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July 28, 2014
Obama Says Washington State Wildfires are Due to Climate Change
On July 23, President Obama attributed the recent wildfires in the state of Washington, along with similar events in the American West, to climate change. The Carlton Complex wildfire is the largest in Washington state’s history. By July 24, nearly 400 square miles of forest in the north-central region of the state had burned, 150 homes were destroyed, and only half of the fire was contained. Obama stated, “A lot of it has to do with drought, a lot of it has to do with changing precipitation patterns and a lot of that has to do with climate change.” The President has asked Congress for $615 million in emergency spending to combat wildfires in the West, which Governor Jay Inslee of Washington says “will significantly help our efforts to restore power to thousands of people affected by these fires.”
In related news, a July 23 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that climate change is contributing to the increased cost of Western wildfires. Hotter and drier conditions have led to both larger wildfires and a wildfire season that has grown from an average of five months in the 1970s to seven months today. In addition to the increased size of wildfires and duration of their season, the cost of suppressing a wildfire has increased by close to four times since 1985. The report notes that the long-term impacts of wildfires, such as damage to property, infrastructure, local economies, and watersheds, can cost “anywhere from two to 30 times the direct suppression.” Significant development near western wildlands has put more than 1.2 million homes across 13 states (an estimated combined value of $189 billion) at high or very high risk of wildfires. The scientists point out that management disproportionately favors suppression efforts at the expense of proactively reducing wildfire risks and maintaining healthy forests.
For more information see:
EcoWatch, Huffington Post, Report
Pentagon Official Says Climate Change Affects All Operations
On July 22, Dr. Daniel Chiu, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development at the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), said climate change is affecting all national defense operations. Along with other officials from U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, Dr. Chiu testified in a hearing held by the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the national security implications of international energy and climate policies. In his testimony, Dr. Chiu said, "The effects of the changing climate affect the full range of Department activities, including plans, operations, training, infrastructure, acquisition, and longer-term investments.” He added that he believed more government efforts are required on this issue. He added, “By taking a proactive, flexible approach to assessment, analysis, and adaptation, the Department can keep pace with the impacts of changing climate patterns, minimize effects on the Department, and continue to protect our national security interests.” Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member on the subcommittee, doubted that climate change must be considered as a key issue in U.S. national security and foreign policy. He said the $7.5 billion spent on the Obama administration’s international climate change programs from 2010 to 2012 should instead have funded military and counterterrorism actions in the Middle East or Eastern Europe. He said, "Folks in my home state of Wyoming would call this spending wasteful and irresponsible at best, especially as our friends and allies struggle with violent, deadly crises that have real implications for our security.”
The Hill, The Hearing
Climate and Clean Air Coalition Promotes Short-Lived Climate Pollutants for UN Climate Summit
From July 16 to 17, the working group of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) met in Paris. During the event, State and non-State partners agreed to promote the importance of cutting short-lived pollutants at United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s Climate Summit in September. The Climate Summit is intended to catalyze more ambitious climate mitigation commitments from heads of State. The CCAC plans to outline a proposed phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) using the Montreal Protocol, with the goal of reaching an agreement among key Montreal Protocol parties for negotiating an HFC phasedown prior to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in December 2015. HFCs are greenhouse gases which are hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and are commonly used as refrigerants or foam-blowing agents. The CCAC will also propose additional HFC action, including the public procurement of non-greenhouse gas alternatives, emissions reductions within the cold food chain, and refrigerant management. In addition, the CCAC will be supporting a global partnership aimed at reducing short-lived climate pollutants through harmonizing and scaling up global green freight programs; a pilot auction facility for methane and climate change mitigation; a voluntary initiative to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector; and an initiative to reduce emissions from municipal solid waste. During the Paris meeting, the CCAC welcomed the International Network for Environmental Compliance & Enforcement and the World Meteorological Organization as new member organizations, bringing the CCAC partner membership to 93.
IISD Summary of the CCAC WG Meeting, CCAC
Montreal Protocol Closing In On Inevitable HFC Phase Down
From July 11 - 12 in Paris, a workshop on hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) management took place, followed by the mid-year meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held July 14 - 18. The workshop on HFC management focused on the range of substitutes for the current high Global Warming Potential (GWP) HFCs, which are used as refrigerants in air conditioners, refrigerators, and other equipment, as well as to make insulating foams. The central discussion at the OEWG was how to stop the growth of HFCs, which are currently the fastest growing climate pollutants in the United States, China, and many other countries. The parties agreed to launch a discussion group after some Gulf States objected to setting up a formal contact group to negotiate the details of the HFC phase down, in part because they fear air conditioners may not work as well with the new substitutes. The parties also discussed how much funding developed country parties should provide for the three-year replenishment of the Montreal Protocol’s dedicated funding mechanism. The last replenishment was $450 million over three years to pay incremental costs for developing countries to start phasing down hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), with a 25 percent bonus for avoiding high GWP HFCs. The parties will continue negotiations at the Montreal Protocol’s Meeting of the Parties in November in Paris. “The HFC phase down is now inevitable,” said Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, who was a presenter at the HFC seminar. “It will avoid 0.5 degrees Celsius of warming, and is seen by most States as an essential near-term complement to a strong UNFCCC treaty that by its terms will not take effect until 2020.”
For more information:
UNEP 34th OEWG Draft Report, IISD Summary of the 34th OEWG, IGSD, RTCC, NDRC
NHL Working to Reduce Climate Change
On July 21, the National Hockey League (NHL) released its first 2014 NHL Sustainability Report, which evaluates the carbon footprint of NHL activities and explores strategies to increase the league’s sustainability. The sport of hockey is particularly impacted by climate change impacts, such as increasing average world temperatures and fresh water scarcity. According to the report, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the league and its clubs in the 2012-2013 season were approximately 408 metric tons per game, which combines to a seasonal total of 380,342 metric tons of CO2 emissions overall. In addition to evaluating CO2 emissions, NHL aims to cut emissions by installing more efficient lighting and equipment, and for some venues, deploying on-site solar power and other renewable energy sources. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in the report that he believes the league has a responsibility for the way they conduct their business, adding, “This effort is not only the right thing to do for the environment, but is also a core strategy for the long-term success of our League.” The Sustainability Report is the product of the NHL’s Green initiative, developed in 2010 with help from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The NHL asked NRDC to review the process by which they collected and analyzed data for the report, to ensure its accuracy. Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, NRDC, commended the report, “No league has ever produced an environmental report that is so thoughtfully crafted, honest about its limits and emphatic about the urgent need to protect our planet.”
NHL, Politico
ACEEE Report Shows U.S. Bottom of World Rankings for Energy Efficiency
On July 17, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) published the “2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard.” The report concluded that the United States, with a score of 42 out of 100 on energy efficiency, ranked 13th on energy efficiency out of 16 countries, behind China and India. "The United States, long considered an innovative and competitive world leader, has progressed slowly and has made limited progress since our last report (in 2012), even as Germany, Italy, China, and other nations surge ahead," said Steven Nadel, ACEEE’s executive director. The report gave Germany the top score of 65, while noting that China leads the world in energy efficient buildings and Italy has the world’s best transportation sector efficiency. “Countries can preserve their resources, address global warming, stabilize their economies, and reduce the costs of their economic outputs by using energy more efficiently,” the report states. Nate Aden, research fellow at the World Resources Institute, commented, “There is a growing realization that energy efficiency is the lowest-cost energy and greenhouse gas emission option. This is especially important for developing countries that are trying to address energy access while also addressing climate change.” Rachel Young, an ACEEE research analyst, suggested the United States should “implement a national ‘energy savings’ target, strengthen national model building codes, support education and training in the industrial sector, and prioritize energy efficiency in transportation.”
IPS News, Inside Climate News, USA Today, Report
NOAA’s State of the Climate 2013 Report
On July 17, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published the “State of the Climate Report 2013” in the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Bulletin, revealing that indicators of climate change increased during 2013. The report was written by 425 scientists from 57 different countries. The report contains detailed accounts of the conditions experienced regionally, as well as the broader climate conditions and trends that were seen in 2013. The report shows that carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, sea level and global temperatures are continuing to rise, while the concentration of sea ice in the Arctic continued to be low. The report also noted that the extreme weather incidence was slightly above average for the world in 2013, with 94 storms, including Super Typhoon Haiyan, which set the all-time record for the highest wind speed ever recorded from a tropical cyclone. "These findings reinforce what scientists for decades have observed: that our planet is becoming a warmer place,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan. “This report provides the foundational information we need to develop tools and services for communities, business, and nations to prepare for, and build resilience to, the impacts of climate change.”
NOAA, American Meteorological Society, The Hill
NOAA Releases Data Showing Last Month Was Warmest June Since Records Began
On July 21, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a report on average global temperature in June 2014, showing that this was the warmest June on record since 1880. NOAA previously reported that May was the hottest May on record. These conclusions are in agreement with a Japan Meteorological Agency finding, released last week, that May and June were the hottest on record since 1891 (see Climate Change News July 21). Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist with NOAA’s National Climate Data Center, explained, “The warmth was fueled by record warm ocean temperatures.” The NOAA report showed that although the global land temperature of last month ranked seventh highest on record, the global ocean temperature was the highest on record, 1.15 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average global ocean temperature for the month of June. NOAA also pointed out that the ocean temperature is rising although there has not yet been a declaration of El Nino conditions, which raise ocean temperatures. In addition, NOAA stated the global temperature of the last 38 consecutive Junes, as well as the last 352 consecutive months, were all above the 20th century average.
USA Today, Washington Post, NOAA Report
Georgetown Climate Center Report Highlights Climate Adaptation Efforts
On July 18, the Georgetown Climate Center released a report, “Preparing for Climate Change: Lessons from the Front Lines,” which details the lessons Georgetown staff have learned by advising different levels of government on the actions they can take to combat climate change. The report stresses the importance of cooperation between local, state and federal jurisdictions in the planning and implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The authors found that adaptation plans are more successful when they align action that protects a community or state from climate damage with existing policies and plans. The report also discusses how destructive natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina and Sandy, are often catalysts for climate change action. People are more likely to make changes and implement action plans when they witness how climate change can destroy their homes and communities. Those towns and states with climate adaptation plans in place before disasters hit are more resilient and quicker to rebuild.
Georgetown Climate Center, Kresge Foundation
Commercial Buildings in Chicago Cut 28,000 Metric Tons of Carbon and Save $2.5 Million
On July 18, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported that in the last two years, Chicago has eliminated 28,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and saved $2.5 million in annual energy costs. The report details the preliminary results of the Retrofit Chicago Commercial Buildings Initiative, a five-year plan to reduce energy consumption by making the city's buildings energy efficient. Over the past two years, buildings in the program received improvements like energy efficient lighting, motion sensor-controlled heating and cooling systems, revamped ventilation, and improvements to tenants’ office space efficiency. When the program was started in 2012, only 14 buildings were enrolled. As of June 2014, the program includes 48 Chicago buildings and spans over 37 million square feet. The buildings range from three to 125 years old and include some of the city's most famous office towers. The NRDC's report shows a seven percent decline in the city's energy use since 2012, which is equivalent to removing 5,800 cars from the road for one year. Henry Henderson, director of the NRDC's Midwest program, said, "By squeezing waste out of the energy system, we're squeezing pollution and carbon from the air, in addition to making Chicago much more innovative, much more competitive and better working."
Environmental Leader, Progress Illinois, Chicago Tribune, Report
TV Shows Increasing Media Coverage of Climate Change
On July 21, a Media Matters analysis found that Sunday television shows have covered the topic of climate change more in the first half of 2014 than the last four years combined. Climate change-related events have been attracting more attention in the wake of published reports by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA) which warn that the effects of climate change are already being felt around the world, and are largely deleterious. Media Matters analyzed coverage between January 1 and June 30 on four Sunday morning talk shows and three nightly news programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News channels, keeping track of any substantial mentions or segments on the topic of climate change or global warming. In response to low coverage in 2013, nine U.S. senators wrote to the executives of ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, expressing concern over the lack of focus on climate change, “the most serious environmental crisis facing our planet.” According to the analysis, the increase in media coverage is significant because “Sunday shows often have an impact on news coverage in other media throughout the week.”
Huffington Post, Report
Beef Emits Five Times More Greenhouse Gas than Other Meats
On July 21, a study on the environmental impacts of livestock production was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study found that the environmental burden of beef production is ten times higher – requiring 28 times more land, 11 times more water, 5 times more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and 6 times more reactive nitrogen (Nr) – than other livestock categories. Compared to agricultural products such as wheat, rice and potatoes, beef production’s greenhouse gas emissions are even higher, releasing 11 times more GHGs. While beef has been generally recognized as a high carbon emitter for a long time, this study is the first to quantitatively compare the relative impacts of the livestock industry. Cows are not efficient at converting feed to protein. “Only a minute fraction of the food consumed by cattle goes into the bloodstream, so the bulk of the energy is lost,” said Gido Eshel lead author of the study. Eshel proposed the “remov[al of] the artificial support given to the livestock industry. . . In that way you are having less government intervention in people’s diet and not more.” Eshel concluded, “The biggest intervention people could make towards reducing their carbon footprints would not be to abandon cars, but to eat significantly less red meat.”
SF Gate, BBC, The Guardian, Study
Headlines
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1. President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping Plan to Attend UN Climate Summit
2. Ignoring Climate Change Has Drastic Consequences for U.S. Economy (Op-Ed)
3. China and India Actions on Climate Change Propelling World Forward
4. Indonesian Presidential Election Has Big Implications for Climate
5. Anthropologist Studies Climate Change in Alaskan Tribe
6. Big Businesses Falling Short of Sustainability Goals
Events
1. 17th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum
Thursday, July 31, 2014 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Cannon House Office Building - Caucus Room 345 (Policy Forum in Room 334) - Independence Ave SE & 1st St, SE, Washington DC
The 17th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum will bring together more than 30 businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, and government agencies to showcase the status and growth patterns of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The House Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucus and the Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucus are honorary co-hosts of the Expo. The Expo is being held in partnership with the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), theHigher Performance Buildings Caucus, the Energy Savings Performance Contracts Caucus, and theHydrogen and Fuel Cells Caucus.
2. Hearing: "Examining the Threats Posed by Climate Change,” Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Tuesday, July 29, 2014 2:30 pm EPW Hearing Room - 406 Dirksen
Witnesses will include: Mr. Carl G. Hedde CPCU, Head of Risk Accumulation, Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.; The Honorable Kristin Jacobs, Commissioner, Broward County, FL; Mr. Bill Mook, President, Mook Sea Farm; Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, Ph.D. and Adjunct Professor, Copenhagen Consensus Center, Copenhagen Business School; and Mr. Raymond J. Keating, Chief Economist, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
Advancing science-based climate solutions
Top-Rated Climate Nonprofit – 4-Star Charity