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August 24, 2015
The Red Panda is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on its habitat, according to a New York Times article. Image courtesy of Peter Meenen.
On August 18, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The announcement follows the White House's pledge earlier this year to cut methane emissions from the sector 40 to 45 percent below 2012 levels by 2025. In the proposed rule, EPA set draft standards to detect and reduce methane leaks from new and modified production, processing, and transmission facilities in the oil and gas sector. The draft standards are voluntary for existing sources. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is at least 84 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement, “Today, through our cost-effective proposed standards, we are underscoring our commitment to reducing the pollution fueling climate change and protecting public health while supporting responsible energy development, transparency and accountability.”
In related news, a study published on August 4 in the journal Energy Science & Engineering contends that methane leakage data used by EPA and others is underestimating actual emissions. The study by independent researcher Touché Howard found that the Bacharach Hi-Flow Sampler, a commonly-used methane leak detection device, can produce measurement errors. Mismeasurements are always lower than the actual emissions, never higher. An EPA spokeswoman said the agency would review the study “as a part of our routine review of new information and data for potential incorporation in the GHG Inventory."
For more information see:
Reuters, Science, New York Times, Inside Climate News, EPA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Japanese Meteorological Society (JMA) all report that July 2015 was the hottest month worldwide on record. According to NOAA data, July’s average global temperature was 61.86 degrees F, warmer than the previous record-setting month of July 1998 by 0.14 degrees F. The record July follows record-breaking warm months this year for February, March, May and June. Ocean waters are also experiencing record-setting temperatures; the Pacific measured 1.35 degrees F warmer than the 20th century average. Highlighting some of the worst hit regions, NOAA said, “The average temperature for Africa was the second highest for July on record, behind only 2002, with regional record warmth across much of eastern Africa into central areas of the continent. Record warmth was also observed across much of northern South America, parts of southern Europe and central Asia, and the far western United States.”
Washington Post, NOAA, NASA, JMA
On August 18, the International Islamic Climate Change Symposium, a group of 60 Islamic national and religious leaders from 20 countries, published a declaration making climate action a priority. The declaration asks wealthy nations to phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and asks that all nations commit to a zero emissions or a fully renewable energy strategy. Wael Hmaidan, one of the organizers of the declaration and director of Climate Action Network International, said, “Islam is very strong on environmental protection. From the Quran to the hadiths, it really says it is a human responsibility ... that we are tasked with protecting creation and it is part of our duties as Muslims."
The Hill, E&E Publishing, Washington Post, Declaration
A study published on August 17 in the journal Nature Climate Change suggests that climate change will increase the severity of El Nino and La Nina events. These roughly year-long events, which result in worldwide weather impacts, are marked by sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Australian research team concluded that the likelihood of a back-to-back extreme El Nino and extreme La Nina, similar to what the world experienced from 1997-99, will become four times more likely due to rising global temperatures. The study forecasted, based on 20 computer models, that such a scenario will be expected once every 48 years in the future -- but only once every 187 years without climate change. "The same sea-surface anomaly on a warmer background state will lead to a stronger atmospheric response," explained National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) senior scientist Dr. Michael McPhaden, in a Nature-published commentary on the Australian study. In related news, an El Nino event is currently developing that many climatologists fear will be on par with the 1997-98 event, currently the most severe on record.
Sydney Morning Herald, Study
On August 17, a study published in Nature Geoscience reported that climate change has reversed a natural cooling trend in ocean temperatures. Volcanic activity has increased the levels of aerosol particles in the ocean, cooling ocean temperatures over the past 1,800 years. The study finds that in the past 200 years, climate change reversed the cooling trend and has significantly increased the ocean’s temperature between 0.5 to 1.5 degrees Celsius, up to 20 times more quickly than the ocean had previously cooled naturally. Study co-author Michael Evans said, “Today, the Earth is warming about 20 times faster than it cooled during the past 1,800 years. This study truly highlights the profound effects we are having on our climate today.”
The Independent
In a study published August 18 in Nature Communication, scientists found that a change in the skeletal structure of canine ancestors correlates to a change in the North American habitat over the past 37 million years. Wolves’ forearms and elbows adapted to allow the animal to run efficiently for long distances over flat terrain at the same time the North American climate turned dense forests into wide grasslands. The study notes, “True pursuit and endurance canids such as wolves, which chase prey over long distances, appeared later with the cooler and more arid conditions of the Pleistocene (2 million years ago).” Study author Christine Janis says, “It's reinforcing the idea that predators may be as directly sensitive to climate and habitat as herbivores.”
Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Study
According to a paper published on August 19 in Nature, carbon emissions in China are approximately 14 percent less than previous estimates. The study from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government focused on emissions from 2000 through 2013, finding a cumulative overestimate of 2.9 gigatons of carbon. The primary explanation for the discrepancy is the carbon emission rate for the coal used in China, which has accounted for about 80 percent of the country’s emissions. The study found that coal used by Chinese industries had, on average, 40 percent less carbon than the emissions factor used for official calculations. “Basically, this is the first time we’ve applied real measurement of the coal quality on a national scale in China,” said study co-author Zhu Liu. The reduced emissions estimate does not change China’s standing as the world’s biggest carbon emitter. Study co-author Dabo Guan said that “estimates of Chinese emissions remain subject to large uncertainty,” and “it doesn’t suggest that [China] should do less in terms of climate change mitigation. In fact it puts China into a leading role in terms of creating a more accurate baseline for major developing countries – the foundation for any policy measures.”
Reuters, New York Times, Guardian, Bloomberg, Nature
A study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters on August 20 estimated that, due to manmade climate change, the current California drought is 15 to 20 percent more severe than it otherwise would be. “It would be a fairly bad drought no matter what. But it’s definitely made worse by global warming,” said lead study author A. Park Williams of Columbia University. The study also forecasts that virtually permanent drought conditions in the state will occur by the 2060s, with evaporation of soil moisture overwhelming any rainfall. While this study is not the first to reach similar findings, outside observers noted that the study’s data analysis was the most comprehensive to date. The research is “probably the best I’ve seen on this question,” said Stanford University scientist David B. Lobell. A separate report released on August 17 by a team at the University of California, Davis, estimated that the current California drought will cost the state $2.7 billion this year.
New York Times, LA Times
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California Pension Funds Lose $5 Billion in Fossil Fuel Investments
African States Meet to Discuss Climate Change Action
Google Maps to Show Homeowners Power Potential of Home
Climate Change Could Wipe Out Red Pandas
Coral Reefs Will Disappear Because of Climate Change
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Authors: Alison Alford, John-Michael Cross
Advancing science-based climate solutions
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