Climate Change News - August 20, 2018 | Newsletter

Washington State residents are poised to vote in November on whether to adopt a state-wide carbon fee. Image courtesy of wikipedia.org.

Trump Administration Considering Changes to Cost-Benefit Metrics for EPA Regulations

The Trump administration is expected to propose changes to the underlying cost-benefit calculations currently used by EPA to develop its climate regulations. The changes are rumored to consider only a narrow piece of the public health benefits that result from improving air quality. The proposal may also downplay the cost savings that result from reduced electricity use and the domestic benefits of reducing the rate of climate change. Analysts view the shift as a way to make the administration's stripped-down replacement for the Clean Power Plan (CPP) seem more ambitious than it actually is. The Obama administration had estimated that benefits from the original CPP ($46 billion) would far outweigh implementation costs ($26 billion) by 2030. Some anticipate legal challenges to Trump administration policies having a greater success rate if EPA moves ahead with the pared down cost-benefit metrics. Administration lawyers are reportedly struggling with how to defend the CPP overhaul, given that it could raise electricity rates while doing little to address air pollution.

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Politico

California May Follow in Hawaii's Footsteps and Mandate Zero-Carbon Electricity

California's Senate is considering a bill that would require the state to obtain all of its electricity from "zero-carbon" energy sources by the end of 2045. The legislation, Senate Bill 100, would make California the second state to adopt a 100 percent renewable energy mandate, following Hawaii. The proposal would begin by increasing California's current energy target from 50 to 60 percent renewables by 2030. California is already on track to meet its 50 percent renewables goal. The bill's arrival precedes the Global Climate Action Summit being held in San Francisco in September. State Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D) said, “If we can prove this to work here, the potential for taking a massive amount of fossil fuel out of the economy is possible in so many places around the world.” State utilities stand in opposition to the bill, claiming it will increase electricity costs. The utilities argue that the state's grid operator, California ISO, needs time to examine how the influx of renewables may affect grid reliability and cost before the legislation proceeds.

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Bloomberg

Washington State Voters to Consider a Carbon Fee in November Once More

During the November 2018 mid-term elections, Washington State voters will get another crack at passing a carbon fee. The state-wide fee would be the first of its kind in the United States and the first government in the world to do so by ballot referendum. The measure, Ballot Initiative 1631, has the full backing of Gov. Jay Inslee (D). However, a carbon fee was voted down by voters when it last appeared on the ballot in November 2016. The measure also faces fierce resistance and opposition funding from oil and gas companies. The proposed rule would require major polluters to pay $15 per ton of carbon dioxide they emit beginning in 2020. The fee would increase by $2 annually (plus inflation), with lawmakers deciding whether to freeze or extend the measure in 2035. The fee revenue would fund projects that would help decarbonize the state, such as investments in public transit, renewable energy generation, and energy efficiency. A quarter of the revenue would go toward forest and stream protection, while one-twentieth would go toward communities vulnerable to climate change or the transition from fossil fuels.

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The Atlantic

If Democrats Retake House, Climate May Not Be a Top Priority

The resolve of the Democratic Party to take concrete action on climate change is an open question to many. Even if the party were to retake the majority in the House following November's mid-term elections, there is skepticism that climate would take precedence over other voter and member priorities. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said, "I don't think [climate] will be the No. 1 priority, because I think if we take back the House, it will be because we responded effectively to the one, two, three concerns of voters." Meanwhile, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) promised an "honest debate" on carbon pricing that would involve conservative advocates to help vet ideas. Some party members from the Midwest and natural gas states may be a tough sell though. For instance, Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) helped sway voters in a tight election by promising to support the region's shale gas boom. A narrow majority may also dissuade party leadership, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), from even allowing climate bills to reach the legislative calendar for fear of political backlash.

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E&E News

Wildfires Becoming a Major Campaign Issue in California

California is once again struggling with a severe wildfire season, which has displaced tens of thousands of residents and spread a haze of smoke across parts of the state. The issue has so deeply affected prospective voters that partisan political advocacy groups are using the disaster as grist for the November midterm elections. Groups are targeting incumbents who may represent parts of the state that have been badly burned by wildfires recently. The attack ads claim that certain members supported budget cuts to the U.S. Forest Service and opposed funding increases for combating wildfires. R.L. Miller of the group Climate Hawks Vote called the wildfire issue a "game changer" and discussed a strategy of trying to reach younger Republican voters who tend to hold more flexible views on environmental issues than older GOP supporters. A growing number of Democratic candidates in California have made the case that the state's strong environmental regulations have led to economic growth, a tougher sell than in past years.

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LA Times

Wisconsin Community Provides Early Example of Successful Managed Retreat

The Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe were early adopters of a now-controversial option for adapting to climate change. Following a massive flood in 1960 that inundated the village of Odanah, Wisconsin, tribal leaders sought an avenue for moving thousands of its members out of the flood plain. A housing authority was formed in 1963 and the first families were moved to higher ground two years later. Over three decades, the entire village had relocated a few miles away. The village's "managed retreat" reflects proposals under consideration today as communities struggle to cope with rising sea levels and flooding made worse by climate change. Geologist Nicholas Pinter of the University of California-Davis said, "The United States is, right now, spending tens of millions and may in the future be spending hundreds of millions of dollars…on community relocation. They should be looking to the lessons of history." Pinter noted that the residents of Odanah avoided damage from the region's next massive flood in 2016, saving hundreds of structures from damage.

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NPR

Report: U.S. Coal Mines a Major Source of Rogue Methane Emissions

A new assessment of government data has identified hundreds of coal mines as a major source of methane pollution in the United States. Data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) indicated around 300 active and 200 abandoned coal mines are emitting nearly one-tenth of all U.S. methane pollution. The worst offenders are located in Alabama, Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, and Oklahoma. In 2016, American coal mines emitted 60.5 million tons of CO2 equivalent of methane, which has the same global warming impact as 13 million cars. Methane's greenhouse effect is 34 times more potent than CO2 and makes up 10 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Although technologies and expertise exist to capture the methane gas and combust it for electricity generation, the industry and the Trump administration have skirted the practice. U.S. coal production has declined over the past decade, but mine methane emissions have dropped at a much slower pace, suggesting the mines are not being properly sealed.

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Climate Home News

Offshore Wind Power Could Arrive in Great Lakes Region Soon

The Ohio Power Siting Board has granted preliminary approval to the Icebreaker Windpower project, a series of six turbines to be constructed offshore in Lake Erie near Cleveland. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has also ruled the project would comply with federal clean water standards. The wind farm would be the first to ever be built in a freshwater lake and only the second offshore farm in the United States. Final approval could be given as soon as the fall of 2018, with the turbines coming online within three years. The $126-million project would generate 21.7 megawatts of electricity (enough to power around 7,500 homes) and would be owned by the Norwegian firm Fred.Olsen Renewables. Siting turbines in the Great Lakes offers advantages over the Atlantic coast, including shallower floors, smaller waves, closer electrical grids, and no hurricanes. However, the turbines must be built to withstand thick ice sheets that can accumulate in winter. Environmental provisions were added to the project to reduce bird deaths and the company must closely monitor the farm's effect on migratory birds and bats.

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Scientific American

Study: Tree Populations Move to Keep Pace with Shifting Precipitation Patterns

Researchers have found the range of certain tree species are shifting due to the changing climate. Associate Professor Songlin Fei of Purdue University explained, "Tree migrations are [largely] moisture related," adding, "Precipitation has a stronger near-term impact on species shift than temperature." Fei studied U.S. Forest Service data on 86 tree species across the Eastern United States covering 1980 to 2015 and discovered that 73 percent of the species migrated west, while 62 percent headed north or south. The westward-moving trees tend to be broadleaf species that can hold up better against flood and drought. During the timeframe of the study, mean annual temperatures in eastern states rose by 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit, while droughts became more widespread. On average, tree species migrated about 10 miles per decade in search of better precipitation levels. Fei said, “Reduction of moisture in the Southeast and increase of moisture in the Midwest is one of the major reasons [for] the shift of species."

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Nexus Media