Climate Change News - November 4, 2013

White House Issues Executive Order on Climate Preparation

On November 1, the White House released an Executive Order to enhance preparedness and resilience in the face of climate change in the United States. The Executive Order is divided into eight sections, and includes general policy issues, land and water management strategies, federal agency planning, and support of data and information processing tools. To ensure that these outlined strategies are implemented, the Executive Order creates an interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, which will be chaired by the White House and have a membership of over 25 federal agencies. The order also called for the formation of a Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, whose members include governors, mayors, county officials and tribal leaders from across the country. The task force will assist and advise the interagency council.

For additional information see: Executive Order, Fact Sheet

 

 

DOI Announces $162 Million for Storm Preparedness a Year After Sandy

While visiting New Jersey on October 24, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the Department of the Interior would be investing $162 million towards storm preparedness. The announcement came the week before Hurricane Sandy’s one-year anniversary. The money will be distributed for salt marsh restoration projects up and down the Atlantic, and is consistent with the Presidential task force’s recommendations on rebuilding strategies. Secretary Jewell explained that "what we witnessed during Hurricane Sandy was that our public lands and other natural areas are often the best defense against Mother Nature." The hurricane caused $65 billion in damage to the coastline from North Carolina to New England and is second only to Hurricane Katrina in damages. Dr. Klaus Jacob, a seismologist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, explained that Sandy’s flooding was largely caused by rising sea level, an effect of climate change.  He warns, “What we now call a 100-year flood will be reduced to a 2- to 5-year flood.”

For additional information see: Climate Central, DOI

 

 

Representatives Introduce Bill to Limit EPA’s Power to Set Greenhouse Gas Regulations on Power Plants

On October 28, 2013, House Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced draft legislation to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants. The bill would “repeal previous greenhouse gas power plants rules proposed by EPA” and redirect the EPA to release rules that “are able to be achieved by commercial power plants operating in the real world.” Rep. Whitfield said the EPA’s regulations on commercial power plants were “extreme,” and that his new bill would “ensure that we have a national discussion about the use of coal.” The bill, although unlikely to pass through Congress, is part of a larger pro-coal movement. On Tuesday October 29, Count on Coal organized a rally at the capital. A spokeswoman for the National Mining Association, Nancy Gravatt, said “There are a lot of people who are very concerned about how extreme these regulations are and want to make their voices heard.” The bill is also receiving a great deal of criticism. Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued a statement calling the bill "scientific lunacy.”

For additional information see: National Journal, Huffington Post

 

 

EPA Reports Decline in Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On October 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released data on 2012 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, highlighting a 10 percent decrease in power plants’ emissions from 2010 levels. The data show that fossil fuel-fired power plants remained the largest GHG source in 2012, emitting 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or about 40 percent of all U.S. carbon pollution. Total reported emissions declined by 4.5 percent from 2011 to 2012, mostly driven by a 6.3 percent fall in power plant emissions due to increased use of cleaner burning natural gas and less electricity generation output. The data also indicate that 10 percent of the largest-emitting facilities – mainly consisting of power plants and petroleum refineries – contributed about 76 percent of the total 3.1 billion metric tons of CO2e reported in the GHGRP in 2012 (half of total US CO2e emissions). EPA is required to collect GHG data by Congress, and began its data collection in 2010 under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP). GHGRP examines over 8,000 facilities in the largest pollution-emitting industries, covering 85 to 90 percent of total U.S. emissions. “EPA is supporting President Obama’s Climate Action Plan by providing the high-quality data necessary to help guide common-sense solutions to address climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy in a statement. “Putting this data in the hands of the public increases transparency, supports accountability, and unlocks innovation.”

The data can be accessed from EPA’s online GHG Data Publication Tool FLIGHT.

For additional information see: EPA GHG Reporting Program, EPA Press Release, The Hill, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times

 

 

India Blocking Talks on Using Montreal Protocol to Phase Down HFCs

At the October 24 meeting of the Montreal Protocol in Bangkok, India announced formal opposition to proposed amendments to the Protocol to include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a class of refrigerants. HFCs have up to 11,700 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide. To bypass obstructions to action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), several nations, including the United States, have suggested adding HFCs to the Montreal Protocol’s portfolio. Companies such as DuPont and Honeywell have already developed replacement compounds that have begun commercial applications, especially in Europe. India’s statement is a significant departure from a September 6 agreement between Prime Minister Singh, President Obama, and other G-20 leaders to use the Montreal Protocol to address HFCs. Concerns cited by Indian negotiators over the amendments included the costs of adaptation of the new compounds. Daniel Doniger, a policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council commented, “Despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s commitment, with other world leaders, to use the Montreal Protocol to phase down HFC production, India’s negotiators in Bangkok are the strongest obstacle to moving forward with HFC curbs.” Negotiations concluded on October 25.

For additional information see: Bloomberg, The Hindu, Environmental News Network, Nature

 

 

European Ministers Call for a Climate-Friendly Economy

On October 28, a group of 13 European energy and climate ministers (called the Green Growth Group, or GGG) were joined by companies like Coca-Cola and Shell at a Brussels summit to urge the European Union (EU) to adopt strong measures to promote a low carbon economy. During the summit the GGG released a 40-page joint pamphlet titled “Going for Green Growth,” which calls for the EU to take three urgent actions. First, they request that the EU agree on an “EU 2030 Energy and Climate Policy Framework” to incentivize low carbon investment. Second, the group recommends structural reform of the EU’s $73 million Emission Trading System. Finally, the group seeks to ensure the EU is “in a position to put an ambitious emissions reduction offer on the table” at the Ban Ki-Moon-hosted World Leaders’ Climate Summit in autumn 2014. UNFCCC Secretary General Christiana Figueres welcomed the initiative, saying “Implementing clear policy frameworks that incentivize low-carbon, price carbon and lay the groundwork for emission reduction commitments in 2014 are the greatest contributions governments can make towards the new, universal 2015 climate agreement currently under design.”

For additional information see: Reuters, Bloomberg, Going for Green Growth Pamphlet, UK Government News

 

 

California, Washington, Oregon and Canadian Province Sign Climate Deal

On October 28, the governors of Washington, California and Oregon teamed up with the environmental minister of British Columbia to sign a deal coordinating their climate change policies. The leaders each committed their regions to work together on roughly a dozen initiatives, including setting a price on carbon pollution, mandating lower-carbon gasoline and setting goals for greenhouse gas reduction. The nonbinding agreement also sets new targets for the electrification of cars, supports research on ocean acidification, and calls for the construction of a bullet-train from Canada to California. “It’s only the beginning. You just watch,” commented California Governor Jerry Brown, “Next year and the year after . . . this will spread until finally we get a real handle and grasp on what is the world’s greatest existential challenge – the stability of our climate.” This the second attempt by these four partners to take action on climate change. The first effort, a 2007 accord called the Western Climate Initiative, proposed to create a carbon-trading market across their regions. That initiative was stopped by resistance in Washington and Oregon legislatures, a problem this year’s agreement seeks to avoid by allowing the states more flexibility in devising their own pollution controls. Oregon and Washington could choose to either set up a carbon tax like the one operating in British Columbia, or a cap-and-trade system like the one in California. The deal was inspired by the work of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, a group that focuses on climate change and clean energy policy.

For additional information see: LA Times, Mercury News

 

 

Climate Scientists May Refuse to Do Nebraska Climate Change Study

On October 23, Nebraska’s Climate Assessment and Response Committee held a meeting to consult with climate scientists on a planned climate study which excludes human-caused climate changes in the scope of its research. University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists in attendance told the committee they would not participate in the state-commissioned study without a broader range of inquiry. The $44,000 study is limited in scope by state senator Beau McCoy’s amendment to the original bill, which directs the study to examine “cyclical” climate change. The committee has interpreted the term “cyclical” to signify only “natural” causes of climate change, such as volcanoes or solar variations. Barbara Mayes, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, stated that “cyclical” is not a scientific term, and warned the committee that they would not “get a credible response.”

For additional information see: Omaha, Omaha

 

 

Investors Ask Fossil Fuel Industry to Evaluate Impact of Climate Change on Business Practices

On October 24, over 70 pension funds, state and city treasurers released a statement revealing that they have requested an evaluation of how climate change will impact business practices at fossil fuel companies where they hold investments. The coalition has asked 45 companies to disclose to investors their "exposure to the risks associated with current and probable future policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050." New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli explained that “Institutional investors must think over the long term, which means that we must take environmental risks into consideration when we make investments."  The group of investors represents more than $3 trillion in assets, with only a portion of these investments in fossil fuels. According to Jack Ehnes, CEO of the California State Teachers Retirement System, “we don't expect fossil fuel companies to become clean-energy companies overnight.”  However, “they do need to examine in a rigorous way whether the current approach of investing in ever-more-expensive and carbon-intensive sources of energy is prudent use of our shareholder funds in a world already taking steps toward a low carbon future.”

For additional information see: Sci-Tech Today, Inside Climate News, Pensions & Investments

 

 

New Report Shows Taxpayer Cost From Inaction on Climate Change

On October 29, Ceres published a new report “Inaction on Climate Change: The Cost to Taxpayers,” documenting the growing burden on taxpayers from public disaster relief and recovery programs, and warning that government losses and taxpayer costs will continue to rise unless the programs are reformed to encourage climate change mitigation. Ceres president Mindy Lubber noted “Taxpayer costs from climate change are getting bigger and bigger. Last year’s extreme weather events alone cost every American more than $300 apiece, or $100 billion altogether - most of it to pay for federal crop, flood, wildfire and disaster relief.” Extreme weather-prone states such as Florida and Texas face acute financial exposure, as their total loss exposure has risen 1,550 percent in the past 20 years, from $40 billion in 1990 to over $600 billion in 2010. The report offered specific recommendations for several federal programs, including the National Flood Insurance Program, the Federal Crop Insurance Program, disaster assistance and wildfire protection programs. Recommendations included incorporating climate change risks into insurance premium rates, allocating resources for disaster prevention, and incentives such as giving lower insurance premiums to farmers whose practices increase drought and extreme weather resiliency.

For additional information see: Ceres Press Release, Report, E&E Publishing

 

 

Arctic Temperatures Are Warmest in 44,000 Years

According to a new study released on October 23, Arctic temperatures are higher now than they have been in the last 44,000 years. Gifford Miller and his colleagues at the University of Colorado, Boulder used radiocarbon dating to find the age of recently exposed moss on rocks beneath melting ice caps on Canada's Baffin Island. The samples were found to be between 44,000 and 51,000 years old – although the researchers note that the samples could be up to 120,000 years old, since radiocarbon dating cannot measure reliably beyond 50,000 years. In addition to dating the moss samples, researchers analyzed gas bubbles trapped in ice cores. Taken together, the data shows that the Arctic has been heating up for about a century. The heating began to accelerate in the 1970’s, and even more significantly in the last 20 years. According to Miller, "All of Baffin Island is melting, and we expect all of the ice caps to eventually disappear, even if there is no additional warming.” Miller goes on to note, "This study really says the warming we are seeing is outside any kind of known natural variability, and it has to be due to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."

For additional information see: Live Science, Scientific America, Statement, Study

 

 

New Study Shows Climate Change Vulnerability by Country

On October 30, UK-based risk analysis firm Maplecroft published findings that 31 percent of global economic output will come from countries facing “high” or “extreme” climate change risks by 2025. The amount of global economic output in at-risk places has more than doubled since the company first started its research in 2008. The report warns that climate change “may pose a serious obstacle to sustainable economic growth in the world’s most commercially important cities.” The report uses a Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), which is determined by evaluating three factors: exposure to extreme weather events, sensitivity of populations to weather event exposure, and the capacity of nations to combat the impacts of climate change. The countries were then assigned with “extreme,” “high,” “medium” or “low” risk levels along with a numeric ranking. Bangladesh, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone received the most “extreme” risk rating, while the European nations of Ireland, Norway and Iceland were said to be the least vulnerable. The United States has a relatively low risk, with a ranking of 158 among the 193 countries evaluated. Maplecroft's head of environment James Allan commented, "Framing the risks in economic terms makes the issue harder to ignore, especially for business, and it may prompt better preparedness planning."

For additional information see: CNN, The Huffington Post, Report

 

 

Report Finds Coral Reefs May Have More Resiliency against Climate Change than Thought

A new study released October 28 indicates that coral reefs may be better able to adapt to warming oceans from climate change than previously thought. The study uncovered evidence that corals might be able to respond to heat stress through genetic adaptation, acclimatization (an organism’s gradual adjustment to a changing environmental temperature or pH) and symbiont shuffling (coral reef adjustment to a changing environment by altering the composition of resident algal colonies). The study’s authors warn that the ability of these adaptive mechanisms to mitigate global warming-caused coral bleaching remains uncertain, and that current coral reef loss can be significantly reduced only by scaling down carbon emissions. Recent studies have indicated that coral reefs are highly threatened by warming oceans (see September 17 issue).The study was conducted by researchers at Cal State Monterey Bay and the University of British Columbia, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and published in the online journal Global Change Biology.

For additional information see: LA Times, Report

 

Other Headlines

Independent Climate Council finds link between Global Warming and Bushfires in Australia
New Senator Cory Booker to Serve on Senate Environment Committee
Eastern Siberian Permafrost Thawing Rate Nearly Doubled
Poll Shows 74% of Voters back EPA Regulations on Power Plant Emissions
Power Shifts Brings Together Students from 720 Campuses to Rally for Climate

 

Writers: Mengpin Ge, Laura Small, Jessie Stolark, and Gabrielle Tilley