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October 6, 2014
This image, taken September 27, shows 35,000 Pacific walruses beached 5 miles away from Point Lay, Alaska, due to a lack of sea ice. Photo courtesy of the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA)/AP Photo, Corey Accardo. See story below.
President Obama and India Prime Minister Agree on Use of Montreal Protocol to Reduce HFCs
On September 29 India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Obama agreed on the need to take urgent action to reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol, in addition to many other joint steps on climate and clean energy. According to the White House statement, the two leaders “recognized the need to use the institutions and expertise of the Montreal Protocol to reduce consumption and production of HFCs, while continuing to report and account for quantities reduced under the UNFCCC.” HFCs are powerful climate pollutants which can warm the atmosphere 1,300 times more than carbon dioxide over 100 years, but last a shorter period of time in the atmosphere before degrading. This makes them a good target for the short-term reduction of atmospheric warming. The leaders further agreed to arrange an immediate meeting prior to the November Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol to discuss safety, cost, and commercial access to alternative technologies to replace HFCs. As part of the broader energy and climate package, the United States will provide support to advance India’s capacity to address climate change and shift to a low-carbon and climate-resistant energy economy, while improving air quality and energy efficiency. Under the comprehensive agreement, the U.S. will make $1 billion available to finance renewable energy and new research and development institutes for developing clean energies in India. “The US-India partnership offers something critical for Prime Minister Modi’s development agenda, and advances one of Obama’s top climate priorities," said Durwood Zaelke, president of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development.
For more information see:
White House Statement, LA Times, Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Study, The Economist
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Optimistic on State Actions to Cut Carbon Emissions
On September 26, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy told reporters at EPA headquarters that states and the EPA are agreeing more on the Clean Power Plan than the media broadcasts. McCarthy said, "The public discussion may be a little bit different than the roll up the sleeves discussion that we are actually having on a technical basis around these rules." McCarthy asserted that the Clean Power Plan is legal and has a “solid foundation” under the Clean Air Act. She said, "One of the great things about the way in which this rule is proposed is it has started a dialogue between energy and environmental leadership in states that has really not happened before because it is really going to be overall [a] state decision on how to meet this.” In addition, McCarthy showed optimism that states like Texas and West Virginia, who have been vocally against the rule, will still implement their own state plans to meet EPA targets – instead of refusing to create a plan, and forcing EPA to construct a plan for them. She added that it was unlikely changing leadership in states will alter state implementation plans once they are in place. “Once the plans come in and they're approved, then those are the plans, and it takes a specific agency action to allow that plan to be changed. We pretty much think when the plans are done we will have a path forward that will not be susceptible to easily changing and certainly not without EPA approval," she said. Finally, McCarthy said EPA does not expect all states will be pleased about the rules, but that states know the better solution is to craft their own plans.
The Hill
Senators Urge Action on Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Sector
On September 26, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and 14 of his fellow Senators wrote a letter to the Obama Administration, urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action to limit methane emissions from oil and natural gas production. The letter wrote, “Ton for ton, methane causes at least 80 times more warming than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Voluntary standards are not enough. Too many in the oil and gas sector have failed to adopt sound practices voluntarily, and the absence of uniform enforceable standards has allowed methane pollution to continue, wasting energy and threatening public health." Earlier this year, the Obama Administration published a methane strategy, but EPA has not yet made a final decision in proposing methane regulations. In the letter, the Senators expressed their support for EPA’s future actions to cut methane emissions, stating, “EPA has a responsibility under the Clean Air Act to address methane throughout the oil and gas sector. We urge you to ensure that EPA exercises its authority expeditiously to control methane pollution and its harmful effects." The other 14 senators who participated in writing the letter are: Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ed Markey (D-MA).
Senator Whitehouse, Huffington Post, The Hill
Chile Puts Tax on Carbon
On September 26, the Chilean government ratified legislation for South America's first tax on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The tax, which will initially be set at $5 per tonne of carbon emissions, will target the power sector, and in particular generators operating thermal plants with an installed capacity of 50 Megawatts (MW) or greater. Thermal plants of a smaller capacity, as well as those fueled by renewable sources such as biomass, will be exempt from the tax. Four companies—Endesa, AES Gener, Colbún, and E. CL.—will likely contribute most of the $160 million in expected revenue, which the government says will be invested predominantly toward education. The implementation of this carbon tax is meant to force power producers to transition to cleaner fuel sources to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions and meet the nation's voluntary target of 20 percent reduction from 2007 levels by 2020. Chile joins around 30 other countries, regions, and states around the world that have adopted or plan to adopt a price on carbon, although Australia recently became the first nation to repeal its carbon tax.
Reuters, Blue and Green Tomorrow, Taipei Times
EIA Finds Increase in US Greenhouse Gas Emissions
On September 25, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its latest Monthly Energy Review, which found that total U.S. greenho
use gas (GHG) emissions have been steadily increasing—a 2.7 percent increase in the first six months of 2014 over the same period in 2013, or a 6 percent increase compared to the first half of 2012—despite federal initiatives to lower emissions. According to the report, the biggest source of GHG emissions came from the residential energy sector, accounting for 17 percent more emissions from January through June of this year than in 2012—which was most likely due to “increased natural gas and retail electricity use” as residents all over the country struggled to heat their homes during the polar vortex. The commercial energy sector was also a major factor in these rising GHG emissions, due to the economy’s rising recovery, “as American businesses (including factories, retail stores and utility plants), burned more gas and oil to meet higher demand.” In a statement directed to world leaders at the U.N. headquarters in New York, President Obama stressed that “the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution by more than any other nation on Earth, but we have to do more.” Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, seconded President Obama’s statement, “The growth in U.S. CO2 emissions is a clear wake-up call that much more needs to be done to accelerate the growth of renewable energy sources, as well as improved energy efficiency, if the nation is to successfully address climate change.”
EIA report, USA Today, Kcet.org, Washington Post
Harvard, Boston and Syracuse Universities Release Health Analysis of Clean Power Plan
On September 30, scientists from Harvard, Syracuse, and Boston University announced new study findings linking strong carbon standards to nationwide health benefits. The study, “Health Co-benefits of Carbon Standards for Existing Power Plants,” analyzed various policy options for reducing the carbon emissions of existing power plants, which currently account for 40 percent of domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The option found to be most effective was the scenario most similar to the proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Power Plan, showing that under the Clean Power Plan all states could witness multiple health benefits, including reduction of heart attacks and hospital admissions, saving lives and money. "Hundreds of thousands of people suffer serious health problems from air pollution in the U.S. every year, and these health problems mostly occur in areas where pollution is not meeting current EPA standards," said Harvard School of Public Health’s Dr. Joel Schwartz, the lead author of the study. The three scenarios researched in the study included various levels of stringency in carbon targets, flexibility in compliance options, and levels of consideration of energy efficiency on the end user’s behalf. The top-performing scenario was “moderately stringent and highly flexible,” resulting in prevention of heart and lung problems caused by air pollution. The EPA is taking public comments on the Clean Power Plan until December 1, and will issue a final rule next June. "Whether communities experience these health gains from cleaner air will depend on the details of the final power plant standards," explained Dr. Jonathan Levy of the Boston University School of Public Health.
Phys.org, Report, Press Release, Press Release
Report Reveals Global Military Perspectives on Climate Change
On September 22, the nonpartisan American Security Project (ASP) updated its Global Security Defense Index on Climate Change. This report was published with preliminary results last year, and lays out how various governments and their militaries assess the threat of climate change. The countries in the report include Brazil, Canada, China, India, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others. After last year’s report showed that 70 percent of nations explicitly identified climate change as a national security issue, the new update goes into further detail, analyzing individual nations’ vulnerabilities, perceptions, preparedness, and climate change’s links to potential conflicts. A central theme to this report is the connection between climate preparedness and the military. According to the ASP website, “Almost all nations that have official military planning have stated that their government considers missions like humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as critical responsibilities of their armed forces.” When looking at the United States specifically, the report found that the East Coast is threatened by more frequent and stronger hurricanes, while the Southwest is becoming drier and hotter. Overall, the United States was ranked as “vulnerable, but prepared,” with acknowledgement of the unique role of the U.S. in global security, with potential for military involvement in conflicts overseas. As Secretary of State Chuck Hagel stated in Nova Scotia last year, “Climate change does not directly cause conflict, but it can add to the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict. Food and water shortages, pandemic disease, dispute over refugees and resources, more severe natural disasters – all place additional burdens on economies, societies and institutions around the world.”
Climate and Security, American Security Project
Passenger Vehicles in Europe Emit More Carbon than Standards Permit
On September 29, a report was released by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) finding that carbon emissions from European passenger vehicles during 2013 were 38 percent higher than the standard mandate. The report analysis suggested that higher carbon emissions means more fuel was burned than expected, which led consumers to spend an extra 450 euros ($570) in fuel on average per year. The report also found that the gap between real carbon emissions and the standard mandate widened 8 percent since 2001. The report highlighted, “For society as a whole, the gap more than halves the official carbon-dioxide reductions achieved during the last 10 years, making it more challenging to meet our CO2 reduction and climate-change mitigation objectives.” This finding means European governments which tax-based on fuel use and emissions have likely been missing some tax revenue.
Bloomberg, The Hill, Report
California’s Climate Law Is Saving Drivers Money
This September, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report outlining the effects that California’s Assembly Bill 32 (AB32) had on the state’s drivers, climate, and public health. AB32 was signed in 2006, requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This included provisions for strengthened emissions standards for vehicles, a cap-and-trade program, and new fuel and electric vehicle policies. According to the study, the bill has been successful in making vehicles more efficient and cheap, reducing fuel use by drivers, and saving billions of dollars in health-related costs through reduced air pollution. The report confronts arguments by oil companies that the policy will hurt drivers by raising gas prices, stating “on average, the gas savings from efficient vehicles more than offset the relatively modest costs of clean technology. When compared with the average conventional car, owners of more efficient vehicles will save thousands of dollars over their vehicle’s lifetime.” Similar reports have been released by the Environmental Defense Fund, looking at the benefits of AB32’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and cap-and-trade regulation. Their 2014 report concluded that “By leading the nation in addressing climate change, California is improving the health of its citizens and the economy.”
Union of Concerned Scientists, Fact Sheet
Report Finds Climate Change Escalated Some of 2013’s Extreme Weather Events
On September 29, a new report was published in the journal Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society saying that climate changing greenhouse gas pollution made extreme weather events in 2013 more likely and more severe. The report, called “Explaining Extreme Weather Events of 2013 from a Climate Perspective,” has been released annually since 2011. It consists of 22 studies by 20 different research groups examining 16 different events occurring in 2013, an increase in extreme events over the first two reports. These events include Colorado flooding in September 2013, a blizzard in South Dakota, drought in California, and the Australian heat wave. The report indicated that climate change made the record-setting heat wave in Australia more likely to occur, and more severe. According to one of the editors of the report, Peter Scott, a climatologist with the U.K. Met Office Hadley Center, "For temperature there's a very clear signal of climate change that is emerging." Two research teams, one from Australia and one from the U.S. government, ran thousands of computer simulations to see whether the intense heat could have occurred with lower pre-industrial levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, or only with higher present-day levels. Thomas Knutson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, "It turns out that the model-simulated trends over the region are matching up quite well with the observed warming that we're seeing." Knutson and two others at NOAA have estimated that of an average of 1.72 degrees Celsius abnormal warmth in Australia in 2013, climate change accounted for 0.81 degrees Celsius of the increase. The report was not as conclusive regarding the role of climate change for precipitation events like flooding and drought, indicating that extreme flooding or blizzards may be less likely but produce more rain or snow when they do occur, and that climate change may or may not influence drought. According to Stephanie Herring, lead editor of the report, "Drought is a highly complex meteorological phenomenon," and isolating which factors influencing drought could be affected by climate change will take more time and research.
Climate Central, Climate Central, Report
Walruses Congregate Onshore as Sea Ice Melts
On October 1, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) published an article on the impacts of decreasing sea ice for Pacific walruses, which typically use sea ice to assist with hunting, giving birth, and resting. Last week on September 27, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) photographed 35,000 walruses coming on land near Point Lay in Alaska, due to a lack of sea ice. A smaller group of 1,500 walruses was spotted on September 23, also in Alaska. The article states that Alaska’s summer sea ice has been steadily depleting, forcing walruses to come ashore, with negative consequences. Young Pacific walruses are vulnerable to stampedes, which are occurring more frequently as more walruses “haul out” onto land. Researchers counted about 50 walruses that may have been killed in a stampede last week. The tightly packed groups of walruses on land are also increasing the risk of disease and competition for food. NOAA first spotted large groups of walruses near Alaska in 2007, and again in 2009 and 2011. Margaret Williams, managing director of Arctic Programs at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said, “The massive concentration of walruses onshore—when they should be scattered broadly in ice-covered waters—is just one example of the impacts of climate change on the distribution of marine species in the arctic.” Chadwich Jay, a research ecologist with the USGS in Alaska, said, “The summer sea ice is retreating far north of the shallow continental shelf waters of the Chukehi Sea in US and Russian waters—a condition that did not occur a decade ago.”
The Washington Post, USGS, EcoWatch
Global Animal Population Has Declined By Half Since 1970; Climate Change Contributed
On September 30, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released its latest Living Planet Index, which found that animal populations have dropped by 52 percent on average since 1970, due in part to climate change, as well as habitat destruction, overhunting and environmental degradation. “Put another way, in less than two human generations, population sizes of vertebrate species have dropped by half,” Marco Lambertini, WWF’s international general director, stated. The report covers nine “planetary boundaries” which, if crossed, could catastrophically threaten life on Earth. “Three of these nine planetary boundaries appear to have been already crossed,” the report says. Among them is climate change – the report states, “the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is already causing significant changes to our climate and ecosystems.” The last report, produced two years ago, found a 30 percent decline in animal populations – however, new and more sophisticated methodologies show the situation has been much worse over the years than the Index revealed. “Applying the new method to the 2008 dataset we find that things were considerably worse than what we thought at the time. It is clear that we are seeing a significant long-term trend in declining species populations,” said a London Zoological Society (LZS) spokesperson. LZS collaborated with WWF to create the report, along with the Global Footprint Network and the Water Footprint Network. The report covers 10,000 vertebrate species, over the period from 1970 to 2010.
CNN, BBC, EcoWatch, Report
MIT Says Concrete Manufacturers Can Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions
On September 25, a joint MIT and CNRS study published in Nature Communications found that concrete, the most widely used construction material, contributes as much as 5-10 percent of industry-generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and that concrete manufacturers could reduce more than half of these GHG emissions— just by changing the manufacturing process. Typically emissions are produced when a calcium rich material (generally limestone) is decarbonated and cooked with a material rich in silica (like clay) at a temperature of 1,500 degrees Celsius, before being ground up into powder. By building a database of all the possible compound combinations for concrete over the past five years, MIT Senior Research Scientist and leader of the study, Roland Pellenq, found the typical ratio of calcium to silica components in the concrete mixture ranged anywhere from 1.2 to 2.2, with 1.7 being the standard. However, the team found a ratio of 1.5 is in Pellenq’s words, “a magical ratio.” According to Pellenq, a 1.5 ratio of calcium to silica gives the product “two times the resistance of normal cement,” as well as reducing its CO2 emissions by approximately 60 percent. A stronger product, Pellenq added, would prove beneficial to the oil and gas industries, “where cement around well casings is crucial to preventing leakage and blowouts.”
Environmental Leader, MIT Press Release, Environmental News Network
Headlines
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1. Potential for a Global Treaty Based on National Commitments
2. Why India is a Wild Card in Crafting a Global Climate Treaty
3. City Action on Climate Change Surges, as National and International Action Stalls
4. Smithsonian Institute Releases Official Climate Change Position
Events =====================
Cellulosic Ethanol: A Technology Update
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Free and open to the public
2226 Rayburn House Office Building - Independence Avenue SW and South Capitol Street
Please RSVP to expedite check-in.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining the technologies that are making commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production a reality. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from agricultural residue — primarily, at this time, from corn stover (leaves, stalks and husks), which is removed in a sustainable manner after the harvest. Cellulosic ethanol is commercially produced at one U.S. facility, with two more coming on-line later this year. Combined, these three facilities are expected to produce a total of approximately 80 million gallons of renewable fuel per year. Contrary to popular belief, cellulosic fuels are not ‘phantom fuels’ but commercially viable ethanol fuels, which have been scaled up in a relatively short time period.
Visit http://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/100614cellulosic for more information.
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