Climate Change News - May 23, 2016 | Newsletter

This past April was 1.98 degrees F, or 1.10 degrees C, above the 20th century average temperature, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This represents the highest increase in temperatures from the 20th century average since records began. Image courtesy of NOAA.

Clean Power Plan Will Be Heard by Full Circuit Court, Not Just Panel

On May 16, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit announced that challenges to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan regulation on carbon emissions from existing power plants will be heard by the full court, not a three-judge panel as previously scheduled. The Court made the decision on its own initiative (sua sponte), without any party to the case requesting the action. While not unprecedented, the decision is highly unusual, and the exact reasons behind it are unclear – although the decision is likely due to the importance of the case. This decision will push back the case's hearing from its originally scheduled date of June 2 to September.

For more information see:

The Washington Post

Economic Activity in the Arctic Must Pass Climate Change Test, Says Obama

On May 13, President Obama agreed with leaders from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland to set higher environmental and climate standards on commercial activity, including oil and gas drilling, in the Arctic. A senior official in the Administration, speaking anonymously, commented, "It is quite significant that you now have seven out of eight Arctic nations, representing more than half the Arctic's territorial waters, basically conditioning future economic activity on world-class environmental standards and international climate goals." The new restrictions have not yet been outlined. In March the President came to a similar agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to address the need for better climate change tests in the Arctic.

For more information:

Washington Post, Hill

Failed Defense Bill Amendment Tried to Slow Use of Renewable Energy in Military

On May 18, an amendment offered by Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) requiring the military to use the cheapest energy available (with intent to bar the military from buying renewable energy if it is any more expensive than conventional) failed by a recorded vote of 159-266. The amendment, H.Amdt. 1029, was offered on the National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 4909. If passed, it could have made it more difficult for the military to meet its renewable energy goals; the Department of Defense, Navy, Air Force and Army all have renewable energy targets.

For more information see:

H.Amndt. 1029

Clean Power Plan Would Cut Coal Power Generation to 21 Percent Share by 2030

On May 17, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released an early report of its Annual Energy Outlook for 2016, finding that the future U.S. energy emissions will depend on whether the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan regulation on carbon emissions from existing power plants moves forward. With the Clean Power Plan in place, emissions from the electricity sector will fall to 28 percent below 2005 levels in 2022. Without the Plan, emissions would likely be seven percent higher in 2022, and 25 percent higher from 2030 on. EIA also projected that the Plan will cut coal's share of U.S. electricity generation to 21 percent by 2030 and 18 percent by 2040, from its 2015 level of 33 percent.

For more information see:

PowerMag, WorldNuclearNews, EIA

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Climate Action

On May 17, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of the Conservation Law Foundation, Mass Energy Consumers Alliance and four teenagers in their case against the state for not meeting the carbon reduction goals set by the Massachusetts 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act. The Global Warming Solutions Act calls for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases from 1990 levels by 2050. The court found that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had not implemented regulations sufficient to meet the reductions timeline intended by the legislation. The ruling by Justice Robert Cordy states that the Department of Environmental Protection must adopt regulations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions annually, in line with the aims of the Global Warming Solutions Act.

For more information:

Mass Live, ABC News, Boston Herald

G7 Calls for Swift and Coordinated Response to Climate Change

On May 16, following the Group of 7 (G7) Environment Ministers' meeting, the G7 released a statement announcing their countries would submit respective long-term strategies for cutting greenhouse gas emissions before the 2020 deadline stipulated under the Paris Agreement. The communique, issued after the two-day meeting in Toyama, Japan, also encouraged use of the Joint Crediting Mechanism, a trading scheme for greenhouse emission reduction credits. The ministers noted their support for a 2016 amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gasses used in refrigerant products. The G7 ministers noted that “taking the lead in communicating these strategies will send strong signals to the private sector and other countries for the necessary transition towards a low-carbon society.”

For more information:

G7 Communique, Japan News, Bloomberg, IGSD’s Primer on HFC’s

Australia Lays Off a Third of Its Climate Scientists, Including Top Sea Level Rise Expert

On May 17, John Church, one of the top experts on sea level rise in the world, confirmed that the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Csiro) in Australia will be laying him off along with a third of its climate scientists. Church said Csiro has informed him that they will be "ceasing work" on sea level rise. Joshua Willis, a climate scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) commented, "John Church is among the top 10 climate scientists in the world. I can only imagine it will be a huge setback for global programs." Csiro's new chief, Larry Marshall, has said that since climate change has been proven, the agency should focus on "solutions for the climate we will be living with" and commercialization.

For more information see:

The New York Times

Ontario Finalizes Cap-and-Trade Regulation

On May 19, Ontario announced it has finalized a new cap-and-trade plan, which will come into effect July 1, 2016, with the first auction planned for March 2017. Ontario plans to link its program with Quebec and California. The plan is set by the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-Carbon Economy Act, passed just the day prior on May 18. All the money raised from the plan – approximately $1.8-1.9 billion annually – will be placed in a newly created Greenhouse Gas Reduction Account, which will invest in green projects. The province estimates the plan will cost the average household an extra $13 a month -- $5 for home heating, and $8 for gasoline. Manitoba is also joining the Quebec/California cap-and-trade plan, but is limiting its own plan to 20 large polluters.

For more information see:

680News, Press Release, Press Release

World Bank Says 1.3 Billion People and $158 Trillion at Risk from Climate Change

On May 16, the World Bank released a report that says climate change-related disasters, population growth, and urbanization will put 1.3 billion people and $158 trillion in assets at risk by 2050. John Roome, senior director for climate change at the World Bank, says “We are woefully unprepared for the climate and disaster risks that are rapidly changing our world.” The report advises the cities and coastal regions most at risk from the storms, floods and droughts increasingly amplified by climate change to work to minimize the anticipated damage through better land-use policies and resilient building design. According to Roome, “Without changing decision-making today, we’ll only increase the disaster risk for the future. But if we make the right decisions now, we’ll be able to avoid a large number of these risks.”

For more information:

Guardian, Huffington Post

April Is Hottest on Record, by Wide Margin

On May 15, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released data confirming that last month’s global temperatures surpassed the hottest April on record by the largest margin ever recorded, making it very likely 2016 will become the warmest year on record. Record global temperatures over the past seven months have been partially attributed to a large El Nino weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, although climate change is also contributing. Andy Pitman, director of ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science at the University of New South Wales in Australia, commented, “The interesting thing is the scale at which we’re breaking records. It’s clearly all heading in the wrong direction.” April was the seventh consecutive month with land and sea temperatures at least 1 degree Celsius higher than average levels from between 1951-1980.

For more information:

Guardian, CNN