Climate Change News - September 14, 2015 | Newsletter

For most of the United States, the hottest day of the year has already happened, says a new analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Most of the warmest days of the year happen in July and August, with the except of the Pacific coastline, which generally has its warmest day in September. Image courtesy of climate.gov.

China and US Agree to Greater Cooperation on Climate Change

On September 9, Brian Deese, senior advisor to President Obama, met with Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli who agreed to cooperate more closely on addressing climate change. “Climate change is of high importance to China, and we hope to work with other parties including the United States to build a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, equity and respective capabilities,” Zhang said. Chinese President Xi will visit the United States this month to continue the dialogue on climate change and promote low-carbon growth. Deese also visited New Delhi to discuss climate change with senior officials, with the ultimate goal of cementing strong partnerships before the Paris conference.

For more information see:

Xinhuanet News, The White House

California Passes One Climate Bill, Scuttles Another

On September 11, the California state Assembly passed SB 350 by a vote of 51-26. SB 350 sets several new goals, including increasing renewable energy to supply 50 percent of California's electricty by 2020 and making buildings 50 percent more efficient, also by 2020. The bill, introduced by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, originally included a provision to reduce petroleum use by 50 percent, but on Wednesday this provision was removed, following intense lobbying by the oil industry.

In related news on September 10, California state Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) withdrew a request for a vote on her bill, SB 32, saying she will try again in 2016. Sen. Pavley's bill called for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. Both Sen. Pavley's bill and Sen. De Leon's included goals outlined by Governor Brown in his inaugural speech earlier this year.

For more information see:

San Francisco Chronicle, The Huffington Post, Vox, The New York Times, The Guardian, UK Reuters, Los Angeles Times, KCRA

Court Denies States Request to Put a Hold on the Clean Power Plan

On September 9, a federal appeals court for the District of Columbia ruled it would not put an emergency stop on the Clean Power Plan, as requested by West Virginia, 15 other states and a coal-mining company, until the regulation is published in the Federal Register. Earlier this year, West Virginia also unsuccessfully led states in a lawsuit to challenge the rule before it was made final. Their main argument is that the ruling will force states to spend enormous public resources to meet the emissions reduction goals and will place a burden on residents and power plants. The Clean Power Plan will be published in the Federal Register by the end of October.

For more information see:

The Hill, Arkansas News

French President Warns International Climate Negotiations Could Fail

On September 7, French President Francois Hollande warned there is potential for the upcoming international climate negotiations in Paris to fail, especially if wealthier nations cannot produce the funds to help less-developed countries combat the effects of climate change. Hollande told a media conference, "Good intentions are there, but we are still far away from a legally binding agreement and financing that is up to the levels needed." In 2009, rich nations committed to give $100 billion annually by 2020 to developing countries to aid them with droughts, floods, and other climate change-exacerbated disasters; however, this goal has not yet been achieved. “Everything depends on this question of finance,” Hollande stated, “It’s the key.”

For more information see:

Bloomberg, Reuters, The Guardian

Pacific Islands Forum Calls for Ambitious Climate Deal

On September 10-11, 16 Pacific nations met for the 46th Annual Pacific Island Forum in Papua New Guinea, where the threat of climate change-exacerbated sea level rise was a major topic. The leaders published a declaration calling for a 1.5 degrees C limit on global warming, and stating that an "ambitious, legally binding agreement," at United Nations climate negotiations in Paris this December is "crucial." Prior to the Forum, some nations were applying pressure on Australia and New Zealand to commit to greater emissions reductions targets and agree to ban new coal mines, but the countries were not persuaded. Both did, however, sign the declaration.

For more information see:

The Australian, Radio New Zealand, ABC News (Australia), The Guardian, Reuters, RTCC, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Telegraph

35,000 Pacific Walrus Beach Themselves Due to Lack of Sea Ice

On September 10, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that 35,000 walrus had beached themselves in Point Lay, Alaska the week prior, due to a lack of sea ice caused by climate change-exacerbated warming ocean temperatures. The beaching event was observed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) staff, who flew by Point Lay on September 2. These events are dangerous for walrus, especially the young, who are vulnerable during stampedes. In 2009, over 130 walrus were seen dead after a stampede.

For more information see:

Building Green Cities Could Save $17 Trillion by 2050

On September 8, The New Climate Economy released report findings that implementing low-carbon initiatives in cities could save $16.6 trillion by 2050, and avoid 3.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually (more than India's current emissions). To realize these savings, the report recommends an investment of $1 billion to decarbonize the economy of the world’s 500 largest cities. Low carbon improvements may include improvements in public transportation, energy efficient buildings and waste disposal. “There is now increasing evidence that emissions can decrease while economies continue to grow,” said Seth Schultz, a researcher for the C40 climate leadership group.

For more information see:

RTCC News, The Guardian, The New Climate Economy

New Study Says Mitigating Climate Change in Oceans More Important than Ever

On September 7, the Global Marine Fuel Trends 2030 released a report examining the future of commercial shipping, navies and ocean health. The report found that there has been a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. By 2030, there will be twice as many offshore structures as there are now, with 100 times more offshore wind turbines and 50 percent more offshore oil drilling. To mitigate the effects of these oceanic disturbances, the report recommends ultrasound self-repairing materials for ocean structures; big data analytics; and sustainable energy generation.

For more information see:

International Business Times, ScienceDaily, Global Marine Fuel Trends Report

Study Finds Developed Countries Owe $10 Trillion Climate Debt

On September 7, journal Nature Climate Change published a study estimating that developed nations owe the world about $10 trillion for their historic contributions to climate change. Study author Dr. R. Damon Matthews stated, “It is important to acknowledge and own up to how much we in the developed world have over-contributed to historical climate changes.” To calculate the debt, Matthews took the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by high-emitting nations since 1990 and multiplied by $40 per metric ton, the U.S. government's calculated social cost of CO2. Matthews says that these findings could be used to determine how much money should be donated to the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund.

For more information see:

Nature Climate Change, New Scientist, Inside Climate News, Green Climate Fund