Climate Change News - June 20, 2016 | Newsletter

Southwest Hit By “Rare, Dangerous, and Deadly” Heat Event

Areas of the U.S. Southwest dealt with record-setting temperatures this weekend, with the National Weather Service forecasting that temperatures could reach in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona was expecting temperatures in excess of 115 and up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend and into early this week, with the National Weather Service labelling the heat event as “rare, dangerous, and deadly” in certain locations (magenta-colored on the above map). Image courtesy of the National Weather Service - Phoenix.

EPA Proposes Additional Details for Clean Energy Incentive Program

On June 16, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released additional aspects of the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP) and invited additional public comment. The CEIP is a voluntary program available to states and tribes under the Clean Power Plan (CPP), the Administration’s plan to cut power sector emissions by 32 percent. CEIP provides ‘early action’ credits to incentivize states and tribal governments to quickly install zero-emissions renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, as well as provide energy efficiency programs in low-income communities. Although states are not required to continue CPP compliance during the Supreme Court’s stay on the plan, many states are continuing to engage in planning for the CPP. According to EPA, the CEIP proposal “will provide states [and tribes] with additional clarity, which will help them make timely decisions regarding options for plan development when the stay is lifted.”

For more information see:

EPA Press Release, PowerMag, CEIP

House GOP Policy Platform Seeks to Roll Back Climate Change Regulations

On June 14, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) released a 57-page GOP policy paper that proposes to scale back or eliminate various federal regulations on the environment and other issues. The proposal, dubbed “The Economy,” was the third in Ryan’s six-part agenda being slowly rolled out in the run-up to the GOP Convention in July. In addition to eliminating the Clean Power Plan and all climate change-oriented regulations stemming from the Clean Air Act, Ryan’s policy proposal would aim to increase both offshore drilling efforts and resource extraction projects on public lands. Announcing the plan, Speaker Ryan argued that “new and existing federal regulations can be modernized to inflict far less economic pain.” In rebuttal, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) said, “Economic studies have shown that regulations help our economy, not burden it … regulations ensure better working conditions, a cleaner environment, and safer and more innovative products.”

For more information see:

The Washington Post, Associated Press, GOP Policy Paper

California and New York House Democrats Support State Investigations into ExxonMobil

On June 9, a group of 19 House Democrats representing California sent a letter to California Attorney General Kamala Harris, expressing support for her investigation into ExxonMobil’s past disclosures related to climate change. The next day, 16 House Democrats from New York sent a letter to House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), criticizing the committee’s inquiries into the 17 state attorneys general who are investigating ExxonMobil, New York and California included. The New York delegation’s letter says, “Congressional interference with legitimate state law enforcement investigations is particularly alarming and inappropriate in this case.” The ongoing state investigations seek to discover whether or not ExxonMobil knew about fossil fuels’ accelerating effect on climate change but publicly supported initiatives that advocated otherwise. In their letter, the California Representatives said that “[the First Amendment] … does not protect companies from defrauding the American people or improperly disclosing information to their shareholders.”

For more information see:

The Hill, Los Angeles Times, Times Union, Reuters

Lawmakers, Scientists Ask Administration to Halt Expansion of Arctic Drilling

On June 15, 87 members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell to halt the Administration’s consideration of new oil drilling leases in the Arctic Ocean. The group, led by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), included a lone Republican, Rep. Robert Dold (R-IA). According to the group of lawmakers, “the Arctic Ocean should be permanently protected from oil drilling, not used to drill for more fossil fuels that we will not need – and must not burn – if we are serious about powering our future with clean energy.” On the same day, nearly 400 climate and marine scientists from 13 countries, including 25 current or retired professors from the University of Alaska, sent a similar letter to President Obama, calling for a halt to oil and gas leasing in the region. Former National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administrator Jane Lubcheno, who joined the letter, commented that “conserving important marine areas is an essential step in sustaining the region’s resilience.”

For more information see:

The Guardian, Alaska Wilderness League, International Business Times

Scotland Exceeds Climate Goals Ahead of Schedule

On June 14, Scotland government officials announced that the nation exceeded its 2020 greenhouse gas emission goals in the year 2014. Scotland set targets in 2009 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 42 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050. Scotland emitted 41.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2014 emission levels, 45.8 percent below 1990 levels. Roseanna Cunningham, Scotland’s Climate Change Secretary, said some of the reduction in emissions could be from Scots using less heat during the winter months. Cunningham states, “This underlines that small individual actions, if repeated on a large scale, can have a big impact in tackling climate change.” Stop Climate Chaos Scotland spokesman Jim Densham offered a slightly different explanation. “This target has been met because of the loss of heavy industry, warmer winter weather, our changing share of European emissions credits and some government policies,” said Densham. Scottish government officials plan on proposing more ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals in the next few months.

For more information see:

The Herald Scotland, The Guardian

Norwegian Parliament Passes Measure to Become Carbon Neutral by 2030

On June 14, Norway’s Parliament narrowly passed a measure for the country to become carbon neutral by 2030, a full 20 years ahead of schedule. The bulk of Norway’s emissions cuts will come from participation in the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme, as the country will continue to rely on its robust oil and gas sectors. According to Rasmus Hansson, the parliamentary leader of Norway’s Green Party, “this [resolution] is a direct response to the commitments Norway took on by ratifying the Paris agreement and means that we will have to step up our climate action dramatically.” Skeptics of the measure say that the plan is vague on specific emissions reductions methods and heavy relies on foreign carbon offsets. Vidar Helgesen, Norway’s climate minister, summed up the minority government’s opposition to the proposal, stating that reduction “methods parliament is pointing to are currently not available”.

For more information see:

The Guardian, ThinkProgress

Australian Prime Minister Proposes $740 Million for the Great Barrier Reef

On June 12, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced plans for an AU$1 billion (US$740 million), 10-year conservation initiative to combat the effects of climate change and poor water quality on the Great Barrier Reef. The proposal includes funding for coastal water treatment facilities, clean energy projects, and efforts to reduce pollution runoff. Turnbull said that the “reef fund builds on the Coalition’s existing policies, including the landmark reef 2050 long-term sustainability plan. Improving water quality will enhance the reef’s resilience to climate change, coral bleaching and outbreaks of the destructive crown of thorns starfish.” The prime minister announced the plan as part of his Coalition government’s platform ahead of the July 2 election. The funding would come from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s existing $10 billion account and would be distributed over the next 10 years.

For more information see:

The Business Times, The Guardian

Bankruptcy Filings Reveal Peabody Energy’s Support for Climate Skeptics

On June 13, The Guardian reported that Peabody Energy, the largest coal mining corporation in the United States, has donated to dozens of interest groups and scientists that deny climate change and lobby against environmental regulation. The information, which does not include funding amounts, comes from disclosures the company was required to make after filing for bankruptcy protection in April. Nick Surgey, the director of research for the Center for Media and Democracy, commented, “The breadth of the groups with financial ties to Peabody is extraordinary. Think tanks, litigation groups, climate scientists, political organizations, dozens of organizations blocking action on climate all receiving funding from the coal industry.” Peabody Energy’s bankruptcy proceedings are ongoing and additional financial disclosures are still be released, potentially bringing more funding activities to light.

For more information see:

The Guardian , The Hill

Last Month Was the Hottest May Ever, as Year of Record Global Heat Continues

According to NASA data released on June 13, this year had the hottest May temperatures on record. The month was 1.67 degrees F warmer than the 1951-1980 baseline for the month. Every month so far in 2016 has set a heat record. David Carlson, the director of the United Nations World Climate Research Program, commented, “Exceptionally high temperatures. Ice melt rates in March and May that we don’t normally see until July. Once-in-a-generation rainfall events. The super El Niño is only partly to blame. Abnormal is the new normal.”

In related news, researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) discussed a study modeling global summer temperatures in coming decades. The NCAR study found an 80 percent probability that any summer between 2061 and 2080 will be warmer than the hottest currently on record, assuming carbon emissions continue unabated. Even with significant emissions cuts, the study forecasts that certain regions will not benefit from a lower heat risk, including the eastern United States and many tropical regions. The study will soon be included in a special issue of the journal Climate Change.

For more information see:

Climate Central , ScienceDaily, The Hill

El Niño Drives Unprecedented Increases in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

A study published in Nature Climate Change on June 13 found that the recent El Niño event caused a spike in global carbon emissions, leading to a record increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. As a result, CO2 concentrations will remain above 400 parts per million (ppm) all year, a first for the industrial era. Lead study author Richard Betts of the UK Met Office Hadley Centre adds, “Once you have passed that barrier, it takes a long time for CO2 to be removed from the atmosphere by natural processes, even if we cut emissions, we wouldn’t see concentrations coming down for a long time.” CO2 concentrations reached a record 407 ppm in May and are forecast to fall to 401 ppm in September, after which they will rise again. Explaining the role the recent El Niño played in the record carbon increase, Betts said that the much-warmer-than-normal Pacific Ocean “warm[ed] and drie[d] tropical ecosystems, reducing their uptake of carbon and exacerbating forest fires.”

For more information see:

ScienceDaily, The Washington Post, BBC