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February 8, 2016
On January 4, academic journal Science published study findings that Europe's expanded planting of dark green conifers such as pine and spruce in its forests have increased Europe's summer average temperatures by 0.12 degrees C (0.2 degrees F). Trees with lighter colored leaves, such as oak and birch, reflect more sunlight and do not contribute to warming, but they have been displaced from forests due to demand for spruce and pine lumber. The study authors found that conifer trees' dark-colored leaves' heat absorption more than offset the global warming benefits of the carbon dioxide they absorb. For more information see Reuters. Image of German pine forest courtesy of onnala on flickr.
On February 4, the White House indicated that President Obama will ask for a $10/barrel tax on oil in his fiscal year 2017 budget request of Congress, which will be released on Tuesday, February 9th. The tax would help fund $32.4 billion in upgrades to transportation infrastructure, public transportation, urban planning and clean vehicle research to create a "21st century clean transportation system." In a statement, the White House said, "By placing a fee on oil, the President's plan creates a clear incentive for private sector innovation to reduce our reliance on oil and at the same time invests in clean energy technologies that will power our future." The plan is not likely to get far in the Republican-controlled Congress, where Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise have both already spoken against it.
For more information see:
Reuters, Politico, The Hill
On February 4, Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) and Sen. Cantwell's (D-OR) bipartisan bill on energy reform failed to reach cloture by a vote of 46-50, after disagreement over an amendment offered by the two Democratic senators from Michigan to offer $600 million in aid to the city of Flint, Michigan, which has been suffering from lead contamination in its municipal water. "Our problem is not about whether we should offset the cost of this assistance, it's about how we do in a manner that does not destroy the underlying energy bill," commented Sen. Murkowski, who had also proposed a Flint amendment with $500 million in aid. The bill would update the energy system to help integrate renewable energy; simplify the process for exporting natural gas; and support energy efficiency, hydropower and geothermal energy, among other initiatives. Legislators will work on a deal over the weekend, and hope to bring the bill back to the floor next week.
The New York Times, The Hill
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) and Rep. Theodore Deutch (D), both representing Florida districts, filed a petition with the Committee on House Administration to create a new bipartisan group, the Climate Solutions Caucus. According to the petition, the caucus will "educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk and protect our nation’s economy, security, infrastructure, agriculture, water supply, and public safety." Rep. Curbelo said, "I am proud to serve as a co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus, the first bipartisan caucus to address climate change in the U.S. House of Representatives. By exploring policy options that address the impacts of a changing climate we can effectively mitigate the inevitable effects it will have on our environment, as well as our economy." Rep. Curbelo was one of 11 Republicans who co-sponsored H. Res 424, a September resolution calling for Congressional action to address the impacts of climate change. Florida, with its low-lying lands and ample coastlines, is particularly at risk from climate change.
Citizens' Climate Lobby, ThinkProgress, H.Res.424
On February 2, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey filed four misdemeanor criminal charges against Southern California Gas Company for failing to immediately report the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak to state authorities. SoCal Gas's Aliso Canyon leak has released an estimated 80,000 metric tons of methane since it was discovered on October 23, 2015. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, warming the atmosphere 84 times more than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Under the charges, the company could receive a fine of $25,000 for each day they failed to report the leak, and $1,000 for every day the well has released methane. “The impact of this unprecedented gas leak is devastating to families in our state, our environment and our efforts to combat global warming,” Kamala Harris, California’s attorney general said.
State of California DOJ: OAG, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian
On February 2, stakeholders in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a carbon-trading market with nine participating states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States, requested that the market raise its common emissions reduction goal after 2020. The current goal is an emissions limit of 78 million tons in 2030, more ambitious than the states are collectively required to meet under the Clean Power Plan, a federal regulation on carbon emissions. In light of the recent Paris United Nations agreement on climate change, RGGI stakeholders called for a 40 million ton cap by 2030.
Carbon Pulse
On January 29, Xcel Energy, a Minnesota-based utility company, filed a regulatory plan with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission which stated it is “nearly certain” it will be able to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan’s carbon emission reductions regulations. Xcel Energy's filing says it will comply through a $6 billion investment in wind and solar, the closure of two coal-fired power plants, a $1 billion investment in natural gas, and continued investment in the longevity of its nuclear plants. The Clean Power Plan aims to cut energy-sector greenhouse gas emissions 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Xcel states that its strategy is a cost-effective way of cutting carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2030, beyond the state’s Clean Power Plan requirements.
Star Tribune
On February 1, General Electric announced that it will stop manufacturing and selling compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) in the United States by the end of 2016, and will transition to predominantly selling LED lights to the U.S. consumer lighting market. CFL bulbs have been the primary energy-efficient lighting alternative to the standard incandescent bulb, but by 2017 they will no longer receive the Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR rating for energy efficiency. LEDs are more energy-efficient than CFLs, last for 22 years, and can be connected to phone apps so that homeowners can turn lights on and off remotely. "We are seeing a complete transformation of the lighting business as we move to intelligent-lighting solutions for cities, offices, hospitals and schools . . . The time for LED is now," commented John Strainic, GE Lighting COO. Cutting energy use is a key way to reduce energy production, cutting power sector emissions.
The New York Times, GE
On February 01, Moody’s Investors Service released a new report showing that global issuance of green bonds in 2016 is expected to be higher than $50 billion, an all-time record that surpasses 2015’s $42.4 billion record. Green bonds are a fixed-income financial tool used to raise capital for projects or activities that have environmental, societal and economic benefits. Senior Vice President Henry Shilling at Moody's commented, "We expect the momentum from the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) as well as the signing of the Paris Agreement scheduled this April to likely motivate additional and repeat issuance of green bonds." The report also cites strong investor appetite, high net worth, and new green bond guidelines in India and China, as drivers of green bond issuance growth.
BusinessGreen, Moody’s
On February 1, a study was published in Nature Geoscience stating that global warming may have an amplified effect on sea-level rise along the U.S. East Coast. The scientists used a model that simulates the ocean, the atmosphere, and the carbon cycle to find that high emissions scenarios close to current emissions rates caused Atlantic sea levels to rise notably faster than the Pacific, especially along the U.S. East Coast. The study authors stated that this effect is due to the Atlantic Ocean's more rapid "overturning" water circulation pattern than the Pacific's, characterized by drawing cold water up from ocean depths to the surface and warm waters back down again. If this circulation slows due to climate change, there will be less cold water pulled up, leaving warmer water at the ocean's surface. When this warm subsurface water is heated further from rising atmospheric temperatures, it expands more, leading to increased sea level rise.
The Washington Post, Nature Geoscience
On February 3, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the first multispecies assessment of how vulnerable certain U.S. marine species are to climate change. The assessment looked at the impacts on 82 species living in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, including winter flounder, Atlantic salmon, bay scallops, and lobster, and found that 80 percent of the surveyed species will likely migrate from their usual habitats. Researchers found that half the evaluated species are “highly” or “very highly” vulnerable to climate change, likely leading to a decline in their reproductive abilities and population numbers. Species that migrate between salt and fresh water (such as salmon and sturgeon), and those that live on the ocean floor (such as lobsters, scallops, and clams) are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Boston Globe, Carbon Brief, Phys.org
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