Climate Change News - May 10, 2010

Senate Climate Bill to Come Out Wednesday

On May 7, Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) announced that they intend to release their climate and energy bill on Wednesday and believe they can “secure the necessary votes to pass this legislation this year.” The draft legislation is expected to aim for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below by 2050, with different sectors of the economy falling under an emissions cap at different times. “We can no longer wait to solve this problem which threatens our economy, our security and our environment,” Kerry and Lieberman said. Kerry promised that the upcoming bill will have the backing of several industry groups, including those most impacted by the legislation. "I believe that when we roll out a bill . . . we are going to have a unique coalition," Kerry said.

Kerry and Lieberman plan to move ahead with the climate bill without their third collaborator, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The three senators had originally intended to release a draft on April 26, but Graham withdrew his support, citing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) decision to address immigration reform this year, though Reid has clarified that he will address climate legislation first. “As I have previously indicated, a serious debate on energy legislation is significantly compromised with the cynical politics of comprehensive immigration reform hanging over the Senate,” Graham said in a statement.

For additional information see: New York Times , Politico , AFP , Bloomberg

EIA: U.S. Carbon Emissions Fell 7 Percent in 2009

On May 5, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced that the 2009 U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell more than 400 million tons, or 7 percent, from the previous year. "While emissions have declined in three out of the last four years, 2009 was exceptional," a report from the EIA said. The EIA, the statistical arm of the Department of Energy, noted that the reduced emissions could be attributed to the decline in the gross domestic product (GDP), as well as reductions in the energy intensity of the economy and carbon intensity of the energy supply. The report also noted that as the economy recovers, emissions may begin to increase, depending on the energy sources that are used most heavily. “Longer-term trends continue to suggest decline in both the amount of energy used per unit of economic output and the carbon intensity of our energy supply, which both work to restrain emissions,” the report concluded.

For additional information see: Reuters , USA Today , EIA

Former Princeton Head to Review UN Climate Panel

On May 3, Harold Shapiro, former President of Princeton University, was named to head a 12-member group reviewing the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific panel brought together by the United Nations. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon requested the review after errors were discovered in the IPCC’s 2007 Fourth Assessment Report, which earned the panel a share of the Nobel Peace Prize that year. The mistakes were seized upon by people who doubt the UN panel's conclusion that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are causing the Earth's average temperatures to increase, and that humans are responsible. The review committee will look at how the UN panel ensures the quality of the data from more than 2,000 scientists that feed into its authoritative reports. The review panel will also recommend how errors may be corrected after future IPCC reports are released. The panel’s report is due by August 30 of this year.

For additional information see: Reuters , AP , Wall Street Journal , New York Times

Suspension of AB 32 Headed to California State Ballot

On May 3, the California Jobs Initiative Committee (CJIC) submitted signatures for an initiative that seeks to suspend the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) until California's unemployment rate improves dramatically. The measure, expected to be on November's ballot, asks voters to suspend AB 32 until California's unemployment rate, currently at 12.5 percent, stays at 5.5 percent or below for four consecutive quarters. That has only happened three times in the past three decades, according to California Employment Development Department statistics. Anita Mangels, a spokeswoman for CJIC, said that the group expects to submit more than 800,000 signatures today, well above the 435,000 needed to qualify a ballot initiative. AB 32 "will put over 1 million California jobs at risk and will cost consumers, businesses and taxpayers billions of dollars in higher energy costs, without doing anything to reduce global warming," Mangels said. The group raised almost $1 million in the first quarter of 2010 and paid more than half of it to petition-circulating organizations, state records show. Most donations came from large energy concerns, with two Texas oil giants, Valero Energy Corp and Tesoro Corp, providing significant funding at $500,000 and $275,000, respectively.

For additional information see: San Francisco Chronicle , San Jose Mercury News , Bloomberg , AP , Reuters

Report Finds U.S. Economy Only 13 Percent Energy Efficient

On April 28, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released a new report, “Crossing the Energy Divide: Moving from Fossil Fuel Dependence to a Clean-Energy Future,” detailing a U.S. transition to a clean energy future. A critical finding in the report showed that the American economy today is only functioning at a level of 13 percent efficiency in terms of energy use, meaning that 87 percent of the energy used is wasted. In comparison, Japan and several European countries are about 20 percent efficient, a factor of 1.5 greater than the United States. This important fact is being drowned out, however, by an overemphasis on creating new energy, said John “Skip” Laitner, director of Economic and Social Analysis at ACEEE and co-author of the study. “The dirty little secret today is that most economic assessments of the current climate change policies either ignore or greatly understate the potential advances in energy efficiency, even though it is clearly the largest and most cost-effective form of greenhouse gas mitigation,” Laitner said.

For additional information see: ACEEE Press Release

German, Mexican Governments Host Informal Climate Talks

On May 4, representatives from 45 countries concluded informal climate talks in Bonn, Germany meant to “build up trust” as they look to future UN-led climate negotiations taking place in December in Cancun. Many delegates agreed that "this meeting has broken the ice and one cannot overestimate the importance of this," said Norbert Roettgen, Germany’s Environment Minister. "This is a contribution to making success possible again." Representatives focused heavily on mechanisms for the measuring, reporting and verification of pledges to cut greenhouse gases, the disbursement of short-term financing to poor countries bracing for the climate change impacts, and measures to reduce deforestation. There was no specific decisions made regarding a future global treaty, but delegates noted that a number of “building blocks” were addressed. "We are going to focus on substance, we want consensus on the substantive measures before talking about the agreement itself," said Jose Romero, Switzerland's top climate negotiator.

For additional information see: AP , Bloomberg , AFP , Xinhua

UN Warns Climate Change Will Hit Africa's Poorest

On May 4, at a regional conference in Angola, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations warned about the impacts climate change will have on Africa’s food security. The main consequence of higher temperatures and more unpredictable weather was a likely reduction in crop yields – 6.9 percent in the case of maize, an important staple – and a heightened risk of food insecurity. A paper released at the conference described how climate change will affect the poorer African countries disproportionately, especially the subsistence farmers within those countries. One-third of the African population lives in drought-prone areas, while six of the ten largest cities in Africa are located on the coast, both areas that are most susceptible to climate change. The paper urged African governments to "prioritize and implement measures to develop agriculture and sustainable natural resource management.” It specifically highlighted the opportunity for African countries to benefit from carbon and international market instruments such as the Clean Development Mechanism.

For additional information see: AFP , FAO Press Release

More Than 500 EU Cities Pledge to Cut CO2 Emissions

On May 4, more than 500 mayors from European cities pledged to go beyond the EU’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 20 percent by 2020. The mayors signed the “Covenant of Mayors,” an EU commission initiative supported by the parliament and the Committee of the Regions, that commits the cities to measuring how much CO2 they emit, setting out how they will cut emissions and raise awareness among their citizens. Following the announcement, EU energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger pledged to channel at least 115 million euros from the European Economic Recovery to help the cities involved. He explained that the fund would be used to raise further investment from banks and financial institutions, totaling between 2.5 and 8 billion euros. "The experience gained will be critical in designing the next generation of programs,” Oettinger said. Almost half of the 500 towns and cities which signed the pledge to do more to cut their GHG emissions are in Italy and over 100 are from Spain.

For additional information see: Reuters , Parliament , EU Observer

Study Finds Global Warming Heat Stress Could Make Life Intolerable

On May 4, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a growing number of healthy people will suffer from cases of heat stress if temperatures continue to rise into the next century. The human body maintains a constant core temperature of 37°C by giving off excess heat through the skin. But, if the temperature of the air reaches 35°C, this heat dissipation stops, causing the body to retain heat, resulting in heat stress. The study highlights a number of potential 'hot spots' in the future. "The places that heat stress will be highest are places near sea level and at lower latitudes and that's where people live," said Professor Steven Sherwood of the University of New South Wales and author of the study. "This includes Amazonia; most of China; India; Indonesia; pretty much all of South East Asia; eastern United States; northern Australia and parts of Africa,” Sherwood said.

For additional information see: ABC , UNSW Press Release , Study Abstract

Uganda's Highest Ice Cap Splits

On May 3, Uganda’s Wildlife Authority (UWA) said that the ice cap on Mount Margherita, the country’s highest peak and Africa’s third highest, has split because of global warming. According to researchers, the ice cap covered 6 square kilometers 50 years ago; it is now less than 1 square kilometer. The glacier is located at an altitude of 5,109 meters in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Scientists say glaciers in the Rwenzori mountain range in Uganda could disappear within 20 years. UWA officials said a team had been sent to the mountain to assess the extent of damage on the route to Mount Margherita.

For additional information see: BBC

May 27: 13th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum

Please join the Sustainable Energy Coalition -- in cooperation with Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses -— for the 13th annual Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum on Thursday, May 27, from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Cannon Caucus Room. This year’s EXPO will bring together over 50 businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and near-term potential of the cross-section of renewable energy (biofuels/biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) and energy efficiency technologies. An 11:00 a.m. news conference will feature Members of the U.S. Congress while panels of speakers (in 335 Cannon House Office Building) will discuss the role sustainable energy technologies can play in meeting America’s energy needs from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. The EXPO is free, open to the public, and no RSVPs are required. For more information, please contact Ken Bossong at the Sustainable Energy Coalition by phone at 301-270-6477 ext. 11 or email at [email protected].