Climate Change News – November
3, 2006
Brought to you by the
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Carol Werner, Executive Director
Stern
Report Says Climate Mitigation a Better Economic Choice Than
Inaction
On
October 30, the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate
Change was published. The Review calculates that the total
cost of climate change could be as high as 20 percent of global
GDP if the world continues with the “business-as-usual”
scenario and does not take action to arrest climate change. The
cost to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and stabilize
at 500-550 parts per million of carbon dioxide equivalent (ppm
CO2e), however, can be limited to around one percent of GDP by
2050. A higher concentration than 550 ppm CO2e will
substantially increase risks without comparatively reducing the
expected costs.
If
no action is taken to cut emissions, each ton of carbon dioxide
that is being emitted now causes damage costing at least $85.
Emissions can be cut for less than $25 a ton so that reducing
emissions makes economies better off. "According to one
measure, the benefits over time of actions to shift the world
onto a low-carbon path could be in the order of $2.5 trillion
each year," notes the press release for the report. A
low-carbon economy will bring opportunities and markets for
low-carbon technologies that could potentially be worth at least
$500 billion by 2050.
Stern
warns that climate change may initially have small positive
effects for a few developed countries, but it is likely to be
very damaging as even higher temperature increases are expected
by mid- to late-century if no action is taken. For instance, in
the United States, the annual damage costs from hurricanes are
projected to double with a five or 10 percent increase in
hurricane wind speed, which has been linked to rising sea
temperatures. The Review terms tackling climate change a
"pro-growth strategy."
Click on the following link for the full report: HM
Treasury
Mixed Reaction to the UK’s Stern Report on the
Economics of Climate Change
The Stern Report, commissioned by
the UK’s Prime Minister and Chancellor, elicited a mixed
response among key countries across the world. While the
United States merely acknowledged the Report, Australia was
more vocal. Australian Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane said
that the Stern Report would not change the government's mind
on the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. "You cannot
have an effective response to global warming unless you have
all of the culprits in the net," Australian Prime
Minister John Howard told the parliament. However, Howard did
not reject the idea of Australia becoming a part of an
emissions trading system. "I would be willing to look at
an emissions trading system around the world, of which
Australia were part, but it would have to include the nations
of the world."
Europe endorsed the findings and
the European Commission chief, Jose Manuel Barroso, said that
"European Union has to take the lead in the fight against
climate change." "The conclusions of this report
impose a new political orientation. Translating the impact of
climate change into costs and financial impact must have an
effect on even the most recalcitrant government," Italian
Ecology Minister Alfonso Pecorario Scanio said. Some of the
UK's leading businesses have also welcomed the report.
Speaking on behalf of the Corporate Leaders Group on Climate
Change, Shell UK Chairman James Smith said that companies and
countries taking the lead in the transition to a low-carbon
future will benefit economically.
China and India chose not to
comment on the report. Lu Xuedu, deputy director at China's
Office of Global Environmental Affairs, said at a meeting,
"You cannot tell people who are struggling to earn enough
to eat that they need to reduce their emissions." British
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who is currently on a
visit to India, said that while industrialized countries
should take "the lion's share of action .... climate
change is a problem that faces all of us, and must be tackled
in partnership" with countries such as India.
GHG Emissions from Industrialized Nations Show an
Upward Trend
The UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat released new data on
October 30 showing an increasing trend in greenhouse gas
emissions of industrialized countries during 2000–2004.
Between 1990-2004, the emissions of industrialized countries
(excluding economies in transition or EITs) that are parties
to the UNFCCC grew by 11 percent. Transport particularly
stands out as a sector where serious reductions are urgently
required. Emissions from this sector rose by 23.9 percent from
1990-2004.
The United States saw an increase
of 15.8 percent in total emissions over the period 1990-2004.
Emissions from EITs as a group also increased by 4.1 percent
in the period 2000-2004. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de
Boer said, “This means that industrialized countries will
need to intensify their efforts to implement strong policies
which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
In 2004, the combined emissions of
industrialized countries that are parties to the Kyoto
Protocol were 15.3 percent below the 1990 level, even as
individual performances varied.
MIT Survey: Climate Change Tops Americans'
Environmental Concerns
According to a recent MIT survey,
Americans now rank climate change as the country's most
pressing environmental problem—a dramatic shift from three
years ago—when they ranked climate change sixth out of 10
environmental concerns. Almost three-quarters of the
respondents felt the government should do more to deal with
global warming, and individuals were willing to spend their
own money to help. In 2003, people were willing to pay on
average $14 more per month on their electricity bill to
“solve” global warming. In 2006 they agreed to pay $21
more per month—a 50 percent increase in their willingness to
pay.
Compared to a similar 2003 MIT
survey, the environment continues to rank in the middle of the
list of “most important issues facing the U.S. today.”
However, among 10 environmental problems, global warming (or
climate change) now tops the list: Almost half the respondents
put global warming in first or second place. In 2003, the
destruction of ecosystems, water pollution, and toxic waste
were far higher priorities.
In designing and administering the
surveys, the research team collaborated with Knowledge
Networks, a company that specializes in Internet-based public
opinion surveys. More than 1,200 people answered each survey
National Poll Addresses Climate in Context of November
7 Elections
A new national public opinion poll
commissioned by Earth Day Network shows state and
congressional candidates who address global warming before the
November 7th elections will stand a better chance with
Democrats and Independents, who are much more likely than
Republicans to consider it a major election issue.
The poll of 1020 adults, taken
Oct. 26-29, also shows that Global Warming will be a major
issue for Democrats and Independents in the 2008 presidential
election, but once again, not as much for Republicans. “Our
poll reveals that the American public demands that candidates
step up to the plate and solve Global Warming,” said Earth
Day Network President Kathleen Rogers. “Any state or
national candidate who ignores these results, who fails to
articulate a plan or even downplays this worldwide crisis,
could lose votes on November 7th – it’s that simple.”
Among key results: Nearly half (46
percent) of Americans say it is very to extremely important
that candidates in the November 7th elections state their
plans to deal with Global Warming, which is twice the
percentage (23 percent) of those who say it’s not; When
asked the same question about the 2008 presidential election,
there’s a slight shift in importance among Americans in
general, from 46% to 49%, who say it is very to extremely
important for the presidential candidates to state their plans
to deal with global warming.
Alaskans Consider Global Warming a Serious Future
Threat
A statewide poll on global warming
released this October shows that Alaskans are confident that
global warming is occurring and causing significant changes
and adverse impacts, and consider it a serious future threat.
The poll, conducted by Decision Research, reveals that 81
percent of Alaskans are convinced that global warming is
happening, and most blame it for already causing or
accelerating sea ice loss (83 percent), melting permafrost (82
percent), causing coastal erosion (74 percent) and forest
fires (72 percent). Global warming is a serious threat to
people for 71 percent of Alaskans, while 76 percent see it as
a serious threat to plants and animals; 63 percent trust
environmental organizations to be truthful about the
phenomenon.
Prospects for federal government
regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants
enjoys support among 81 percent of Alaskans. A majority of
them (55 percent) believe that humans through their use of
fossil fuels are responsible for the warming. The findings,
summarized in a report entitled 'Alaskan Opinions on Global
Warming,' are a result of a statewide telephone survey with
1,016 adults, carried out during May and June 2006.
Federal Agencies Investigate Claims that Bush
Suppressed Global Warming Research
Inspectors general from the
Commerce Department, which oversees the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are investigating
whether the Bush administration tried to prevent government
scientists from speaking freely about global warming and
censor their research.
These comments were made by Sen.
Lautenberg (D-NJ), who called for a formal investigation in
September after reports that the Bush administration blocked
publication of NOAA research linking global warming with
increasing hurricane intensity and strength. He said that the
investigations "will uncover internal documents and
agency correspondence that may expose widespread
misconduct." Investigation findings will be made public
early next year.
Senators Rockefeller and Snowe Request That ExxonMobil
End Funding of Campaign Denying Global Climate Change
On October 27, Senators Jay
Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) sent a letter
to Rex Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
ExxonMobil Corporation, calling on the world’s largest oil
company to end its funding of a climate change denial
campaign. The letter said (in part) that, "We are
convinced that ExxonMobil’s longstanding support of a small
cadre of global climate change skeptics, and those skeptics’
access to and influence on government policymakers, have made
it increasingly difficult for the United States to demonstrate
the moral clarity it needs across all facets of its
diplomacy."
The letter stated that, "We
are ready to work with you and any other past corporate
sponsor of the denial campaign on proactive strategies to
promote energy efficiency, to expand the use of clean,
alternative, and renewable fuels, to accelerate innovation to
responsibly extend the useful life of our fossil fuel
reserves, and to foster greater understanding of the necessity
of action on a truly global scale before it is too late."
Post-Kyoto Framework by 2009, Says UK
British Environment Minister Ian
Pearson called for countries to agree by 2009 on a post-Kyoto
framework to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and urged
China to sign on the new deal. Pearson said at the first
Carbon Expo Asia in Beijing, "We hope Nairobi will make
progress along the road to agreement. We think we need to
reach an agreement as soon as possible. 2008-2009 looks a
sensible timeframe." The parties under the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will meet for their two
week-long annual conference in Nairobi beginning November 6.
"We hope that by 2008, or at
the latest 2009, we can reach an agreement, but it is not
something that the Chinese government can resolve alone,"
said Gao Guangsheng, director general, National Coordination
Committee for Climate Change. China wants emissions reduction
targets that are as tough, if not more, as the Kyoto targets,
but is not willing to cap its own emissions, citing historical
responsibility of richer countries and China's low per capita
emissions as the reason. Pearson noted that if China's
manufacturing sector does not respond to green trends in the
consumer market abroad, it will be left behind. He said,
"As a manufacturing world superpower, it is in China's
interest to respond to these trends and to support the
development of a post-2012 framework."
Global Warming Will Bring More Insects
According to new research
published in the October issue of The American Naturalist,
insects that are able to adapt to warmer temperatures have a
higher population growth rate. "Warmer is better"
for insects, says lead author Melanie Frazier, who is with the
Biology Department at University of Washington. "Here we
show that cold-adapted insect species have much lower maximum
rates of population growth than do warm-adapted
species...," the authors write in the abstract.
"Enhanced population growth
rates for butterflies might be a good thing, but enhanced
growth rates for mosquito populations is much more
dubious," said Frazier. Faster growth rates are likely to
have a crucial impact on agriculture, public health and
conservation. According to the research, higher growth rates
may even potentially alter entire ecosystems since
characteristics such as species diversity and food webs are
very sensitive to growth rates of species living and
interacting in the ecosystems.
Australia to Host Southern Hemisphere's Biggest Wind
Farm
Australia's second major project
to cut greenhouse gas emissions (see Climate
Change News 10.27.06) will be a wind farm. The
183-turbine farm over 55 square kilometers—the largest in
the Southern Hemisphere—will require an investment of about
US $460 million, and will be built in western Victoria. With a
generating capacity of up to 329 megawatts of electricity, the
farm will be able to power almost 190,000 homes annually.
Victoria state planning minister Rob Hulls said that the wind
project will help the state government achieve its target of
sourcing 10 percent of electricity from renewable sources by
2016.
EESI
Briefings
November 13, 2006
Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change
The Environmental and Energy
Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a Congressional briefing
highlighting the findings of the UK’s just-released 700 page
“Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change” which
addresses the costs of inaction on climate change versus the
costs of action. The Review, under the aegis of the UK Prime
Minister and Chancellor, was commissioned by the Chancellor in
July last year. The briefing will be held Monday, November 13,
from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office
Building. This briefing is open to the public and no
reservations are required. For more information, please
contact Fred Beck at fbeck@eesi.org
or 202.662.1892, or click on
the following link: EESI
DVD’s
Available: Copies of DVD's
are available of EESI's recent climate
briefings: "Agriculture
and Climate Change: Threats and Opportunities," May
24, 2005; "What
Does Climate Change Mean for the Arctic? How is Alaska Being
Affected?,"
March 15, 2005; "Perspectives
on Climate Change: Business Initiatives to Reduce Greenhouse
Gas Emissions," November
18, 2004; “State
and Local Government Climate Change Efforts,” September
28, 2004; “Climate
Change Post 2100,” September 21, 2004; “Abrupt
Climate Change,” September 15, 2004; and
“Discussing Climate Change: A Multi-faceted View
of the Climate Stewardship Act,” June 3, 2004.
The discs are $20
ea. (incl. shipping/handling) plus tax 5.75%
(DC residents only). Click on the following link to
order a DVD: EESI
Climate Change DVD's
Events
November 8, 2006
Legal Dimensions of Climate Change
The Second Annual Legal
Dimensions of Climate Change Conference will take place on
Wednesday, November 8 from 8:15 am - 3:30 pm at the American
University Washington College of Law, Room 603, 4801
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC. For more information
phone 202.274.4075 or click on the following link: American
University
November 15, 2006
Carbon Disclosure, Socially
Responsible Investing, and Renewable Energy
The American Council On Renewable
Energy in collaboration with the American Bar Association's
(ABA) Renewable Energy Resources Committee will host a
teleconference with a panel of experts who will discuss carbon
disclosure laws, private and public equity flow into
renewables, the role that organized shareholders and sources
of investment capital for renewables. The event takes place on
Wednesday, November 15 from 12:00-1:30 pm EDT. There is
a $20 charge for this event. Click on the following link
for more information: ABA
This
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particularly the policymaker community, of the
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