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January 16, 2017
Low oil prices may stall Canada's oil sands industry, which operate around facilities with a significant environmental footprint such as this one in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Image courtesy of Kris Krug via flickr.com.
On January 12, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding his nomination as Secretary of State by President-elect Trump. Democratic members of the panel pressed Tillerson on climate change issues, particularly U.S. obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) asked Tillerson whether the United States should continue to play a lead role in implementing the agreement. Tillerson replied, "It’s important that the U.S. maintains its seat at the table about how to address the threat of climate change, which does require a global response. No one country is going to solve this on its own." However, when Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) followed up, Tillerson stated, "The [president-elect] as part of his priority in campaigning was to put America first. So there's important considerations as we commit to such accords. Are there any elements of that that put America at a disadvantage?" Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) inquired as to why Exxon spent decades undermining the scientific consensus on the risks of climate change, even though the company's own scientists called attention to those same risks beginning in the 1970s. Tillerson said he was "in no position to speak on [Exxon's] behalf," leading a highly skeptical Kaine to ask if he was "unable" or "unwilling" to answer; "A little of both," was Tillerson's reply. Tillerson deferred to other federal agencies when asked about support for a national carbon tax, but said any tax would have to be "revenue neutral" with none of the proceeds going to the U.S. Treasury.
For more information see:
Inside Climate News, Climate Central, Washington Post
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) submitted a new advisory report to Congress outlining a research roadmap for geoengineering through 2021. The report marks the first time the White House has recommended investing federal funds in geoengineering. Geoengineering primarily consists of two major fields designed to reduce the impacts of climate change: altering the reflectivity of the earth and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The measures have stirred controversy among scientists, with some arguing the risks are too great and not well understood. The report itself calls for the funding of basic research to address these uncertainties. Michael McCracken, chief scientist for the Climate Institute, said the proposal is a "very first step of what is needed — given the faster than projected severe [climate] impacts that are emerging." Other scientists fear that geoengineering may be characterized by policymakers as a viable last-minute solution and an excuse to not take current action on climate change through emission reductions.
New York Times, Science, Report
On January 11, a superior court judge denied Exxon an emergency motion or a protective order in relation to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's request to release the oil conglomerate's internal research on climate change. Exxon is currently under investigation by the states of Massachusetts and New York for the company's concerted efforts to downplay climate change risks resulting from fossil fuel emissions, despite findings to the contrary produced by their own scientists. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Heidi E. Brieger wrote that Healey had the right to pursue evidence as to whether Exxon may have violated consumer protection statutes. Judge Brieger rejected Exxon's argument that the document request "lacked specificity," noting Healey “seeks information related to what (and when) Exxon knew about the impacts of burning fossil fuels on climate change and what Exxon told consumers about climate change over the years.” Exxon had previously provided the same documents to New York's attorney general.
Boston Globe
On January 12, the National Academy of Sciences published a new report, “Valuing Climate Damages: Updating Estimation of the Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide,” recommending updates to the social cost of carbon (SCC) formula. Developed by the Obama administration in 2009 and applied to various regulatory cost-benefit analyses, SCC attempts to capture the global monetary cost of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) to society. According to Michael Greenstone, former chief economist on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors and professor of economics at the University of Chicago, “Social and economic understanding of climate change has advanced greatly in the last six years … the report identifies important ways to take advantage of those improvements in our understanding.” The current price is approximately $36 per ton of CO2. The report recommends updating SCC estimates every five years to reflect changing conditions and the most up-to-date science.
Washington Post, National Academy of Sciences
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have released a new study examining the future cost-benefit of state renewable portfolio standards (RPS). The study assessed the impacts of RPS's through 2050 using one scenario with no change from today and a second where RPS's expand to every state and achieve higher targets. According to the study, the business-as-usual scenario projects renewables will make up 26 percent of the nation's electricity generation by 2030 and 40 percent by 2050. The more ambitious scenario sees a 35 percent renewable electricity share by 2030 and a 49 percent share by 2050. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have RPS. Half of all renewable energy installed since 2000 was done so to meet RPS standards. The study projects that the ambitious scenario would add 11.5 million job-hours, but the overall number of energy jobs would remain roughly equal as renewable technology jobs displace other roles across the industry.
Midwest Energy News, Report
The future is uncertain for the United Nations' Green Climate Fund (GCF), as previously assured revenue streams are in danger of drying up. The GCF was established in 2010 to gather financial resources from wealthier nations to fund projects in the countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts. The first round of pledges in 2014 totaled $10.3 billion and came primarily from developed countries. The effort ties into a broader promise by wealthy governments to deliver $100 billion a year by 2020 to developing countries pursuing climate mitigation and adaptation measures. Some donor countries have fulfilled their initial pledges in the form of lump sums, while others (including the United States) are paying in installments. The payment structure is a cause of concern for GCF supporters, since, at this time, the United States has only paid $500 million of the $3 billion it promised. President-elect Trump has said he would "cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs" during his first 100 days in office.
Scientific American
As China prepares to assume a greater leadership role in the international climate policy arena, the verification and monitoring of its own emissions remain a persistent concern. The Obama administration pressured China to adopt more transparent and accurate reporting methods in order to establish global benchmarks, track progress under the Paris Agreement, and ensure China is meeting its emission reduction pledges. Emissions reporting remains a contentious issue under Paris, with negotiations to establish standards and mechanisms for reporting slated for the next two years. The degree of stringency for the new standards will apply to developed and developing countries in equal measure. Currently, China only releases essential data on its coal usage every five years as part of its national census. Furthermore, China has released its own emissions calculations only twice (in 1994 and 2005), though this is typical of most developing countries. The Paris Agreement calls for countries to submit such estimates every two years.
New York Times
On January 10, the group Low-Carbon USA sent a letter signed by over 600 businesses and investors to President-elect Trump, urging the next administration to implement the Paris Climate Agreement. The letter states, “Implementing the Paris Agreement will enable and encourage businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars the world needs to bring clean energy and prosperity to all.” The latest letter builds upon a similar effort in November 2016. An additional 200 companies have signed since, including giants like DuPont, Mars Incorporated, Nike, Unilever, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and others. They are part of a broader effort spanning many areas of the private sector, which continues to make a strong case for the business opportunities inherent to addressing climate change. According to the signers, “We want the US economy to be energy efficient and powered by low-carbon energy. Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk.”
Guardian, Low Carbon USA
Seven Exxon Mobil shareholders filed resolutions requesting a response to climate change in advance of the company's annual meeting in May. The resolutions call for Exxon to add a board member with "environmental expertise," disclose funding given to organizations for climate policy lobbying, and to present a strategy for the company to transition toward a "low-carbon economy." In response to similar requests last year, former CEO and current Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson told shareholders, "It is a judgment of balance between future climatic events which could prove to be catastrophic but are unknown ... and the more immediate needs of humanity today," claiming Exxon should prioritize delivering energy to the developing world. A 2016 resolution requiring Exxon to share how the company's business would be impacted by international efforts to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius received support from 38 percent of shareholders.
Inside Climate News
A new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explores the long-lasting impacts of methane emissions on sea level rise. While methane may only reside in the atmosphere for about a decade, thermal expansion of the oceans caused by the greenhouse gas can continue for hundreds of years. Thermal expansion occurs when the oceans absorb heat, causing the water to expand in volume. Using climate models, the researchers projected that even 100 years after methane emissions cease, 75 percent of the thermal expansion from the methane would still be present, with 40 percent of thermal expansion persisting after 500 years. The process of "overturning circulation" can take hundreds of years to circulate heat from the atmosphere, through the ocean, and back into the air, thus prolonging the effects of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The study states, “A scenario that reduces atmospheric temperature cannot be assumed to simultaneously eliminate future sea-level rise, due to the time scales associated with release of stored energy in the ocean.”
Washington Post
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Editor: Brian La Shier
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