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April 3, 2015
U.S. Climate Plan Submitted to the U.N., Role of Agriculture in Mitigation Mostly Ignored
On March 31, the White House submitted to the United Nations its plan to cut carbon emissions between 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels, by 2025. The United States joined the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and Mexico – together representing 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions -- in submitting its plan, known as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). These plans will then be factored into the international climate negotiations taking place in Paris in December; countries who delay submitting plans may hinder a broader agreement in Paris.
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Agricultural, Environmental Groups Find Common Ground in Minnesota
Two bills are working their way through the Minnesota legislature that could serve as a model for state-level bioenergy initiatives. Initially introduced in February in the Minnesota Senate and the House (H.F. 536 and S 517) by a bipartisan group of legislators, the bill would provide $5 million in production tax credits for cellulosic and advanced biofuels as well as biobased chemicals and biomass energy. Initially, critics of the bill expressed concern that it would favor corn production and, therefore, harm Minnesota’s waterways. But thanks to a broad-based coalition, the BioEconomy Coalition of Minnesota, sustainability measures have been amended to the bill itself.
Headlines:
1. Report Finds that Cellulosic Industry Relies on Successes of Corn Ethanol
2. White House Reviews Truck and Heavy Duty Vehicle Efficiency Standards
3. Iowa Bill Would Incentivize Biobased Chemical Feedstocks from Ethanol Process
4. Outdoor Clothing Company Patagonia Invests in Biobased Fabric Waterproofing
Event:
1. EPA’s Clean Power Plan: Will it Work and Will it Be Upheld?
Wednesday, April 8 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
B-318 Rayburn House Office Building Independence Avenue SW and South Capitol Street
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining key policy and legal issues associated with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rules to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants, which account for 38.7 percent of domestic carbon emissions. According to the EPA, its proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP) would lead to a 30 percent cut in carbon emissions from the power sector by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. How will these cuts be implemented? And will the CPP hold up in court?
Please RSVP to expedite check-in.
2. The Transportation Clock is Ticking: Impacts, Risks, and Solutions
Thursday, April 9 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
B-369 Rayburn House Office Building Independence Avenue SW and South Capitol Street
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) invite you to a briefing about the looming expiration of the Transportation Bill. How does uncertainty over federal transportation funding put jobs and local economies at risk? What can be done to ensure stable, long-term federal investment in public transit, highways, and bridges? How can new information from APTA, to be released at the briefing, help us understand how the federal funding at risk impacts specific regions and the nation as a whole?
To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at [email protected]
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