Climate Change News - January 4, 2010

Global Temperatures Could Rise More than Expected

In the December 20 issue of Nature Geoscience, researchers looking at long-term climate models found that the current increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) could lead to global temperatures higher than previously expected. The scientists from Yale University used sediment drilled from the ocean floor to reconstruct CO2 concentrations in the mid- and early-Pliocene era and found that "a relatively small rise in CO2 levels was associated with substantial global warming 4.5 million years ago." The team also found that the global temperature was between 3.6 and 5.4°F higher than today, though CO2 levels were similar to current levels. “This work and other ancient climate reconstructions reveal that Earth's climate is more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide than is discussed in political circles," said lead author Mark Pagani. "Since there is no indication that the future will behave differently than the past, we should expect a couple of degrees of continued warming even if we held CO2 concentrations at the current level."

For additional information see: Science Daily , AFP , The Examiner , Times of India

Poll Shows Americans' Strong Support for Action against Global Warming

On December 23, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) released a poll which found that more than 80 percent of Americans polled support action to limit carbon pollution and transition to a low carbon economy. The poll was conducted December 12 through 15 and included 1,000 registered voters across the United States. Eighty-two percent of those polled support having the U.S. government increase investments in clean energy sources, and 67 percent of those polled support having the government limit carbon and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global warming. “The American people can't be more clear when it comes to solving global warming: they want the U.S. to be Rudolph out in front of the sleigh, leading the world toward a clean energy future,” said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president of NWF. “There is overwhelming public support for the Senate to pass legislation with firm limits on carbon pollution that will stimulate massive new investments in clean energy technologies.” The majority of respondents believe that global warming is happening, with 91 percent of Democrats, 64 percent of independents, and 43 percent of Republicans stating they believe it is happening.

For additional information see: NWF Press Release , Dayton Daily News

EPA Endangerment Finding Challenged by Beef Group, House Republicans

On December 23, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association filed a petition in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent finding that greenhouse gases (GHGs) pose a danger to public health and welfare. The group claimed EPA’s finding is not based on scientific analysis, “yet it would trigger a cascade of future greenhouse gas regulations with sweeping impacts across the entire U.S. economy,” said Tamara Thies, chief environmental counsel. Thies argued that regulations could potentially hurt U.S. livestock farms, which emit carbon dioxide (CO2) from machinery and trucks and methane, another potent GHG, from cattle waste. “This unilateral move by the EPA jeopardizes our ability to remain competitive in the global marketplace," Thies said. The recent endangerment finding paves the way for EPA to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air Act, should Congress not produce legislation to address climate change. While moving forward with action under the Clean Air Act, the Obama administration has indicated that it supports Congressional action over EPA regulations.

On the same day, the Southeastern Legal Foundation (SFL) filed a petition, with the support of nine Republican members of the House of Representatives, calling on the EPA to reconsider its endangerment finding. The plaintiffs argued that emails from climate scientists recently illegally-hacked from servers at East Anglia University call into question evidence of human-caused climate change. They say reconsideration is warranted since the emails
emerged since the closing of the public comment period of the EPA finding. “The scientific basis for the EPA endangerment finding is flawed, based on questionable and potentially fraudulent data, and certainly does not rise to the level of certainty necessary to upend the American economy, toss millions out of work, and which promises little or no climate change benefit over the next half-century,” said Shannon Goessling, the SFL’s executive director and chief legal counsel. “Using the Clean Air Act as a weapon and a shield does not justify the bigger agenda of command-and-control." The Congressional plaintiffs include Rep. John Linder (R-GA), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), Rep. Steve King (R-IA), and Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA).

For additional information see: Reuters , Farm and Dairy , Atlanta Business Chronicle , Southeastern Legal Foundation Press Release

Louisiana State Government Mounts Campaign Against EPA Decision

On December 28, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) and the secretaries of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and Louisiana Economic Development wrote letters to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson asking that the agency reconsider its recent step towards regulating greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act. The letters follow two prior ones sent earlier this month by the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, all of which protest the potential economic impacts the regulations may have on Louisiana and support addressing GHGs through legislation. “Any consideration of such a comprehensive regulatory scheme belongs in a thoroughly vetted legislative process,” Jindal wrote. “There is no doubt that this change will certainly have profound negative economic impacts on the state of Louisiana, as well as the entire country.”

In response to the letters, the EPA said it was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether greenhouse gases present a danger to public health and is bound to act. "For EPA to have answered it (the endangerment question) any other way than in the affirmative would have been to deny, with no basis whatsoever, a fact that is recognized by overwhelming scientific consensus and that is increasingly playing out before our very eyes," the agency responded.

For additional information see: The Times-Picayune , Houma Couriert

Scientists Map Speed of Climate Change for Different Ecosystems

In the December 24 issue of Nature, researchers calculated the average rate at which ecosystems must shift geographically to keep pace with changing temperatures as a result of global warming. The team of scientists has measured the average rate that ecosystems must shift to be 0.42 kilometers per year. Nearly one-third of ecosystems face will temperature increases faster than the highest possible migration rates for the plants that live in these areas. Overall, the study found that the expected increase in temperatures in most areas of the world will rise at a faster rate than the ability of wildlife to adapt, leading to mass extinction of many species. Protected areas, such as nature preserves, were found to be generally too small to cope with the predicted change. "When we look at residence time for protected areas, which we define as the amount of time it will take current climate conditions to move across and out of a given protected area, only 8 per cent of our current protected areas have a residence time of more than 100 years," said Dr. Healy Hamilton of the California Academy of Sciences.

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

NASA Study: Lakes Warming More Quickly

On December 17, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced findings from a recent study that found that lakes’ water temperature has risen, on average, twice as fast as regional air temperatures. The study compiled satellite readings from six large lakes in California and Nevada (Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Pyramid Lake, Walker Lake, Lake Almanor, and Clear Lake) over the past 18 years. The results indicated that between 1992 and 2008, the average nighttime temperatures of these lakes during the months of July, August and September increased at an average rate of 0.2°F per year. "It was a big surprise to see that," said Philipp Schneider, the study's lead author and a post-doctoral research scientist at the NASA lab. "If it turns out they're actually changing faster than the air temperature, then there's a whole new phenomenon going on here. The lake ecosystems are going to be very much affected, especially because the trend we observed seems to be quite rapid." Schneider said more research, such as comparing water temperature with local air temperature changes at each lake, is needed before the observed lake warming can be attributed directly to climate change.

For additional information see: Sacramento Bee , UPI , NASA Press Release

Ocean Noise Pollution Increases with Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In the December 20 issue of Nature Geoscience, a study found that sound absorption in ocean water may decrease by up to 70 percent by the end of this century. The report noted that as the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, it becomes more acidic and in turn, more transparent to low-frequency sound. Humans rely on low-frequency sound for applications in the naval, commercial, and scientific fields due to its ability to travel long distances. Marine mammals also rely on low-frequency sound to find food and mates. The scientists who published the study said further research is needed to further understand how this could affect marine and human activities in the ocean. "We don't fully understand what the impacts of these changes in ocean acoustics will be," said Tatiana Ilyina, co-author and oceanographer at the Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii. "Because of decreasing sound absorption, underwater sound could travel farther, and this could lead to growing noise levels in the oceans. Increasing transparency of the oceans to low-frequency sounds could also enable marine mammals to communicate over longer distances."

For additional information see: Science Daily , Honolulu Star-Bulletin , AFP , Xinhua

Reinsurer Sees Climate-related Losses Mounting

On December 29, German reinsurer Munich Re released its annual survey of natural catastrophes and warned that weather-related catastrophes continue to rise, reaching 850 events in 2009, compared to the ten-year average of 770 events. Torsten Jeworrek, a Munich Re board member, said the number of weather-related catastrophes had “more or less” tripled since 1950, causing about $1,600 billion in economic losses since 1980. “Climate change probably already accounts for a significant share [of the sum],” Jeworrek said. In 2009, weather accounted for 45 percent of the 22 billion in claims due to natural catastrophe, according to Munich Re. As part of its report, the reinsurer also called for a global agreement to address climate change. "We need as soon as possible an agreement that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions because the climate reacts slowly and what we fail to do now will have a bearing for decades to come," Jeworrek added.

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal , Financial Times , AFP

French Court Rejects Planned Carbon Tax

On December 29, the French Constitutional Court rejected a national carbon tax supported by French President Nicholas Sarkozy that was set to go into effect January 1, 2010. The tax on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions would have imposed a levy on oil, gas and coal use amounting to 17 euros per ton of CO2 and was expected to raise 1.5 billion euros ($2.15 billion) in 2010. The court ruled that the tax had too many exemptions for major polluters and would disproportionately affect a small number of consumers. Shortly after the court’s decision, the French Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced that a new bill on the carbon tax would be submitted to its cabinet in January. "France has shown that it is a leader in the fight against climate change, and it will remain at the forefront by presenting new legislation on January 20," said government spokesman Luc Chatel.

For additional information see: New York Times , Reuters , AFP

Brazil to Make 2020 Carbon Emission Targets Legally Binding

On December 29, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law requiring the country to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions roughly 39 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The target was announced earlier by Brazil at the climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December as a "voluntary commitment" to reduce CO2 emissions by between 36.1 and 38.9 percent in the next ten years. The new law is subject to several decrees setting out responsibilities and regulations for the farming, industrial, energy and environmental sectors. Lula is expected to sign the decrees in January after consulting scientists and other experts, officials said. "We will fully comply with the targets. It doesn't matter that Copenhagen didn't go as well as we had hoped," Environment Minister Carlos Minc said after meeting with the Brazilian president.

For additional information see: Reuters , AFP

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 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.