Climate Change News - December 23, 2016 | Newsletter

President Obama announced a permanent ban on offshore oil and gas drilling for much of the Arctic Ocean, protecting vulnerable ecosystems off the coast of Alaska. Image courtesy of USGS via flickr.com.

Editor's Note: CCN's next issue will come out on January 2, 2017

President Obama Announces Permanent Ban on Offshore Drilling Over Vast Stretch of Arctic Ocean

On December 20, President Obama announced a permanent ban on offshore drilling operations across a vast stretch of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in the Arctic Ocean. The action also banned oil and gas exploration and development in 31 ocean floor canyons in the Atlantic. The administration cited the high environmental risk of offshore drilling in these regions, the importance of safeguarding distinct ocean ecosystems and biodiversity, and a desire to reinforce U.S. climate change mitigation policies. President Obama stated, “It would take decades to fully develop the production infrastructure necessary for any large-scale oil and gas leasing production in the region – at a time when we need to continue to move decisively away from fossil fuels." The President's authority to implement the ban comes from the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, which declares the president "may, from time to time, withdraw" unleased federal waters from future oil and gas development. However, the statute has no language or legal precedent for a reversal, suggesting any such action would require years of court battles by the incoming administration. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly announced his own government's ban on offshore Arctic drilling, subject to review every five years.

For more information see:

NPR, Los Angeles Times

European Union May Extend "Carbon Neutral" Classification of Wood-Fired Electricity, Despite Contrary Findings

The European Commission is considering a set of draft energy rules that would continue to treat biomass-fired electricity as "carbon neutral," despite reports issued by the Commission declaring the practice actually contributes to climate change. The proposed rule would incentivize the continued use of wood pellets by European power plants through at least 2030, since the pellets would be classified as a renewable energy source in fulfillment of Europe's goals under the Paris Agreement. Critics cite studies showing the use of wood pellets increase carbon dioxide emissions and that their classification as carbon neutral is misleading. The current policy structure shifts the regulatory burden away from Europe's power plants, where pollution is heavily regulated and taxed, and reallocates it to the foreign forestry sector. The logging of trees and production of wood pellets is concentrated in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. The southern United States is an industry hotbed, resulting in environmental degradation and local pollution.

For more information see:

Climate Central

Scientists Warn Trump Administration May Try to Distort or Delete Public Climate Information Sites

Scientists and environmental communication experts are concerned that climate information hosted on government websites may be deleted or distorted under the incoming administration. Sites run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and others are among the top hits for people trying to learn more about climate change on the web. The sites are designed to educate general audiences and ensure accurate, factual information on climate change is available for public discourse. Advocates fear the removal of these resources could create a vacuum filled by inaccurate or misleading information. Susan Hassol, co-author of three U.S. national climate assessments, noted a precedent exists for government officials removing "politically inconvenient" information from government websites. Under President George W. Bush, Philip Cooney of the White House Council on Environmental Quality was exposed by a whistleblower after altering language in government reports to downplay the risks and scientific consensus around climate change. Andrew Rosenberg of the Union of Concerned Scientists is concerned that state officials may follow the lead of a Trump administration, stating, “If the worst comes to pass and there is a concerted attack and removal of material, the public loses in terms of its trust in government.”

For more information see:

Climate Central

Study: Zika Outbreak Influenced by El Niño and Climate Change in South America

A new study asserts the 2015-16 Zika outbreak was likely driven by unusually high temperatures from a strong seasonal El Niño event and anthropogenic climate change. The warm temperatures were "especially conducive" to spreading Zika-carrying mosquito species across South America, where the human population lacked a natural immunity to the virus. While factors such as access to sanitation and healthcare can set the pace of a disease outbreak, the climate is what "sets the background," according to lead study author Cyril Caminade of the Institute of Infection and Global Health at the University of Liverpool. The distribution, life cycle, and habits of mosquitoes are all affected by the climate, in addition to the incubation period of the virus itself. The research, appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used data from 1950-2015 to model how climate-related factors affected the risk of Zika transmission. Caminade added that warming temperatures may allow vector-borne diseases like Zika to appear in higher latitudes and altitudes in the future.

For more information see:

Carbon Brief

California's Forests Struggle to Regrow in Wake of More Severe Wildfires

A new study has found that forests in California are struggling to recover from severe forest fires. Researchers examined 1,500 plots spread across 14 burned areas in California, and concluded that recent wildfires killed mature, seed-bearing trees in such large numbers that the forests are now unable to re-seed themselves. Warmer temperatures have also enabled small shrubs to take root more quickly following fires, further inhibiting the re-seeding. Wildfires were historically less frequent in the national forests studied, but climate change, prolonged droughts, and heatwaves have made the regions more susceptible to fire. Park Williams of Columbia University summarized the study's findings: "In the more intense fires that we've been seeing recently, the patches killed by the fire are tending to be far larger and it could take a very long time for the native tree species to repopulate these areas. With climate getting warmer in the coming centuries, it seems more likely that many large burned forest areas in the Southwest United States will be recolonized by shrub species that can reproduce quickly and tolerate heat and drought."

For more information see:

InsideClimateNews, Study

Disappearing Sea Ice Disrupts Way of Life in Alaska's Indigenous Communities

Alaska's indigenous communities are being forced to navigate new challenges as climate change upends their local environment. “In December, we normally have waters covered in ice but right now we have open water out there. We are so dependent upon sea ice conditions. It’s our life, our culture," said Vera Metcalf, director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission representing 19 native communities in Alaska. The Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low in November 2016, while the average temperature in the region is 3.5 degrees Celsius warmer than a century ago. Metcalf noted the decline in sea ice has narrowed the "window of opportunity for hunting," leading to food insecurity for remote communities where a gallon of milk can cost $15. As the ice continues to melt earlier each year and the land beneath coastal settlements starts to erode away, many communities in Alaska are thinking of re-locating. However, prohibitive costs make moving even a small village difficult to achieve.

For more information see:

Guardian