Climate Change News - September 16, 2013

United States Supports Pacific Island Forum Pact to Combat Climate Change

The Pacific island nations' call for action on climate has achieved “a major accomplishment” by gaining the support of the United States, said Marshall Islands Minister Tony deBrum. The Majuro Declaration on Climate Leadership, endorsed on September 5 by the 15-nation Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), contains specific pledges on curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The Declaration aims to “mobilize political will for a universal, ambitious and legally-binding climate change agreement by 2015.” The document explains that “the responsibility of all to act falls to every government, every company, every organization and every person with the capacity to do so, both individually and collectively.” On September 6 at the Post-Forum Dialogue Session, US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced the new formation of the Pacific American Climate Fund. The fund will assist Pacific islands vulnerable to rising sea levels. Secretary Jewell also referenced President Obama’s recently issued Climate Action Plan to highlight the actions the United States has taken to meet the commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. “Climate change is the defining challenge of our time,” she said. The Majuro Declaration will be presented to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon during the opening of the General Assembly later this month. The European Union, Britain, France, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia also expressed support for the declaration.

For additional information see: News24 , The Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership , Al Jazeera America

EU Offers Concessions to US on Airline Emissions Rules

On September 5, the European Union (EU) sought to ease a long-term dispute with the United States over airline emissions rules, modifying their proposal in the hope that the United States will support new global rules on airline emissions. Under the new proposal, flights between the EU and United States would pay a fee for carbon emitted while in EU airspace, rather than carbon emitted over the entire trip. This concession potentially signals the end of years of struggle over a European law seeking to curb airplane emissions from any company that flew in or out of the European Union. The law, which has been active since January 2012, has so far only impacted flights within Europe. The controversy concerned the scheduled expansion of the law to cover international flights next year – a move that would force airlines from the United States and other countries to pay the EU penalties for emissions. The EU's hopes for a global compromise are complicated by several other nations, including China and India, which have expressed misgivings about a deal.

For additional information see: Airwise , New York Times

Australian Prime Minister Vows to Dismantle Carbon Tax

Elected as Australia’s Prime Minister on September 7, Tony Abbott has repeatedly vowed to abolish Australia’s carbon tax within his first year of office. While Abbott has expressed personal skepticism regarding climate change science, he recognizes that a full 80 percent of Australians believe climate change is a threat to their way of life. His goal of dismantling the tax may take some time; pundits feel that his Liberal Party will not win full control of the senate over the Labor and Green parties in the upcoming election. Despite the fact that Labor’s carbon tax has largely been unpopular with Liberal Party voters, Senior Labor Party member Bill Shorten suggested that the Labor party would not abandon the tax. Shorten stated that “we believe there should be a price on carbon pollution. [Labor has] a mandate from its supporters to be true to its values.”

For additional information see: Sydney Morning Herald , Business Insider

Scotland Releases Emissions Data

The Scottish government recently published a report on the country's total carbon footprint, reporting a six percent decrease between 1998 and 2010. Unlike traditional greenhouse gas reporting, the publication provides estimates of Scotland’s emissions on a consumption basis. This method includes emissions associated with spending on goods and services along supply chains at home and abroad, together with those generated directly by Scottish households. According to the report, Scotland's carbon footprint rose by 15 percent from 1998 to a peak of 101.1 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2007 before a notable fall to 78.7 MtCO2e in 2009. The footprint increased by 4 percent to 82.2 MtCO2e during 2010. This slight increase is partly due to larger direct emissions from household heating as a result of colder weather.

For additional information see: Brechin Advertiser , Scottish Government Report , Resource (UK)

Caribbean Water Supplies In Danger Due to Climate Change

On September 6, at a conference in St. Lucia, experts warned that the Caribbean region’s drinking water supplies are at risk due to climate change. Most Caribbean nations access the majority of their water from underground sources, which may become contaminated by salt water as sea levels rise and cover more landmass. The problem could be compounded by changing climate patterns resulting in less rainfall to refill reservoirs. Lystra Fletcher-Paul, a Caribbean land and water officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned, "Inaction is not an option. The water resources will not be available."

For additional information see: The India Times

Climate Adaptation Plans Discussed for Great Lakes

On September 9, the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Commission, advisory groups to the United States and Canada regarding the Great Lakes region, met in Milwaukee to discuss plans to combat climate change and other human-induced changes in the lakes. Lake levels have been below normal in all of the Great Lakes since the late 1990s, with severe drop-offs in water levels in Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior. Lakes Huron and Michigan remain 17 inches below the long-term average. Meanwhile, Lakes Erie and Ontario are currently above seasonal averages, due to heavy winter snows and spring rains. While experts say climate change is partly responsible for lower lake levels, they also cite dredging, gravel mining and other activities that have eroded lake tributaries, causing lake flow to move unnaturally fast towards eastern lakes, leaving the western Lakes Huron and Michigan at continuously lower levels than their eastern counterparts. The International Commission recommended constructing underwater structures that would raise Huron and Michigan by about 10 inches and aid in slowing water flow from those lakes towards Lake Erie. There is disagreement surrounding the timetable and benefit of the structures; some state that it would take at least 35 years to build and shore up Huron and Michigan lake levels. In the same time period, low lake levels will likely continue if evaporation increases and precipitation continues to fall. Deborah Lee, a regional business director for the Army Corps of Engineers, cautioned against engineering the lake, stating, “we can’t predict what the effects of climate will be with the accuracy to make these kinds of decisions.”

For additional information see: The Washington Post , Contra Costa Times

Pashmina Goat Deaths Linked to Climate Change

In the Ladakh region of Kashmir, India, extreme cold temperatures and changes in seasonal precipitation have caused the deaths of thousands of livestock. Changra goats, whose fine wool is woven to make Pashmina wool, are dying off from lack of food due to heavy snowfall and frozen tundra. The local Sheep Husbandry Office estimates that weather upheavals have so far killed nearly 25,000 goats. Traditional families that raise the goats and make the scarves are moving away as they see their livelihoods disappearing. Pashmina trader Ashraf Banday said, “We all rely on pashmina for making shawls. Any threat to its production means a threat to our livelihood.”

For additional information see: Inter Press Service News Agency

Poland Plans to Lower Emissions Without Reducing Coal Output

On September 10, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to cut emissions using technology, not by reducing the use of coal-based power. Poland, a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, has cut greenhouse gasses by 30 percent from 1990 levels. Poland is heavily dependent on coal, using it for more than 90 percent of its electricity. The country is also home to Europe’s highest carbon dioxide-emitting facility, a lignite coal-powered plant. Tusk’s remarks come two months before Poland is set to host the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Warsaw.

For additional information see: Reuters

Report: Global Food Waste a Major Source of Greenhouse Gases

On September 11, the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Food Wastage Footprint reported that wasted food world-wide releases more carbon emissions than any country besides the United States and China. The report estimates that 1.3 billion tons (a third of all produced food) is wasted each year. This translates to 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions, 30 percent of the world’s farmland, and $750 billion in food products. Additionally, the wastage means misuse of diverse ecosystems by converting them to wasted farmland as well as prodigious amounts of water, fertilizers and chemicals that goes into uneaten food. Reducing food waste would ease the pressure on natural resources, cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and lower the increases in agricultural production that will be needed to feed the world’s growing population. In the developed world, food waste is primarily caused by consumer and industrial waste. The report cites a range of measures that could be taken to dramatically reduce waste, such as lowering food purchases and improving the supply chain. In the developing world, wastage is primarily caused by inefficient farming technology and food storage systems. With 870 million people suffering from hunger, Achim Steiner, head of UN’s Environment Program sees enormous potential in individual efforts to reduce waste. Steiner commented that “It will take less than 37 years to add another two billion people to the global population. How on earth will we feed ourselves in the future?”

For additional information see: The Independent , Financial Express , Report

Monday, September 16, 2013: Fast-Action Climate Mitigation: A Focus on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Congressional Meeting Room South (CVC 217) Capitol Visitors Center, Washington DC