Climate Change News - December 14, 2009

Talks in Copenhagen Continue as Draft Climate Plan is Released

On December 7, delegates from over 190 nations met in Copenhagen to begin talks on a new global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Among the key issues being discussed are emissions reductions targets for both developed and developing countries, the level and means of financing a clean energy transition for poor nations, and strategies for reducing deforestation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon noted that he has been active in discussions with several key leaders as negotiations have begun. "I have been very consciously engaging with developing countries," he said. "Even if there have been some trust issues, we have been bridging this gap as much as we can. This is what I am going to continue to do."

On December 11, members of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action released a draft text just over six pages long. It stipulates that the world should seek to keep global temperatures from rising beyond a range of 2.7–3.6°F above pre-industrial levels. The text also offers a range of possible emissions reductions targets for developed countries by 2020 compared to 1990 levels: by a range of 25 to 40 percent; by 30 percent; by 40 percent; or by 45 percent. Major developing countries could reduce their GHG emissions 15 to 30 percent of 1990 levels by 2020. The draft also calls on rich nations to create fast-start financing over the next three years to help poor nations deal with climate change, but does not specify any amount. As the draft text was released, the European Union (EU) pledged to provide $10 billion to help poor nations over the next three years.

The conference in Copenhagen is set to conclude on December 18, and at least 110 heads of state have committed to joining the summit as it draws to a close. President Obama announced that he would attend the talks on December 18, with the White House stating that “continued U.S. leadership can be most productive through [Obama’s] participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference.”

For additional information see: BBC , Washington Post , Politico , AFP , The Guardian

EPA: Greenhouse Gases Threaten Public Health and the Environment

On December 7, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that the EPA had completed its greenhouse gas (GHG) endangerment finding. The EPA ruled that GHGs are a threat to public health and welfare, which will allow the agency to regulate them under the Clean Air Act. In April this year, the EPA decided that carbon dioxide and five other GHGs could endanger human health and well-being. The decision was then made available for public comment, with the EPA receiving more than 300,000 comments over the given 60-day period. “EPA has finalized its endangerment finding on greenhouse gas pollution and is now authorized and obligated to make reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse pollutants,” said Jackson. “This administration will not ignore science or the law any longer.” Jackson and President Obama have publicly stated that they would prefer Congressional action on climate change to EPA regulation through the Clean Air Act.

For additional information see: Environmental Protection Agency , BBC , Wall Street Journal , Reuters

Three Senators Release Framework for Climate Change and Energy Independence Legislation

On December 10, Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) outlined the comprehensive energy and climate change legislation that they intend to introduce in the Senate next year. The Senators said that their bill could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States 17 percent below the 2005 level by 2020, in line with President Obama’s commitment to the world at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change currently taking place in Copenhagen. Their bill would also provide federal support for renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, additional offshore oil and natural gas drilling, and nuclear power. The Senators said they are confident that this compromise will secure the 60 votes necessary to overcome an opposition filibuster in the Senate. “We would like to underscore the fact that the framework we are releasing today is a starting point for our negotiations going forward,” Kerry said. The White House welcomed the compromise, saying in a statement, "The president believes this is a positive development towards reaching a strong, unified and bipartisan agreement in the U.S. Senate."

For additional information see: Office of Senator Kerry Press Release , Reuters , San Francisco Chronicle , Washington Independent

Sens. Cantwell and Collins Introduce Alternative Climate Bill

On December 11, Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal (CLEAR) Act with the goal of achieving a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 20 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050. The legislation would set up a mechanism for selling “carbon shares” to fuel producers, with 75 percent of the revenue divided among taxpayers and 25 percent going to fund clean-energy research and development, worker transition and energy efficiency. “Energy is a six-trillion dollar market opportunity, and green jobs can transform the U.S. economy,” Cantwell said. “But we need a signal on carbon so that this can happen. This bill provides a simple approach to getting off of carbon and on to clean energy alternatives.” The bill would also limit trading of carbon shares to companies required to hold them, preventing securities firms or hedge funds from participating, as they could in other proposed carbon legislation. A price floor of $7 per share is set for 2012 with a ceiling price of $21 per share. “Climate change legislation must protect consumers and industries that could be hit with higher energy prices,” Collins said. “Such legislation also must provide predictability so that businesses can plan, invest, and create jobs.”

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal , AP , Bloomberg , Office of Senator Cantwell Press Release

Poll: Most Americans Support Climate Change Bill if It Creates Jobs

On December 9, a McClatchy-Ipsos poll was released which found that 69 percent of those polled would be willing to pay $10 per month for comprehensive energy and climate change legislation if it creates a “significant number” of American jobs. Sixty percent were still in favor if costs increased to $25 per month. The poll also found that a majority of Americans, 70 percent, think that global warming is real, while 28 percent think it is not. When asked about the proposed legislation in Congress to address climate change, 52 percent of those surveyed were in favor of cap and trade. “There isn't any overwhelming support or opposition for cap and trade now,” said Michael Gross, the Ipsos Public Affairs Vice President. The poll was based on interviews between Dec. 3 - 6 with 1,120 adults across the United States.

For additional information see: Dallas Morning News , Miami Herald

This Decade Warmest on Record

On December 8, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a new analysis that shows the decade spanning 2000 to 2009 will be the hottest on record. The WMO said that the global average temperature was 0.44°C above the 1961 to 1990 average temperature. This is an increase over the 1990s, the previous record holder, which was 0.23°C above the average. WMO also announced that it expects 2009 will be the fifth hottest year on record, though the data on that figure is still incomplete. "We are in a warming trend - we have no doubt about it,” said WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud.

For additional information see: New York Times , BBC , Bloomberg

Obama Highlights Climate Change as Security Issue in Accepting Nobel Prize

On December 10, President Obama traveled to Oslo, Norway to receive the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, in part for his work to address climate change. In his acceptance speech, Obama stated that the world must confront climate change because it is also a security threat. “The world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades. For this reason, it is not merely scientists and activists who call for swift and forceful action — it is military leaders in my country and others who understand that our common security hangs in the balance,” he said. Obama will be in Copenhagen on December 18 to participate in the UN-sponsored talks meant to create a new global agreement to address climate change.

For additional information see: White House Press Release

GOP Cautions Obama against Climate Commitment

On December 4, 20 Republican members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Obama cautioning him against committing the United States to greenhouse gas emission reductions at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. “Only a treaty ratified by the United States Senate or legislation agreed to by Congress may commit our nation to any mandatory emissions reduction program,” they warned. The writers also asked for clarification “that the U.S. negotiators will not commit our government to an emissions reduction protocol at Copenhagen.” A White House spokesman said the President’s targets were based on legislation passed by the House in June and currently under consideration in the Senate. Among the signers were members of the Republican House Leadership, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA).

For additional information see: AP

World's Newspapers Unite to Urge Climate Change Action

On December 7, 56 newspapers from 45 countries published an identical editorial urging world leaders to take strong action against climate change at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen. “We call on the representatives of the 192 countries gathered in Copenhagen not to hesitate, not to fall into dispute, not to blame each other but to seize opportunity from the greatest failure of modern politics,” the editorial read. “In scientific journals the question is no longer whether humans are to blame, but how little time we have left to limit the damage . . . Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security.” The campaign was organized by The Guardian, a British newspaper.

For additional information see: The Guardian , AFP , UK Press Association

Current Climate Pledges Will Lead to a 3.5°C Rise

On December 6, the energy consultancy Ecofys and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research released a new report which found that if current greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction pledges are implemented, the global average temperature will likely increase by 3.5°C. Concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) would hit about 650 parts per million (ppm), according to the current commitments by nations. At the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change in July, world leaders adopted a 2°C target. “The pledges on the table will not halt emissions growth before 2040, let alone by 2015 as indicated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and are far from halving emissions by 2050 as has been called for by the Group of 8,” said Niklas Hoehne of Ecofys. “Instead, global emissions are likely to be nearly double 1990 levels by 2040 based on present pledges.”

For additional information see: AFP , Reuters , Earth Times

Financier Proposes Plan to Generate IMF Funds for Climate Change Relief

On December 10, investor George Soros proposed that developed nations disperse up to $150 billion from their reserves at the International Monetary Fund for climate finance to developing nations. “Rich countries could double available funding to combat climate change by donating recently issued special drawing rights (SDRs) to a new green fund," he said. Soros said the $10 billion in fast-start climate financing that was proposed by developed countries is “more than nothing, but not much, it's not sufficient . . . This SDR 100-billion fund I think could just turn this conference from failure to success.” He said that his idea had been met with enthusiasm at every country he visited except the United States. “It is possible to substantially increase the amount available to fight global warming in the developing world,” said Soros. “All that is lacking is the political will. Unfortunately the political will will be difficult to gather because of the mere fact that it requires congressional approval in the United States.”

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal , AP , BBC , Reuters

World Bank Poll: Majority of People Want Action on Climate Change, Even If It Entails Costs

On December 4, the World Bank released a new poll which found that 88 percent of total respondents and 82 percent of those surveyed from the United States believed their countries should take action against climate change. The poll surveyed 13,518 people from 15 nations - Bangladesh, China, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam. Additionally, majorities in 14 out of 15 countries surveyed, including the United States, agreed that, “Dealing with the problem of climate change should be given priority, even if it causes slower economic growth and some loss of jobs.” World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Katherine Sierra said, “The poll's findings shed light on global attitudes at a particularly important moment: the run-up to the conference on climate change to be held December 7-18 in Copenhagen. Hearing from people in the developing world offers a new lens on this issue.”

For additional information see: World Bank Press Release , AFP , BDNews24

IMF: Careful Carbon Pricing Will Not Hurt Economic Recovery

On December 4, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a staff position paper which concluded that the world can address climate change with economically efficient policies without harming the economic recovery. “The economic crisis does not change the basic climate challenge,” the IMF said. “Even a serious recession, with prolonged output losses, has limited implications for appropriate mitigation objections.” The IMF’s Benjamin Jones and Michael Keen said, “A cautious shift toward more aggressive carbon pricing (through taxation or tradable emission permits) need not impede recovery.” The authors also warned that suboptimal policies that lead to high volatility in the carbon market would hurt the recovery and advocated against the free distribution of emission allowances.

For additional information see: Reuters , AFP , NASDAQ , The Australian

Climate Change to Drive Up to One Billion from Homes

On December 8, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) published a new report which forecasted that climate change could cause up to one billion people to leave their homes by 2050. “Further climate change, with global temperatures expected to rise between 2 and 5°C by the end of this century, could have a major impact on the movement of people,” the report said. IOM also estimated that 20 million people were left homeless in 2008 after environmental disasters. The report concluded that few “climate refugees” would be able to leave their countries. “Aside from the immediate flight in the face of disaster, migration may not be an option for the poorest and most vulnerable groups,” it said. Instead, IOM predicted that migrants would move into already crowded cities.

For additional information see: Reuters , Xinhua , AFP

FAO Launches New Program to Help Farmers Fight Climate Change

On December 8, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a new program to promote sustainable agriculture in developing nations over the next five years. “The overall challenge we are facing is to transform the technical mitigation potential of agriculture into reality,” said FAO Assistant Director-General Alexander Müller. “Many suitable technologies and farming practices to sequester carbon in smallholder agriculture already exist . . . These practices are also known to have a positive impact on hunger and poverty reduction. However, barriers to adoption of these technologies and practices is a key challenge that needs to be overcome. The program aims to unlock the enormous mitigation potential of agriculture.” Finland donated the initial $60 million to seed the program.

For additional information see: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Press Release , Space Daily

AEP Says CCS Cheaper than Expected

On December 8, electric utility American Electric Power (AEP) Chief Executive Officer Mike Morris announced that AEP’s pilot carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the Mountaineer Power Plant in West Virginia is “exceeding expectations.” Morris said that he now expects CCS to add two to five cents to the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour (kWh), down from prior estimates of eight to twelve cents per kWh. “This [CCS] is still is an extremely expensive undertaking, but the answer is near at hand,” said Morris. He said AEP will be able to install CCS equipment at 75 percent of the utility’s coal-fired power plants and close down the remaining 25 percent by 2025.

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal , AP , West Virginia Gazette

Rise in Sea Levels Threatens California Ports

On December 9, the California State Lands Commission released a new report which found that the majority of the 40 California ports the agency surveyed were not prepared for sea level rise. The report said sea levels are expected to rise in California by 16 inches over the next 40 years and as much as 55 inches by 2100. At many of the ports surveyed, including the vital Los Angeles and Long Branch ports, rising water could damage ground-level facilities, reach toxic waste sites, and constrain the movement of goods. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz said, “We need to start planning for these things now, so that we're not caught having to do a lot of remedial repair work 15 years to 20 years into the future.”

For additional information see: Los Angeles Times

1,700 British Scientists Defend Climate Data after Email Leaks

On December 10, the UK Meteorological (Met) Office announced that 1,700 British scientists signed a statement defending climate science after stolen emails from East Anglia University’s Climate Research Unit were published online. “We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities. The evidence and the science are deep and extensive,” the statement said. “They come from decades of painstaking and meticulous research, by many thousands of scientists across the world who adhere to the highest levels of professional integrity.” A Met Office spokeswoman said “a significant majority [of signors] work directly in the climate science field.”

For additional information see: AP , Wall Street Journal , AFP

New Report Identifies Species Affected by Climate Change

On December 7, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) released a new report titled, “Species Feeling the Heat: Connecting Deforestation and Climate Change,” which identified a list of species that are threatened by climate change. Notable threatened species from the report included the Bicknell’s thrush, flamingoes, the irrawaddy dolphin, the musk ox, and the hawksbill turtle. “The image of a forlorn looking polar bear on a tiny ice floe has become the public’s image of climate change in nature, but the impact reaches species in nearly every habitat in the world’s wild places,” said WCS President Dr. Steven E. Sanderson. “In fact, our own researchers are observing direct impacts on a wide range of species across the world.”

For additional information see: Wildlife Conservation Society Press Release , Press Trust of India

December 17: Reducing Our Oil Imports Over the Next Decade

The Clean Fuels Foundation and the Ethanol Across America education campaign invite you to a briefing on energy security to salute the anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), Co-chairman of the Ethanol Across America Advisory Committee and an original sponsor of the RFS, will host the briefing. Former Director of Central Intelligence James Woolsey, Anne Korin, author of Energy Security Challenges For The 21st Century, and others will discuss national/energy security issues, the role biofuels can play, and advances in food and fuel production technologies. The briefing will take place Thursday, December 17, from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m in 902 Hart Senate Office Building. Please RSVP by calling the Clean Fuels Development Coalition at 301-718-0077, or email Carol Warren at [email protected].

January 26-28, 2010: EDTA Conference & Annual Meeting at the Washington Auto Show

The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) invites you to its annual conference at the Washington Auto Show. The event features two general plenary sessions, 12 breakout sessions covering all aspects of the electric drive industry, and pre-conference workshops. Delegates will also enjoy numerous social and networking opportunities. By registering for the EDTA Conference, you will have full access to the Washington, DC Auto Show—including the “Government Sneak Peek” on January 26. The EDTA Conference will also feature an Advanced Technology Superhighway, featuring EDTA members and other companies showcasing the latest in battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell electric drive vehicles. Meet suppliers and infrastructure providers as well! To register, visit www.electricdrive.org or call 202-408-0774 x 306.