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March 14, 2016
On March 10, the United States and Canada made a joint announcement to take global leadership on climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy, during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's state visit to Washington, D.C. Image courtesy of the State Department.
On March 10, the United States and Canada made a joint announcement to take global leadership on climate change and transitioning to a low-carbon economy, during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's state visit to Washington, D.C. President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau committed to promote North American carbon markets, cut methane emissions from oil and gas wells, and protect indigenous communities affected by climate change impacts. The world leaders also pledged to lobby other major G20 countries to follow through on commitments made at the United Nations Paris climate talks last year. “There is a nice alignment between a Canadian prime minister who wants to get all sorts of things done right off the bat and an American president who is thinking about the legacy he is going to leave in his last year in office,” commented Prime Minister Trudeau.
For more information see：
The Guardian, Politico, NRDC
On March 10, President Obama announced new regulations on methane emissions from active oil and gas wells in a joint commitment with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Both countries are committing to a 40-45 percent reduction of methane emissions from oil and gas production below 2012 levels by 2025. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methane emissions from oil and gas accounted for 10 percent of total U.S. methane emissions in 2012. Emissions are projected to increase 25 percent over the next decade. EPA will begin a formal process in April to draft the methane regulation on existing wells. In January 2016, the Department of Interior also issued a proposal to cut methane emissions from existing oil and gas operations on federal lands. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
For more information see:
Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail, NRDC, Environmental Leader
On March 11, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 1547 into law. The state is now committed to double its renewable energy generation to 50 percent by 2040 and completely eliminate imports of coal-fired generation at the state's largest utilities by 2035. The bill has the firm support of environmental groups and Oregon's two biggest utilities, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power. Electric cooperatives and municipal utilities do not have to comply with the new law – it only applies to Portland General Electric and Pacific Power. Governor Brown commented, "I'm proud to sign a bill that moves Oregon forward, together with the shared values of current and future generations."
Utility Dive, Press Release
On March 8, 17 prominent environmental groups sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), calling on them to consider whomever President Obama nominates for the open Supreme Court Justice position. The letter argues that by voting President Obama in for another term in 2012, American voters entrusted him with the power to nominate a new Justice to the Supreme Court. “To ensure a fully functioning legal system, the Senate must do its job by carrying out its end of this process,” the letter says. It also states that there is historical precedent for a Supreme Court nominee to be confirmed during an election year, even when the White House and Senate majority are from opposing parties. "For the protection of our air, water, wildlife and lands, a strong and intact judiciary system is as important as ever," the letter concludes.
The Washington Post
On March 8, conservative entrepreneur Jay Faison's foundation ClearPath announced it was opening a new office near Capitol Hill and beginning a $1 million digital campaign to promote clean energy to policymakers. ClearPath says it is focused on promoting nuclear power, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology on coal and natural gas power plants, and hydropower, through the principles of small government and free markets. Faison said in an announcement, “There are not a lot of members focused on clean energy and most are not aware that there’s a conservative clean energy approach to all of this.” ClearPath's new office will be overseen by Zak Baig, formerly an advisor to Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and majority staff director on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. The $1 million ad campaign will run mainly in Politico, National Review, Drudge Report and Breitbart.
Politico, PRNewswire
On March 4, JP Morgan announced it would stop supporting new coal-fired power plants and coal mines in high-income countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), because coal power generation contributes to climate change. JP Morgan is the latest financial institution to withdraw or scale back investments in coal power, joining Bank of America, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. “We believe the financial services sector has an important role to play as governments implement policies to combat climate change,” said JP Morgan in a statement. JP Morgan will still invest in coal plants in lower-income countries, provided the plants use "ultra-supercritical steam generation technology."
Bloomberg, Phys.Org, Kentucky, JP Morgan Statement
On March 8, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published data showing that coal made up more than 80 percent of the almost 18 gigawatts of electric generating capacity retired last year. EIA stated that coal power generation's decline is largely due to competition from natural gas and the Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) regulation. The coal plants that retired in 2015 averaged 54 years old and 133 megawatts (MW), about 20 years older and 150 MW smaller than the remaining coal fleet. Ohio retired the most plants, shutting down 15 percent of its coal capacity, followed by Georgia (18 percent) and Kentucky (10 percent).
Lexington Herald-Leader, The Denver Post, U.S. Energy Information Administration
On March 7, Media Matters for America released a report revealing that major American media outlets ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox collectively reported less on climate change in 2015 than previous years, despite 2015's temperature records and numerous climate-related incidents. The largest decline was at ABC, where climate coverage dropped by 59 percent. Fox increased its climate coverage, but mainly interviewed guests who criticized efforts to address climate change. The networks generally did not mention that climate change is a national security threat with economic and public health impacts, with some exceptions at PBS. The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan was barely covered, while the Paris Climate Summit and the Pope's actions on climate were the most well-reported.
The Guardian, Study
On March 7, a study released by the Grantham Research Institute and London School of Economics found that China's carbon emissions may have already peaked in 2014, and will peak by 2025 at the latest. In November 2014, China pledged to peak its emissions by 2030, but the study indicates that due to changes in China's economy and policies its greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to continue to grow, and if they do increase they will do so at a much slower pace than the historical rate. The study notes that recent data indicates China's emissions fell in 2015, and it is "quite possible emissions will fall modestly from now on." The report says China is shifting from a coal, concrete and steel manufacturing society to a "new normal" as the country focuses on improving quality of life, expanding its service industry and innovative manufacturing, and diversifying its energy resources.
Reuters, The Washington Post, International Business Times, LSE Research Online
On March 8, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the lower 48 states experienced the warmest winter since record-keeping began 122 years ago. From December to February, the contiguous United States had an average temperature of 36.8 degrees Fahrenheit – 4.6 degrees above the 20th century average. February was above-average warm, with temperatures averaging 39.5 degrees F, making it the warmest February since 2000. NOAA attributed the record-setting winter in part to an unusually strong El Nino climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean. Alaska also experienced its second-warmest winter on record, about 11 degrees warmer than average.
The Hill, The Washington Post, USA Today, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
On March 8, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released data showing that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawai'i reached record levels over the past 12 months. Carbon dioxide levels in February 2016 were 404.02 parts per million (ppm), about 3.72 ppm more than last February’s average. NOAA says this sets a new record for the largest increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration over the course of a year, and attributes the increase to carbon emissions from human industrial activity and the unusually-strong El Nino climate pattern, which caused an increase in wildfires. Although the boost in carbon from El Nino will be temporary, scientists are concerned about the long-term trend of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels.
New Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
"Aiming for a Coalition" Works to Get Investors to Act on Climate
Fracking Could Be Behind Large Increase in U.S. Methane Emissions
Real War on Coal Is in China
Melbourne Has Hottest March Since Records Began
Authors: Taotao Liu and Anthony Rocco
Editor: Laura Small
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