Climate Change News - April 26, 2010

Trio of Senators Delay Release of Climate Bill

On April 24, Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the three senators behind a “tri-partisan” group working on comprehensive climate and energy legislation, announced he was temporarily withdrawing his support for the bill. Graham, along with Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) were developing legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below by 2050. The senators had originally intended to release a draft on April 26, but that has been postponed following Grahan's announcement. Citing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision to move immigration legislation ahead of a climate bill, Graham said in a letter to negotiators, “This has destroyed my confidence that there will be a serious commitment and focus to move energy legislation this year." Kerry responded with an assurance that the legislation will move forward. "We're going to get this done," he said, adding that administration officials "want this done, and they want it done next. But they also want to see we've got something real."

The bill being developed would require utilities to purchase carbon emission allowances, two-thirds of which will be auctioned off and the revenues returned to ratepayers through local distribution companies. It would take effect in 2013, though trade-sensitive and energy-intensive industries would be given a four-year delay before their GHG emission limits are put in place. Oil companies would also be subject to pollution allowances that will be retired over time, and all revenues from the purchases of allowances for diesel fuel would be set aside and directed to the Highway Trust Fund. The bill would provide funding for carbon capture and storage for “clean-coal technology,” and establishes loan guarantees for new nuclear construction. Another key measure proposed is the pre-emption of the states’ and EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act, as long as emitters comply with standards outlined in the bill.

For additional information see: Washington Post , Politico , Wall Street Journal

Obama Wants Senate to Tackle Climate Bill after Wall Street Reforms

On April 16, President Obama indicated that his administration would shift its focus to climate and energy legislation following the passage of financial reform legislation. "This is one of these foundational priorities from my perspective that has to be done soon," he said at a meeting with financial experts that make up his economic recovery panel. The President predicted that the Senate will likely debate Wall Street reform for the next several weeks, but would follow with energy legislation. He also mentioned that several key senators have been working behind the scenes to create legislation that has bipartisan support. "There has been a good bipartisan process taking place that would put a price on carbon," Obama said. He added, "The one thing will be for the business community to be with us on this."

For additional information see: New York Times , Reuters ,

Senate Republicans Move to Bar NEPA Analysis of Climate Change Impacts

On April 20, Senate Republicans introduced legislation that would prevent federal agencies from requiring that climate be considered in environmental analyses for future projects. The bill comes after a draft guideline released by the White House that will require federal agencies to consider greenhouse gas emissions and climate change when carrying out reviews for proposed projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member James Inhofe (R-OK) wrote the NEPA Certainty Act, along with committee members Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and David Vitter (R-LA), and has four other cosponsors at this time. "Requiring federal agencies to assess the global climate change impacts from building a road will only block construction of the road and the jobs and economic activity that go with it, with no discernible impact on global climate," Inhofe said in a statement. "The NEPA Certainty Act will put a stop to this and give employers, including small businesses, greater certainty in their hiring and economic planning."

For additional information see: New York Times

CO2 Emissions Causing Ocean Acidification to Progress at Unprecedented Rate

On April 22, the National Research Council (NRC) reported that the chemistry of the oceans is changing faster than it has in hundreds of thousands of years because of the carbon dioxide (CO2) being absorbed from the atmosphere. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the pH of ocean water has declined from 8.2 to 8.1 and a further decline of 0.2 to 0.3 units is expected by the end of this century, according to the NRC, an arm of the National Academy of Science. The current rate of change "exceeds any known change in ocean chemistry for at least 800,000 years," the report said. According to the report, oceans absorb about one-third of all human generated CO2 emissions, including those from burning fossil fuels, cement production and deforestation. While the long term consequences of ocean acidification on marine life are unknown, many ecosystem changes are expected to result. Ocean acidification eats away at coral reefs, interferes with the ability of some fish species to find their homes and can hurt commercial shellfish such as mussels and oysters by reducing their ability to make their protective shells.

For additional information see: AP , AFP , The Sydney Morning Herald , National Academies

Study: Copenhagen Pledges Set Path for 3°C Warming

On April 21, researchers in the journal Nature concluded that commitments made at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not enough to keep global warming below the 2°C target. Between now and 2020, the scientists calculate that global emissions are likely to rise by 10-20 percent and the chances of passing 3°C by 2100 are greater than 50 percent. The meeting in December produced the Copenhagen Accord, an agreement that was “taken note of” under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, but not considered a new global treaty. As part of the Accord, nations pledged to cut emissions and submit these targets to the UN following the December meeting. The researchers concluded that the pledges committed to at this time are so weak that they have left the world “in dire peril” from rising temperatures. "There's a big mismatch between the ambitious goal, which is 2°C . . . and the emissions reductions," said Malte Meinshausen of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research, which conducted the study. "The pledged emissions reductions are in most cases very unambitious.”

For additional information see: Nature , BBC , AFP , Times Online

Bolivia Hosts 'People's World Conference on Climate Change'

On April 22, the “People's World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth Rights,” held in Bolivia, agreed to call for the halving of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2020 at the next UN climate meeting in Mexico. Some 20,000 environmental activists, indigenous leaders and unionists called for "collective, then individual, obligations for the reduction of greenhouse gases," instead of the non-binding accord adopted at the end of last year in Copenhagen, which the group dubbed a "failure." The three-day forum, organized by Bolivian President Evo Morales, also recommended the creation of an international climate tribunal to judge countries on global warming.

For additional information see: AFP , UPI , BBC , Guardian

Major Economies Meet in Washington for Climate Talks

On April 19, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate concluded a meeting in Washington, DC, following a discussion on what they would do to make good on financing outlined in the Copenhagen Accord. It included 17 major economies that are responsible for around 80 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Copenhagen Accord outlined funds approaching $30 billion for 2010 to 2012 to help developing countries adapt to global warming and mitigate its potential effects, like floods, droughts and stronger storms. It also outlined longer-term financing by developed countries totaling $100 billion a year by 2020. Following the meeting, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern told reporters that participants from the forum's 17 economies had a broad-ranging talk on what can be done at the upcoming UN climate meeting to be held in Cancun, Mexico, late this year. Stern said a binding agreement to cut emissions may not be possible in Mexico, but that progress can still be made on many issues. "There's still considerable support for the notion of a legal agreement . . . but I think that people are also quite cognizant of the notion that it might or might not happen," Stern said.

For additional information see: Reuters , Politico

World Bank Says East Asia Can Stabilize CO2 by 2025

On April 19, the World Bank announced that East Asia could stabilize its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025 while maintaining economic growth by investing in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies. The report, "Winds of change: East Asia's sustainable energy future," said that success would require an investment of $80 billion a year to make the power, industry and transportation sectors more efficient as well as to develop renewable energy. Success will also depend, the report noted, on the region finding the political will for such changes, as well as transfers of financing and technologies from developed countries. Underscoring the region's rapid rise, the Bank said East Asia achieved a 10-fold increase in GDP over the past three decades, leading to a tripling of energy consumption, which was expected to double again in the next two decades. "Countries need to act now to transform the energy sector toward much higher energy efficiency and widespread deployment of low-carbon technologies," said Jim Adams, World Bank Vice President for the East Asia & Pacific Region.

For additional information see: Reuters , UPI , AFP

China-led Bloc to Meet to Discuss Kyoto Protocol Future

On April 25-26, a bloc of the world's fastest growing carbon emitters, seen as key to a global deal on climate change, will meet to discuss the future of the Kyoto Protocol in an effort to get the United States on board. The meeting of the environment ministers of Brazil, South Africa, India and China - the so-called BASIC nations - will look at ways to bridge a trust deficit with rich nations, according to its agenda, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters. The treaty, which the United States did not sign, binds roughly 40 industrialized nations to cut emissions by 2008-12. Developing countries want a tougher second commitment period of the Protocol. That demand is opposed by many developed nations that want to jettison the Kyoto Protocol and include emerging markets like India and China. The BASIC meeting agenda also said it would consider how elements of the Copenhagen Accord could be included in the current negotiating process.

For additional information see: Reuters

Scientists Call for Research on Climate Link to Geological Hazards

In a series of papers published on April 19 by the Royal Society, scientists called for wide-ranging research into the geological hazards posed by rising global temperatures. "This is a new area of academic research with potentially interesting implications,” said Richard Betts, a climate modeler at the Met Office Hadley Centre. “It was previously assumed there was no link at all between climate change and these events, but it is possible to speculate that climate change might make some more likely. If we do get large amounts of climate change in the long term then we might see some impacts."

Experts say global warming could affect geological hazards such as earthquakes because of the way it can move large amounts of mass around on the Earth's surface. Melting glaciers and rising sea levels shift the distribution of huge amounts of water, which release and increase pressures through the ground. Scientists do not believe the most current volcanic eruption in Iceland was linked to climate change, but some have argued that there is enough evidence to take future threats seriously.

For additional information see: Reuters , Wall Street Journal , Guardian

Spring Comes 10 Days Earlier in Changed U.S. Climate

On April 20, scientists reported that spring comes about 10 days earlier in the United States now than it did two decades ago, a consequence of climate change that favors invasive species over indigenous ones. The phenomenon, known as "spring creep," has put various species of U.S. wildlife out of balance with their traditional habitats, the environmental experts said. "The losers tend to be our native plant species," said Charles Davis of Harvard University, who studied plant changes in Concord, Massachusetts. "Climate change is not affecting species uniformly," Davis continued. "Certain groups are hit harder than others, and those species that are not able to respond to climate change . . . are being hit the hardest."

For additional information see: Reuters

April 26: Electric Transmission 202 -- Integrating Variable Renewable Resources

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and WIRES (Working group for Investment in Reliable and Economic electric Systems) invite you to a briefing on the integration of renewable resources into the electric grid. This briefing will address various factors that can help bring location-constrained renewable electricity, including power from resources often characterized by variable outputs, to distant markets. The briefing will take place on Monday, April 26, from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact us at (202) 662-1884 or communications [at] eesi.org.

April 29: Reducing Oil Dependence through Energy and Climate Policy

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing to examine the potential effects of pending energy and climate legislation on the transportation sector and U.S. dependence on oil. This briefing will focus on the economic and environmental implications of alternative ways to reduce oil use and greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector and how key stakeholders are likely to respond. The briefing will be held on Thursday, April 29, from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. in 253 Russell Senate Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, please contact us at policy [at] eesi.org or (202) 662-1883.