Climate Change News - October 14, 2013

White House Climate Advisor Heather Zichal Stepping Down

On October 7, the White House announced that Heather Zichal, President Obama’s chief energy and climate adviser, will be leaving the position. Zichal has been at the White House since 2009, first serving under former climate advisor Carol Browner and then taking over the position in 2011. In her role as energy and climate advisor, Zichal has been responsible for the coordination of agency efforts ranging from climate change to fuel efficiency and is considered one of the President’s closest advisors. Jason Grumet, president of the Bipartisan Policy Center remarked on Zichal’s role in the administration, stating that she excelled at “connecting the people, facts and information among the various decision makers.” Zichal has led significant policy agendas, and was considered instrumental in the development of the President’s Climate Action Plan, announced in June of this year. She spearheaded plans to double wind and solar generation during the President’s first term and guided the White House’s response to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, including new offshore oil and gas standards. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy remarked that while Zichal “has been a true partner to EPA, other federal agencies, industry and the environmental groups [...] we’re into implementation. We’ll miss Heather being here, but it’s not going to slow us at all.”

For additional information see: Politico , Washington Post

Climate Change Research in Antarctica Suspended due to Government Shutdown

On October 8, the U.S. Antarctic Program announced it would be suspending all research activities at the three U.S. Antarctic research stations. Funds needed to support the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) polar research program will be exhausted on October 14. While the NSF plans to reopen stations when the shutdown is resolved, most of the research programs will have to be cancelled unless the shutdown is resolved quickly. Alan Leshner, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, commented, "It's a very big logistical enterprise and this could jeopardize the entire research season for hundreds of important projects." Research occurring at the South Pole includes studies on climate change but also ranges from biological studies to astrophysics. The U.S. shutdown will affect researchers in several other nations who depend on the U.S. sea ice runway at McMurdo Station. Dr. Peter Barrett, a researcher at Victoria University’s Antarctic Research Centre in Wellington, explained, “the loss of programs is unprecedented and tragic [...] The Antarctic region may be out of sight for most, but it’s a key part of the global climate system... We can only hope that the people and resources the U.S. has wisely committed to its understanding are restored as soon as possible.”

For additional information see: NPR , Pentagon Post , NBC News , The Associated Press , U.S. Antarctic Research Program Press Release

DOE Facilities Cut Emissions by More than Half

On September 30, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at DOE laboratories and facilities by at least 60 percent since 2009. While DOE is leading research on renewable energy and technologies that will reduce climate change inducing GHG emissions, sustainability support officers at DOE discovered that sulfur hexafluoride was being released at DOE facilities. Sulfur hexafluoride is a very potent greenhouse gas, with one pound equivalent to 11 tons of carbon dioxide. The compound is frequently used in electrical facilities and in energy-intensive scientific equipment such as electron microscopes and particle accelerators. Through activities such as maintenance, repairs to leaks and gas capture and recycling technologies, DOE has been able to stop the release of a million metric tons of GHG. Daniel Kreeger, executive director of the Association of Climate Change Officers, commented on the program, stating that it has “shown meaningful change does not necessarily require new technology or complete overhaul of a system.”

For additional information see: Washington Post

Climate Threat from Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Upgraded by IPCC in 5th Assessment

On September 30, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Fifth assessment, which significantly upgraded the climate threat posed by short-lived climate pollutants. Short-lived climate pollutants have relatively shorter life spans in the atmosphere, from a few days to a few decades. The main short-lived climate pollutants are methane, black carbon (soot), tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons. When feedbacks are included, the IPCC found that the global warming potential (GWP) of methane, the number two climate warming gas, increased by as much as 30 percent over estimates from 2007 and 60 percent over 2001. This is the first time the IPCC has included a GWP for black carbon. The IPCC estimates that over a 100-year timespan, black carbon is 900 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere. While the previous IPCC assessment did not include numbers for the GWP of black carbon, calculations based on the data provided would have produced a GWP of 460 over a 100-year timespan, about half the new number. The GWP for methane was increased from 25 to 28 over a 100-year timespan and from 72 to 84 over a 20-year timespan. “Even before the new IPCC assessment, we knew that cutting these climate pollutants could cut warming in half and by two-thirds in the vulnerable Arctic for many decades,” stated Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development. “Now we know that this strategy is even more important.”

For additional information see: E&E Publishing , IGSD Press Release

ICAO to Develop Global Airline Emission Reduction Mechanism

On October 4, the U.N. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concluded its 38th triennial assembly with a consensus by the 191 member countries to design a global market-based mechanism (MBM) to curb greenhouse gas emissions from airlines. A detailed MBM is to be proposed by 2016 for implementation in 2020. Apart from the market-based measures, the resolution also encourages improving aircraft technology, operation and infrastructure, and the usage of sustainable alternative jet fuels. The assembly addressed the “feasibility and practicability” concerns of emerging economics and developing countries including, Brazil, China and India, and put the European Union’s plan of extending its Emissions Trading System to international airlines on hold until the global plan is launched. The $708 billion global aviation industry currently accounts for two to five percent of global emissions, and is projected to triple its emissions by 2050. The climate resolution is a “strong commitment in favor of taking multilateral action to tackle climate change," commented Todd Stern, the State Department's climate envoy and chief U.S. negotiator.

For additional information see: Reuters , Bloomberg , Huffington Post , BBC , IICAO

Carbon Capture Projects Decreasing Worldwide

For additional information see: Report

New Climate Initiative Announced to Address Economic Risks of Climate Change

On October 1, the Risky Business initiative revealed its goal to persuade investors, policy makers and the public that it is more economical to curb emissions now than pay for extreme weather in the future. The new climate initiative, launched jointly by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, billionaire ex-hedge fund chief Tom Steyer and George W. Bush-era Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, will “arm decision-makers with the information they need to determine how much climate risk they are comfortable taking on.” The initiative comprises two main components: a risk assessment study to quantify the economic risks the United States faces from the impacts of unmitigated climate change by region and by sector, and an engagement effort helping prepare those economic sectors most at risk for climate change. Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and former Secretary of State George Shultz will both be advising the study. Final results will be published in Summer 2014.

For additional information see: The Hill , Bloomberg , The Washington Post Op-Ed

Many Places In the World Will Have a New, Extreme Climate by 2047

On October 9, the University of Hawaii published a new report stating that the earth’s climate could depart from historical averages by 2047. The report estimated that between 1 and 5 billion people live in regions which may have come to have climates that are warmer than their historical limits. These findings are part of a study that, assuming carbon emissions continue unabated, aimed to find the ‘climate departure’ point for the world’s major cities. The climate departure point is the turning point beyond which all future years are predicted to be warmer than any time in the 150 years prior. A team led by Dr. Camilo Mora used data on seven environmental variables from 1860–2005 to run simulations to make predictions on the climate trajectory of the next 100 years. They found that “the coldest year in the future will be warmer than the hottest year in the past.”

The departure point will come much sooner for tropical climates. Because temperatures in the tropics vary so little between seasons, just a slight change in climate will push temperatures beyond historical bounds, with grave consequences for ecosystems. According to predictions, cities that will be affected earliest include the Indonesian city of Manokwari and Kingston in Jamaica, which will reach such ‘climate departures’ in 2020 and 2023, respectively. By aggressively cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the global community could delay the world ‘climate departure’ by 20-25 years. “Go back in your life to think about the hottest, most traumatic event you have experienced,” Dr. Mora said in an interview. “What we’re saying is that very soon, that event is going to become the norm.”

For additional information see: New York Times , Reuters , Nature

New Study Finds Carbon Pricing is the Most Cost-Effective Way To Cut Emissions

On October 9, the multilateral Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a new report stating that carbon pricing schemes such as carbon taxes and emission trading systems are more cost-effective than most alternative policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Placing an explicit price on carbon could achieve 94 percent cheaper emissions reductions than renewable producer subsidies, according to the OECD report. The researchers examined the cost of carbon reduction policies in 15 countries, including the U.S. and China. These findings suggest that governments should enact sufficient carbon pricing schemes, while reexamining and reforming tax exemptions and subsidies to ensure the achievement of climate goals. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría explained that carbon pricing instruments should be coherent with other implicit pricing policies in order to effectively price all sources of emissions and achieve “complete elimination of emissions to the atmosphere from fossil fuels in the second half of the century.” The OECD report identified two additional key measures: encouraging additional support for investing in new technologies and infrastructures, and ensuring that any regressive impacts are addressed through complementary measures and explained through clear communications.

For additional information see: The Hill , Bloomberg , OECD , Report

Climate Change Will Increase Water Scarcity Globally for Millions of People

A study published September 12 in the journal Environmental Research Letters estimates that an additional 668 million people will face increased water scarcity by mid-century, if global temperatures increase 3.5°C. Currently, 1.3 billion people already live in regions facing water shortages, with semi-arid regions such as the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Europe and the U.S. Southwest bearing the brunt of both current and future water issues. Climate change will worsen water availability in many regions, since rising temperatures will reduce precipitation amounts and change precipitation patterns. Researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact and Research calculated water scarcity for the present international target maximum of 2°C warming, the more likely 3.5°C scenario, and for warming in excess of 4°C. Under a 2°C warming scenario, they calculated that an additional 7 percent of global population will face severe water scarcity. Lead author Dr. Dieter Gerten stressed that even with 2°C of warming, “many regions will have to adapt their water management and demand to a lower supply, especially since the population is expected to grow significantly in many of these regions.”

For additional information see: Climate Central , Study

Oceans Face Deadly Trio of Threats

On October 3, the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) released a report warning that oceans are degrading far faster than previously thought. The report stated that ocean warming, water acidification and de-oxygenation are combining in a “deadly trio” to create circumstances that may lead to the next mass extinction. The ocean is more acidic now than it has been for the last 300 million years, including the period when the last major extinction took place, 55 million years ago. “This [acidification] is unprecedented in the Earth's known history. We are entering an unknown territory of marine ecosystem change, and exposing organisms to intolerable evolutionary pressure,” the report says. Corals and other organisms that use calcium carbonate in their shells are particularly at risk from increased acidification and warming. A 2°C temperature increase may stop corals from growing, and a 3°C rise could begin to dissolve them. "The health of the ocean is spiraling downwards far more rapidly than we had thought... The situation should be of the gravest concern to everyone since everyone will be affected by changes in the ability of the ocean to support life on Earth,” remarked Alex Rogers, a biology professor at Oxford University. The report was produced in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, a peer-reviewed journal.

For additional information see: Guardian , Reuters , IPSO Report , IPSO Press Release

Oct 16 Webinar: 40th Anniversary of the Oil Embargo

Join EESI Executive Director Carol Werner, former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, Scott Sklar, and other expert speakers for an October 16 webinar on the 40th anniversary of the oil embargo and its significance. Forty years ago, the Oil Embargo evidenced how dependent the United States was on foreign energy sources. It is imperative that we, as a nation, learn from the past and continue to expand, diversify and invest in our energy supply portfolio. The webinar will demonstrate the advances made since 1973, and highlight how renewables and energy efficiency are the competitive, economical and sustainable global building blocks for the 21st century as we also address climate change. Wednesday October 16 - 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Eastern

To register, click here.
Please note that there is a $45.00 administrative fee to participate ($30.00 for ACORE members).