Climate Change News - January 7, 2013

Tennessee Senators Block Reappointment of Energy and Climate Policy Professor to TVA Board

On January 1, the Senate unanimously confirmed four new members to the nine member board of directors that oversees the country’s largest public utility, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). However, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Bob Corker (R-TN) would not allow one Presidential nomination to be brought to a confirmation vote. The nomination of Dr. Marilyn Brown, a two-year TVA board veteran, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for co-authorship of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fourth report, distinguished visiting scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a professor of energy and climate policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was rejected by the Tennessee Senators. The Senators said in a joint statement, “We respect her professional credentials, but we encourage the President to send another nominee with credentials better suited to the TVA board.” In response, Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said, “Dr. Marilyn Brown has one of the best credential sets of any of the board members. She teaches at one of the country's premier engineering schools. She clearly has the technical background, and she's been a big supporter of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Senators need to define what credentials they want that she doesn't have.”

For additional information see: Chattanooga Times Free Press , Bloomberg Businessweek

Retiring Republican Chair of House Rules Committee Calls Climate Action a Priority

In his Congressional farewell speech on January 1, the retiring Chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), emphasized the importance of climate action. After stressing the importance of bipartisan agreements such as the just concluded ‘fiscal cliff’ deal, Rep. Dreier said, “Climate change is a fact of life.” And he included it among “the great challenges to which we all must rise, for which we all must find real solutions.”

For additional information see: Congressional Record (see H7535) , C-SPAN Video

California Receives Federal Waiver on Vehicle Emission Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption on December 27 allowing California to move forward with vehicle standards set by the state’s Advanced Clean Cars Program. The regulations for cars and light-duty trucks include stricter emissions limits for greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxide, and particulates, as well as higher standards for engine durability. The rules, set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in January 2012, phase in the vehicle requirements between model years 2015-2025. The standards are in many ways similar to those finalized by the federal government in August 2012, and California will permit auto manufacturers to demonstrate state compliance in some areas by meeting federal standards. The federal waiver also authorizes California’s plan to strengthen its zero-emission vehicle program. In a statement, CARB Chair Mary Nichols said, “This decision by the federal government recognizes California's important role under the Clean Air Act to set the toughest vehicle emissions standards in the nation.” Other states are permitted to adopt California vehicle standards, which Rhode Island recently elected to do.

For additional information see: Bloomberg BNA , EPA Waiver Decision

New York to Increase Energy Efficiency of State Buildings

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an Executive Order on December 28 directing state agencies to increase the efficiency of their buildings 20 percent by 2020 to save money, create jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The New York Power Authority will provide $450 million in low-cost financing to help achieve the goal. In his statement, Gov. Cuomo said, “Improving energy efficiency in our buildings is a smart investment in our present and future. Through Build Smart NY, state government can produce significant savings for New York taxpayers and generate thousands of jobs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than eight million metric tons – which is the same as taking one million cars off the road for one year. Furthermore, most of the projects will pay for themselves as their energy savings will cover their costs, making this initiative a financial and environmental win-win for New Yorkers.”

For additional information see: CBS New York , Press Release

Gov. O’Malley Orders Maryland Agencies to Consider Sea Level Rise in Building Placement

On December 28, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley issued an Executive Order that directs state agencies to consider climate-driven sea level rise and flooding when planning future construction. The order calls for avoiding placement of new buildings in low-lying areas or to elevate them to mitigate future risk. Gov. O’Malley said, “Billions of dollars of investments in public infrastructure will be threatened if the state of Maryland fails to prepare adequately for climate change.”

For additional information see: Baltimore Sun

Kyoto Protocol’s Second Commitment Period Began Jan. 1, 2013

On December 31, the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period concluded, ending a 15-year initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “We hoped that we would be able to reduce greenhouse gases substantially, but that it was a first step,” explained Christine Stewart, the acting environment minister for Canada during the 1997 negotiations. The protocol, an initiative for industrialized countries to make binding commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and set a precedent for developing countries, did not enter into force until 2005. Steven Guilbeault, co-founder of environmental non-profit Equiterre, said, “At the time we didn't realize how complicated it would be to get the Kyoto Protocol ratified and for it to enter into force internationally.” Though global carbon emissions have increased by almost 50 percent since 1990, the 37 nations that agreed to the Protocol have successfully reduced their emissions by an average of 16 percent below 1990 levels. A second compliance period of the Kyoto Protocol, including the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Australia and Ukraine, began January 1, 2013 and continues until 2020 (see December 17 issue).

For additional information see: New Scientist , CBC News

Post-Sandy, Rebuilding Quickly Versus Rebuilding Resiliently

As residents start reconstruction in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, federal, state and local governments, academics and environmentalists are considering how rebuilding can provide greater resilience to future extreme weather. As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently said, “We are not going to abandon the waterfront. We are not going to leave the Rockaways or Coney Island or Staten Island’s South Shore. But we can’t just rebuild what was there and hope for the best. We have to build smarter and stronger and more sustainably.” But the issue lies in the balance between the need to rebuild quickly to return as close to normal as possible and the desire to get it right to avoid future damages. According to Michael Byrne, Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinating officer for New York, “It really comes down to: would you rather have a quick decision without buy-in, or give it the time and run the risk that there’s going to be people who go ahead and rebuild?” At the same time, utilities are beginning to reconsider their cost-benefit analysis related to rebuilding key infrastructure after a number of extreme weather events. Philip Jones, president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, said, “We need to think now of not just restoring the grid, but how to make it more survivable. [. . .] I think most commissioners are coming around to that.”

For additional information see: New York Times – Article 1 , New York Times – Article 2

Arctic Ocean Absorbing More Solar Energy Than Previously Thought

After record-low sea ice levels in the Arctic in 2012, a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that the ocean underneath the ice cap is absorbing sunlight at a higher rate than previously thought. Greater sun absorption leads to warmer water temperatures, which in turn speed the rate of ice melt. Using a drone submarine, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany and the University of Colorado measured sunlight penetration underneath the Arctic ice cap. The study found that water below newly-formed ice (formed in the past year) absorbs 50 percent more solar energy than water below older ice. This first-of-its-kind study points to yet another positive feedback loop accelerating Arctic ice melt, as warmer temperatures will lead to more first-year ice as a percentage of overall ice coverage.

For additional information see: New York Times

New Study Finds Methane Leaks of Up to Nine Percent at Fracking Sites

At an American Geophysical Union conference in December 2012, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado in Boulder reported that up to four percent of methane produced at a Colorado natural gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking) site is leaking into the atmosphere. The report also concluded that at a Utah fracking site, nine percent of methane produced at the site was escaping through venting and leaks into the atmosphere. The scientists used ground equipment as well as an aircraft to measure atmospheric pollutants, and used atmospheric modeling to compare local emissions with industry data on methane levels. Methane is a 20-times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 100 year timeframe.

For additional information see: Nature , Report