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March 2, 2015
This image shows the pressure anomalies in the United States from January 23 to February 16, 2015, which led to New England's record-breaking snowfall and the simultaneous record-breaking heat out West. The orange, high pressure atmospheric regions slid storms down to the blue, low-pressure regions, releasing storm after storm in New England -- making February 2015 Boston's snowiest month since records began (as of Feb. 22 Boston had 62.7 inches, and it has kept coming). Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate.gov and Fiona Martin, based on data by Tom Di Liberto.
On February 24, President Obama vetoed a bill approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, originally proposed more than six years ago. The 1,179 mile pipeline, which would connect tar sands crude oil production in Canada with existing U.S. pipeline infrastructure, has generated a politically charged debate. “The presidential power to veto legislation is one I take seriously,” Obama stated in his veto message to the Senate. “Because this act of Congress conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest — including our security, safety, and environment — it has earned my veto.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says he will schedule a vote to override the veto by March 3rd.
In related news on February 24, Nebraska Lancaster Country District Judge Stephanie Stacy ruled that state law LB 1161 does not allow TransCanada to use eminent domain to seize private land to construct Keystone XL. The Nebraska attorney general is appealing the ruling. On February 26, York County District Judge Mary Gilbridge also issued a temporary injunction stopping TransCanada from using eminent domain. Gilbridge’s ruling affects the southern portion of the pipeline route in Nebraska. A previous ruling in Holt County this January stopped eminent domain on the northern section of the proposed route. These cases will go to the Nebraska Supreme Court, a process which could take up to two years.
In related news on February 24, over 100 well-known celebrities, politicians, and environmental activists signed a unity letter pressuring President Obama to veto the Keystone XL bill. Willie Nelson, Julianne Moore, and Alec Baldwin are just a few of the celebrities who signed, saying that the pipeline would exacerbate climate change and put human health and safety at risk. “Rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline will powerfully demonstrate your commitment to stopping the rising of the oceans, set the stage for further climate action and build a legacy worth sharing,” the authors wrote.
For more information see:
USA Today, ABC News, The National Journal, 350.org, The Hill, Forbes, Omaha.com
On February 24, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) proposed HR 5721, the Healthy Climate and Family Security Act of 2015. The bill would create a ‘carbon cap and dividend’ system, meaning 100 percent of the funds generated from auctioning off carbon permits would be passed on equally to every US resident with a social security number. This bill treats the skies above the United States as a public commons, requiring companies that emit carbon to the atmosphere pay to use it. The bill aims to gradually reduce carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2050. Congressman Van Hollen estimates individuals could receive a dividend of as much as $1,000, and families of four up to $4,000, every year.
CNN, Triple Pundit, Press Release, Bill
On February 26, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy informed a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that the EPA was prepared to deal with electricity reliability issues that may occur during the rollout of the Clean Power Plan, a coming regulation of carbon emissions from power plants. “We should be able to work through the issues, whether it’s a waiver or another process. The tools are available to us,” McCarthy said. For other EPA regulations, such as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), EPA has allowed power plants to apply for waivers if their shutdown would affect grid reliability. It is unclear whether those types of waivers could be offered with the Clean Power Plan.
Governors Wind Energy Coalition
On February 24, Rajenda Pachauri resigned from his position as head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His 15-year term, set to end in October 2015, was cut short due to sexual harassment charges. During Pachauri’s time in office, the IPCC established itself as one of the most trusted sources on global climate data, winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for its contributions to climate change research. In his resignation letter, Pachauri wrote, “For me the protection of planet Earth, the survival of all species, and the sustainability of our ecosystems is more than a mission. It is my religion and my dharma.” IPCC vice-chair Ismail El Gizouli will act as chair until a new leader is elected in October.
The Daily Climate, The Guardian, Reuters
On February 25, Ministers of the European Parliament (MEP) voted on reforms to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Current carbon allowance prices in the ETS are seven euros per metric ton, too low to encourage a shift from coal to cleaner electricity generation. The low prices have been caused by free allowance allocations, the economic recession, and overshooting compliance with clean energy targets, leading to a two billion surplus of carbon allowances. The new compromise will withdraw 1.6 billion carbon allowances, beginning in 2018. This should allow the carbon allowance prices to rebound towards 30 euros, which is roughly the price needed for an energy market shift. Some have called for the reforms to take effect even earlier to provide increased market confidence.
Carbon Brief, Euractiv, The Guardian
On February 26, the European Union released a draft Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) for upcoming global climate negotiations in Paris in November/December this year. The 28 nations in Europe will all follow this plan, which commits them to cut greenhouse gases a minimum of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. This goal is identical to an October 2014 EU commitment, although the INDC has updated the commitment by including firmer numbers and a reporting regime which includes guidance from December’s UN summit in Lima, Peru. This is the first INDC draft released, and will be finalized at the scheduled EU council meeting on March 6 before being submitted to the UNFCCC.
In related news on February 26, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) released the official negotiating text for the Paris climate summit, based on a draft document produced at the recent Geneva meeting.
Clean Technica, Click Green
On February 23, Greenpeace and the Climate Investigations Center released documents showing that prominent Harvard-Smithsonian scientist Wei-Hock “Willie” Soon received $1.25 million over the past 14 years from fossil fuel interests, such as Southern Company, Exxon Mobil, and the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. Mr. Soon is one of a few scientists vocally skeptical of anthropogenic climate change science. He says climate change is a result of the sun’s energy output, not human activities. These donations funded at least 11 papers in several journals since 2008 without appropriate reporting of conflicts of interest. In response to this revelation, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) has said he will launch an investigation into fossil fuel funding of scientific climate research. The Smithsonian’s inspector general is also investigating the charges.
The Guardian, The New York Times, The Hill
On February 26, investors and nonprofits sent a letter to the five largest U.S. oil companies (Valero, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Marathon Petroleum and Phillips 66) asking them to disclose climate change vulnerabilities in their infrastructure. The letter is in response to a report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) on February 25, which found that coastal refineries of each of the companies are at risk from rising sea levels and associated increased storm surges. Investors included Calvert Investments, Pax World Management, and Walden Asset Management. “Refineries have low profit margins and are situated on vulnerable coastal locations. Any disruptions in refining operations could have material impact on companies’ cash flows,” said Gretchen Goldman at UCS.
The Guardian, Report
On February 27, Reuters and IPSOS released a new poll of 2,827 Americans, finding two-thirds of respondents say world leaders are “morally obligated” to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Another 72 percent of respondents said they are “personally morally obligated” to reduce CO2 emissions in their own lives. The poll was conducted to examine the impact of recent comments from Pope Francis and others on the moral imperative of action on climate change. “The climate debate can be very intellectual at times,” commented Eric Sapp, executive director of the American Values Network. “This makes it about us, our neighbors, and about doing the right thing.”
Reuters
On February 23, the University of Delaware’s Sea Grant and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment released the results of a 2014 telephone survey. The poll shows 79 percent of Delawareans believe climate change is happening, and 70 percent of respondents say sea level rise is ocurring. Three out of four respondents say action is needed to reduce the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. “This survey confirms that a strong majority of Delawareans believe climate change is occurring, and we are committed to taking key actions to reduce its impact,” said Delaware Governor Jack Markell.
Delaware Online, WDEL
On February 10, a study published in the journal Coral Reefs found that Caribbean coral reefs may be more resilient to climate change impacts than previously thought. Using a high-resolution molecular screening technique called Real Time-PCR, researchers discovered that Caribbean coral strain orbicella annularis was hosting thermally tolerant symbiotic algae Symbiodinium D1 at higher levels than expected (32 of 33 colonies studied had low abundances of the algae). Symbiodinium D1 may help coral to temporarily respond to ocean warming, potentially reducing coral bleaching. The scientists added that it is unlikely Symbiodinium D1 can prevent a long-term decline in coral reef health. The study was led by Dr. Emma Kennedy from Griffith University of Queensland, Australia, with scientists from the University of Exeter.
Science World Report, EurekAlert!, Study
On February 23, a study published in Nature assessed the effects of ocean acidification on shellfish populations. The study found that high ocean water acidity levels, caused by the ocean’s absorption of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, could severely diminish shellfish populations in the United States – threatening economies in 15 out of 23 coastal states. “In the US, our economic impact so far has been primarily in the Pacific Northwest,” said Lisa Suatoni, an author of the study and senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Our vulnerability assessment says that the impacts are going to be much broader geographically and more hard hitting than people really thought.”
Bloomberg Business, The Guardian, Science, Study
On February 24, a study published in the journal Nature Communications found that sea levels from New York to Newfoundland rose about four inches in 2009 and 2010 due to changing ocean circulation. The University of Arizona and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led team of scientists are the first to report a link between sea level rise and the slowdown in a major current in the North Atlantic Ocean called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC (due in part to a reversal of the North Atlantic Oscillation, an atmospheric climate pattern that regularly reverses). Most climate change models predict AMOC will continue to weaken, potentially leading to more sea level rise.
Mashable, BBC, Science Daily, Study
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1. Examining Antarctica Glacier’s Melting Speed and Potential Impacts
2. Climate Change Makes Hayfever Worse
3. Former Head UN Climate Negotiator John Prescott Op-Ed on Climate
4. ALEC’s New Legislative Push Against the Clean Power Plan
5. Columbia University Releases Database of World’s Climate Policies
6. Manufacturers Say They Will Move Out of United States Due to EPA Carbon Rule
7. Illinois May Introduce Low-Carbon Standard to Help Exelon’s Nuclear Fleet
1. Find Out How Many Solar Jobs Were Created in Your State
Monday, March 2 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Capitol Visitor Center Room 209-08 (Senate side). First Street and East Capitol Street NE
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and The Solar Foundation invite you to a briefing on the recently released 2014 National Solar Jobs Census. The Census found that the solar industry added 31,000 jobs last year, accounting for 1.3 percent of all new U.S. jobs, and representing a growth rate almost 20 times greater than the national average. Today, 173,807 Americans are employed in the solar industry, almost twice as many as in U.S. coal mining.
Please RSVP to expedite check-in.
2. Focus 2015: A Forum of Communities for Urban Sustainability
Thursday, March 5, 8am - 6pm Friday, March 6, 8am - 12pm Embassy of France 4101 Reservoir Road NW Washington DC, 20007 [email protected] Registration: france-focus2015.eventbrite.com For more information: focus2015.franceintheus.org
The French Embassy is hosting FOCUS 2015, a forum for U.S. and French decision makers to share their experiences and best practices in sustainable urban planning. The conference, which will be held over two days (March 5-6, 2015) in Washington, is open to elected officials, public administrators, academics, business and finance executives, NGO representatives, and others who are willing to engage in a problem-focused, goal-oriented discussion on how to tackle climate change in cities while promoting sustainability and economic growth. Participation is free of charge but seats are limited to 250.
EESI is a sponsoring organization for the forum.
3. The “Bottom Line” on Investment Needs For Our Transportation System
Tuesday, March 10 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
334 Cannon House Office Building 27 Independence Avenue Southeast
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), in conjunction with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), invite you to a briefing on the investment requirements for America's multi-modal transportation infrastructure.
Authors: Samuel Beirne, Rachael Shook, and Caitlin Madera
Editor: Laura Small
Advancing science-based climate solutions
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