanimously Pass Resolution to Use Nature to Fight Climate Change
On June 23, during the annual meeting of U.S. Conference of Mayors, conference attendees unanimously passed a non-binding resolution which encourages cities to use natural solutions to “protect freshwater supplies, defend the nation’s coastlines, maintain a healthy tree cover and protect air quality.” The resolution, which recommends steps to adapt to climate change without explicitly mentioning it, was backed by Mayors who affiliate with both Democratic and Republican parties. “What’s so significant is that there was a unanimous vote on an issue that can be so divisive,” commented Laura Huffman, director of the Nature Conservancy (Texas). Bill Finch, mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and co-chair of the conference’s climate task force, said, “Mayors have to go to the grocery store and listen to families complain about kids with asthma . . . that their flooding is getting worse. This is not a cause for mayors. This is a pragmatic problem that requires pragmatic solutions”. Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of U.S. Conference of Mayors, said, "Mayors have single-handedly taken action on climate protection efforts and in many cases, creatively launched local energy efficiency programs to help reduce our carbon footprint in American cities."
For More Information see:
Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Proposed Resolution Document, US Conference of Mayors—Climate Protection Center
Nine Governors Protest EPA’s New Carbon Pollution Rule
On June 16, nine governors wrote a letter in protest of the recently released Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulation on carbon emissions from power plants, claiming the regulation would kill energy jobs and dictate states’ energy mix. The proposed EPA regulation places rate caps on carbon dioxide emissions, individually tailored to each state, and would lead to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions of 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 (see EESI article for more information http://www.eesi.org/articles/view/big-move-on-climate-change-epa-proposes-carbon-regulations-for-power-plants). The governors of Alaska, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming all signed on. In the letter, the governors said the EPA proposal would “largely dictate to states the type of electricity generation they could build and operate.” The letter also attacks the EPA’s April proposal that would bring more bodies of water under Clean Water regulation. The governors wrote, “If successful, the federal government would become the arbiters of how our citizens, state highway departments, county flood control and stormwater agencies, utilities, irrigation districts and farmers use their water and their land.” Gov. Jindal (R) of Louisiana warned states may also take legal action, “There’s a very good chance of litigation not only initiated by the states, but the industry is another. . . This is such a dangerous overreach in terms of the potential threat to our economy and our ability to restore those manufacturing jobs, I absolutely do think litigation needs to be on the table.”
Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition, The Hill, Letter
Supreme Court Upholds EPA Carbon Pollution Regulations
On June 23, the U.S. Supreme Court once again largely upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to put limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants and other large emitters. In the case Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, the judges sided with the EPA in a 7-2 vote; however, in a 5-4 vote the court decided that some smaller facilities would be exempt from EPA carbon emission regulations. Both industry and EPA are claiming a “win” in this case, with the EPA stating, “the Supreme Court’s decision is a win for our efforts to reduce carbon pollution because it allows EPA, states and other permitting authorities to continue to require carbon pollution limits in permits for the largest pollution sources." Under this ruling, the EPA will be able to regulate approximately 83 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. While this case proved successful, Justice Scalia of the Supreme Court stated that the EPA's approach "would bring about an enormous and transformative expansion in EPA's regulatory authority without clear congressional authorization," hinting that future cases concerning the newly released Clean Power Plan and regulations for new fossil fuel power plants may not have the same outcome.
NRDC Switchboard, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Supreme Court Website
Australian Prime Minister Reintroduces Bill Repealing Carbon Tax
On June 23, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott reintroduced legislation to the Australian Parliament to repeal the Australian carbon tax, a 24.15 Australian dollar ($22.79) tax per metric ton of carbon dioxide. The repeal legislation, first introduced by a Labor government in July 2012, was blocked by the opposition center-left Labor Party and minor Greens Party in March using their Senate majority. The legislation is expected to pass in September, after newly elected senators take their seats on July 7. “I expect this carbon tax, this toxic tax, to be gone,’’ commented Abbott. He said voters had rejected the tax by electing his government. “The people have spoken and now it’s up to this Parliament to show that it’s listening. This is a bill to reduce the bills of the Australian people.” The Climate Institute, an environmental think tank, released a poll on June 24 showing the carbon tax is more popular now than when it was introduced two years ago. Support for the tax had risen six points since 2012, to 34 percent. Australia is one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas polluters on a per capita basis, due to its heavy reliance on coal reserves to generate power.
Energy Guardian, The Australian, Global News, Huffington Post
Bipartisan Report Shows Economic Impacts of Climate Change
On June 24, a report was released by The Risky Business Project, detailing the negative impact climate change will have on the economy if left unchecked. The Risky Business report is part of a bipartisan campaign to encourage policymakers and business owners to take immediate action on climate change. Funded by Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City; Henry Paulson, former U.S Secretary of the Treasury; and Tom Steyer, billionaire and former hedge fund manager, the report focuses on two primary effects of climate change, extreme heat and sea level rise, and how they will affect different regions across the United States. The report predicts that by 2050, rising sea levels will have caused $66 to $106 billion worth of damage to coastal properties and high temperatures in the Midwest and Southwest will cause a 14 percent decline in yearly crop yields. The creators of the Risky Business Project said they hope the findings in this report will convince lawmakers that early investments in resilience and pollution reduction can mitigate the impacts of climate change. Steyer said in the report, "The Risky Business report confirms what many of us have long suspected: The longer we wait to address the growing risks of climate change, the more it will cost us all."
Risky Business, The New York Times, TIME, Report
World Bank Report Says Fighting Climate Change Helps the World Economy
On June 23, a report, “Climate-Smart Development: Adding Up the Benefits of Actions that Help Build Prosperity, End Poverty and Combat Climate Change” was published by the World Bank Group. The report shows that fighting climate change would help the world economy add between $1.8 trillion and $2.6 trillion a year to global gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming decades. World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said, “Climate change poses a severe risk to global economic stability, but it doesn’t have to be like this. At the World Bank Group, we believe it’s possible to reduce emissions and deliver jobs and economic opportunity, while also cutting health care and energy costs. This report provides powerful evidence in support of that view.” In this report, economists focused on the specific policies in six leading regions in the world economy and global emissions--Brazil, China, the European Union, India, Mexico, and the United States. The annual benefits of these pro-climate policies are about 1.5 percent higher than under a business as usual scenario. Furthermore, these policies can help avoid 94,000 deaths a year due to air pollution. Rachel Kyte, the World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change, said, “This study makes the case for actions that save lives, create jobs, grow economies and, at the same time, slow the rate of climate change. We place ourselves and our children at peril if we ignore these opportunities.”
For More Information See:
The Guardian, International Business Time, Responding to Climate Change, Study
DC Universities Purchase Solar from Duke Energy
On June 24, American University, George Washington University, and GWU Hospital announced their agreement to buy more than half of their power from Duke Energy Renewables. These DC-based universities will be receiving 52 megawatts of solar photovoltaic (PV) for 20 years through the Capital Partners Solar Project, which is set to be finished in 2015 with 243,000 solar panels on three solar farms. The 123 million kilowatt hours of electricity generated per year is the equivalent of eliminating approximately 60,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year. Due to the nature of the long-term fixed price agreement with Duke Energy, the universities actually stand to save money when compared to what they would be paying for fossil fuel electricity. Alex Perera, an expert at the World Resources Institute, stated that, "these kinds of long-term contracts from good-credit buyers can really be helpful to renewable energy developers in helping them get the financing they need to get projects built , . . . It also allows buyers to get more value out of renewable energy." According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, this agreement represents the largest non-utility solar PV power purchase in the U.S.
Huffington Post, Washington Post, PV-Tech
Historically Climate-Change Resilient Penguin Species Now at Risk
On June 12, Nature published a study on the effects of climate change on the populations of several Antarctic penguin species. Scientists used molecular techniques to determine that three penguin populations – gentoo, chinstrap, and Adélie – coped and actually benefited from a warming event about 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. Now, chinstrap and Adélie penguins are struggling as the retreating ice sheets deplete their main diet source, krill, which were already in decline due to commercial fishing for krill and a growing whale population which feeds on them. “Investigating past species responses to climatic events can distinguish natural from anthropogenic impacts,” the study asserts. Another recent report showed that emperor penguins may be weathering climate change better than scientists expected, as they have changed their migration patterns, relocating to safer breeding grounds.
National Geographic, Guardian Liberty Voice, Study
Headlines
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1. USDA Climate Hubs Help Farmers Understand Shifting Weather Patterns
2. Jon Stewart Talks Republicans and Climate Change
3. New TV Show Earth Focus Covers Climate Science in Action
4. Looking at a Post-Kyoto Protocol Climate Agreement
5. Olympia Snowe and Donna Shalala Op-Ed on Fighting Climate Change in Coastal Communities
6. Tom Steyer Has Divested Completely From Fossil Fuels
7. One Quarter of California’s Cap-and-Trade Revenue to Support Environmental Justice
8. Head of Party Taking Over Australia’s Upper House Supports Carbon Tax Repeal
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity