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March 27, 2017
Coastal cities across the United States, including Miami, are adopting a range of approaches to defend against flooding caused by rising sea levels. Photo courtesy of B137 via wikimedia.org.
The Trump administration has told European diplomats that the United States will not stay in the Paris Climate Agreement if they cannot secure help for the fossil fuel industry. White House advisers have said that the U.S. decision could depend on whether there is international willingness to develop a strategy to “commercialize and deploy technologies that will reduce emissions” from the burning of fossil fuels. Administration officials who wish to stay in the Paris Agreement say that creating a pathway for fossil fuels such as coal is the only way conservatives and industry groups, who want the U.S. to leave the agreement, will be on board. “If the world can’t go on without us in the Paris accord … then perhaps we ought to be in it,” said Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), who advised the Trump campaign on energy. “And if we have that much influence, perhaps we have enough influence to moderate it.” Administration officials guiding the decision have been gathering input from industry stakeholders, including the American Petroleum Institute and Peabody Energy.
For more information see:
Politico
The United States played a pivotal role in establishing the Paris Climate Agreement, including a pledge to cut the country's emissions 26-28 percent compared to 2005 levels by 2025. However, the Trump administration has already begun taking action which undermines this agreement, including proposed cuts to the EPA, plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan, and potentially softening fleet-wide fuel efficiency standards for the auto industry. One recent analysis suggests that if the United States continues along this trajectory of deregulation, the country will miss its Paris target by more than 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide. The suite of policies produced by the Obama administration also covers building and appliance standards, industrial methane emissions, and emissions from air conditioning and refrigeration technologies. Currently, the nation is a third of the way to the 2025 goal, due in large part to the Clean Power Plan, as well as the rise in natural gas and renewable energy as replacements for coal because of their reduced costs.
Inside Climate News
As part of sweeping cuts to energy and environment programs, the Trump administration has proposed the elimination of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), a Department of Energy grant program that assists low-income families in making energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. Launched in 1976, WAP has helped more than 7 million families make basic weatherization upgrades, such as replacing HVAC systems, sealing holes in walls, and installing insulation. In 2010 alone, the program supported the weatherization of 340,000 homes generating $1.1 billion in household savings and 28,000 jobs. Meredith Fowlie, with the University of California at Berkley, points out that although the immediate costs of the program would be saved by abolishing the program, “future energy savings that would have accrued to future low-income participants” will be lost as well. In addition to these direct financial benefits, the program has also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by millions of metric tons every year.
For more information:
Washington Post
President Trump’s budget outline proposes to cut many of the climate-related programs within the federal government. “I think the president was fairly straightforward on [the cuts]: We’re not spending money on that anymore,” stated Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, declaring such programs "a waste of your money." Despite this assertion, federal scientists are required by the Global Change Research Act of 1990, to research climate change and produce a quadrennial report on how climate change is affecting different regions of the United States. “For each of these programs, real people live on the other side of the budget line item. Students, small business, and sources of economic growth for communities count on this data,” said Ali Zaidi, a Stanford energy researcher who previously oversaw funding for climate and environmental programs under President Obama. Regarding the $2.6 billion U.S. Global Change Research Program, a White House official said it would be "premature to speak to final funding levels prior to the full budget in mid-May.”
Washington Post, The Hill
The synergistic effects of rising ocean levels and extreme weather due to climate change poses a serious threat to America's coastal cities. In Atlantic City for instance, sea levels are projected to rise at a rate of nearly 1.5 inches per decade, putting local businesses and homes on the shore at risk. Without a national adaptation plan in place, local governments are working to find the best approach for their areas. In Atlantic City, funding is a major issue. Elizabeth Terenik, leader of the city's Planning and Development Department, has recommended building sea walls, constructing canals to divert storm water, combining raised streets and homes with intentional flooding, and halting building projects in flood prone areas. The solutions proposed in wealthy Miami Beach are vastly different. Currently, the city is spending $400 million on a network of pumps, sea walls, and raised streets as a way to combat rising water. There is concern that Miami Beach's shoreline engineering projects are placing a financial strain on poorer residents while more affluent residents can afford the rising cost of staying.
Guardian
Bonn, Germany is among several European cities pushing for greater usage of bicycles as a means of greening its transportation sector. The city council set a goal of becoming the most bicycle-friendly city in its state of North Rhine-Westphalia by 2020. However, the city is struggling with balancing the large number of cars on the road and developing cycling infrastructure. “We have a traffic problem in Bonn. There are so many cars, so few roads,” said Werner Böttcher, a traffic planner from the German Cycling Club. Since Bonn’s economy is centered on office workers rather than industry, a majority of the pollution comes from the commuters coming into the city. "[Advancing solutions] is tricky, because the car lobby is still very strong in Germany,” said Böttcher. To close the gap, Bonn plans on constructing additional cycling paths and bike parking, while taking steps to make the average citizen comfortable with biking through the city. Transportation is the second largest source of emissions in Germany after electricity generation.
Deutsche Welle
The Great Southern Plains is a crucial agricultural region, but as the impacts of climate change continue to ravage the landscape, crop yields are in decline. Some worry that the drought, heat waves, dust storms, and fires will recreate conditions last seen during the "Dust Bowl" disaster of the 1930’s. The 2014 Farm Bill contains provisions that allow farmers to receive federal crop insurance based solely on their average crop yield during “good” years, which informs the levels for coverage, premiums, and compensation in the event of below-average yields. However, evaluating insurance coverage in this way can exclude extreme weather impacts that are amplified by climate change. Critics say the bill "artificially inflates the crop insurance payouts" and can encourage farmers to continually sow seeds on desiccated, nutrient-poor soil, rather than pursuing more sustainable planting practices that help preserve the land. Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group likened the situation to "having a car insurance policy that ignores accidents or ignores poor driving if you're constantly getting tickets."
Despite the skepticism expressed by certain Trump administration officials, conservative voices within the Republican Party have continued to call for solutions on climate change. Conservative interest groups have stepped up their efforts in promoting congressional action on “free enterprise” solutions, such as a carbon tax. Overall, polls show that the majority of Republican voters agree that the United States must play a major role in the global effort to mitigate climate change. The Climate Solutions Caucus, a bi-partisan group dedicated to developing climate legislation, has gained more Republican members within the past two months than it did its entire first year. The caucus maintains a balance by requiring each new member to be admitted with an individual from the opposite party. Caucus co-chair Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) said, "It shouldn't surprise anyone that more and more Republicans are interested in this issue. This issue was regrettably politicized some 20 or so years ago, and we are in the process of taking some of the politics out."
Reuters
The transition to renewable energy has proven to be a difficult endeavor within West Virginia's coal country. The state lacks the mix of “solar-friendly regulations, financial incentives, and high electricity prices” that have allowed other regions to develop burgeoning solar markets. Despite these hurdles, there is a small group of entrepreneurs attempting to replace West Virginia's fading coal industry with employment opportunities in solar. Dan Conant, owner of the solar installation company Solar Holler, said, "I really feel like we’re in a race against time, that it’s important we diversify quickly so young folks don’t have to move away. The state is experiencing a serious brain drain." Solar Holler also partners with Coalfield Development Corp to develop new skilled labor for its growing business. Coalfield is a non-profit offering a 2.5-year paid apprenticeship program to help former coalfield workers transition into the emerging solar industry. State political leaders understand the need to promote industries beyond coal, but renewable energy development has yet to gain traction with the legislature or the newly elected governor.
A typical March would see Arctic sea ice levels at their highest, while Antarctic sea ice would be at its lowest level. However, the latest analysis indicates global sea ice is at the lowest level ever witnessed in the 38-year satellite data record. The 2016 Arctic sea ice level set a new record-low for winter, surpassing 2015's mark by about 35,000 square miles (97,000 square kilometers), an area roughly the size of Maine. "[Sea ice is] a key part of the Earth’s climate system and we’re losing it … in all seasons now," said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado." Data from the Center shows that sea ice volume is down 42 percent since 1979, leading scientists to call the trend "disturbing" and "exceptional." However, the effects of El Nino are believed to be playing a role in the Antarctic after the region experienced "relatively high" sea ice levels last year.
Carbon Brief, Associated Press
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Briefing Recap: The Economic Returns of a National Transportation Infrastructure Initiative The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the National League of Cities (NLC), and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing showcasing examples from communities across America of transportation investments that benefit the national economy, by creating direct and supply-side jobs while boosting regional economies. The panel of speakers included Valarie McCall, Chief of Government & International Affairs for Cleveland, OH; Greg Evans, City Counselor for Eugene, OR; Paul Balmer, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Earl Blumenauer; and Peter Rogoff, CEO of Sound Transit in Seattle. Together, they discussed the current status of America's infrastructure and potential solutions to include in a federal infrastructure bill. They also covered the importance of a diversified transit system, with a greater focus on mass transit options. Finally, the panel explored local-level approaches being undertaken and where future funding efforts may have the greatest impact. To view a full video of the briefing and access supporting materials, click this link.
Writers: Emma Dietz, Ben Topiel, and Andrew Wollenberg
Editor: Brian La Shier
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