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August 15, 2016
The opening ceremony for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games prominently featured climate and the environment among its themes. Image courtesy of Agência Brasil.
On August 8, the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied the commercial refrigeration industry’s legal petition to repeal energy efficiency regulations instituted by the Department of Energy in 2014. Through a cost-benefit analysis, the Department of Energy quantified the social cost of carbon to be $36 per metric ton emitted, a value which the agency then used to defend the need for regulations combating climate change. Concerning the impact of the ruling, Denise Grab, a senior attorney at the Institute for Policy Integrity, stated that “other federal agencies will likely be more confident in using the social cost of carbon going forward.” The court’s decision marks the first successful legal defense of the legitimacy of the Obama administration’s social cost of carbon, which opponents have called poorly calculated and under-informed.
For more information see:
The Hill, Greenwire, Court Decision Text
On August 3, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a hearing in Chicago to receive public comments on its new proposed rules for the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP), part of the Clean Power Plan. CEIP would award additional emission credits to developers of energy efficiency and solar energy projects in low-income communities. The program is part of efforts to integrate environmental justice concerns into the Clean Power Plan. However, many advocates at the hearing argued that CEIP doesn’t go far enough to protect the interests of vulnerable populations. Mark Handy, president and CEO of KenJiva Energy Systems, said, “The status quo guarantees that communities of color and low-income people will be left behind.” The new CEIP rule is open for public comment through September 2.
Midwest Energy News
The August 5 Opening Ceremony of the Rio Olympics emphasized the serious threat of global climate change. In a video broadcast to over three billion viewers worldwide, narrators described the threat of sea level rise on coastal urban areas and of deforestation on forests’ capacity to absorb excess atmospheric carbon. Fernando Meirelles, director of the acclaimed film City of God and one of the creative directors behind the opening ceremony, stated that “the world is threatened because of global warming. We are calling for action.” In addition to playing the climate-themed video, Opening Ceremony organizers had every athlete plant a tree seedling in Maracanã Stadium, which will then be transplanted to the Athletes’ Forest in the Deodoro neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro following the Games.
Scientific American
On August 8, India’s environment minister, Anil Madhav Dave, announced in a meeting with the president of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, that India would not agree to any international carbon tax on civil aviation. ICAO is reportedly planning a tax-based mechanism to cap the aviation sector's emissions. Dave described the tax as a failure by ICAO to honor the framework of the Paris climate agreement, which did not include provisions on aviation. Dave said, "The interests of poor and developing countries should be taken on board in the development of the global market-based measures." India claims emission schemes like ICAO's place an unfair financial burden on developing countries and overlook the historically larger emission contributions of developed nations.
Times of India
Austria released the first of nine reports detailing climate adaptation plans for each of its states. The localized reports will inform an update to Austria's national adaptation plan, issued just four years ago. According to climate scientist Maja Zuvela-Aloise, "there was still a lot of pressure to do climate mitigation [in 2012], but it's now moving in the direction of adaptation." Concerns over the preparedness of Austria's tourism sector provided additional motivation to reexamine its adaptation strategies. The ski resorts that attract millions of tourists during Austrian winters are particularly at risk, with higher elevations warming more quickly than low-lying areas. By the end of the century, the number of sub-freezing days in Austria's ski country could drop to just 24 days per year, according to the report's business-as-usual emissions scenario.
Inside Climate News
On August 9, the coalition of state attorneys general investigating Exxon Mobil Corp.'s alleged misrepresentation of climate change risks requested that the company's attempt to block the case be rejected in U.S. district court. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, currently backed by New York and a dozen other states, filed a subpoena in April, leading Exxon to file suit. Exxon is accused of lying to the public and its investors by knowingly withholding data on the climate risks associated with man-made emissions. Opponents suggest the states' investigation is politically motivated and threatens First Amendment rights to question climate science. The attorneys general argue Exxon's suit should be tossed, as it would obstruct the states' right to investigate unlawful corporate actions. The case is part of an ongoing effort by states to hold oil and gas companies accountable for downplaying the impacts of their products on climate change, in violation of state consumer protection and securities fraud laws.
Bloomberg
On August 4, the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport received Level 3+ Neutrality status from the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program, making it the first carbon neutral airport in North America. The airport has increased its efficiency, converted the bulk of its vehicle fleet to compressed natural gas, and purchased renewable energy credits to cover the rest of its energy usage. The accreditation does not include emissions from aircraft. EPA recently released an endangerment finding for aircraft, paving the way for future emissions regulations. Jim Crites, the airport's executive vice president for operations, said, “We recognize that environmental improvement is an economic, social and business imperative for the airport and for the community we serve.”
Environmental Leader, Dallas Fort Worth Airport
On August 6, The Guardian reported that many climatologists have expressed great doubt in the world’s ability to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Recent data show monthly averages for global temperatures have already regularly exceeded 1 C during the past year, leading many scientists to predict that the international community will not be able to achieve decarbonisation before exceeding the 1.5 C threshold. Professor Chris Field of Stanford University commented that "the 1.5 C goal now looks impossible or at the very least, a very, very difficult task," adding "there is an upper limit to the rate at which we can move to a carbon-free future.” Some scientists insist that carbon must be actively removed from the atmosphere in order to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Guardian
On August 8, The New York Times reported on the increased risk of wildfires facing peat bogs due to climate change. Peat bogs, normally covered in damp moss, are drying out because of increased temperatures, leaving them vulnerable to deeper, more intense burning. This is particularly impactful because peat is a massive carbon stock, containing thousands of years’ worth of carbon. Making up roughly three percent of the Earth's land surface, global peat bogs store almost as much carbon as is found in the entire atmosphere.
The New York Times
A scorching Middle East heat wave has left countries like Iran and the United Arab Emirates facing a heat index of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat wave is expected to continue this week, and such extreme weather events are projected to become more common in future years across the Persian Gulf. The record-breaking temperatures have exacerbated existing crises in the region related to water scarcity and armed conflict. Iraqi economist Bassem Antoine estimates his country's GDP has taken a 10 to 20 percent hit because of the heat, which has limited working hours and destroyed crops. Iraqi engineer Aymen Karim, whose family avoids the outdoors before seven at night, summed up the feeling of his countrymen, stating, “We’re prisoners.”
The Washington Post
On August 8, scientists published a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concerning the worrying impact of climate change-related ocean warming on the prevalence of disease-causing Vibrio bacteria. The primary cause of gastrointestinal illnesses like cholera, Vibrio populations were found to increase as ocean surface temperatures increased. Researchers wrote that “such increases are associated with an unprecedented occurrence of environmentally-acquired Vibrio infections in … Northern Europe and the Atlantic coast of the United States in recent years.” While modern water treatment facilities should protect developed nations from uncontrolled Vibrio outbreaks, the researchers warned that less developed nations are at serious risk of widespread infection due to poor water purification practices and greater occurrence of extreme floods and typhoons.
ClimateWire, Scientific American
Warming Climate Could Hinder Performance of Future Olympians
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Scientists Help Tribes Adapt to Climate Threats
2016 NASEO Annual Meeting
September 11-14, 2016
Providence Biltmore
Providence, Rhode Island
The 2016 Annual Meeting marks NASEO’s 30th anniversary as an organization. Over the past three decades, the State and Territory Energy Offices have worked together and with partners at the national, state, and local levels to advance practical, cost-effective, and impactful policies and programs. This meeting will celebrate their past successes and convene decision makers around today’s pressing energy issues. Register today to reserve your spot in the dynamic discussions and intimate networking opportunities that will help shape the future of state energy cooperation and policy innovation. EESI is a supporting sponsor of the 2016 NASEO Annual Meeting.
North American Passive House Conference
September 23-24, 2016
DoubleTree by Hilton
Philadelphia, PA
The North American Passive House Conference is the largest and most prominent passive building conference in North America. The event will showcase the latest tools, techniques, and products for achieving climate-specific passive buildings of all types. Such buildings are durable, comfortable, healthy, and super energy efficient. EESI's Policy Director, Ellen Vaughan, will be speaking at the event, as part of the "Policy, Codes, Incentives" track of the 3 PM breakout session on Saturday, September 24. NAPHC2016 is presented by Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) in partnership with Passive House Alliance US (PHAUS). EESI is a promotional partner for NAPHC2016.
Authors: Rebecca Chillrud, Daniel Lopez, and Caitlin Majewski
Editor: Brian La Shier
Advancing science-based climate solutions
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity