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January 11, 2016
On January 6, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual review of the climate in the contiguous United States, finding that 2015 was the second warmest year in the historical record, behind only 2012. Image courtesy of climate.gov.
On January 6, the Washington State Department of Ecology proposed a new regulation to require the state's largest industrial emitters of carbon dioxide to cut their emissions by five percent every three years. The draft regulation, called the Clean Air Rule, would affect all refineries, power plants, natural gas distributors, manufacturing plants and other industrial plants that emit a minimum of 100,000 metric tons of carbon annually. There are approximately 25 such facilities in the state. "It's important that we act now to protect our water supplies, infrastructure and economy for future generations," stated Department of Ecology director Maia Bellon. The rule is expected to be finalized this summer.
For more information see:
Seattle Times
On January 7, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency over the continued release of methane from a ruptured natural gas well at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage site, 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The leak has released more than 80,000 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere since its initial rupture on October 23, 2015. Methane is a very powerful global warming pollutant, and warms the atmosphere 84 times more than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period. Thousands of residents in the nearby Porter Ranch area have left their homes due to health complications from breathing the natural gas fumes. The leak is the largest natural gas leak in the United States to date, and is currently the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in California.
The Guardian, EDF, BBC
On January 4, Munich RE, the world’s largest reinsurer, released an analysis showing that insurers paid out about $27 billion in natural disaster claims in 2015, with weather-related disasters causing 94 percent of the claims. Despite this, insurance companies saw the lowest losses since 2009, with claims decreasing $4 billion from 2014 levels. This can be partially attributed to the low number of costly hurricanes in 2015, due largely to the El Nino-influenced wind pattern in the North Atlantic which cut down on storm development. However, El Nino conditions contributed to severe flooding and heatwaves in many developing nations. Heavy flooding also affected the United Kingdom, which Munich RE linked to Arctic warming due to climate change.
The Guardian, Reuters, Business Insider, Press Release
On January 5, Monmouth University released a survey finding that 70 percent of Americans think the earth’s climate is changing, with impacts including increased extreme weather events and sea level rise. The poll highlighted the partisan divide in American opinion on climate change, with far more Democrats (63 percent) seeing it as a "very serious issue" compared to Republicans (18 percent). Of those who think climate is changing, 34 percent think both human activity and natural environmental changes are responsible, while 27 percent identify human activity as the main contributor. Tony MacDonald, the director of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, said in a statement, “The data exposes the extent to which this has become a partisan political issue in the U.S. rather than a scientific issue.”
The Hill, Monmouth University Poll
On January 6, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual review of the climate in the contiguous United States, finding that 2015 was the second warmest year in the historical record, behind only 2012. December closed out the year as the warmest December on record, and each state was warmer than its 20th century average. The country was overall 2.4 degrees F warmer than its 20th century average, the 19th straight year that temperatures were above that average. NOAA also announced that there were 10 domestic weather and climate disaster events in 2015 that each caused at least $1 billion in damages. Over the past five years, the United States has experienced 10.8 such events per year. NOAA will release an extended analysis on January 13.
NOAA, Annual 2015 U.S. Climate Report
On January 4, the journal Nature Climate Change published a study detailing how recent changes in the composition of Greenland’s ice and snow cover have affected the ability of the landmass to capture meltwater before it reaches the ocean. The researchers focused on firn, a porous layer of the ice sheet made up of accumulated snow that gradually becomes ice over time. Research had suggested previously that most of Greenland’s firn could store excess meltwater, making the firn a safeguard against sea level rise for the next few decades. However, the scientists discovered new, dense ice layers forming near the surface of the ice sheet. These new layers are preventing liquid water from percolating into the firn, leading meltwater to drain into the ocean instead. Study author Horst Machguth told the Washington Post, “I think the most notable result of our study is showing that the firn reacts faster to an atmospheric warming than expected.”
The Washington Post, Nature Climate Change
A study published on January 5 in Nature Geosciences found more evidence that the current rate of climate change is more rapid than historical climate change event. The study authors from the University of Bristol Cabot Institute reconstructed the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels during a global climate change event about 120 million years ago, when sustained volcano eruptions caused increased CO2 levels for about 1.5-2 million years. Study lead author Dr. David Naafs said, “It has been suggested that the event we studied is a suitable analogue to what is happening today due to human activity. . . The change, however, appears to have been far slower than that of today, taking place over hundreds of thousands of years, rather than the centuries [of today's climate change].”
Phys.org, Nature
According to research published in Nature Climate Change on January 3, increased water scarcity caused in part by climate change may reduce future generating capacity at more than two-thirds of the world’s power plants. The research team said, “The world's electricity sector strongly depends on the availability and temperature of water resources. Global warming, with increased climate variability and likelihoods of heat waves and droughts, may have important impacts.” The study examined approximately 26,000 power plants worldwide, showing that generation capacities may decrease at 61-74 percent of hydroelectric plants and 81-86 percent of thermoelectric power plants for the 2040-2069 period, due to reduced stream flows and rising water temperature. The study suggested that power plants could adapt to changing conditions by increasing plant efficiencies, installing a less water-intense cooling system, or switching to a different fuel source.
Bloomberg, Nature Climate Change
16 High-End New York Hotels Pledge to Cut Carbon Emissions
95% of Expert Economists Say World Should Cut Carbon Pollution
Gina McCarthy Op-Ed in Huffington Post on EPA’s Climate Initiatives
Martin Luther King III Op-Ed in Washington Post Defends EPA Climate Regulations
NASA Research Could Save Airlines $250 Billion in Fuel
This Year’s El Nino is Tied for Strongest Ever
Events: U.S. Carbon Policy Trends and Implications for the Biomass Industry Hosted by the Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium and USDA NIFA AFRI Regional Bioenergy System Coordinated Agricultural Projects Tuesday, January 12 1pm EST Jessie Stolark and Laura Small, EESI Pre-registration not required, access the webinar here. The Clean Power Plan (CPP) is the keystone policy of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, an ambitious goal to cut economy wide greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The CPP will reduce greenhouse gases from the power sector by 32 percent by 2030 through a variety of measures. While the rule was finalized last fall, 2016 will still see the unfolding of numerous legal challenges to the rule and finalization of the Federal Implementation Plan option (required by non-compliant states). This presentation will cover the history and precedence for the CPP, how EPA expects states to comply with the rule, opportunities for biomass stakeholders to engage with EPA and state air regulators on the rule, and the potential implications to the U.S. biomass industry. Environmental Justice in the Clean Power Plan Monday, January 25 11:00 am - 12:30 pm 2168 Rayburn House Office Building C Street and South Capitol Street, SE Please RSVP to expedite check-in A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing how environmental justice (EJ) is addressed through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Clean Power Plan, the nation's first-ever rules limiting carbon pollution from power plants (which are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States). The Clean Power Plan will not only cut millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but also hundreds of thousands of tons of particulate pollution that becomes soot and smog. Cutting these emissions will help prevent thousands of premature deaths, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and missed work days. Minority and low-income communities, which are more likely to be located in areas burdened with pollution, will particularly benefit from these emission reductions. For questions or comments, contact Laura Small at [email protected]. Arctic Matters Day The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine January 14, 2016 9:00 am - 4:00 pm NAS building (2101 Constitution Ave NW) This event will provide an overview of the dramatic environmental changes affecting the Arctic region, and the many ways that such changes can ultimately affect us all. Through an array of engaging presentations, discussions, and interactive displays, we will explore how many facets of our lives (for instance, our coastlines, our weather, our fish supplies, our security) are tied to what is happening in that "isolated" part of the world. This will be a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge scientific findings and policy perspectives, in a format that's accessible to all. Space is limited so register today!
Authors: Anthony Rocco and Taotao Luo
Editor: Laura Small
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