Climate Change News - December 21, 2009

World Leaders Reach Climate Deal in Copenhagen

On December 18, world leaders at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen announced that they had reached a “meaningful agreement” that would lead to a global treaty to address climate change. President Obama, along with the leaders of China, India, Brazil and South Africa, agreed to an accord that codifies the commitments of individual nations to act on their own to tackle global warming. “For the first time in history,” Obama said, “all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change.” The agreement includes a system for monitoring and verifying each nations' greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and also sets a goal for limiting global temperature rise to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050. Additionally, developed countries pledged to provide a fund "approaching" $30 billion over the next three years to help developing nations deal with the impacts of climate change, with a goal to "commit to a goal of mobilizing" $100 billion annually by 2020. Following the conference, Obama acknowledged that the agreement was only the first step in a longer process to address global warming. “This progress did not come easily,” he said, “and we know that this progress alone is not enough.” The summit did not produce a legally binding agreement among nations to reduce GHG emissions; instead, the agreement gives countries until January 31, 2010 to voluntarily list, in an annex to the accord, voluntary pledges to curb their emissions. Many UN leaders indicated that there is a goal to take what was agreed to at Copenhagen and turn it into a legally binding agreement when they meet again in Mexico City in November 2010. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer called the accord “politically important,” and said it demonstrated a willingness to move forward.

For additional information see: Washington Post , Wall Street Journal , New York Times , AP , Copenhagen Accord

USDA, Dairy Industry Sign Agreement to Cut Greenhouse Gases 25 Percent by 2020

On December 15, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management, Inc., the trade group that represents the dairy industry, have agreed to a memorandum of understanding to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the dairy industry 25 percent by 2020. The dairy industry said it will achieve this emission reduction by promoting the use of anaerobic digesters, which capture methane from cow manure. “This historic agreement, the first of its kind, will help us achieve the ambitious goal of drastically reducing GHG emissions while benefiting farmers," Vilsack said. “[The] use of manure technology is a win for everyone.” Innovation Center CEO Thomas Gallagher added, “This memorandum came about because of the commitment of U.S. dairy farmers and the dairy industry to a sustainable future.”

For additional information see: AP , Reuters , U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Release

Sen. Murkowski Seeks to Halt EPA GHG Regulation under Clean Air Act

On December 14, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a disapproval resolution to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act. A week prior to that, the EPA announced its finding that GHGs pose a danger to human health and welfare, allowing the agency to regulate them. “This finding is supposedly rooted in concerns about the public health and public welfare,” Murkowski said. “But what it really endangers are jobs, economic recovery and American competitiveness.” The resolution will be forwarded to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

For additional information see: Miami Herald , Alaska Dispatch , Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Press Release

U.S. Businesses Call on President Obama to Achieve a Global Climate Deal

On December 15, more than two dozen blue-chip U.S. businesses sent a letter to President Obama to express their desire for a strong international climate change agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen. The letter called for leadership from the President in negotiating a climate agreement that will lead to substantial emissions reductions and financing for impoverished nations. “We must put the United States on the path to significant emissions reductions, a stronger economy and a new position of leadership to stabilize our climate,” the letter stated. “The costs of inaction far outweigh the costs of action.” Among the signers were Dow Chemical, Microsoft, Nike, Duke Energy, and Pacific Gas & Electric.

For additional information see: Ceres Press Release

Poll: Action on Climate Will Heat Up Economy, Jobs

On December 15, the Associated Press and Stanford University released a new poll which found that 40 percent of respondents believed that U.S. climate change legislation would create additional jobs and that 46 percent said that climate change legislation would boost the economy. By comparison, 23 percent of those surveyed said climate change legislation would cost jobs and 27 percent said it would hurt the economy. “I don't know if anybody has looked around lately, but the economy is dead,” said one respondent. “We are in a sinking ship, and Obama has bought us enough life rafts to keep on going. But we need to figure out how to build a new boat when we are still on the water.” The poll surveyed 1,005 adults nationwide between November 17-29.

For additional information see: AP

CBO: Kerry-Boxer Climate Bill Will Not Increase Deficit

On December 17, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its analysis of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733), which found that the bill would not increase the federal deficit. CBO reported that S. 1733 “would reduce budget deficits (or increase future surpluses) by about $21 billion over the 2010-2019 period . . . In years after 2019, direct spending would be less than the net revenues attributable to the legislation in each of the 10-year periods following 2019. Therefore, CBO estimates that enacting S. 1733 would not increase the deficit in any of the four 10-year periods following 2019.”

For additional information see: Congressional Budget Office Analysis

Fewer Americans Worried by Climate Change: Survey

On December 14, Zogby Interactive released a new poll which found that 49 percent of respondents are slightly or not at all concerned about climate change, compared to 35 percent who are somewhat or highly concerned. In 2007, Zocby found that 48 percent of respondents to the same poll said they were somewhat or highly concerned about climate change, and 39 percent said they were slightly or not at all concerned. The poll also found that 50 percent of those surveyed believe climate change is a legitimate problem. The survey of 3,072 adults nationwide was conducted December 8-10.

For additional information see: Reuters , Zogby Interactive Press Release

Copenhagen Summit’s Carbon Footprint is Biggest Ever

On December 14, the Danish Government announced that the carbon footprint of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference in Copenhagen is larger than any previous UNFCCC conference. According to the UNFCCC and the accounting firm Deloitte, attendants of the conference will emit 46,200 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). They estimated that 40,500 tons of CO2 will come from air travel, while the summit itself will produce 5,700 tons of CO2. Deloitte Consultant Stine Balslev said, “This is much bigger than the last talks because there are many more people here.”

For additional information see: Reuters

Schwarzenegger Highlights Local Governments' Role in Climate Fight

On December 15, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed delegates at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. Schwarzenegger said that while an international treaty will be a great start to confronting climate change, local governments and other entities will have to play a major role if the world is to successfully avoid dangerous climate change. “The world's governments alone cannot make the progress that is needed on global climate change," Schwarzenegger said. “They need the cities, the states, the provinces, the regions. They need the corporations, the activists, the scientists, the universities, and the individuals to create the determination and action for movement.”

For additional information see: AP , Financial Times , The Telegraph

Mayors Hold Climate Summit in Copenhagen

From December 14-18, 80 mayors from around the world convened in Copenhagen for a summit focusing on how cities can reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, cities produce 70 percent on the world’s GHG emissions from energy use. The mayors signed a resolution calling for “an ambitious and empowering deal” on emission reductions at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference and spent the summit comparing best practices for reducing municipal emissions. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “We can’t sit around and wait for federal governments to act when our constituencies really want something changed.” Toronto Mayor David Miller added, “The battle against climate change will be won or lost in cities . . . While nations talk, cities are acting.”

For additional information see: AP , Bloomberg

Climate Performance Index Ranks Countries' Actions on Climate

On December 14, the Climate Action Network and Germanwatch released their annual Climate Protection Index, which ranked the climate mitigation actions of 57 nations which are responsible for 90 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The index incorporates three factors: the current level of CO2 emissions, whether they are rising or falling, and political and regulatory efforts for climate protection. 2009’s best performers were Brazil, Sweden, and Britain, while Saudi Arabia and Canada were ranked lowest. The United States ranked fifty-third. Christoph Bals of Germanwatch said, “There are a number of climate policy proposals going through (the) U.S. Congress at the moment, but nothing yet on the books. A bill which really reduces emissions and a strong performance in Copenhagen would improve their ranking.”

For additional information see: AFP , Irish Times , Earth Times

Climate Change a Factor in Great Lakes Decline

On December 15, the International Great Lakes Study Board (IGLSB), an organization jointly financed by the U.S. and Canadian governments, released a new report which concluded that climate change is a major reason why water levels in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have dropped since the 1960s. The report estimated that 40-74 percent of the reduction in water levels is attributable to changes in participation patterns and temperatures. IGLSB Canadian Co-Chair Ted Yuzyk said that the alteration in climate is “the most significant factor” in the water level drop and “could be a more substantive issue for the future on the Great Lakes.”

For additional information see: The Globe and Mail , The Times Herald

IEA: Energy Revolution Required to Combat Climate Change

On December 14, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a blueprint of the energy system needed to keep atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations stabilized at 450 parts per million. “The 450 Policy scenario of our flagship publication World Energy Outlook 2009 is the right path to green growth but it is a radical departure from current trends,” said IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. The IEA estimated that over 60 percent of the world’s energy would have to be produced by low carbon sources (renewables, nuclear, fossil fuel with carbon capture and storage) by 2030 and that hybrid electric vehicles would have to account for over 60 percent to total vehicle sales. “The energy path to stabilize climate is clear, but only vigorous action will put our economies on that path to green growth,” Tanaka emphasized. “A strong political signal is needed now in order to drive the necessary changes.”

For additional information see: International Energy Agency Press Release , Scientific American

Brazil Moves to Cut Amazon Destruction by Ranchers

On December 9, the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry launched a new program using satellite imagery to monitor deforestation caused by cattle ranchers. The Ministry said that ranchers that are found deforesting land will not be granted permits to transport their cattle to slaughterhouses. Cattle ranching is one of Brazil’s main causes of deforestation, which accounts for 75 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. “We can now say that Brazil is doing its part,” said Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes. “The world is increasingly demanding the ability to trace where its food comes from. This will lead us to zero deforestation.”

For additional information see: Reuters

New Index Seeks to Track Climate Change Trends and Provide Easy Reference

On December 16, the Royal Swedish Academy of Science’s International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) unveiled a new index that attempts to put a single number on the numerous threats posed by climate change, such as temperature increases, sea level rise, and changes in precipitation. The index was modeled after the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which tracks the stock prices of 30 blue-chip American corporations. The creators said the impacts of climate change have increased: the index measured at 34 in 1980, but has increased to 574 as of 2007. “We felt people outside global-change research are not clear about the scale of the changes scientists are witnessing,” said IGBP Executive Director Sybil Seitzinger. “The index is a response to these concerns.”

For additional information see: Science Daily , AFP , Reuters , The Examiner

Twenty Nations Form Pact to Study Emission Reductions in Agriculture

On December 16, the United States and 20 other countries unveiled a new research alliance to study ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the agriculture sector at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. The United States will help fund the alliance with $90 million. “Just as climate change has no borders, our research should not," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “This is a global problem that needs a global solution and therefore, where there is science that will help mitigate climate change, it should be shared with all for whom it could be meaningful.” Agriculture accounts for 14 percent of global GHG emissions.

For additional information see: Washington Post , AFP , U.S. Department of Agriculture Press Release

New Study Says Sea Levels Will Rise Nine Meters

In a study published in the December 16 issue of Nature, researchers from Princeton University estimated that sea levels will rise nine meters within the next two centuries even if temperatures are stabilized at 2°C above pre-industrial levels. In their Fourth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that sea levels would rise approximately 4-6 meters if temperatures increased by 2°C. The scientists said their estimate was higher because it includes recent research on ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica. “Is this the end of the world? No,” said lead author Michael Oppenheimer. “Does it mean there's a premium on reducing the level of greenhouse gases as fast as reasonably possible? Yes. Also, it puts an exclamation point on the two-degree target."

For additional information see: The Guardian , AP , Washington Post , Science Daily

Global Warming Could Significantly Impact U.S. Wine and Corn Production

On December 17, scientists from Stanford University presented findings at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union that show global warming may negatively affect wine and corn production in the United States. By investigating the timing of cycles in nature such as migration and crops maturation, Noah Diffenbaugh, assistant professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford University, created a computer model to project future impacts of global warming at local and regional scales. "Our experiment is unprecedented," he said. "It's the first time that a climate model has been applied at such spatial and temporal detail over such a long period of time." The researchers concluded that the current U.S. wine grape region may decrease 81 percent by the end of the century as extremely hot days become more frequent. Corn production may also suffer as the corn earworm, an insect historically limited by severe cold temperatures, flourishes. "In our new near-term climate projections, we're finding that the hottest temperatures on record will become commonplace within the next 30 years," said Diffenbaugh.

For additional information see: Science Daily , UPI

Sunspots Do Not Cause Climate Change, Say Scientists

On December 14, The Independent reported that leading scientists have told the newspaper that studies which claim climate change is triggered by sunspots are deeply flawed. A study published in 1991by Eigil Friis-Christensen, Director of the Danish National Space Centre, found a correlation between sunspot activity and climate change. In a 1998 paper, Friis-Christensen and his colleague Henrik Svensmark theorized that sunspots were the cause of climate change. However, Danish scientist Peter Laut re-examined both papers and concluded they were filled with errors and that once these errors were corrected, the correlation disappears. Paul Crutzen, an atmospheric chemist at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, said, “There is definitely a problem [with these studies]. Laut has really pinned it down but the [sunspot] argument keeps reappearing and it’s quite irritating.” Andre Berger, honorary president of the European Geosciences Union, added, “Their controversial papers must be retracted or at least that there will be an official statement by them acknowledging their mistake.”

For additional information see: The Telegraph , The Independent

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.