Weekly Angst I: The Energy Bill is half-full
Half an energy bill was signed by the president today, after final House approval Tuesday (314-100). Gone are the mandate for renewable energy and money to support it. Left in are increased auto fuel economy and biofuel production.
The bill was stripped down after the Senate failed last week by just one vote to approve cloture (avert a filibuster) and send a stronger bill to the floor for passage. My question about that is: Where was McCain? His was the lone missing vote and could have made the difference. That’s the Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who championed Global Warming legislation for the past three years. He’s also the same John McCain who’s trying to get the Republican nomination for president – so perhaps that weakened his resolve. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) reportedly was absent too, but gave her proxy to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and recorded a yea vote.
Press Secretary Dana Perino said Tuesday the White House should get much of the credit for the bill that passed, because it had pushed for both higher fuel economy and alternative fuels.
What we got … and didn’t
So, what did we get from the energy bill finally approved 86-8 by the Senate last week and then by the House Tuesday?
* Corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards of 35 mpg by 2020 (though actually a credit for flex-fuel cars brings it down just below 34 mpg). This is the first increase in 30 years.
* A renewable fuels standard (RFS) calling for 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, with 21 billion in “advanced” fuels such as cellulosic, which is much cleaner than corn ethanol.
* Energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances; phase-out of incandescent light bulbs.
* Training for “green jobs” and enhanced research into carbon capture.
The bill will reportedly cut oil use by 2.8 million barrels a day by 2020.
What we didn’t get was a requirement that investor-owned utilities get 15% of their power from renewable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal by 2020 (though actually it was only 11% because they could buy credits for 4%). We also didn’t get a $22 billion tax package, with $13 billion in new taxes for Big Oil and incentives for renewable sources of power and plug-in hybrids. Clearly the loss of those provisions will be a drag on the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, which now provides just a tiny part of our power. Thankfully, about 20 states now have their own RES. It’s time for others to step up and fill in the gap. And Dem leaders say they will try again with RES and the tax package after the first of the year.
If you want to read the bill, go to http://www.thomas.gov and search by the number of the bill, which is H.R.6.EAS2.
Weekly angst II: Bali agreement half-empty
Well, we showed ‘em. We didn’t let those bullying Europeans and Chinese make us commit to industrialized countries aiming for a cut in greenhouse gases of 25-40% by 2020 and 50% by 2050. In the end, the agreement simply said everyone agreed there should be “deep cuts” in GHG emissions. But in return for that concession, we agreed – after being booed and hissed at by developing countries – to stop demanding a stronger commitment by those countries at this time. U.S. delegates made the decision under pressure, without checking with Washington.
By the next day, U.S. Press Secretary Dana Perino was backtracking. She said the administration had “serious concerns” about the global consensus reached by the 190 participating countries at the Bali conference, and that the largest developing countries (read China and India) must be willing to do far more if there is to be an international agreement in 2009. Those countries look for the developed countries to make the biggest cuts and to help them with technology.
At the conference, which went into overtime to craft any agreement at all, the U.S. delegation was joined by Canada, Japan and Russia in its desire to avoid specific targets and a specific timetable. In the final hours, amid boos, tears and threats, a Harvard-educated delegate from Papua New Guinea won applause when he told the United States to lead or “get out of the way.”
The administration position was countered at the conference by three American VIPs who called for stronger action – Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) (is he running or not?) and former VP Al Gore (D), fresh from picking up his Nobel Peace Prize. Gore told the conference the U.S. position would change with the next election, so to work around President Bush over the next year.
What was accomplished?
There was general agreement at Bali that:
• A successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol would be completed by 2009.
• There must be deep cuts in GHG emissions.
• Rich countries would provide money for adaptation to climate change in poor countries.
• Money would also go to preventing deforestation, cause of 20% of GHG emissions.
• New technologies would be transferred to developing countries to help them cut emissions.
(Weekly angst sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM, Sunday Telegraph UK, The Guardian UK, New York Times, Sierra Club)
Take Action
Contact your Senators and either thank them for voting for cloture in order to try to pass a strong energy bill with clean energy tax incentives or express displeasure at their voting against cloture. All Democrats except Mary Landrieu (La.) voted for cloture, which would have blocked a filibuster and allowed the bill to go forward. Republicans voting for cloture were Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Richard Lugar (Ind.), Charles Grassley (Iowa), Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (both Maine), Norm Coleman (Minn.), Gordon Smith (Ore.), John Thune (S.D.), and Orin Hatch (Utah). All other Republicans voted against it, except McCain, who was absent. Snowe, Collins, Coleman, Smith and Thune also voted for cloture the first time, when RES was included in the bill, so they deserve special thanks. Go on their individual Web sites or call the Congressional Switchboard at (202)224-3121.
News in brief
Earth may have reached a tipping point, NASA scientists say
Arctic summer ice may be gone by 2012, and the world’s ice sheets are now thawing so fast they may have reached a tipping point where significant melting and rising seas are inevitable, two NASA scientists told the American Geophysical Union last week. NASA data show Arctic summer ice shrank to less than half what it was last year and the Greenland ice sheet melted nearly 19 billion tons more than the previous record. There is also evidence of large-scale melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet. “If we stopped adding greenhouse gases today, we would still get large climate impacts, including a substantial sea level rise,” warned NASA’s James Hansen. NASA’s Josefino Comiso agreed, “It’s likely the tipping point for perennial ice has been reached.” A third scientist, Richard Alley of Penn State, was not sure a tipping point had been reached, but said it was not far off. (Sources: Greenwire, AP, International Herald Tribune)
Dem candidates lead Republicans in environmental voting
With the primaries looming, the League of Conservation Voters has released its 2008 candidates’ scorecard. Barak Obama leads, with a rating of 96 for his lifetime voting record on the environment, followed by Dennis Kucinich with 92; Hillary Clinton, 90; Joe Biden 84; Bill Richardson, 82; Chris Dodd 77, and John Edwards 59. Edwards was the first to come out with a strong Global Warming plan, however. Among Republicans, Ron Paul scored 30, John McCain 26, and Fred Thompson 12. Other candidates doing well in national polls -- Rudolph Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee -- have no voting record on the environment. Obama, Clinton, Edwards and Richardson discuss environmental issues on a daily basis with voters, as does McCain, said LCV president Gene Karpinski. To learn more about the candidates’ views, go to http://www.lcv.org/voterguide. (Source: PlanetArk)
DOE raises questions about FutureGen project in Illinois
Tuesday morning, Mattoon, Ill., was named site of the long-awaited FutureGen project to test whether coal can produce power without pollution. Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Energy – which was absent from the press conference where industry partners announced the site – said it would have to reassess the project because its cost had exploded to $1.8 billion from $1 billion at the time DOE committed to paying 74% of the tab. Implicit was the possibility the private partners might have to pick up more of the cost. The demonstration plant is scheduled to use a gasification system, with resulting CO2 liquefied and pumped deep underground. FutureGen’s main goals are to see if the CO2 can be safely kept underground and to find ways to reduce the cost, estimated at 20-40% above standard coal-burning. Mattoon was chosen because of its geological qualities and ample water resources. FutureGen was scheduled to start operating in 2012 and would power 150,000 homes. DOE concerns, however, may cause more delays for the project. The Sierra Club called for no new coal-fired plants until FutureGen proves coal can be used cleanly. (Source: E&E News PM, Chicago Tribune, Sierra Club)
Xtreme weather watch
The decade ending in 2007 is warmest yet, a UN group reports.
The years 1998-2007 make up the hottest decade yet recorded, the World Meteorological Organization said last week. Another report, from the UK’s Met Office, said 11 of the past 13 years were the world’s hottest on record. (Greenwire, PlanetArk)
2007 is on track to have the most natural disasters, which have increased nearly 20% over last year. As of mid-October, 410 disasters had been recorded, “consistent with the trend of rising numbers of climate change-related disasters,” the Red Cross said. There were 427 disasters in all of 2006, that number a 70% increase over 2 years earlier, 2004. Disasters in the past decade exceeded those in the previous decade by 40%, while deaths doubled to 1.2 million, the report said. (Agence France-Presse, Greenwire)
An unusual December storm caused death and destruction in the Caribbean last week.Tropical storm Olga caused flash floods, killing at least 19 in the Dominican Republic, with scores missing and 35,000 left homeless. Tropical storms are unusual in December, because they feed on warm water. (PlanetArk)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!
Earthling Angst will return in 2008. (It’s getting closer to 2012, 2020 and all those other targets, isn’t it?)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Global Warming win short-lived
Weekly angst: The victory in Congress didn’t last very long. A comprehensive energy bill to curb Global Warming passed the House on a 235-181 vote Thursday afternoon. But by Friday morning, opponents had defeated a cloture motion in the Senate, and negotiations were under way to strip the bill of some of its main provisions in order to get the 60 votes needed for passage and have a prayer of getting the president’s signature.
Likely to survive are the 35 mpg corporate fuel economy (CAFE) standards and the biofuels section (though that may be changed). Most likely to go are the requirement for private power plants to get 15% (actually just 11%) of their power from renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass by 2022 and the shift of $21 billion in tax breaks from oil and gas to renewable energy development and efficiency.
But without those provisions, how the devil will we make the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy quickly enough to prevent catastrophic warming? Big oil, coal and power plants won this round and we lost. The fossil fuel economy is barely dented.
The cloture vote, which showed the votes aren't there to prevent a filibuster, put most Democrats on the right side of the issue and most Republicans on the side of fossil fuels. There were some exceptions. GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (Maine), Norm Coleman (Minn.), Arlen Spector (Pa.), Gordon Smith (Ore.) and John Thune (S.D.) voted with the good guys. (Collins, Coleman and Smith have tough re-election campaigns against Democrats next year). And Dems Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Richard Byrd (W.Va.) voted with the bad guys. If you live in any of their states, let them hear from you.
What was in the House bill
In addition to the 35 mpg CAFE standard for cars and light trucks combined in 2020, and the 15% RES for large investor-owned electric power plants (4 percentage points of which could come from buying offsets) the same year, the bill included:
• A nearly 5-fold increase in biofuels, to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion from “advanced” (mostly cellulosic) fuels that cut GHG 50-60% (as opposed to corn, which cuts very little).
• A $21 billion tax package with $13 in new taxes (or eliminated tax breaks) for oil and gas, and incentives for energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, furnaces and lighting, renewable energy sources and plug-in hybrid cars.
• Increased testing of carbon capture and sequestration, the main hope for “clean” coal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was credited with tough negotiations (mainly with fellow Democrats) to get such a strong bill approved.
The importance of CAFE
The 35 mpg CAFE standard would cut oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day in 2020, or the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road. This is the first move to raise mileage standards since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In fact, by 1988, with the crisis behind us, the auto companies were building larger cars again and were allowed to meet a 27.5 mpg standard, not the scheduled 28.5. That, of course, didn’t include SUVs, which are classified as light trucks and have a 22 mpg standard. Why is CAFE politically acceptable this year? We can probably thank the lofty price of oil. People are ready to save money at the pump. And the auto industry and UAW were won over by concessions granted to their champion, House Energy Chair John Dingell (D -Mich.), in the form of flex-fuel credits and money to retool.
Efforts to salvage renewables and taxes
Sen. Energy Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Friday they would negotiate through the weekend in an effort to find some middle ground and salvage the RES and tax portions of the bill – at least partially. They need an additional 7 votes. While 20 states already have their own renewable electricity standards, the Southeast and some Midwest states are concerned they don’t have enough wind to meet the standard. One GOP Senator suggested a much smaller tax package might be OK’d. A chief opponent, the retiring and ill Sen. Pete Domenici (N.M.), ranking member of the Energy Committee, wants nuclear loan guarantees in the bill and reportedly prevailed on fellow Republicans to oppose the bill passed by the House.
Bush veto threat
A final concern, of course, is a presidential veto. Bush doesn’t like the $13 billion in oil and gas taxes or the renewable fuels provision. He wants to include coal-based transportation fuels (which release more CO2 than gasoline) and to pre-empt state laws on alternative fuels. Many in Congress would like to see CAFE standards and energy efficiency, at least, signed into law.
Next step
The aim is to come up with a bill that can pass the Senate with at least 60 votes, and has some chance of getting the president’s signature. Once passed by the Senate, it will have to go back to the House for a vote. Leadership wants to accomplish this before the planned Congressional recess on Dec. 22.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire, E&E News PM, The End of Nature by Bill McKibben)
Congressional round-up
Lieberman-Warner bill passed out of Boxer's committee
In another milestone this week, the Senate passed its first mandatory cap-and-trade bill out of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) Environment and Public Works Committee by an 11-8 vote. The compromise bill, which most environmentalists think is too weak, and opponents think is too strong, will now go to the floor for what promises to be a lively debate, though no one is saying when. The bill covers 80% of the economy, mandating 70% in GHG cuts by 2050. The vast majority of allowances would be given to industries that will be affected, with only a small portion auctioned. Fee credits will be phased out by 2031.
News in brief
Green economy will result in more jobs, studies say
The move from a fossil-fuel to a “green” economy will have a net worldwide job gain, according to a new UN report. In addition to “green collar” jobs, there will be construction, transportation, engineering, manufacturing and sustainable agriculture and forestry jobs, the report said. In Brazil, the ethanol business has created a half-million jobs, and in China 150,000 are employed in solar heating. The jobs will more than make up for layoffs in old fossil-fuel industries, showing a small net gain, the report said. A second study, by the American Solar Energy Society, estimates that in the U.S., policies favoring renewable energy sources and energy efficiency could produce 40 million new jobs and $4.5 trillion in new revenue by 2030. Most of the jobs, 32 million, would be in efficiency measures such as retrofitting buildings, while 8 million would be in the renewables sector, with solar, wind, ethanol and hydrogen cells seeing the most growth. (Source: Greenwire)
Tropical zones expanding as the Earth gets warmer
Tropical regions are pushing north and south toward the poles at a rate much faster than expected. In the past 25 years, they have moved 2.5 degrees latitude, or 140-330 miles, according to a study in the journal Nature Geoscience last week. Climate models had predicted it would take 100 years to move just 2 degrees. The expansion brings with it a shift in high-altitude wind and rain patterns, and affects agricultural zones and water availability. (Source: Greenwire)
Skiers, marchers, bikers protest against climate change
Protestors called attention to Global Warming Sunday in 50 cities around the world. In Berlin, a sculptor carved a polar bear in ice at the Brandenburg Gate. In Auckland, 350 formed “Climate SOS” by lying in the grass at a park. In Taipei, 1,500 marched with signs saying “No carbon dioxide.” In Manila, hundreds rallied with windmills on their heads. In Helsinki, 50 skied on asphalt streets saying, “Give us our snowy winters back.” And here in the U.S., 50 took a polar bear plunge into Walden Pond. (Source: Associated Press)
News from Bali
Climate scientists lose patience, plead for radical action
More than 215 leading climate scientists, some of whom have taken no stance up to now, petitioned the delegates at the Bali UN climate conference to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The petitioners come from more than 2 dozen countries. “The science community is basically fed up,” one signer from Canada told the Associated Press.
Other headlines this first week of the Dec. 3-14 190-nation conference:
* Saving rainforests is a high priority but one about which there is disagreement. The conference is likely to launch pilot projects trying two approaches – trading on the carbon market and using a fund to compensate countries for stopping slash-and-born. Deforestation was not in the Kyoto Protocol but causes 20% of GHG worldwide. Many want it in the next international treaty.
* Carbon capture is not on the Bali agenda. The technology is still unproven and would cost about $1 billion per plant, though ultimately it may be the answer to low- or no-carbon use of coal. Perhaps carbon capture and storage will be part of future talks, Yvo de Boer, top UN climate official, told Reuters.
* The U.S. delegation continues to oppose mandatory cuts of GHG, and made light of the passage of the first cap-and-trade bill from committee onto the Senate floor last week. The National Environmental Trust blasted U.S. greed and waste, saying the country is responsible for 27.8% of cumulative Global Warming.
* Host country Indonesia planted millions of trees to offset the estimated 47,000 tons of carbon dioxide caused by the 12-day conference. The estimate includes air transport to and from Bali. Hosts also eliminated cars from the conference site and provided 200 bicycles for ministers to use if they didn’t want to walk. (Sources: PlanetArk, AP, India Times)
Xtreme weather watch
Rainfall and snowstorms are now more severe. Since 1948, the number of intense storms has increased between 22-26% in the U.S., a new report from Environment America shows. New England and the mid-Atlantic states have been hit the worst. Mass., R.I., Vt., N.Y. and La. have all seen an increase of more than 50%. Climate scientists say this is consistent with Global Warming because warm air holds more moisture. For more, see http://environmentAmerica.org. (New York Times)
Did a cyclone just hit the Northwest? Heavy rain and hurricane-force winds of up to 129 mph hit Oregon and Washington in back-to-back storms last Sunday and Monday. In Bremerton, Wash., rainfall was recorded at 11.78 inches. The storms, which washed out roads, caused mudslides, and resulted in at least 5 deaths, were among the worst in memory. More than 100,000 people were without electricity. One Portland resident noted, “This was really a hurricane – or cyclone – and we never get those here.” (AP)
The cyclone that swamped low-lying Bangladesh last month left a huge humanitarian crisis, the UN said last week. Some 2 million residents need immediate help to save their lives. They need food, shelter, drinking water and sanitation. A total of 8.5 million were affected, more than a half-million homes were completely destroyed and 1.5 million livestock were wiped out. Cyclone Sidr hit with 155 mph winds and a 5-foot storm surge Nov. 15. International aid so far tops $143 million. (PlanetArk)
Take Action
In this season of packages and bags and wrapping paper, think green. Carry one or more canvas or reusable bags with you to put your purchases in. Tell store clerks to keep their paper and plastic bags. Use recycled wrapping paper. And when possible re-use packaging that comes to you from online or catalog items.
Make a year-end donation to environmental groups that do research and fight the good fight for all of us – in Congress, statehouses, elections and courts. They include the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, World Wildlife Federation and Union of Concerned Scientists. And that doesn’t exhaust the list, if you have another favorite. Without them, there would be little, if any, progress.
Likely to survive are the 35 mpg corporate fuel economy (CAFE) standards and the biofuels section (though that may be changed). Most likely to go are the requirement for private power plants to get 15% (actually just 11%) of their power from renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass by 2022 and the shift of $21 billion in tax breaks from oil and gas to renewable energy development and efficiency.
But without those provisions, how the devil will we make the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy quickly enough to prevent catastrophic warming? Big oil, coal and power plants won this round and we lost. The fossil fuel economy is barely dented.
The cloture vote, which showed the votes aren't there to prevent a filibuster, put most Democrats on the right side of the issue and most Republicans on the side of fossil fuels. There were some exceptions. GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (Maine), Norm Coleman (Minn.), Arlen Spector (Pa.), Gordon Smith (Ore.) and John Thune (S.D.) voted with the good guys. (Collins, Coleman and Smith have tough re-election campaigns against Democrats next year). And Dems Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Richard Byrd (W.Va.) voted with the bad guys. If you live in any of their states, let them hear from you.
What was in the House bill
In addition to the 35 mpg CAFE standard for cars and light trucks combined in 2020, and the 15% RES for large investor-owned electric power plants (4 percentage points of which could come from buying offsets) the same year, the bill included:
• A nearly 5-fold increase in biofuels, to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion from “advanced” (mostly cellulosic) fuels that cut GHG 50-60% (as opposed to corn, which cuts very little).
• A $21 billion tax package with $13 in new taxes (or eliminated tax breaks) for oil and gas, and incentives for energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, furnaces and lighting, renewable energy sources and plug-in hybrid cars.
• Increased testing of carbon capture and sequestration, the main hope for “clean” coal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was credited with tough negotiations (mainly with fellow Democrats) to get such a strong bill approved.
The importance of CAFE
The 35 mpg CAFE standard would cut oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day in 2020, or the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road. This is the first move to raise mileage standards since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In fact, by 1988, with the crisis behind us, the auto companies were building larger cars again and were allowed to meet a 27.5 mpg standard, not the scheduled 28.5. That, of course, didn’t include SUVs, which are classified as light trucks and have a 22 mpg standard. Why is CAFE politically acceptable this year? We can probably thank the lofty price of oil. People are ready to save money at the pump. And the auto industry and UAW were won over by concessions granted to their champion, House Energy Chair John Dingell (D -Mich.), in the form of flex-fuel credits and money to retool.
Efforts to salvage renewables and taxes
Sen. Energy Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Friday they would negotiate through the weekend in an effort to find some middle ground and salvage the RES and tax portions of the bill – at least partially. They need an additional 7 votes. While 20 states already have their own renewable electricity standards, the Southeast and some Midwest states are concerned they don’t have enough wind to meet the standard. One GOP Senator suggested a much smaller tax package might be OK’d. A chief opponent, the retiring and ill Sen. Pete Domenici (N.M.), ranking member of the Energy Committee, wants nuclear loan guarantees in the bill and reportedly prevailed on fellow Republicans to oppose the bill passed by the House.
Bush veto threat
A final concern, of course, is a presidential veto. Bush doesn’t like the $13 billion in oil and gas taxes or the renewable fuels provision. He wants to include coal-based transportation fuels (which release more CO2 than gasoline) and to pre-empt state laws on alternative fuels. Many in Congress would like to see CAFE standards and energy efficiency, at least, signed into law.
Next step
The aim is to come up with a bill that can pass the Senate with at least 60 votes, and has some chance of getting the president’s signature. Once passed by the Senate, it will have to go back to the House for a vote. Leadership wants to accomplish this before the planned Congressional recess on Dec. 22.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire, E&E News PM, The End of Nature by Bill McKibben)
Congressional round-up
Lieberman-Warner bill passed out of Boxer's committee
In another milestone this week, the Senate passed its first mandatory cap-and-trade bill out of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) Environment and Public Works Committee by an 11-8 vote. The compromise bill, which most environmentalists think is too weak, and opponents think is too strong, will now go to the floor for what promises to be a lively debate, though no one is saying when. The bill covers 80% of the economy, mandating 70% in GHG cuts by 2050. The vast majority of allowances would be given to industries that will be affected, with only a small portion auctioned. Fee credits will be phased out by 2031.
News in brief
Green economy will result in more jobs, studies say
The move from a fossil-fuel to a “green” economy will have a net worldwide job gain, according to a new UN report. In addition to “green collar” jobs, there will be construction, transportation, engineering, manufacturing and sustainable agriculture and forestry jobs, the report said. In Brazil, the ethanol business has created a half-million jobs, and in China 150,000 are employed in solar heating. The jobs will more than make up for layoffs in old fossil-fuel industries, showing a small net gain, the report said. A second study, by the American Solar Energy Society, estimates that in the U.S., policies favoring renewable energy sources and energy efficiency could produce 40 million new jobs and $4.5 trillion in new revenue by 2030. Most of the jobs, 32 million, would be in efficiency measures such as retrofitting buildings, while 8 million would be in the renewables sector, with solar, wind, ethanol and hydrogen cells seeing the most growth. (Source: Greenwire)
Tropical zones expanding as the Earth gets warmer
Tropical regions are pushing north and south toward the poles at a rate much faster than expected. In the past 25 years, they have moved 2.5 degrees latitude, or 140-330 miles, according to a study in the journal Nature Geoscience last week. Climate models had predicted it would take 100 years to move just 2 degrees. The expansion brings with it a shift in high-altitude wind and rain patterns, and affects agricultural zones and water availability. (Source: Greenwire)
Skiers, marchers, bikers protest against climate change
Protestors called attention to Global Warming Sunday in 50 cities around the world. In Berlin, a sculptor carved a polar bear in ice at the Brandenburg Gate. In Auckland, 350 formed “Climate SOS” by lying in the grass at a park. In Taipei, 1,500 marched with signs saying “No carbon dioxide.” In Manila, hundreds rallied with windmills on their heads. In Helsinki, 50 skied on asphalt streets saying, “Give us our snowy winters back.” And here in the U.S., 50 took a polar bear plunge into Walden Pond. (Source: Associated Press)
News from Bali
Climate scientists lose patience, plead for radical action
More than 215 leading climate scientists, some of whom have taken no stance up to now, petitioned the delegates at the Bali UN climate conference to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The petitioners come from more than 2 dozen countries. “The science community is basically fed up,” one signer from Canada told the Associated Press.
Other headlines this first week of the Dec. 3-14 190-nation conference:
* Saving rainforests is a high priority but one about which there is disagreement. The conference is likely to launch pilot projects trying two approaches – trading on the carbon market and using a fund to compensate countries for stopping slash-and-born. Deforestation was not in the Kyoto Protocol but causes 20% of GHG worldwide. Many want it in the next international treaty.
* Carbon capture is not on the Bali agenda. The technology is still unproven and would cost about $1 billion per plant, though ultimately it may be the answer to low- or no-carbon use of coal. Perhaps carbon capture and storage will be part of future talks, Yvo de Boer, top UN climate official, told Reuters.
* The U.S. delegation continues to oppose mandatory cuts of GHG, and made light of the passage of the first cap-and-trade bill from committee onto the Senate floor last week. The National Environmental Trust blasted U.S. greed and waste, saying the country is responsible for 27.8% of cumulative Global Warming.
* Host country Indonesia planted millions of trees to offset the estimated 47,000 tons of carbon dioxide caused by the 12-day conference. The estimate includes air transport to and from Bali. Hosts also eliminated cars from the conference site and provided 200 bicycles for ministers to use if they didn’t want to walk. (Sources: PlanetArk, AP, India Times)
Xtreme weather watch
Rainfall and snowstorms are now more severe. Since 1948, the number of intense storms has increased between 22-26% in the U.S., a new report from Environment America shows. New England and the mid-Atlantic states have been hit the worst. Mass., R.I., Vt., N.Y. and La. have all seen an increase of more than 50%. Climate scientists say this is consistent with Global Warming because warm air holds more moisture. For more, see http://environmentAmerica.org. (New York Times)
Did a cyclone just hit the Northwest? Heavy rain and hurricane-force winds of up to 129 mph hit Oregon and Washington in back-to-back storms last Sunday and Monday. In Bremerton, Wash., rainfall was recorded at 11.78 inches. The storms, which washed out roads, caused mudslides, and resulted in at least 5 deaths, were among the worst in memory. More than 100,000 people were without electricity. One Portland resident noted, “This was really a hurricane – or cyclone – and we never get those here.” (AP)
The cyclone that swamped low-lying Bangladesh last month left a huge humanitarian crisis, the UN said last week. Some 2 million residents need immediate help to save their lives. They need food, shelter, drinking water and sanitation. A total of 8.5 million were affected, more than a half-million homes were completely destroyed and 1.5 million livestock were wiped out. Cyclone Sidr hit with 155 mph winds and a 5-foot storm surge Nov. 15. International aid so far tops $143 million. (PlanetArk)
Take Action
In this season of packages and bags and wrapping paper, think green. Carry one or more canvas or reusable bags with you to put your purchases in. Tell store clerks to keep their paper and plastic bags. Use recycled wrapping paper. And when possible re-use packaging that comes to you from online or catalog items.
Make a year-end donation to environmental groups that do research and fight the good fight for all of us – in Congress, statehouses, elections and courts. They include the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, World Wildlife Federation and Union of Concerned Scientists. And that doesn’t exhaust the list, if you have another favorite. Without them, there would be little, if any, progress.
Global Warming win short-lived
Weekly angst: The victory didn’t last very long. A comprehensive energy bill to curb Global Warming passed the House on a 235-181 vote Thursday afternoon. But by Friday morning, opponents had defeated a cloture motion in the Senate, and negotiations were under way to strip the bill of some of its main provisions in order to get the 60 votes needed for passage and have a prayer of getting the president’s signature.
Likely to survive are the 35 mpg corporate fuel economy (CAFE) standards and the biofuels section (though that may be changed). Most likely to go are the requirement for private power plants to get 15% (actually just 11%) of their power from renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass by 2022 and the shift of $21 billion in tax breaks from oil and gas to renewable energy development and efficiency.
But without those provisions, how the devil will we make the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy quickly enough to prevent catastrophic warming? Big oil, coal and power plants won this round and we lost. The fossil fuel economy is barely dented.
The cloture vote, which showed the votes aren't there to prevent a filibuster, put most Democrats on the right side of the issue and most Republicans on the side of fossil fuels. There were some exceptions. GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (Maine), Norm Coleman (Minn.), Arlen Spector (Pa.), Gordon Smith (Ore.) and John Thune (S.D.) voted with the good guys. (Collins, Coleman and Smith have tough re-election campaigns against Democrats next year). And Dems Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Richard Byrd (W.Va.) voted with the bad guys. If you live in any of their states, let them hear from you.
What was in the House bill
In addition to the 35 mpg CAFE standard for cars and light trucks combined in 2020, and the 15% RES for large investor-owned electric power plants (4 percentage points of which could come from buying offsets) the same year, the bill included:
• A nearly 5-fold increase in biofuels, to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion from “advanced” (mostly cellulosic) fuels that cut GHG 50-60% (as opposed to corn, which cuts very little).
• A $21 billion tax package with $13 in new taxes (or eliminated tax breaks) for oil and gas, and incentives for energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, furnaces and lighting, renewable energy sources and plug-in hybrid cars.
• Increased testing of carbon capture and sequestration, the main hope for “clean” coal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was credited with tough negotiations (mainly with fellow Democrats) to get such a strong bill approved.
The importance of CAFE
The 35 mpg CAFE standard would cut oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day in 2020, or the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road. This is the first move to raise mileage standards since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In fact, by 1988, with the crisis behind us, the auto companies were building larger cars again and were allowed to meet a 27.5 mpg standard, not the scheduled 28.5. That, of course, didn’t include SUVs, which are classified as light trucks and have a 22 mpg standard. Why is CAFE politically acceptable this year? We can probably thank the lofty price of oil. People are ready to save money at the pump. And the auto industry and UAW were won over by concessions granted to their champion, House Energy Chair John Dingell (D -Mich.), in the form of flex-fuel credits and money to retool.
Efforts to salvage renewables and taxes
Sen. Energy Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Friday they would negotiate through the weekend in an effort to find some middle ground and salvage the RES and tax portions of the bill – at least partially. They need an additional 7 votes. While 20 states already have their own renewable electricity standards, the Southeast and some Midwest states are concerned they don’t have enough wind to meet the standard. One GOP Senator suggested a much smaller tax package might be OK’d. A chief opponent, the retiring and ill Sen. Pete Domenici (N.M.), ranking member of the Energy Committee, wants nuclear loan guarantees in the bill and reportedly prevailed on fellow Republicans to oppose the bill passed by the House.
Bush veto threat
A final concern, of course, is a presidential veto. Bush doesn’t like the $13 billion in oil and gas taxes or the renewable fuels provision. He wants to include coal-based transportation fuels (which release more CO2 than gasoline) and to pre-empt state laws on alternative fuels. Many in Congress would like to see CAFE standards and energy efficiency, at least, signed into law.
Next step
The aim is to come up with a bill that can pass the Senate with at least 60 votes, and has some chance of getting the president’s signature. Once passed by the Senate, it will have to go back to the House for a vote. Leadership wants to accomplish this before the planned Congressional recess on Dec. 22.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire, E&E News PM, The End of Nature by Bill McKibben)
Congressional round-up
Lieberman-Warner bill passed out of Boxer's committee
In another milestone this week, the Senate passed its first mandatory cap-and-trade bill out of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) Environment and Public Works Committee by an 11-8 vote. The compromise bill, which most environmentalists think is too weak, and opponents think is too strong, will now go to the floor for what promises to be a lively debate, though no one is saying when. The bill covers 80% of the economy, mandating 70% in GHG cuts by 2050. The vast majority of allowances would be given to industries that will be affected, with only a small portion auctioned. Fee credits will be phased out by 2031.
News in brief
Green economy will result in more jobs, studies say
The move from a fossil-fuel to a “green” economy will have a net worldwide job gain, according to a new UN report. In addition to “green collar” jobs, there will be construction, transportation, engineering, manufacturing and sustainable agriculture and forestry jobs, the report said. In Brazil, the ethanol business has created a half-million jobs, and in China 150,000 are employed in solar heating. The jobs will more than make up for layoffs in old fossil-fuel industries, showing a small net gain, the report said. A second study, by the American Solar Energy Society, estimates that in the U.S., policies favoring renewable energy sources and energy efficiency could produce 40 million new jobs and $4.5 trillion in new revenue by 2030. Most of the jobs, 32 million, would be in efficiency measures such as retrofitting buildings, while 8 million would be in the renewables sector, with solar, wind, ethanol and hydrogen cells seeing the most growth. (Source: Greenwire)
Tropical zones expanding as the Earth gets warmer
Tropical regions are pushing north and south toward the poles at a rate much faster than expected. In the past 25 years, they have moved 2.5 degrees latitude, or 140-330 miles, according to a study in the journal Nature Geoscience last week. Climate models had predicted it would take 100 years to move just 2 degrees. The expansion brings with it a shift in high-altitude wind and rain patterns, and affects agricultural zones and water availability. (Source: Greenwire)
Skiers, marchers, bikers protest against climate change
Protestors called attention to Global Warming Sunday in 50 cities around the world. In Berlin, a sculptor carved a polar bear in ice at the Brandenburg Gate. In Auckland, 350 formed “Climate SOS” by lying in the grass at a park. In Taipei, 1,500 marched with signs saying “No carbon dioxide.” In Manila, hundreds rallied with windmills on their heads. In Helsinki, 50 skied on asphalt streets saying, “Give us our snowy winters back.” And here in the U.S., 50 took a polar bear plunge into Walden Pond. (Source: Associated Press)
News from Bali
Climate scientists lose patience, plead for radical action
More than 215 leading climate scientists, some of whom have taken no stance up to now, petitioned the delegates at the Bali UN climate conference to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The petitioners come from more than 2 dozen countries. “The science community is basically fed up,” one signer from Canada told the Associated Press.
Other headlines this first week of the Dec. 3-14 190-nation conference:
* Saving rainforests is a high priority but one about which there is disagreement. The conference is likely to launch pilot projects trying two approaches – trading on the carbon market and using a fund to compensate countries for stopping slash-and-born. Deforestation was not in the Kyoto Protocol but causes 20% of GHG worldwide. Many want it in the next international treaty.
* Carbon capture is not on the Bali agenda. The technology is still unproven and would cost about $1 billion per plant, though ultimately it may be the answer to low- or no-carbon use of coal. Perhaps carbon capture and storage will be part of future talks, Yvo de Boer, top UN climate official, told Reuters.
* The U.S. delegation continues to oppose mandatory cuts of GHG, and made light of the passage of the first cap-and-trade bill from committee onto the Senate floor last week. The National Environmental Trust blasted U.S. greed and waste, saying the country is responsible for 27.8% of cumulative Global Warming.
* Host country Indonesia planted millions of trees to offset the estimated 47,000 tons of carbon dioxide caused by the 12-day conference. The estimate includes air transport to and from Bali. Hosts also eliminated cars from the conference site and provided 200 bicycles for ministers to use if they didn’t want to walk. (Sources: PlanetArk, AP, India Times)
Xtreme weather watch
Rainfall and snowstorms are now more severe. Since 1948, the number of intense storms has increased between 22-26% in the U.S., a new report from Environment America shows. New England and the mid-Atlantic states have been hit the worst. Mass., R.I., Vt., N.Y. and La. have all seen an increase of more than 50%. Climate scientists say this is consistent with Global Warming because warm air holds more moisture. For more, see http://environmentAmerica.org. (New York Times)
Did a cyclone just hit the Northwest? Heavy rain and hurricane-force winds of up to 129 mph hit Oregon and Washington in back-to-back storms last Sunday and Monday. In Bremerton, Wash., rainfall was recorded at 11.78 inches. The storms, which washed out roads, caused mudslides, and resulted in at least 5 deaths, were among the worst in memory. More than 100,000 people were without electricity. One Portland resident noted, “This was really a hurricane – or cyclone – and we never get those here.” (AP)
The cyclone that smacked low-lying Bangladesh last month left a huge humanitarian crisis, the UN said last week. Some 2 million residents need immediate help to save their lives. They need food, shelter, drinking water and sanitation. A total of 8.5 million were affected, more than a half-million homes were completely destroyed and 1.5 million livestock were wiped out. Cyclone Sidr hit with 155 mph winds and a 5-foot storm surge Nov. 15. International aid so far tops $143 million. (PlanetArk)
Take Action
In this season of packages and bags and wrapping paper, think green. Carry one or more canvas or reusable bags with you to put your purchases in. Tell store clerks to keep their paper and plastic bags. Use recycled wrapping paper. And when possible re-use packaging that comes to you from online or catalog items.
Make a year-end donation to environmental groups that do research and fight the good fight for all of us – in Congress, statehouses, elections and courts. They include the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, World Wildlife Federation and Union of Concerned Scientists. And that doesn’t exhaust the list, if you have another favorite. Without them, there would be little, if any, progress.
Likely to survive are the 35 mpg corporate fuel economy (CAFE) standards and the biofuels section (though that may be changed). Most likely to go are the requirement for private power plants to get 15% (actually just 11%) of their power from renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass by 2022 and the shift of $21 billion in tax breaks from oil and gas to renewable energy development and efficiency.
But without those provisions, how the devil will we make the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy quickly enough to prevent catastrophic warming? Big oil, coal and power plants won this round and we lost. The fossil fuel economy is barely dented.
The cloture vote, which showed the votes aren't there to prevent a filibuster, put most Democrats on the right side of the issue and most Republicans on the side of fossil fuels. There were some exceptions. GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins (Maine), Norm Coleman (Minn.), Arlen Spector (Pa.), Gordon Smith (Ore.) and John Thune (S.D.) voted with the good guys. (Collins, Coleman and Smith have tough re-election campaigns against Democrats next year). And Dems Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Richard Byrd (W.Va.) voted with the bad guys. If you live in any of their states, let them hear from you.
What was in the House bill
In addition to the 35 mpg CAFE standard for cars and light trucks combined in 2020, and the 15% RES for large investor-owned electric power plants (4 percentage points of which could come from buying offsets) the same year, the bill included:
• A nearly 5-fold increase in biofuels, to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion from “advanced” (mostly cellulosic) fuels that cut GHG 50-60% (as opposed to corn, which cuts very little).
• A $21 billion tax package with $13 in new taxes (or eliminated tax breaks) for oil and gas, and incentives for energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, furnaces and lighting, renewable energy sources and plug-in hybrid cars.
• Increased testing of carbon capture and sequestration, the main hope for “clean” coal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was credited with tough negotiations (mainly with fellow Democrats) to get such a strong bill approved.
The importance of CAFE
The 35 mpg CAFE standard would cut oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day in 2020, or the equivalent of taking 28 million cars off the road. This is the first move to raise mileage standards since the oil crisis of the 1970s. In fact, by 1988, with the crisis behind us, the auto companies were building larger cars again and were allowed to meet a 27.5 mpg standard, not the scheduled 28.5. That, of course, didn’t include SUVs, which are classified as light trucks and have a 22 mpg standard. Why is CAFE politically acceptable this year? We can probably thank the lofty price of oil. People are ready to save money at the pump. And the auto industry and UAW were won over by concessions granted to their champion, House Energy Chair John Dingell (D -Mich.), in the form of flex-fuel credits and money to retool.
Efforts to salvage renewables and taxes
Sen. Energy Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Friday they would negotiate through the weekend in an effort to find some middle ground and salvage the RES and tax portions of the bill – at least partially. They need an additional 7 votes. While 20 states already have their own renewable electricity standards, the Southeast and some Midwest states are concerned they don’t have enough wind to meet the standard. One GOP Senator suggested a much smaller tax package might be OK’d. A chief opponent, the retiring and ill Sen. Pete Domenici (N.M.), ranking member of the Energy Committee, wants nuclear loan guarantees in the bill and reportedly prevailed on fellow Republicans to oppose the bill passed by the House.
Bush veto threat
A final concern, of course, is a presidential veto. Bush doesn’t like the $13 billion in oil and gas taxes or the renewable fuels provision. He wants to include coal-based transportation fuels (which release more CO2 than gasoline) and to pre-empt state laws on alternative fuels. Many in Congress would like to see CAFE standards and energy efficiency, at least, signed into law.
Next step
The aim is to come up with a bill that can pass the Senate with at least 60 votes, and has some chance of getting the president’s signature. Once passed by the Senate, it will have to go back to the House for a vote. Leadership wants to accomplish this before the planned Congressional recess on Dec. 22.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire, E&E News PM, The End of Nature by Bill McKibben)
Congressional round-up
Lieberman-Warner bill passed out of Boxer's committee
In another milestone this week, the Senate passed its first mandatory cap-and-trade bill out of Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) Environment and Public Works Committee by an 11-8 vote. The compromise bill, which most environmentalists think is too weak, and opponents think is too strong, will now go to the floor for what promises to be a lively debate, though no one is saying when. The bill covers 80% of the economy, mandating 70% in GHG cuts by 2050. The vast majority of allowances would be given to industries that will be affected, with only a small portion auctioned. Fee credits will be phased out by 2031.
News in brief
Green economy will result in more jobs, studies say
The move from a fossil-fuel to a “green” economy will have a net worldwide job gain, according to a new UN report. In addition to “green collar” jobs, there will be construction, transportation, engineering, manufacturing and sustainable agriculture and forestry jobs, the report said. In Brazil, the ethanol business has created a half-million jobs, and in China 150,000 are employed in solar heating. The jobs will more than make up for layoffs in old fossil-fuel industries, showing a small net gain, the report said. A second study, by the American Solar Energy Society, estimates that in the U.S., policies favoring renewable energy sources and energy efficiency could produce 40 million new jobs and $4.5 trillion in new revenue by 2030. Most of the jobs, 32 million, would be in efficiency measures such as retrofitting buildings, while 8 million would be in the renewables sector, with solar, wind, ethanol and hydrogen cells seeing the most growth. (Source: Greenwire)
Tropical zones expanding as the Earth gets warmer
Tropical regions are pushing north and south toward the poles at a rate much faster than expected. In the past 25 years, they have moved 2.5 degrees latitude, or 140-330 miles, according to a study in the journal Nature Geoscience last week. Climate models had predicted it would take 100 years to move just 2 degrees. The expansion brings with it a shift in high-altitude wind and rain patterns, and affects agricultural zones and water availability. (Source: Greenwire)
Skiers, marchers, bikers protest against climate change
Protestors called attention to Global Warming Sunday in 50 cities around the world. In Berlin, a sculptor carved a polar bear in ice at the Brandenburg Gate. In Auckland, 350 formed “Climate SOS” by lying in the grass at a park. In Taipei, 1,500 marched with signs saying “No carbon dioxide.” In Manila, hundreds rallied with windmills on their heads. In Helsinki, 50 skied on asphalt streets saying, “Give us our snowy winters back.” And here in the U.S., 50 took a polar bear plunge into Walden Pond. (Source: Associated Press)
News from Bali
Climate scientists lose patience, plead for radical action
More than 215 leading climate scientists, some of whom have taken no stance up to now, petitioned the delegates at the Bali UN climate conference to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The petitioners come from more than 2 dozen countries. “The science community is basically fed up,” one signer from Canada told the Associated Press.
Other headlines this first week of the Dec. 3-14 190-nation conference:
* Saving rainforests is a high priority but one about which there is disagreement. The conference is likely to launch pilot projects trying two approaches – trading on the carbon market and using a fund to compensate countries for stopping slash-and-born. Deforestation was not in the Kyoto Protocol but causes 20% of GHG worldwide. Many want it in the next international treaty.
* Carbon capture is not on the Bali agenda. The technology is still unproven and would cost about $1 billion per plant, though ultimately it may be the answer to low- or no-carbon use of coal. Perhaps carbon capture and storage will be part of future talks, Yvo de Boer, top UN climate official, told Reuters.
* The U.S. delegation continues to oppose mandatory cuts of GHG, and made light of the passage of the first cap-and-trade bill from committee onto the Senate floor last week. The National Environmental Trust blasted U.S. greed and waste, saying the country is responsible for 27.8% of cumulative Global Warming.
* Host country Indonesia planted millions of trees to offset the estimated 47,000 tons of carbon dioxide caused by the 12-day conference. The estimate includes air transport to and from Bali. Hosts also eliminated cars from the conference site and provided 200 bicycles for ministers to use if they didn’t want to walk. (Sources: PlanetArk, AP, India Times)
Xtreme weather watch
Rainfall and snowstorms are now more severe. Since 1948, the number of intense storms has increased between 22-26% in the U.S., a new report from Environment America shows. New England and the mid-Atlantic states have been hit the worst. Mass., R.I., Vt., N.Y. and La. have all seen an increase of more than 50%. Climate scientists say this is consistent with Global Warming because warm air holds more moisture. For more, see http://environmentAmerica.org. (New York Times)
Did a cyclone just hit the Northwest? Heavy rain and hurricane-force winds of up to 129 mph hit Oregon and Washington in back-to-back storms last Sunday and Monday. In Bremerton, Wash., rainfall was recorded at 11.78 inches. The storms, which washed out roads, caused mudslides, and resulted in at least 5 deaths, were among the worst in memory. More than 100,000 people were without electricity. One Portland resident noted, “This was really a hurricane – or cyclone – and we never get those here.” (AP)
The cyclone that smacked low-lying Bangladesh last month left a huge humanitarian crisis, the UN said last week. Some 2 million residents need immediate help to save their lives. They need food, shelter, drinking water and sanitation. A total of 8.5 million were affected, more than a half-million homes were completely destroyed and 1.5 million livestock were wiped out. Cyclone Sidr hit with 155 mph winds and a 5-foot storm surge Nov. 15. International aid so far tops $143 million. (PlanetArk)
Take Action
In this season of packages and bags and wrapping paper, think green. Carry one or more canvas or reusable bags with you to put your purchases in. Tell store clerks to keep their paper and plastic bags. Use recycled wrapping paper. And when possible re-use packaging that comes to you from online or catalog items.
Make a year-end donation to environmental groups that do research and fight the good fight for all of us – in Congress, statehouses, elections and courts. They include the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, World Wildlife Federation and Union of Concerned Scientists. And that doesn’t exhaust the list, if you have another favorite. Without them, there would be little, if any, progress.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Warning to world: Fix climate in 10 years
Weekly angst: In an urgent call to action for the nations meeting in Bali this week, a new UN report says the world must repair its climate in the next 10 years. Unless it does so, we face large-scale human and economic set-backs and ecological disaster, says the UN Human Development 2007 report, released last week. It sets out a road map for the delegates to begin negotiating a successor to the Kyoto Accord.
“The message for Bali is the world can’t afford to wait; it has less than a decade to change course,” said lead author Kevin Watkins of Oxford University.
Rich countries should cut their greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2020 and then 80% by 2050, the report says. Developing countries should cut 20% by 2050, the report said.
The world will need to spend 1.6% of global economic output each year through 2030 to stabilize GHG in the atmosphere and keep temperatures at a safe level of no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial times, the report said.
Recommendations include:
• Improving the efficiency of cars
• Taxes or caps on emissions
• Trading allowances
• Transfer of carbon-capture technology to China and other countries dependent on coal.
• An international fund of $25 billion to $50 billion a year to help provide low-carbon energy in developing countries.
Many countries have the technical and financial resources they need, but not the political will to act, the report said.
Critical of United States
The report takes a shot at the U.S., not only for refusing to abide by the Kyoto treaty, but for our continuing reliance on coal, the leading source of GHG emissions. About 150 new coal-fired electricity plants are on the drawing board.
The Bush administration wants voluntary targets based on “intensity,” the increase in emissions per unit of economic growth. But that won’t work, scientists say. Since 1990, the U.S. has reduced emissions 25% in intensity, but real emissions are up 25%.
The report urges the U.S. to support a new annual global investment fund of $86 billion for adaptation and to help build “climate proof” infrastructure in developing countries. This would cost the northern, industrialized countries 0.2% of GDP.
Damage to poor countries
Even immediate steps won’t have a major impact until 2030, and temperatures will continue rising till 2050, due to accumulation in the atmosphere (CO2 stays around for a century). So climate disasters like droughts and floods will become more frequent and will require adaptation, it said.
Developing countries are most likely to suffer the impact of unrestrained Global Warming, though it will affect us all. (Climate disasters in 2000-2004 affected 262 million people, 98% of them in the developing world.) The report estimates that if the temperature rises 5.4-7.2%, 340 million would be displaced by flooding, and up to 1.8 billions would face a shortage of water.
There’s a large gap between what industrial (rich) countries and developing (poor) countries can do on their own to adapt to or prevent climate catastrophes. For example, the low-lying Netherlands has a system of dikes and has begun building homes that float. In Vietnam, however, the answer has been to hand out life jackets and teach people how to swim, the report said.
“Leaving the world’s poor to sink or swim is morally wrong,” wrote contributor Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner from South Africa.
Wealthy countries have a responsibility to help the poor nations, which have fallen victim to the energy-intensive lifestyles of those in rich countries, the report says. People in the U.S. use 15 times the energy per capita as those in India, it points out. The average air-conditioning unit in Florida uses more energy in a year than a person in Cambodia or Afghanistan uses in a lifetime.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Inter Press Service)
Congressional round-up
Democrats reach deal on energy bill! House to vote Wednesday
Auto state Democrats Rep. John Dingell and Sen. Carl Levin are now onboard for a far-reaching energy bill that will include CAFE standards of 35 mpg by 2020, a 15% renewable electricity standard (RES) for non-public utilities, energy efficiency standards and biofuel production of 36 billion gallons by 2022. The bill will be up for a vote Wednesday in the House and likely the following week in the Senate, with Congressional leadership feeling positive about chances of passage, though many Republicans are opposed. The Senate needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. In heavy negotiations, Dingell won some concessions: separate schedules for cars and SUVs (though the corporate average still must be 35 by 2020), and an extension until 2014 of credits for flex fuel vehicles that run on 85% ethanol, which will be phased out between 2014-2020. This is the first change in CAFE standards since the ‘70s. Cars now average 27.5 mpg and trucks and SUVs 22. Some difference of opinion remained this weekend over the RES provision and whether it could sink the bill in the Senate. (Sources: AP, E&E Daily)
Lieberman cap-and-trade bill gets minor changes in committee
A few adjustments have been made in the Lieberman-Warner bill before the attempt to pass it out of committee this week. Natural gas processors were added to the bill, so now it covers 80% of the economy, not 75%. Free credits would start to be phased out in 2031 instead of 2036. And there would be a separate cap on hydrofluorocarbons, an especially potent GHG. The bill still has the target of 63% below 2005 levels in 2050, less than the 80% below 1990 scientists say is needed. The compromise bill is still too weak, many environmental advocates say, especially in the number of credits given away instead of auctioned. Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) seems confident the bill will be approved by her committee. (Sources: E&E News PM, E&E Daily)
News in brief
‘Dramatic spike’ in thaw of Greenland ice sheet last summer
The ice sheet in Greenland melted at a record pace this past summer, according to research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Melting started more than a month earlier than usual and topped the record thaw of 1998 by 60%. While the temperature in Greenland this summer was the warmest since modern records began in 1961, that is not the only cause, said researcher Thomas Mote of the University of Georgia. Other possibilities include a warmer winter where less snow and ice accumulated and the overall temperature rise in Greenland for the past three years. Greenland is a concern because a significant meltdown could raise sea levels by many feet. (Source: E&E PM)
Global businesses urge ‘strong, early action’ by Bali delegates
Shell, GE and DuPont are among 150 worldwide corporations that signed a petition urging the participants at Bali to begin taking strong action to prevent climate change. Ambitious restrictions on GHG are good for companies, they said, because Global Warming poses risks for business. Let science decide how much to cut, they said. Other signers included Coca Cola, British Airways and Nestle SA.
In other Bali-related news last week:
• The U.S. and EU proposed a trade plan that removes tariffs and other barriers from "climate-friendly" goods and services like solar panels, wind turbines and nuclear reactor parts. Trade officials from 190 countries will meet in Bali Dec. 8-9 as part of the international conference on climate change.
• India and Brazil both criticized a UN report calling for developing countries to reduce emissions 20% by 2050 (while rich countries cut 80%).
• Countries doing the worst at meeting their goals under the Kyoto Accord will have to pay up to $33 billion. Spain, Portugal and Italy, among the 36 countries committed to reductions by Kyoto, have not paid to convert factories and power plants, so now will have to pay for credits.
• Malaysia had the most rapid increase in emissions, 221% from 1991-2004. (During that period U.S. emissions went up 25%) Malaysia is not committed to reductions under the Kyoto Accord.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire)
McKinsey report: Much of climate investment will pay for itself
The U.S. can reduce emissions through a portfolio of existing technologies without wrecking the economy, an international consulting firm said last week. More efficient electronics, autos and agriculture would pay for themselves, said the report by McKinsey & Co. Other technologies such as reforestation, carbon capture from coal plants, and efficient cooling of commercial buildings could be accomplished for as little as $50 a ton, the report said. Emissions could be cut by the amount recommended by scientists with a $1.1 trillion investment by 2030, and extra 1.5% over what would otherwise be invested. Public utilities won’t need to build 85% of the 150 or so coal-fired plants planned if efficiencies quell the demand. However, government must provide “strong stimuli and policy interventions,” the report said, because, given the upfront investment, the changes are unlikely to materialize by themselves. (Source: E&E News PM)
Brown on Green: Prime Minister to lead ‘Revolution’ in Britain
New Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently vowed to lead a green “technology revolution” and create hundreds of thousands of new clean-tech jobs. Brown said he is looking at raising the UK’s current 2050 target of 60% GHG reductions to 80%, in line with what scientists say is need to avert a climate disaster. He said he wants to set up a new “green homes” unit and generate 20% of power from renewables by 2020. He also plans talks with supermarkets and retailers about eliminating throw-away plastic bags. (Source: Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
2007 is on track to be the warmest year on record in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the National Climatic Data Center. The previous record was set in 2005. Temperatures from January-October were 1.3 degrees F above normal. Worldwide, those 9 months were the third warmest. (USA Today)
Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia, was blamed on Global Warming by the country’s environmental minister last week. Rising seas flooded parts of Jakarta, encroaching a mile inland and leaving water 6 feet deep in places. Thousands fled their homes. A flood expert criticized authorities for ignoring warnings about especially high tides and failing to repair barriers breached the previous week. (Greenwire)
Take action
Voting is expected Wednesday on the final energy bill, calling for 35 mpg CAFE standards and 15% renewable electricity standards (RES). This is a huge step in the right direction. Please call the capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask for your Congressman by name. Tell their office staff you want them to vote for the energy bill. It takes just a minute. (If you can, you may want to check in on C-SPAN that day. You may be able to catch the vote taking place.) And Senators will vote either Friday or the following week. We’ll need calls to them also, as 60 votes are needed to avoid filibuster.
For those who are planning to put up Christmas lights but haven’t done so yet, get the energy-efficient LED type that are for sale at Target, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and on the Internet (Google LED Christmas lights).
“The message for Bali is the world can’t afford to wait; it has less than a decade to change course,” said lead author Kevin Watkins of Oxford University.
Rich countries should cut their greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2020 and then 80% by 2050, the report says. Developing countries should cut 20% by 2050, the report said.
The world will need to spend 1.6% of global economic output each year through 2030 to stabilize GHG in the atmosphere and keep temperatures at a safe level of no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial times, the report said.
Recommendations include:
• Improving the efficiency of cars
• Taxes or caps on emissions
• Trading allowances
• Transfer of carbon-capture technology to China and other countries dependent on coal.
• An international fund of $25 billion to $50 billion a year to help provide low-carbon energy in developing countries.
Many countries have the technical and financial resources they need, but not the political will to act, the report said.
Critical of United States
The report takes a shot at the U.S., not only for refusing to abide by the Kyoto treaty, but for our continuing reliance on coal, the leading source of GHG emissions. About 150 new coal-fired electricity plants are on the drawing board.
The Bush administration wants voluntary targets based on “intensity,” the increase in emissions per unit of economic growth. But that won’t work, scientists say. Since 1990, the U.S. has reduced emissions 25% in intensity, but real emissions are up 25%.
The report urges the U.S. to support a new annual global investment fund of $86 billion for adaptation and to help build “climate proof” infrastructure in developing countries. This would cost the northern, industrialized countries 0.2% of GDP.
Damage to poor countries
Even immediate steps won’t have a major impact until 2030, and temperatures will continue rising till 2050, due to accumulation in the atmosphere (CO2 stays around for a century). So climate disasters like droughts and floods will become more frequent and will require adaptation, it said.
Developing countries are most likely to suffer the impact of unrestrained Global Warming, though it will affect us all. (Climate disasters in 2000-2004 affected 262 million people, 98% of them in the developing world.) The report estimates that if the temperature rises 5.4-7.2%, 340 million would be displaced by flooding, and up to 1.8 billions would face a shortage of water.
There’s a large gap between what industrial (rich) countries and developing (poor) countries can do on their own to adapt to or prevent climate catastrophes. For example, the low-lying Netherlands has a system of dikes and has begun building homes that float. In Vietnam, however, the answer has been to hand out life jackets and teach people how to swim, the report said.
“Leaving the world’s poor to sink or swim is morally wrong,” wrote contributor Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner from South Africa.
Wealthy countries have a responsibility to help the poor nations, which have fallen victim to the energy-intensive lifestyles of those in rich countries, the report says. People in the U.S. use 15 times the energy per capita as those in India, it points out. The average air-conditioning unit in Florida uses more energy in a year than a person in Cambodia or Afghanistan uses in a lifetime.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Inter Press Service)
Congressional round-up
Democrats reach deal on energy bill! House to vote Wednesday
Auto state Democrats Rep. John Dingell and Sen. Carl Levin are now onboard for a far-reaching energy bill that will include CAFE standards of 35 mpg by 2020, a 15% renewable electricity standard (RES) for non-public utilities, energy efficiency standards and biofuel production of 36 billion gallons by 2022. The bill will be up for a vote Wednesday in the House and likely the following week in the Senate, with Congressional leadership feeling positive about chances of passage, though many Republicans are opposed. The Senate needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster. In heavy negotiations, Dingell won some concessions: separate schedules for cars and SUVs (though the corporate average still must be 35 by 2020), and an extension until 2014 of credits for flex fuel vehicles that run on 85% ethanol, which will be phased out between 2014-2020. This is the first change in CAFE standards since the ‘70s. Cars now average 27.5 mpg and trucks and SUVs 22. Some difference of opinion remained this weekend over the RES provision and whether it could sink the bill in the Senate. (Sources: AP, E&E Daily)
Lieberman cap-and-trade bill gets minor changes in committee
A few adjustments have been made in the Lieberman-Warner bill before the attempt to pass it out of committee this week. Natural gas processors were added to the bill, so now it covers 80% of the economy, not 75%. Free credits would start to be phased out in 2031 instead of 2036. And there would be a separate cap on hydrofluorocarbons, an especially potent GHG. The bill still has the target of 63% below 2005 levels in 2050, less than the 80% below 1990 scientists say is needed. The compromise bill is still too weak, many environmental advocates say, especially in the number of credits given away instead of auctioned. Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) seems confident the bill will be approved by her committee. (Sources: E&E News PM, E&E Daily)
News in brief
‘Dramatic spike’ in thaw of Greenland ice sheet last summer
The ice sheet in Greenland melted at a record pace this past summer, according to research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Melting started more than a month earlier than usual and topped the record thaw of 1998 by 60%. While the temperature in Greenland this summer was the warmest since modern records began in 1961, that is not the only cause, said researcher Thomas Mote of the University of Georgia. Other possibilities include a warmer winter where less snow and ice accumulated and the overall temperature rise in Greenland for the past three years. Greenland is a concern because a significant meltdown could raise sea levels by many feet. (Source: E&E PM)
Global businesses urge ‘strong, early action’ by Bali delegates
Shell, GE and DuPont are among 150 worldwide corporations that signed a petition urging the participants at Bali to begin taking strong action to prevent climate change. Ambitious restrictions on GHG are good for companies, they said, because Global Warming poses risks for business. Let science decide how much to cut, they said. Other signers included Coca Cola, British Airways and Nestle SA.
In other Bali-related news last week:
• The U.S. and EU proposed a trade plan that removes tariffs and other barriers from "climate-friendly" goods and services like solar panels, wind turbines and nuclear reactor parts. Trade officials from 190 countries will meet in Bali Dec. 8-9 as part of the international conference on climate change.
• India and Brazil both criticized a UN report calling for developing countries to reduce emissions 20% by 2050 (while rich countries cut 80%).
• Countries doing the worst at meeting their goals under the Kyoto Accord will have to pay up to $33 billion. Spain, Portugal and Italy, among the 36 countries committed to reductions by Kyoto, have not paid to convert factories and power plants, so now will have to pay for credits.
• Malaysia had the most rapid increase in emissions, 221% from 1991-2004. (During that period U.S. emissions went up 25%) Malaysia is not committed to reductions under the Kyoto Accord.
(Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire)
McKinsey report: Much of climate investment will pay for itself
The U.S. can reduce emissions through a portfolio of existing technologies without wrecking the economy, an international consulting firm said last week. More efficient electronics, autos and agriculture would pay for themselves, said the report by McKinsey & Co. Other technologies such as reforestation, carbon capture from coal plants, and efficient cooling of commercial buildings could be accomplished for as little as $50 a ton, the report said. Emissions could be cut by the amount recommended by scientists with a $1.1 trillion investment by 2030, and extra 1.5% over what would otherwise be invested. Public utilities won’t need to build 85% of the 150 or so coal-fired plants planned if efficiencies quell the demand. However, government must provide “strong stimuli and policy interventions,” the report said, because, given the upfront investment, the changes are unlikely to materialize by themselves. (Source: E&E News PM)
Brown on Green: Prime Minister to lead ‘Revolution’ in Britain
New Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently vowed to lead a green “technology revolution” and create hundreds of thousands of new clean-tech jobs. Brown said he is looking at raising the UK’s current 2050 target of 60% GHG reductions to 80%, in line with what scientists say is need to avert a climate disaster. He said he wants to set up a new “green homes” unit and generate 20% of power from renewables by 2020. He also plans talks with supermarkets and retailers about eliminating throw-away plastic bags. (Source: Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
2007 is on track to be the warmest year on record in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the National Climatic Data Center. The previous record was set in 2005. Temperatures from January-October were 1.3 degrees F above normal. Worldwide, those 9 months were the third warmest. (USA Today)
Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia, was blamed on Global Warming by the country’s environmental minister last week. Rising seas flooded parts of Jakarta, encroaching a mile inland and leaving water 6 feet deep in places. Thousands fled their homes. A flood expert criticized authorities for ignoring warnings about especially high tides and failing to repair barriers breached the previous week. (Greenwire)
Take action
Voting is expected Wednesday on the final energy bill, calling for 35 mpg CAFE standards and 15% renewable electricity standards (RES). This is a huge step in the right direction. Please call the capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask for your Congressman by name. Tell their office staff you want them to vote for the energy bill. It takes just a minute. (If you can, you may want to check in on C-SPAN that day. You may be able to catch the vote taking place.) And Senators will vote either Friday or the following week. We’ll need calls to them also, as 60 votes are needed to avoid filibuster.
For those who are planning to put up Christmas lights but haven’t done so yet, get the energy-efficient LED type that are for sale at Target, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and on the Internet (Google LED Christmas lights).
Monday, November 26, 2007
Bali conference last chance to get it right
Weekly angst: Next week environment ministers from 190 countries convene in Bali, Indonesia, to start working on a global climate agreement – the follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol. The future of the planet hinges on what they decide over the next two years.
Experts agree we need radical greenhouse gas cuts within 8 years if there is to be any hope of averting dangerous climate change, said Rajenda Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But there are many obstacles to agreement. China, the U.S. and India, who will produce the most GHG in coming decades, don’t want others telling them what to do. Australia used to be with them, but new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, elected Saturday, vowed to sign Kyoto. That leaves only guess who? of 38 industrialized countries refusing to sign the agreement to reduce GHG by 5-6% between 2008-2012.
The new agreement, which will start in 2013, should be finalized by the end of 2009, nations agree, in order to leave time for ratification. And some say they’ll probably negotiate around the Bush administration, hoping for a more agreeable president starting in January ’09. They’re likely to start on matters of easier agreement, like deforestation, adaptation (to changes that can’t be stopped) and sharing of clean technology, and wait until 2009 to determine emissions cuts.
The Kyoto Protocol
First a bit of background on how Kyoto is doing: After an initial sharp drop in GHG during the 1990s (due largely to a breakdown in Soviet bloc economies), emissions for the 36 nations that are obligated by the treaty have been on the upswing and are now just 2.8% below 1990 levels and rising. Yet the UN announced earlier this month that it believes the Kyoto goals can be met by 2012, and that if all the policies put in place work as planned, they could end up down 11% by that date. A $30 million carbon-trading market (likely to double next year), carbon taxes and more renewable energy sources will help accomplish this goal, the UN says.
There are great variations among the countries, with Spain, Portugal and Italy doing the worst job of curtailing emissions. Japan recently announced it needed to revise its plan to meet its goal, and will do so by March. In the period 1990-2005, the U.S., which did not sign the treaty, increased emissions 16% and will likely be up 26% by 2012, according to the UN.
Although 172 nations signed the treaty, developing countries such as China and India were not required to cut emissions by the Kyoto Accord, which is why the U.S. said it refused to ratify the agreement.
What countries are saying pre-Bali
*An East Asian Summit agreed this month “to stabilize emissions at a level that would prevent dangerous … interference with the climate system.” The 16 countries, which included Australia and New Zealand, as well as China and India, said “all should play a role based on common but differentiated responsibilities” and that industrial countries “should continue to play a leading role.” They set no numerical targets but vowed to improve energy efficiency through regional cooperation to develop cost-effective carbon reduction, cleaner fossil fuel technologies and biofuels, as well as nuclear power and reforestation. They aim to increase forest cover in Asia by at least 37.5 million acres.
*China reiterated its pledge to reduce energy intensity (use per unit of GDP) 20% in 5 years. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also told reporters at the summit his country would seek to freeze key pollution emissions at 2005 levels. China says the U.S. must act first, because it has much higher per-capita emissions. China, which takes global warming seriously because of recent floods and drought, also notes that 23% of its emissions come from making goods that are exported to the U.S. and elsewhere.
*U.S. President George Bush wants an agreement that focuses heavily on technology development. He thinks the biggest polluters should set their own national policies. A Congressional delegation headed by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), however, will advocate for mandatory caps.
*Indonesia, host to the conference, wants countries with substantial rainforest to get financial incentives to stopping deforestation – to make up for the money they will lose if they stop chopping down trees for timber, pulp and palm oil. Credits on the carbon market could amount to as much as $400 million to $2 billion annually. Indonesia hopes to rally other rainforest countries like Brazil, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Congo behind the cause. Deforestation accounts for 20% of CO2 emissions globally, more than the transportation sector.
*Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown vows to lead a “green tech revolution” in his country and said any international agreement should include “binding emissions caps” for the industrial countries and a cut in worldwide emissions of at least 50% by 2050. He said we must keep the temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F).
*Africa, the “forgotten” continent, will need substantial funds to adapt to climate change – especially lack of water and food. Under Kyoto, most money for climate change projects so far has ended up going to China and very little to Africa.
*OPEC countries agreed this month to come up with $750 million for carbon-capture research, but said the industrialized nations must take the lead.
*Australia’s new prime minister, Rudd, expects to attend the conference, one of few heads of state planning to do so. He has made averting catastrophic climate change his top priority. Australia, which has the highest per-capita emissions, is suffering an unprecedented drought that is damaging its agriculture economy.
What to expect
The December meeting, with 20,000 delegates, will mainly set up the framework, timetable and agenda for international negotiations, said Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. But there is an urgency to get started, he said. The world will replace 40% of its power generating capacity in the next 5-10 years, and China is building 1 or 2 more coal-fired plants each week. Once those new plants are built, they will last for decades and it will be hard to avoid “climate change running out of control,” he said.
(Sources: Reuters, PlanetArk, Associated Press, Greenwire, E&D Daily, The Independent UK)
Congressional round-up
House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.), a friend to the auto industry, has said he wants three changes to the Senate bill setting corporate fuel economy (CAFE) standards:
• Separate cars from light trucks
• Maintain the distinction between foreign and domestic cars.
• Give automakers enough time to comply with the new requirements.
He also has many questions about the renewable electricity standards (RES) and wants biofuels under the 2005 Energy Policy Act instead of the new energy bill. Dingell is a major figure in energy bill negotiations, which continue through the recess, with final language anticipated by the end of this week and a vote Dec. 4 or 5. But don’t hold your breath. This is a tough one to put together.
(Source: Greenwire)
News in brief
Bear-human confrontations result from warmer weather
Temperatures as high as 10 degrees above normal and a berry-killing drought have caused more run-ins between bears and people this year in the West. In Colorado alone, 59 “nuisance bears” have been killed, a record surpassing 55 in 2002. The warmer weather found bears looking for food in cities in late fall, rather than settling into their dens for winter. Wildlife managers will meet in January to look for solutions. One possibility: more licenses for hunting bears. (Source: Greenwire)
Wind power will triple globally by 2015, new report says
Worldwide wind power will triple to 290 gigawatts from 91, according to a recent report from Emerging Energy Research, a renewable energy consultant. North America’s capacity is expected to double from to 60GW from 30, while Asia’s goes up to 100GW from 40. The projected increase here will be due to federal tax breaks and some states’ renewal portfolio standards (RPS). In Texas, the leader in wind power, the main incentive is a need to replace natural gas. Offshore wind is big in Europe but has lagged here because the U.S. Mineral Management Service has not yet created permitting guidelines under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Turbine manufacturers have increased their capacity fourfold in the past three years, the report said. Meanwhile, the American Wind Energy Association predicts that by 2030 the U.S. likely will generate 20% of its electricity from wind. This assumes a half-trillion dollar investment over 20 years. (Source: Greenwire)
A new technique in Norway could capture 95% of CO2
A Norwegian company says tests of a new carbon-capture technique have successfully removed 95% of CO2 and could be used commercially in new plants. “A competitive coal-fired power plant could be built today,” the CEO of Sargas technology group told Reuters. Because it works under pressure, only a few existing plants, in Europe and Japan, could use the technique. And companies would need government help for storage of the gases, likely in oil and gas fields, the company said. A different system for capture, using chilled ammonia, will be tested in Wisconsin soon. Coal is the Number 2 source of energy, after oil. (Source: Reuters)
Xtreme weather watch
Cyprus faces an unprecedented water crisis, after suffering 3 years of drought. The island nation’s reservoirs are less than 9% full and may run out by the end of next month. Due to rising temperatures, less rain and more evaporation, runoff is down 40% since the ‘70s. “Climate change is clearly evidenced in Cyprus,” one official said. A third energy-intensive desalinization plant is due online this summer, but that is not a good solution because of added greenhouse gases, officials said. The country will drill to find pockets of underground water and faces more cuts to agriculture. In 1960 Cyprus was mainly an agriculture economy; now farming is just 2.8% of GDP. (Reuters)
China’s water shortage in its main rice-growing area is the result of an 86% drop in rain in Hunan province since the start of October. Major rivers are at historic lows there and in neighboring Jiangxi province. Meteorologists in China blamed the increase in extreme weather partly on climate change. (Greenwire)
A tiny Tennessee town is getting by on a few hours of water a day since its spring ran dry, a result of the record drought sweeping through the Southeast. Each night the mayor of Orme opens a valve in the water tower, so people can fill jars and wash before faucets run dry. Local businesses and churches have donated bottled water and a federal grant will fund a pipe to bring more water from Bridgeport, Ala. (Reuters)
Take action
Last chance to tell your elected representatives in Washington to pass a strong energy bill including 35 mph CAFE standards and 15% RPS by 2020. Take a minute and call the Capitol switchboard, at 202-224-3121, to reach your senators and rep. The bill may go to a vote as early as Dec.4. You can make a difference. Please take the time to call.
With cold weather here (for most of us), find out what you can do to save energy and keep your heating bill down. Go to http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/11/on-a-winters-da.html
Experts agree we need radical greenhouse gas cuts within 8 years if there is to be any hope of averting dangerous climate change, said Rajenda Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But there are many obstacles to agreement. China, the U.S. and India, who will produce the most GHG in coming decades, don’t want others telling them what to do. Australia used to be with them, but new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, elected Saturday, vowed to sign Kyoto. That leaves only guess who? of 38 industrialized countries refusing to sign the agreement to reduce GHG by 5-6% between 2008-2012.
The new agreement, which will start in 2013, should be finalized by the end of 2009, nations agree, in order to leave time for ratification. And some say they’ll probably negotiate around the Bush administration, hoping for a more agreeable president starting in January ’09. They’re likely to start on matters of easier agreement, like deforestation, adaptation (to changes that can’t be stopped) and sharing of clean technology, and wait until 2009 to determine emissions cuts.
The Kyoto Protocol
First a bit of background on how Kyoto is doing: After an initial sharp drop in GHG during the 1990s (due largely to a breakdown in Soviet bloc economies), emissions for the 36 nations that are obligated by the treaty have been on the upswing and are now just 2.8% below 1990 levels and rising. Yet the UN announced earlier this month that it believes the Kyoto goals can be met by 2012, and that if all the policies put in place work as planned, they could end up down 11% by that date. A $30 million carbon-trading market (likely to double next year), carbon taxes and more renewable energy sources will help accomplish this goal, the UN says.
There are great variations among the countries, with Spain, Portugal and Italy doing the worst job of curtailing emissions. Japan recently announced it needed to revise its plan to meet its goal, and will do so by March. In the period 1990-2005, the U.S., which did not sign the treaty, increased emissions 16% and will likely be up 26% by 2012, according to the UN.
Although 172 nations signed the treaty, developing countries such as China and India were not required to cut emissions by the Kyoto Accord, which is why the U.S. said it refused to ratify the agreement.
What countries are saying pre-Bali
*An East Asian Summit agreed this month “to stabilize emissions at a level that would prevent dangerous … interference with the climate system.” The 16 countries, which included Australia and New Zealand, as well as China and India, said “all should play a role based on common but differentiated responsibilities” and that industrial countries “should continue to play a leading role.” They set no numerical targets but vowed to improve energy efficiency through regional cooperation to develop cost-effective carbon reduction, cleaner fossil fuel technologies and biofuels, as well as nuclear power and reforestation. They aim to increase forest cover in Asia by at least 37.5 million acres.
*China reiterated its pledge to reduce energy intensity (use per unit of GDP) 20% in 5 years. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also told reporters at the summit his country would seek to freeze key pollution emissions at 2005 levels. China says the U.S. must act first, because it has much higher per-capita emissions. China, which takes global warming seriously because of recent floods and drought, also notes that 23% of its emissions come from making goods that are exported to the U.S. and elsewhere.
*U.S. President George Bush wants an agreement that focuses heavily on technology development. He thinks the biggest polluters should set their own national policies. A Congressional delegation headed by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), however, will advocate for mandatory caps.
*Indonesia, host to the conference, wants countries with substantial rainforest to get financial incentives to stopping deforestation – to make up for the money they will lose if they stop chopping down trees for timber, pulp and palm oil. Credits on the carbon market could amount to as much as $400 million to $2 billion annually. Indonesia hopes to rally other rainforest countries like Brazil, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Congo behind the cause. Deforestation accounts for 20% of CO2 emissions globally, more than the transportation sector.
*Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown vows to lead a “green tech revolution” in his country and said any international agreement should include “binding emissions caps” for the industrial countries and a cut in worldwide emissions of at least 50% by 2050. He said we must keep the temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F).
*Africa, the “forgotten” continent, will need substantial funds to adapt to climate change – especially lack of water and food. Under Kyoto, most money for climate change projects so far has ended up going to China and very little to Africa.
*OPEC countries agreed this month to come up with $750 million for carbon-capture research, but said the industrialized nations must take the lead.
*Australia’s new prime minister, Rudd, expects to attend the conference, one of few heads of state planning to do so. He has made averting catastrophic climate change his top priority. Australia, which has the highest per-capita emissions, is suffering an unprecedented drought that is damaging its agriculture economy.
What to expect
The December meeting, with 20,000 delegates, will mainly set up the framework, timetable and agenda for international negotiations, said Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. But there is an urgency to get started, he said. The world will replace 40% of its power generating capacity in the next 5-10 years, and China is building 1 or 2 more coal-fired plants each week. Once those new plants are built, they will last for decades and it will be hard to avoid “climate change running out of control,” he said.
(Sources: Reuters, PlanetArk, Associated Press, Greenwire, E&D Daily, The Independent UK)
Congressional round-up
House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.), a friend to the auto industry, has said he wants three changes to the Senate bill setting corporate fuel economy (CAFE) standards:
• Separate cars from light trucks
• Maintain the distinction between foreign and domestic cars.
• Give automakers enough time to comply with the new requirements.
He also has many questions about the renewable electricity standards (RES) and wants biofuels under the 2005 Energy Policy Act instead of the new energy bill. Dingell is a major figure in energy bill negotiations, which continue through the recess, with final language anticipated by the end of this week and a vote Dec. 4 or 5. But don’t hold your breath. This is a tough one to put together.
(Source: Greenwire)
News in brief
Bear-human confrontations result from warmer weather
Temperatures as high as 10 degrees above normal and a berry-killing drought have caused more run-ins between bears and people this year in the West. In Colorado alone, 59 “nuisance bears” have been killed, a record surpassing 55 in 2002. The warmer weather found bears looking for food in cities in late fall, rather than settling into their dens for winter. Wildlife managers will meet in January to look for solutions. One possibility: more licenses for hunting bears. (Source: Greenwire)
Wind power will triple globally by 2015, new report says
Worldwide wind power will triple to 290 gigawatts from 91, according to a recent report from Emerging Energy Research, a renewable energy consultant. North America’s capacity is expected to double from to 60GW from 30, while Asia’s goes up to 100GW from 40. The projected increase here will be due to federal tax breaks and some states’ renewal portfolio standards (RPS). In Texas, the leader in wind power, the main incentive is a need to replace natural gas. Offshore wind is big in Europe but has lagged here because the U.S. Mineral Management Service has not yet created permitting guidelines under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Turbine manufacturers have increased their capacity fourfold in the past three years, the report said. Meanwhile, the American Wind Energy Association predicts that by 2030 the U.S. likely will generate 20% of its electricity from wind. This assumes a half-trillion dollar investment over 20 years. (Source: Greenwire)
A new technique in Norway could capture 95% of CO2
A Norwegian company says tests of a new carbon-capture technique have successfully removed 95% of CO2 and could be used commercially in new plants. “A competitive coal-fired power plant could be built today,” the CEO of Sargas technology group told Reuters. Because it works under pressure, only a few existing plants, in Europe and Japan, could use the technique. And companies would need government help for storage of the gases, likely in oil and gas fields, the company said. A different system for capture, using chilled ammonia, will be tested in Wisconsin soon. Coal is the Number 2 source of energy, after oil. (Source: Reuters)
Xtreme weather watch
Cyprus faces an unprecedented water crisis, after suffering 3 years of drought. The island nation’s reservoirs are less than 9% full and may run out by the end of next month. Due to rising temperatures, less rain and more evaporation, runoff is down 40% since the ‘70s. “Climate change is clearly evidenced in Cyprus,” one official said. A third energy-intensive desalinization plant is due online this summer, but that is not a good solution because of added greenhouse gases, officials said. The country will drill to find pockets of underground water and faces more cuts to agriculture. In 1960 Cyprus was mainly an agriculture economy; now farming is just 2.8% of GDP. (Reuters)
China’s water shortage in its main rice-growing area is the result of an 86% drop in rain in Hunan province since the start of October. Major rivers are at historic lows there and in neighboring Jiangxi province. Meteorologists in China blamed the increase in extreme weather partly on climate change. (Greenwire)
A tiny Tennessee town is getting by on a few hours of water a day since its spring ran dry, a result of the record drought sweeping through the Southeast. Each night the mayor of Orme opens a valve in the water tower, so people can fill jars and wash before faucets run dry. Local businesses and churches have donated bottled water and a federal grant will fund a pipe to bring more water from Bridgeport, Ala. (Reuters)
Take action
Last chance to tell your elected representatives in Washington to pass a strong energy bill including 35 mph CAFE standards and 15% RPS by 2020. Take a minute and call the Capitol switchboard, at 202-224-3121, to reach your senators and rep. The bill may go to a vote as early as Dec.4. You can make a difference. Please take the time to call.
With cold weather here (for most of us), find out what you can do to save energy and keep your heating bill down. Go to http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/11/on-a-winters-da.html
Monday, November 19, 2007
Weekly angst
Bali delegates need leadership; IPCC report too dense
The latest, synthesized report from the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released Saturday, is a disappointment because it’s so hard to read. This is the report that is supposed to be concise and specific and light a fire under delegates at the big international climate forum in Bali in two weeks. The idea was to provide a compass for decision-makers on how to deal with carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate. There’s a lot there, but most of it is in vague, theoretical and scientific language and hard to fathom.
For example, one of the clearest sections is a list of reasons to be concerned:
* risks to unique and threatened systems
* risks of extreme weather events (that one’s clear)
* distribution of impacts and vulnerability
* aggregate impacts and
* large-scale singularities.
You get my drift.
It’s just too wordy and hard to cut through, except perhaps some of the charts (though they are wordy too). I hope someone has condensed it into a 15-minute Power Point presentation. They want all the delegates to read it and use it, but I doubt anyone will make it to the end, and that’s too bad because the end is where the important stuff is, at least for the group that will be negotiating the follow-up agreement to Kyoto. I’ll paraphrase it for you:
* If we want to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gases at a safe level, we can do it. But we need to start soon.
* Delay increases the risk of severe impacts on the climate.
* Without substantial investment and effective technology transfer among countries, we may not be able to significantly reduce emissions.
The comments about the report were much more clear than the written word.
“If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late,” said Rajendra Pachauri, who heads IPCC. “What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.” He also noted that the 5–year study doesn’t reflect the recent speedup in climate change, so we’d “better start with intervention much sooner.”
Negotiating an agreement
So thousands of delegates from around the world will head to Bali in early December, with this obtuse 23-page summary to guide them. All will no doubt be thinking about their own needs, so it’s hard to see how they will ever find agreement to substantially reduce Global Warming without strong leadership from someone.
Europe, which is already feeling the impact of climate change, is pushing for strong, mandated reductions. China, the U.S. and India, the top GHG polluters over the next couple of decades, are resisting any mandate that forces them to meet a specific goal (though the U.S. will have a second, Congressional delegation with a different view).
Countries with rainforests want credit given for not cutting them down. Island nations are afraid they will disappear under the rising sea. Oil and coal producing nations are worried about the selling their natural resources. Developing countries want cheap, available fuel (mostly coal) to stoke their booming economies that are lifting people out of poverty.
All these delegates will be starting negotiations with the goal of finding something they can all live with by 2009 (because they know there’s a problem out there somewhere they should deal with). There will likely be a lot of give and take, in an effort to get everyone onboard.
It’s a lot like what’s happening in Washington, D.C., as those who see the coming impact of climate change negotiate with the coal states, the “oil patch” states, the auto state and the skeptics to find a compromise that will get enough votes.
The problem, of course, is there’s no negotiating with Mother Nature.
(Source: http://www.IPCC.ch , New York Times, Greenwire)
Congressional round-up
3 Western govs tout Lieberman-Warner as fed officials recess
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and the governors of Utah and Montana have made a TV ad calling for Congress to pass the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill. They point out their states have set ambitious targets to reduce GHG and it’s time for Congress to do likewise. The bill is in the Environment and Public Works Committee, and is scheduled for a vote Dec. 5 or 6. EPW chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) would like to strengthen it but warned her colleagues not to expect too much. Meanwhile, some Republican senators worry about energy prices and loss of job. The EPA and the Energy Information Administration, asked by the sponsors to analyze the costs and benefits of the bill, said they can’t do so before year’s end. But the Clean Air Task Force and a Duke University team have found its impact on the economy to be negligible. Congress is now on recess until Dec. 3. (Source: E&E Daily)
Energy bill might be split in two to get the votes – Durbin
As negotiations continue on reconciling two energy bills passed by different chambers this summer, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said one option is to send two bills to the floor for a vote: one containing the Senate’s CAFE standards of 35 mpg by 2020, the other with the House-passed RES of 15% renewable power by 2020. That may be the best way to get the requisite 60 votes in the Senate, some say. Oil industry taxes remain an issue, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who also said a final deal should include something for the coal states pushing for coal-to-liquid, which releases more carbon than gasoline. Meanwhile, some senators want to move the biofuel standards (RSF) from the energy bill to the farm bill, which would lose the energy bill some votes. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said it should remain in the energy bill. (Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM)
News in brief
Mediterranean could become a saltier, stagnant sea
Europe is heating up faster than the rest of the world and Italian researchers fear the impact on the Mediterranean Sea will be devastating. Surface temperatures are increasing 1 degree per decade and the heat and salinity could eventually wipe out half the fish and plant species, scientists said at a recent climate conference in Rome. As the sea evaporates and become saltier, it could start flowing out to the Atlantic at Gibraltar instead of vice versa. And a decline in algae could mean the Mediterranean would absorb one-third less CO2, the scientists warned. (Source: Associated Press)
UN asks OPEC ministers to discuss climate change at summit
OPEC should look for ways to limit carbon emissions, Yvo deBoer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said last week. In response, OPEC officials said climate change is one of three topics the ministers would address at their summit in Riyadh over the weekend. “International action on climate change is a war against emissions, not a war against oil,” deBoer said. OPEC markets 40% of the world’s oil. He specifically suggested they look at funding research on carbon capture and sequestration and “put the first dollar on the table” so other nations would follow suit. OPEC Sec. Gen. Abdullah al-Badri turned it around a bit, saying if developed nations with the know-how and financial resources take the lead, “We’ll try to contribute.” (Source: PlanetArk)
Midwest governors strike regional cap-and-trade agreement
Six Midwest states and Manitoba, Canada, signed a pact last week to start a regional cap-and-trade program, starting in 2010. This brings the number of states in such agreements to 20. Similar pacts exist in the Northeast, Southwest and West. Signing on were Ill., Iowa, Kan., Mich., Minn. and Wis. Their goal is 60-80% reduction in GHG by 2050. Three other states – Ind., Ohio and S.D. – signed on as observers, while Mo., Neb. and N.D. did not sign at all. Details are still to be determined. At the same time, 8 states and Manitoba pledged to increase efficiency, renewable energy sources and carbon capture and storage within a regional framework by 2010. (Source: E&E News PM)
London’s famous red buses will start turning ‘green’
London, England, is buying 10 hydrogen-powered buses, to help curb pollution and CO2 emissions. It will test two different types: 5 with fuel cells and 5 with hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines. The buses are costing about $2 million each. The mayor’s goal is to have 5% of all public sector vehicles on hydrogen by 2015. London has 8,000 buses, some of which are diesel hybrids. (Source: PlanetArk)
Xtreme weather watch
Winter forecast: much warmer than usual in NE, Midwest
Temperatures will be above normal starting in mid-December in the Midwest and Northeast, according to an Accuweather forecast. The Northeast, which was 7 degrees above normal in October, may see colder-than-usual temps over the next month, but January and February should be much warmer. The Pacific Northwest is expected to be colder than usual. The Southeast can expect continued drought, probably for a number of years, in part because of a warming trend in the Atlantic. La Niña is also a factor in the winter warmth. (PlanetArk)
Crocs on loose as more floods hit Vietnam, raise death toll
Hundred of crocodiles escaped from cages in Vietnam as floods swept through a breeding farm last week. Several were caught and shot. A new onslaught of rain raised the season’s official death toll to 332 by midweek, as 61,000 homes were submerged. A similar disaster in August left 1 million hungry. This year’s floods were some of the worst in decades. 2,500 foreign tourists were confined to hotels as roads and railways in the country were washed out. (PlanetArk)
Cyclone hits Bangladesh, 600,000 evacuated to shelters
Cyclone Sidr, the worst in a decade, swept across Bangladesh Thursday, driving hundreds of thousands to shelters and killing at least 3,000. The toll could go as high as 10,000 when outlying islands are reached. Low-lying Bangladesh is vulnerable to cyclones and storm surges and is predicted to be one of the places most in danger from rising seas due to Global Warming. About 10 million people live along the coastline. (Reuters, Associated Press)
Take action
Starting your holiday shopping? Think green. Some ideas: reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, a mass transit pass, “An Inconvenient Truth” DVD or book, a donation or membership to an organization that fights Global Warming (Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council), CFL lightbulbs, anything organic. For more ideas, Check out: http://www.greenandmore.com.
Bali delegates need leadership; IPCC report too dense
The latest, synthesized report from the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released Saturday, is a disappointment because it’s so hard to read. This is the report that is supposed to be concise and specific and light a fire under delegates at the big international climate forum in Bali in two weeks. The idea was to provide a compass for decision-makers on how to deal with carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate. There’s a lot there, but most of it is in vague, theoretical and scientific language and hard to fathom.
For example, one of the clearest sections is a list of reasons to be concerned:
* risks to unique and threatened systems
* risks of extreme weather events (that one’s clear)
* distribution of impacts and vulnerability
* aggregate impacts and
* large-scale singularities.
You get my drift.
It’s just too wordy and hard to cut through, except perhaps some of the charts (though they are wordy too). I hope someone has condensed it into a 15-minute Power Point presentation. They want all the delegates to read it and use it, but I doubt anyone will make it to the end, and that’s too bad because the end is where the important stuff is, at least for the group that will be negotiating the follow-up agreement to Kyoto. I’ll paraphrase it for you:
* If we want to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gases at a safe level, we can do it. But we need to start soon.
* Delay increases the risk of severe impacts on the climate.
* Without substantial investment and effective technology transfer among countries, we may not be able to significantly reduce emissions.
The comments about the report were much more clear than the written word.
“If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late,” said Rajendra Pachauri, who heads IPCC. “What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.” He also noted that the 5–year study doesn’t reflect the recent speedup in climate change, so we’d “better start with intervention much sooner.”
Negotiating an agreement
So thousands of delegates from around the world will head to Bali in early December, with this obtuse 23-page summary to guide them. All will no doubt be thinking about their own needs, so it’s hard to see how they will ever find agreement to substantially reduce Global Warming without strong leadership from someone.
Europe, which is already feeling the impact of climate change, is pushing for strong, mandated reductions. China, the U.S. and India, the top GHG polluters over the next couple of decades, are resisting any mandate that forces them to meet a specific goal (though the U.S. will have a second, Congressional delegation with a different view).
Countries with rainforests want credit given for not cutting them down. Island nations are afraid they will disappear under the rising sea. Oil and coal producing nations are worried about the selling their natural resources. Developing countries want cheap, available fuel (mostly coal) to stoke their booming economies that are lifting people out of poverty.
All these delegates will be starting negotiations with the goal of finding something they can all live with by 2009 (because they know there’s a problem out there somewhere they should deal with). There will likely be a lot of give and take, in an effort to get everyone onboard.
It’s a lot like what’s happening in Washington, D.C., as those who see the coming impact of climate change negotiate with the coal states, the “oil patch” states, the auto state and the skeptics to find a compromise that will get enough votes.
The problem, of course, is there’s no negotiating with Mother Nature.
(Source: http://www.IPCC.ch , New York Times, Greenwire)
Congressional round-up
3 Western govs tout Lieberman-Warner as fed officials recess
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and the governors of Utah and Montana have made a TV ad calling for Congress to pass the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill. They point out their states have set ambitious targets to reduce GHG and it’s time for Congress to do likewise. The bill is in the Environment and Public Works Committee, and is scheduled for a vote Dec. 5 or 6. EPW chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) would like to strengthen it but warned her colleagues not to expect too much. Meanwhile, some Republican senators worry about energy prices and loss of job. The EPA and the Energy Information Administration, asked by the sponsors to analyze the costs and benefits of the bill, said they can’t do so before year’s end. But the Clean Air Task Force and a Duke University team have found its impact on the economy to be negligible. Congress is now on recess until Dec. 3. (Source: E&E Daily)
Energy bill might be split in two to get the votes – Durbin
As negotiations continue on reconciling two energy bills passed by different chambers this summer, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said one option is to send two bills to the floor for a vote: one containing the Senate’s CAFE standards of 35 mpg by 2020, the other with the House-passed RES of 15% renewable power by 2020. That may be the best way to get the requisite 60 votes in the Senate, some say. Oil industry taxes remain an issue, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who also said a final deal should include something for the coal states pushing for coal-to-liquid, which releases more carbon than gasoline. Meanwhile, some senators want to move the biofuel standards (RSF) from the energy bill to the farm bill, which would lose the energy bill some votes. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said it should remain in the energy bill. (Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM)
News in brief
Mediterranean could become a saltier, stagnant sea
Europe is heating up faster than the rest of the world and Italian researchers fear the impact on the Mediterranean Sea will be devastating. Surface temperatures are increasing 1 degree per decade and the heat and salinity could eventually wipe out half the fish and plant species, scientists said at a recent climate conference in Rome. As the sea evaporates and become saltier, it could start flowing out to the Atlantic at Gibraltar instead of vice versa. And a decline in algae could mean the Mediterranean would absorb one-third less CO2, the scientists warned. (Source: Associated Press)
UN asks OPEC ministers to discuss climate change at summit
OPEC should look for ways to limit carbon emissions, Yvo deBoer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said last week. In response, OPEC officials said climate change is one of three topics the ministers would address at their summit in Riyadh over the weekend. “International action on climate change is a war against emissions, not a war against oil,” deBoer said. OPEC markets 40% of the world’s oil. He specifically suggested they look at funding research on carbon capture and sequestration and “put the first dollar on the table” so other nations would follow suit. OPEC Sec. Gen. Abdullah al-Badri turned it around a bit, saying if developed nations with the know-how and financial resources take the lead, “We’ll try to contribute.” (Source: PlanetArk)
Midwest governors strike regional cap-and-trade agreement
Six Midwest states and Manitoba, Canada, signed a pact last week to start a regional cap-and-trade program, starting in 2010. This brings the number of states in such agreements to 20. Similar pacts exist in the Northeast, Southwest and West. Signing on were Ill., Iowa, Kan., Mich., Minn. and Wis. Their goal is 60-80% reduction in GHG by 2050. Three other states – Ind., Ohio and S.D. – signed on as observers, while Mo., Neb. and N.D. did not sign at all. Details are still to be determined. At the same time, 8 states and Manitoba pledged to increase efficiency, renewable energy sources and carbon capture and storage within a regional framework by 2010. (Source: E&E News PM)
London’s famous red buses will start turning ‘green’
London, England, is buying 10 hydrogen-powered buses, to help curb pollution and CO2 emissions. It will test two different types: 5 with fuel cells and 5 with hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines. The buses are costing about $2 million each. The mayor’s goal is to have 5% of all public sector vehicles on hydrogen by 2015. London has 8,000 buses, some of which are diesel hybrids. (Source: PlanetArk)
Xtreme weather watch
Winter forecast: much warmer than usual in NE, Midwest
Temperatures will be above normal starting in mid-December in the Midwest and Northeast, according to an Accuweather forecast. The Northeast, which was 7 degrees above normal in October, may see colder-than-usual temps over the next month, but January and February should be much warmer. The Pacific Northwest is expected to be colder than usual. The Southeast can expect continued drought, probably for a number of years, in part because of a warming trend in the Atlantic. La Niña is also a factor in the winter warmth. (PlanetArk)
Crocs on loose as more floods hit Vietnam, raise death toll
Hundred of crocodiles escaped from cages in Vietnam as floods swept through a breeding farm last week. Several were caught and shot. A new onslaught of rain raised the season’s official death toll to 332 by midweek, as 61,000 homes were submerged. A similar disaster in August left 1 million hungry. This year’s floods were some of the worst in decades. 2,500 foreign tourists were confined to hotels as roads and railways in the country were washed out. (PlanetArk)
Cyclone hits Bangladesh, 600,000 evacuated to shelters
Cyclone Sidr, the worst in a decade, swept across Bangladesh Thursday, driving hundreds of thousands to shelters and killing at least 3,000. The toll could go as high as 10,000 when outlying islands are reached. Low-lying Bangladesh is vulnerable to cyclones and storm surges and is predicted to be one of the places most in danger from rising seas due to Global Warming. About 10 million people live along the coastline. (Reuters, Associated Press)
Take action
Starting your holiday shopping? Think green. Some ideas: reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, a mass transit pass, “An Inconvenient Truth” DVD or book, a donation or membership to an organization that fights Global Warming (Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council), CFL lightbulbs, anything organic. For more ideas, Check out: http://www.greenandmore.com.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Opening comment: NBC just had Green Week, calling attention to Global Warming. I didn’t see much of it, but I did look at CNBC now and then as the stock market fell off a cliff. And I witnessed at least 4 skeptics casting aspersions on Al Gore, the Natural Resources Defense Council and all who want to do something about Climate Change. One said it was “almost anti-capitalism.” Well, yeah. If capitalism means short-term greed trumps everything else: your children’s future, nature, health, caring about the well-being of people around the world, not wanting coastal cities to disappear … Arrrgh! May his Long Island summer home be swept away in the next storm surge! This is what we’re up against, folks, despite the number of corporations that are in the fight with us: short-sighted greed, and the blind ignorance that goes with it.
Weekly angst
World will still be hooked on fossil fuels in 2030 – IEA
Fossil fuels will still reign in 2030, the International Energy Agency said last week in its Annual World Energy Outlook. Oil will remain the single largest source of energy (32%), but will lose some ground to cheaper, more abundant coal (28%). Natural gas will come in third at 22%. Nuclear is seen shrinking to 5%, with biomass/waste at 9%, and other renewables and hydro each at 2%.
A 55% increase in energy use is expected by that date, mainly in Asia, where booming economic growth is lifting millions of people out of poverty.
Global temperature could soar
The average world temperature is expected to rise at least 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 Fahrenheit), as emissions increase a projected 57%. That means we’ll exceed the IPCC-recommended limit of 450 ppm of CO2, which would result in a temperature increase of 2.4C (4.3F).
To achieve the recommended level, greenhouse gases would have to peak by 2015 (that’s just 8 years away) and then fall 50-80% by 2050, IEA said. This would require a massive energy-efficiency campaign, a switch to non-fossil fuels, and unprecedented technological advances at considerable cost.
Not very likely, says IEA.
Their most optimistic scenario is a 1% rise in GHG per year till 2030, resulting in a 5.4F peak temperature, then a steady decline. The most pessimistic scenario is for a 10.8F peak, if China and India continue their strong economic growth unabated. To put that in context, the average world temperature has grown just 1.44 degrees F in the 107 years since 1900, and that increase has caused melting glaciers and ice sheets, as well as permafrost retreat. A 10-degree rise would be cataclysmic.
China and India
“Staggering” economic growth in China and India, and throughout Asia, is the main reason for the expected future surge in GHG. China accounted for 58% of the increase from 2000-2006 and its share of world emissions will rise from 20% to 25%, though per capita emissions will still be less than half that of the U.S. By 2015, the 3 biggest GHG polluters will be, in order, China, the U.S. and India, the report said.
Keeping Global Warming within safe limits may be out of reach, the report said, in part because there is more talk than action in most countries. If governments did everything they are talking about, renewables could provide 17% of power, GHG could be held to an increase of 25%, and the average temperature would rise 5.4F.
“Unprecedented political action” is needed to keep the planet at a safe level, said IEA. And that will be costly, no doubt about it. For example, the world will have to retire some fossil fuel plants prematurely, at an estimated cost of $1 trillion.
But we’re going to pay the price, one way or the other.
This report comes out as world governments prepare to meet next month in Bali, to start forging an international agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Let’s hope they all read it – and feel the heat.
(Sources: Greenwire, PlanetArk and Agence France-Presse)
Congressional round-up
The Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill (S. 2191) is scheduled for a vote in the Environment and Public Works Committee Dec. 5-6, Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Thursday. Earlier, Boxer had hoped to vote the bill out of committee this week, but she was under severe criticism from some members who wanted more time. Votes on amendments are expected the 5th, with a final committee vote that day or the next, she said. There are pressures to both strengthen and weaken the bill. Key sponsor Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told reporters last week he doesn’t expect the 2020 target to change from 15% below 2005 levels, but there may be consensus on tightening the 2050 limits (now 63%) and moving up the date for 100% auction of credits from 2036. Boxer said it’s unlikely the bill will see final action on the Senate floor before year’s end.
6,000 college students rallied for 80% by 2050 on Capitol Hill last Monday, as a new coalition, 1Sky, pushed for a more aggressive cap-and-trade bill. They urged support for the stricter Sanders-Boxer and Waxman bills instead of Lieberman-Warner, and called for 100% auction of credits, a moratorium on new coal plants, and using cap-and-trade proceeds to create 5 million new green jobs.
Negotiations to reconcile the energy bills continued, as advocates pressed for inclusion of the Senate’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards and House’s renewable electricity standards (RES), as well as a provision on biofuels, transfer of tax breaks from oil to renewables, and removal of loan guarantees for new nuclear plants. The final bill is expected to go the House and Senate for a vote in December. 60 votes are needed in the Senate to avoid a filibuster.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has called on the EPA to explain why it gave permission for a new coal-fired plant in Utah without requiring greenhouse gas controls. He called the approval a missed opportunity and illegal under the Clean Air Act. The EPA responded that it has no regulations in place yet for regulating GHG. Waxman said he plans to investigate and will introduce a bill to prohibit permits unless plants use state-of-the-art technology to reduce emissions. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced a similar bill in the Senate in April. Kerry also has a bill to boost R&D funds for demonstration projects on capture and sequestration of carbon at 6-10 plants.
(Congressional round-up sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM)
News in brief
Americans overwhelming want better auto fuel economy
A poll conducted last week showed that 86% of the people want improved auto fuel efficiency and don’t buy the arguments against it by the auto industry. Support for improved fuel-economy standards cut across all major political demographic groups, with 90% of Democrats in favor, 83% of Republicans and 83% of Independents. Their greatest concerns were security (oil dependency) and the price of gasoline. While the general public has always wanted improved fuel efficiency, it has risen to a top priority, said the Democrat and GOP pollsters who conducted the survey. (Source: E&E News PM)
California sues EPA over long waiver delay; other states to join
California sued the EPA Thursday, seeking to force a decision on whether the state can implement the nation’s first greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks. Other states that plan to join the suit are Ariz., Conn., Ill., Maine, Md., Mass., N. J., N. M., N. Y., Ore., Pa., R. I., Vt. and Wash. California sought the waver about 2 years ago, and turned up the heat earlier this year when the Supreme Court said greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act. The EPA said there would be an answer at the end of the year, along with a set of regulations for GHG emissions. But California says there’s urgency because their rules apply to 2009 car models, which are being planned now. A waiver for California would allow 11 other states that have adopted the regulations to enforce theirs as well. Several other states are in the process of adopting similar restrictions. (Source: Associated Press)
Worldwide poll shows people willing to sacrifice, pay more
In a BBC global poll announced last week, 83% of those surveyed realized lifestyle changes will be needed to mitigate global warming. In 14 of the 21 countries surveyed, 61% said it will be necessary to pay increased energy costs and be more energy-efficient. A smaller number, but still a majority, were OK with a climate tax as long as all the money went to clean energy and efficiency. The poll surveyed 22,000 people and will be used as ammunition when environment ministers meet in Bali in December to discuss a post-Kyoto agreement. (Source: PlanetArk)
Chicago goes green with world’s largest commercial building
The 4.2 million-square-foot Merchandise Mart and the McCormick Place convention center have both received LEED certification, the city announced last week to the U.S. Green Building Council’s GreenBuild conference in Chicago. The Mart will undergo an extensive energy retrofit through the city’s partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, which brokered $5 billion for Chicago and 15 other cities to become more energy-efficient. The announcement was the leading edge of Chicago’s extensive Climate Action Plan, which will be rolled out over the next few months. Energy efficiency for commercial and multi-family residential buildings will be a major part of the plan to cut 25% of GHG emissions by 2020. The soon-to-be tallest building in the world, the Chicago Spire, is aiming for LEED certification, too. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, and is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council. (Source: Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
Lush Kauai in Hawaiian Islands is going dry. Last month only 0.39 inches of rain were reported in the town of Lihue there, the driest October since records began in 1950. And August-October saw only 1.27 inches of rain, the lowest for any three-month period on record. Though a rainstorm last week dropped a welcome 1.47 inches, there’s concern the drought will get worse this winter. (New York Times)
Tibet is so dry people are waking up with nosebleeds. Humidity was at record lows in October in the country, which is heating up faster from Global Warming than any other place on Earth, according to China’s state media. Scientists have warned of melting glaciers, dried up rivers and desertification. (PlanetArk)
At least 82 were killed in floods in Vietnam last week as the nation was on alert for a possible typhoon to add to the misery. Nearly 200 have died in since early October and there are concerns the flooding will spread bird flu. (PlanetArk)
Take action
Do everything you can to urge Congress to pass a strong energy bill, with corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards of 35 mpg by 2020 and renewable electricity standards (RES) of 15% by 2020. Your reps will be on recess from Nov. 16-Dec. 3. Call or take friends and visit them in their home office, to remind them this is a top priority for their constituents. Ask your mayor to weigh in and send a letter to their congressional delegation. Write a letter to the editor to let the media know this issue is important. At a minimum, go on your senators’ Web sites and send them a message to “pass a strong energy bill this year.” For help, visit the Sierra Club's energy Web site at http://www.sierraclub.org/flip. Also, go to http://environmentaldefensse.org/climatevote07. and sign a letter to the leadership and your elected representatives in Washington.
Weekly angst
World will still be hooked on fossil fuels in 2030 – IEA
Fossil fuels will still reign in 2030, the International Energy Agency said last week in its Annual World Energy Outlook. Oil will remain the single largest source of energy (32%), but will lose some ground to cheaper, more abundant coal (28%). Natural gas will come in third at 22%. Nuclear is seen shrinking to 5%, with biomass/waste at 9%, and other renewables and hydro each at 2%.
A 55% increase in energy use is expected by that date, mainly in Asia, where booming economic growth is lifting millions of people out of poverty.
Global temperature could soar
The average world temperature is expected to rise at least 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 Fahrenheit), as emissions increase a projected 57%. That means we’ll exceed the IPCC-recommended limit of 450 ppm of CO2, which would result in a temperature increase of 2.4C (4.3F).
To achieve the recommended level, greenhouse gases would have to peak by 2015 (that’s just 8 years away) and then fall 50-80% by 2050, IEA said. This would require a massive energy-efficiency campaign, a switch to non-fossil fuels, and unprecedented technological advances at considerable cost.
Not very likely, says IEA.
Their most optimistic scenario is a 1% rise in GHG per year till 2030, resulting in a 5.4F peak temperature, then a steady decline. The most pessimistic scenario is for a 10.8F peak, if China and India continue their strong economic growth unabated. To put that in context, the average world temperature has grown just 1.44 degrees F in the 107 years since 1900, and that increase has caused melting glaciers and ice sheets, as well as permafrost retreat. A 10-degree rise would be cataclysmic.
China and India
“Staggering” economic growth in China and India, and throughout Asia, is the main reason for the expected future surge in GHG. China accounted for 58% of the increase from 2000-2006 and its share of world emissions will rise from 20% to 25%, though per capita emissions will still be less than half that of the U.S. By 2015, the 3 biggest GHG polluters will be, in order, China, the U.S. and India, the report said.
Keeping Global Warming within safe limits may be out of reach, the report said, in part because there is more talk than action in most countries. If governments did everything they are talking about, renewables could provide 17% of power, GHG could be held to an increase of 25%, and the average temperature would rise 5.4F.
“Unprecedented political action” is needed to keep the planet at a safe level, said IEA. And that will be costly, no doubt about it. For example, the world will have to retire some fossil fuel plants prematurely, at an estimated cost of $1 trillion.
But we’re going to pay the price, one way or the other.
This report comes out as world governments prepare to meet next month in Bali, to start forging an international agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Let’s hope they all read it – and feel the heat.
(Sources: Greenwire, PlanetArk and Agence France-Presse)
Congressional round-up
The Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill (S. 2191) is scheduled for a vote in the Environment and Public Works Committee Dec. 5-6, Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Thursday. Earlier, Boxer had hoped to vote the bill out of committee this week, but she was under severe criticism from some members who wanted more time. Votes on amendments are expected the 5th, with a final committee vote that day or the next, she said. There are pressures to both strengthen and weaken the bill. Key sponsor Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told reporters last week he doesn’t expect the 2020 target to change from 15% below 2005 levels, but there may be consensus on tightening the 2050 limits (now 63%) and moving up the date for 100% auction of credits from 2036. Boxer said it’s unlikely the bill will see final action on the Senate floor before year’s end.
6,000 college students rallied for 80% by 2050 on Capitol Hill last Monday, as a new coalition, 1Sky, pushed for a more aggressive cap-and-trade bill. They urged support for the stricter Sanders-Boxer and Waxman bills instead of Lieberman-Warner, and called for 100% auction of credits, a moratorium on new coal plants, and using cap-and-trade proceeds to create 5 million new green jobs.
Negotiations to reconcile the energy bills continued, as advocates pressed for inclusion of the Senate’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards and House’s renewable electricity standards (RES), as well as a provision on biofuels, transfer of tax breaks from oil to renewables, and removal of loan guarantees for new nuclear plants. The final bill is expected to go the House and Senate for a vote in December. 60 votes are needed in the Senate to avoid a filibuster.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has called on the EPA to explain why it gave permission for a new coal-fired plant in Utah without requiring greenhouse gas controls. He called the approval a missed opportunity and illegal under the Clean Air Act. The EPA responded that it has no regulations in place yet for regulating GHG. Waxman said he plans to investigate and will introduce a bill to prohibit permits unless plants use state-of-the-art technology to reduce emissions. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced a similar bill in the Senate in April. Kerry also has a bill to boost R&D funds for demonstration projects on capture and sequestration of carbon at 6-10 plants.
(Congressional round-up sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM)
News in brief
Americans overwhelming want better auto fuel economy
A poll conducted last week showed that 86% of the people want improved auto fuel efficiency and don’t buy the arguments against it by the auto industry. Support for improved fuel-economy standards cut across all major political demographic groups, with 90% of Democrats in favor, 83% of Republicans and 83% of Independents. Their greatest concerns were security (oil dependency) and the price of gasoline. While the general public has always wanted improved fuel efficiency, it has risen to a top priority, said the Democrat and GOP pollsters who conducted the survey. (Source: E&E News PM)
California sues EPA over long waiver delay; other states to join
California sued the EPA Thursday, seeking to force a decision on whether the state can implement the nation’s first greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks. Other states that plan to join the suit are Ariz., Conn., Ill., Maine, Md., Mass., N. J., N. M., N. Y., Ore., Pa., R. I., Vt. and Wash. California sought the waver about 2 years ago, and turned up the heat earlier this year when the Supreme Court said greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act. The EPA said there would be an answer at the end of the year, along with a set of regulations for GHG emissions. But California says there’s urgency because their rules apply to 2009 car models, which are being planned now. A waiver for California would allow 11 other states that have adopted the regulations to enforce theirs as well. Several other states are in the process of adopting similar restrictions. (Source: Associated Press)
Worldwide poll shows people willing to sacrifice, pay more
In a BBC global poll announced last week, 83% of those surveyed realized lifestyle changes will be needed to mitigate global warming. In 14 of the 21 countries surveyed, 61% said it will be necessary to pay increased energy costs and be more energy-efficient. A smaller number, but still a majority, were OK with a climate tax as long as all the money went to clean energy and efficiency. The poll surveyed 22,000 people and will be used as ammunition when environment ministers meet in Bali in December to discuss a post-Kyoto agreement. (Source: PlanetArk)
Chicago goes green with world’s largest commercial building
The 4.2 million-square-foot Merchandise Mart and the McCormick Place convention center have both received LEED certification, the city announced last week to the U.S. Green Building Council’s GreenBuild conference in Chicago. The Mart will undergo an extensive energy retrofit through the city’s partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, which brokered $5 billion for Chicago and 15 other cities to become more energy-efficient. The announcement was the leading edge of Chicago’s extensive Climate Action Plan, which will be rolled out over the next few months. Energy efficiency for commercial and multi-family residential buildings will be a major part of the plan to cut 25% of GHG emissions by 2020. The soon-to-be tallest building in the world, the Chicago Spire, is aiming for LEED certification, too. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, and is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council. (Source: Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
Lush Kauai in Hawaiian Islands is going dry. Last month only 0.39 inches of rain were reported in the town of Lihue there, the driest October since records began in 1950. And August-October saw only 1.27 inches of rain, the lowest for any three-month period on record. Though a rainstorm last week dropped a welcome 1.47 inches, there’s concern the drought will get worse this winter. (New York Times)
Tibet is so dry people are waking up with nosebleeds. Humidity was at record lows in October in the country, which is heating up faster from Global Warming than any other place on Earth, according to China’s state media. Scientists have warned of melting glaciers, dried up rivers and desertification. (PlanetArk)
At least 82 were killed in floods in Vietnam last week as the nation was on alert for a possible typhoon to add to the misery. Nearly 200 have died in since early October and there are concerns the flooding will spread bird flu. (PlanetArk)
Take action
Do everything you can to urge Congress to pass a strong energy bill, with corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards of 35 mpg by 2020 and renewable electricity standards (RES) of 15% by 2020. Your reps will be on recess from Nov. 16-Dec. 3. Call or take friends and visit them in their home office, to remind them this is a top priority for their constituents. Ask your mayor to weigh in and send a letter to their congressional delegation. Write a letter to the editor to let the media know this issue is important. At a minimum, go on your senators’ Web sites and send them a message to “pass a strong energy bill this year.” For help, visit the Sierra Club's energy Web site at http://www.sierraclub.org/flip. Also, go to http://environmentaldefensse.org/climatevote07. and sign a letter to the leadership and your elected representatives in Washington.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Weekly angst
How much CO2 did the California fires release?
Picture the freeway in Los Angeles at morning rush hour, with rows and rows of cars making their long daily commute. Now picture the wildfires that hit Southern California last month. Which put the most carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
According to a study published in the journal Carbon Balance and Management, the fires released about 8.7 million metric tons of CO2. That’s equal to all the fossil fuels burned in the state of California in a week. The estimate for the entire U.S. was 293 million tons per year from 2002-2006, or 4-6% of total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. The study, by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado, had a margin of error of 50%, because it’s so hard to know exactly how much carbon was in the trees and plants and what percent of them burned.
Other estimates varied wildly. The Forest Foundation, which advocates for active timber management, came in higher, estimating the amount of all greenhouse gases released – including methane and nitrous oxide – at 26.5 million tons, equivalent to 5 million cars. Other estimates were closer to the Colorado study. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said less than 6 million tons of CO2, based on preliminary data. The U.S. Forest Service came in at 5-6 million tons. All used different models and different data, with a huge margin of error.
So clearly it’s an inexact science. With many more fires on the horizon (the fire season has lengthened by 78 days), we need to get a better handle on this.
Wildfire CO2 vs. fossil fuels
The Colorado researchers see a difference between emissions from fires and those from the burning of fossil fuels. The carbon from the fires, as part of a natural cycle, will eventually be absorbed by plants as they regenerate, they said. The carbon from fossil fuels, however, has been locked in the ground as oil and coal for millions of years and won’t be reabsorbed by the ecosystem.
But the ability of some forests to absorb enough CO2 is called into question by another new study, this one in the journal Nature. University of Wisconsin researcher Tom Gower measured boreal forests in Manitoba, Canada, and found they went from weak carbon “sinks” to weak carbon sources in recent decades, mainly because of fires. In addition to the trees that burn, exposed soil hit by sunlight speeds decomposition, releasing more carbon, he said.
There may already be a feedback loop in the boreal forests, in northern latitudes such as the upper parts of Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia and China, Gower said. That means the more GHG emissions, the warmer and dryer it gets, the more fires there are, the more GHG are released … ad infinitum. And maybe it doesn’t all get reabsorbed.
Need better understanding
Clearly we need better measurements of how much carbon forests store and release, and under what conditions, so we can maximize their role as sinks to mitigate Global Warming.
The California Air Resources Board is moving in that direction. In late October it passed the nation’s first standards for forest-generated carbon emissions. The Forest Protocols, which took 4 years to develop, will help quantify emission reductions for forests based on management and planting. The agency thinks California forests have the potential to take 10 million tons out of the air by 2020.
It’s time for other states – and nations – to follow suit. Especially if carbon offsets are going to be offered for planting or stopping destruction of trees. We need to know better how this all works.
(Sources: Globeandmail.com, E&E Daily, PlanetArk, Greenwire, Land Letter)
Congressional round-up
Senate votes to increase funds for Amtrak expansion
The Senate last week approved a measure to increase Amtrak funding from $1.3 billion a year to nearly $2 billion annually, for the next 6 years. While most is for operations, $1.4 billion will be available for states to expand or start new rail service as an alternative to automobile or air travel. The House is expected to act on a similar bill next year. (Source: Greenwire)
GOP Energy Action Team wants more coal, oil, gas and nuclear
Some House Republican leaders have formed an action team to speak out against the energy bill negotiations now in progress, criticizing the individual bills passed by the House and Senate as falling short on coal-to-liquid, oil, gas, nuclear power and offshore drilling. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) has asked Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to try to influence the negotiations through House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.). (Source: E&E News PM)
Cap-and-trade bill OK’d in subcommittee by 4-3 vote
After turning back amendments to strengthen it, the Global Warming Subcommittee narrowly approved the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill (S. 2191) last week. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) was the only Republican to vote for the bill, by proxy because of complications from recent heart surgery. Independent Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who submitted the amendments, voted against it. Subcommittee Chair Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said the amendments would have made the carefully crafted compromise fall apart. The bill now moves on to the full Environment Committee for hearings starting Thursday. (Source: Greenwire)
House cap-and-trade version stalls behind energy negotiations
In contrast to the Senate, where cap-and-trade is moving ahead simultaneously with efforts to reconcile the two energy bills, the House won’t act until energy negotiations are over, said House Energy Chair Dingell and Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who drafted the House bill. Earlier they said they’d consider the bill this fall, but now next year seems more likely. (Source: E&E Daily)
News in brief
Seas could rise 1 meter in next 50 years, some scientists say
Several climate scientists say seas could rise a meter (39 inches) in the next 50 years. Others agree they will rise that much, though it might take 100 years or even 150. And “there’s nothing we can do about it,” University of Victoria’s Andrew Weaver, a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, told Associated Press. Among those in danger from high water are Wall Street, Silicon Valley, major airports and interstates, and popular beaches in Texas and Florida. Maps at the University of Arizona show what will happen when melting ice sheets and glaciers, plus expanded warm sea water cause a rise of 1 meter, engulfing an estimated 25,000 square miles of U.S. land. Subway floods like those in NYC last summer, could become a regular event and storm surges will be more devastating. Expect a future debate on what is worth saving and at what cost, said Donald Boesch, a scientist at the University of Maryland. The change will be slow, though, allowing people to ignore it for some time. (Source: AP)
Corporations not living up to their greenhouse promises
A closer look at some companies that pledged a reduction in GHG reveals that many of them aren’t meeting their stated goals. Fed Ex, for example, said in 2003 it would buy 2,000 hybrid trucks a year, but 4 years later it has purchased fewer than 100. The company says hybrids cost 75% more. Aspen Skiing Co., despite high goals, gets only 1% of its power from hydro and solar. The person in charge of sustainability at Aspen told Business Week, “How do you really green your company? It’s f------ impossible.” And Nike, which slightly lowered its emissions lately, is up 50% since 1998, while Sony is up 17% in a year. (Source: Greenwire)
New company to provide charged batteries for electric cars
Shai Agassi has a plan to separate electric cars from their batteries, to make them more practical and cheaper than gasoline-powered cars. The software engineer, formerly with SAP AG, has started a company called Better Place. Automakers will furnish the cars, he will provide the batteries (which he sees as more like fuel). Better Place will set up a network of stations that will switch out drained batteries for recharged ones, for a subscription price. He thinks that will also enable drivers to use smaller batteries than carmakers now envision. (Source: Greenwire)
New York City eyes law to require recycling of plastic bags
A law was introduced in New York City Council last week to require stores of more than 5,000 square feet to provide in-store recycling of plastic bags. About 700 grocery stores would be affected, as well as big retail outlets like Home Depot and Target. The state of California passed a similar law in July, and San Francisco banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets last spring. Americans use an estimated 84 billion plastic bags each year, which eats up 12 million barrels of oil. (Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
An atypical La Niña weather pattern will bring more dryness to drought-stricken Australia this winter, rather than the rain it usually brings. Abnormally cool seas north of Australia and into the Indian Ocean have altered expected weather patterns associated with La Niña, said the UN’s World Meteorological Organization. WMO warned that La Niña could cause weather disruptions on a “planetary scale.” (PlanetArk, E&E News PM)
Hurricane Noel was the deadliest storm in the Atlantic this year, leaving at least 115 dead as it raged through the Caribbean. The storm poured a record 15 inches of rain on the Bahamas and 10-20 inches on treeless hillsides in Haiti, where 90% of the forests have been cut down for charcoal. In Cuba, a dam overflowed and damaged at least 2,000 home. (AP, PlanetArk)
Governors of drought-stricken Georgia, Alabama and Florida met with federal officials last week and reached a temporary agreement to cut the flow from Georgia’s Lake Lanier by 16%. Georgia is concerned the reservoir, the main source of Atlanta’s drinking water, will dry up in three months and wanted to cut back the flow by half. Alabama and Florida, on the other hand, worried the flow to them, if curtailed that much, would endanger the fishing industry and an electric power station. A permanent deal is sought by February, in a 20-year water dispute that has grown much more serious because of the drought. (E&E News PM)
Take action
Help put pressure on the EPA to grant California a waiver to regulate tailpipe emissions. Submit a question today, asking why they haven’t granted the waiver yet, at http://www.epa.gov/askepa. California has been waiting for nearly 2 years for the EPA to act. By stalling, the agency is keeping other states from regulating GHG from cars too. If you live in any of the following states, you need California to get its waiver so your state can implement the law it passed: Md., N.J., Conn., Mass., R.I., Vermont, Maine, Pa., Vt., Ore. and Wash. If you live in Ill., Utah, Ariz., N.M. or Fla., your state is considering a clean car act, but won’t be able to enforce it. Some of the questions submitted will be answered this Thursday in an online forum. Send a copy of your question to dfaulkner@nrdc.org who will monitor the forum to see if the EPA is avoiding questions about the waiver.
How much CO2 did the California fires release?
Picture the freeway in Los Angeles at morning rush hour, with rows and rows of cars making their long daily commute. Now picture the wildfires that hit Southern California last month. Which put the most carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
According to a study published in the journal Carbon Balance and Management, the fires released about 8.7 million metric tons of CO2. That’s equal to all the fossil fuels burned in the state of California in a week. The estimate for the entire U.S. was 293 million tons per year from 2002-2006, or 4-6% of total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. The study, by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado, had a margin of error of 50%, because it’s so hard to know exactly how much carbon was in the trees and plants and what percent of them burned.
Other estimates varied wildly. The Forest Foundation, which advocates for active timber management, came in higher, estimating the amount of all greenhouse gases released – including methane and nitrous oxide – at 26.5 million tons, equivalent to 5 million cars. Other estimates were closer to the Colorado study. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said less than 6 million tons of CO2, based on preliminary data. The U.S. Forest Service came in at 5-6 million tons. All used different models and different data, with a huge margin of error.
So clearly it’s an inexact science. With many more fires on the horizon (the fire season has lengthened by 78 days), we need to get a better handle on this.
Wildfire CO2 vs. fossil fuels
The Colorado researchers see a difference between emissions from fires and those from the burning of fossil fuels. The carbon from the fires, as part of a natural cycle, will eventually be absorbed by plants as they regenerate, they said. The carbon from fossil fuels, however, has been locked in the ground as oil and coal for millions of years and won’t be reabsorbed by the ecosystem.
But the ability of some forests to absorb enough CO2 is called into question by another new study, this one in the journal Nature. University of Wisconsin researcher Tom Gower measured boreal forests in Manitoba, Canada, and found they went from weak carbon “sinks” to weak carbon sources in recent decades, mainly because of fires. In addition to the trees that burn, exposed soil hit by sunlight speeds decomposition, releasing more carbon, he said.
There may already be a feedback loop in the boreal forests, in northern latitudes such as the upper parts of Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Scandinavia and China, Gower said. That means the more GHG emissions, the warmer and dryer it gets, the more fires there are, the more GHG are released … ad infinitum. And maybe it doesn’t all get reabsorbed.
Need better understanding
Clearly we need better measurements of how much carbon forests store and release, and under what conditions, so we can maximize their role as sinks to mitigate Global Warming.
The California Air Resources Board is moving in that direction. In late October it passed the nation’s first standards for forest-generated carbon emissions. The Forest Protocols, which took 4 years to develop, will help quantify emission reductions for forests based on management and planting. The agency thinks California forests have the potential to take 10 million tons out of the air by 2020.
It’s time for other states – and nations – to follow suit. Especially if carbon offsets are going to be offered for planting or stopping destruction of trees. We need to know better how this all works.
(Sources: Globeandmail.com, E&E Daily, PlanetArk, Greenwire, Land Letter)
Congressional round-up
Senate votes to increase funds for Amtrak expansion
The Senate last week approved a measure to increase Amtrak funding from $1.3 billion a year to nearly $2 billion annually, for the next 6 years. While most is for operations, $1.4 billion will be available for states to expand or start new rail service as an alternative to automobile or air travel. The House is expected to act on a similar bill next year. (Source: Greenwire)
GOP Energy Action Team wants more coal, oil, gas and nuclear
Some House Republican leaders have formed an action team to speak out against the energy bill negotiations now in progress, criticizing the individual bills passed by the House and Senate as falling short on coal-to-liquid, oil, gas, nuclear power and offshore drilling. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) has asked Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to try to influence the negotiations through House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.). (Source: E&E News PM)
Cap-and-trade bill OK’d in subcommittee by 4-3 vote
After turning back amendments to strengthen it, the Global Warming Subcommittee narrowly approved the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill (S. 2191) last week. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) was the only Republican to vote for the bill, by proxy because of complications from recent heart surgery. Independent Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who submitted the amendments, voted against it. Subcommittee Chair Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said the amendments would have made the carefully crafted compromise fall apart. The bill now moves on to the full Environment Committee for hearings starting Thursday. (Source: Greenwire)
House cap-and-trade version stalls behind energy negotiations
In contrast to the Senate, where cap-and-trade is moving ahead simultaneously with efforts to reconcile the two energy bills, the House won’t act until energy negotiations are over, said House Energy Chair Dingell and Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who drafted the House bill. Earlier they said they’d consider the bill this fall, but now next year seems more likely. (Source: E&E Daily)
News in brief
Seas could rise 1 meter in next 50 years, some scientists say
Several climate scientists say seas could rise a meter (39 inches) in the next 50 years. Others agree they will rise that much, though it might take 100 years or even 150. And “there’s nothing we can do about it,” University of Victoria’s Andrew Weaver, a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, told Associated Press. Among those in danger from high water are Wall Street, Silicon Valley, major airports and interstates, and popular beaches in Texas and Florida. Maps at the University of Arizona show what will happen when melting ice sheets and glaciers, plus expanded warm sea water cause a rise of 1 meter, engulfing an estimated 25,000 square miles of U.S. land. Subway floods like those in NYC last summer, could become a regular event and storm surges will be more devastating. Expect a future debate on what is worth saving and at what cost, said Donald Boesch, a scientist at the University of Maryland. The change will be slow, though, allowing people to ignore it for some time. (Source: AP)
Corporations not living up to their greenhouse promises
A closer look at some companies that pledged a reduction in GHG reveals that many of them aren’t meeting their stated goals. Fed Ex, for example, said in 2003 it would buy 2,000 hybrid trucks a year, but 4 years later it has purchased fewer than 100. The company says hybrids cost 75% more. Aspen Skiing Co., despite high goals, gets only 1% of its power from hydro and solar. The person in charge of sustainability at Aspen told Business Week, “How do you really green your company? It’s f------ impossible.” And Nike, which slightly lowered its emissions lately, is up 50% since 1998, while Sony is up 17% in a year. (Source: Greenwire)
New company to provide charged batteries for electric cars
Shai Agassi has a plan to separate electric cars from their batteries, to make them more practical and cheaper than gasoline-powered cars. The software engineer, formerly with SAP AG, has started a company called Better Place. Automakers will furnish the cars, he will provide the batteries (which he sees as more like fuel). Better Place will set up a network of stations that will switch out drained batteries for recharged ones, for a subscription price. He thinks that will also enable drivers to use smaller batteries than carmakers now envision. (Source: Greenwire)
New York City eyes law to require recycling of plastic bags
A law was introduced in New York City Council last week to require stores of more than 5,000 square feet to provide in-store recycling of plastic bags. About 700 grocery stores would be affected, as well as big retail outlets like Home Depot and Target. The state of California passed a similar law in July, and San Francisco banned the use of plastic bags in supermarkets last spring. Americans use an estimated 84 billion plastic bags each year, which eats up 12 million barrels of oil. (Sources: PlanetArk, Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
An atypical La Niña weather pattern will bring more dryness to drought-stricken Australia this winter, rather than the rain it usually brings. Abnormally cool seas north of Australia and into the Indian Ocean have altered expected weather patterns associated with La Niña, said the UN’s World Meteorological Organization. WMO warned that La Niña could cause weather disruptions on a “planetary scale.” (PlanetArk, E&E News PM)
Hurricane Noel was the deadliest storm in the Atlantic this year, leaving at least 115 dead as it raged through the Caribbean. The storm poured a record 15 inches of rain on the Bahamas and 10-20 inches on treeless hillsides in Haiti, where 90% of the forests have been cut down for charcoal. In Cuba, a dam overflowed and damaged at least 2,000 home. (AP, PlanetArk)
Governors of drought-stricken Georgia, Alabama and Florida met with federal officials last week and reached a temporary agreement to cut the flow from Georgia’s Lake Lanier by 16%. Georgia is concerned the reservoir, the main source of Atlanta’s drinking water, will dry up in three months and wanted to cut back the flow by half. Alabama and Florida, on the other hand, worried the flow to them, if curtailed that much, would endanger the fishing industry and an electric power station. A permanent deal is sought by February, in a 20-year water dispute that has grown much more serious because of the drought. (E&E News PM)
Take action
Help put pressure on the EPA to grant California a waiver to regulate tailpipe emissions. Submit a question today, asking why they haven’t granted the waiver yet, at http://www.epa.gov/askepa. California has been waiting for nearly 2 years for the EPA to act. By stalling, the agency is keeping other states from regulating GHG from cars too. If you live in any of the following states, you need California to get its waiver so your state can implement the law it passed: Md., N.J., Conn., Mass., R.I., Vermont, Maine, Pa., Vt., Ore. and Wash. If you live in Ill., Utah, Ariz., N.M. or Fla., your state is considering a clean car act, but won’t be able to enforce it. Some of the questions submitted will be answered this Thursday in an online forum. Send a copy of your question to dfaulkner@nrdc.org who will monitor the forum to see if the EPA is avoiding questions about the waiver.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Weekly angst
Mass transit must expand; Chicago running in reverse
The “city that works,” has a problem. The state that doesn’t work right now (an intra-party feud I won’t get into) hasn’t come up with the money to keep mass transit running, so we are facing a so-called “doomsday scenario” Nov. 4, with plans to eliminate 39 bus routes and raise prices from $2 to $3 or more. And that will be followed by a double-dare doomsday in January with even more cuts and fare increases, if state leaders can’t get their act together.
This at a time when a new report with the cumbersome name “Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction” tells us we should be increasing mass transit.
Greenhouse gases from transportation make up about one-third of the total emitted in the U.S.
Two-car households could cut their carbon footprint 30% by eliminating one car and using public transit instead, the report says. They could save more that way than by insulating their home and adjusting their thermostat (though they should do both).
Transportation emissions in 2005 were 6.9 million tons less than they would have been if everyone used private cars, the report says. Of that, 3 million tons was saved because of the additional traffic congestion and delays that were prevented. A single person saves 2 metric tons a year by using public transit.
Other benefits
Additional benefits of public transportation include less need for parking, both on- and off-street; more efficient use of roads; shorter commute times; and enabling higher-density land use, which leads to fewer miles traveled, the report says.
In the period 1990-2004, vehicle emissions grew 29%. SUVs and light trucks grew the most, with emissions up 64%, compared with 1.8% for cars.
Daily commuting time in cars has increased 7.5% per year, largely because of congestion, causing stress to workers and their families, as well as wasted gas. Nationwide, 78% of commuters drive to work alone, though that figure varies state-to-state. In New York it’s 56%, in Michigan 85%.
What can be done?
Even with increased corporate auto fuel economy (CAFE) standards (higher mpg), emissions from transportation won’t decline in the future because of the continuing increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). VMT closely tracks GDP in the U.S., not to mention the coming increase in cars in developing countries like China.
Gas prices do seem to make a difference. Part of the reason for increased driving in recent decades was a decline in gasoline prices after 1975. But in May this year, prices hit a new high of $3.26/gallon, so that may slow things down.
King County in Washington state is a paragon of mass transit, according to the report. It has plans to switch to biodiesel and expects to reduce CO2 emission by 22,000 metric tons. It also plans to increase ridership significantly. Other good examples are Grand Rapids, Mich., and New York City. The latter is switching buses to compressed natural gas and hybrids. (Last week at LaGuardia Airport I saw two hybrid buses and a hybrid cab in the course of a few minutes). NY hopes to have 40% hybrid buses by 2010.
Increasing mass transit ridership is the key to reducing emissions and at the same time cutting traffic congestion. In NYC, the MTA increased ridership 8.5% on subways between 2000-2006. Cities can stimulate additional mass transit use by making less parking available, charging fees to enter the downtown and collecting tolls, the report concludes.
Meanwhile, in Chicago we’re going the opposite direction. If you live in Illinois, tell your elected reps – including the governor – to get on the ball and fund the CTA. NOW. Go to http://www.savechicagotransit.com.
Congressional round-up
• Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) blocked a formal Conference Committee on the energy bill last week, because she objected to the plan to take billions in tax breaks from the oil companies and give them to clean energy. Negotiations continued informally, however, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she hopes to wind things up before the Nov. 16 recess and have a vote either that week or Dec. 3.
• Citigroup called the fuel economy (CAFE) standards in the Senate-passed energy bill “tough but attainable” in a report last week. Auto lobbyists are asking for a weaker version, saying they can’t attain the standards in the Senate bill.
• Senate Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) pushed to move along the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill quickly, in the hope it would be out of committee when she leads a Congressional delegation to Bali for international talks in December. She doesn’t want the Bush administration to be the only ones representing the U.S. in these important negotiations about a post-Kyoto agreement, and she would like to be able to show some progress.
• Lieberman-Warner picked up an important vote in subcommittee when Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) offered his support. It’s the first time Baucus has been in favor of cap-and-trade and his vote is a key one. Now they need one more, either from the left or from the right.
(Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM, Sierra Club)
Take action
Tell your Senators in Washington to support a strong energy bill. Go to the Environmental Law and Policy Center’s Web site at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/federal_clean_energy_bill. and add your name.
This Saturday is Climate Action Day across the country. Join a Step It Up action near where you live. Get the details at http://www.StepItUp2007.org.
News in brief
CO2 going into atmosphere 35% faster, as land and sea absorb less
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere grew 35% faster than predicted from 2000-2006, a new British-Australian study reveals. While some of the speed-up is caused by rapid global economic growth, half the unexpected increase is due to less absorption of CO2 by the land and oceans, likely because of changing wind patterns and droughts, the authors found. The study, published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was based on data collected by the UN and NOAA. A second study, by the University of East Anglia, showed the uptake of CO2 in the North Atlantic dropped by half from the mid-90s to the period 2000-2005. (Source: Greenwire, BBC)
Get ready for a world with less oil, many experts caution
Some say worldwide oil production has peaked; others say it will do so soon. In either case, the impact on economies and lifestyles will be extreme. A German study by Energy Watch, a think tank with ties to the Green Party, says oil peaked in 2006 and now will go down 7% a year, falling more than 50% by 2030. The Editor of Petroleum Review, Chris Skrebowski, sees the peak coming in 2010 or 2011. Energy Watch gave its report recently at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA conference. There, some of the talk was about “peak exports,” with predictions that oil-producing countries will soon hold back more for themselves, including for future generations. Meanwhile, the oil industry glosses over such dire predictions and most of the public is unaware. How will the impending energy gap be filled? Energy Watch says it will be hard to produce enough alternative fuel fast enough and gas pumps will run dry. Others say the answer is in Canada’s vast tar sand deposits and coal-to-liquid, both of which are ecologically dirty. (Sources: PlanetArk, The Guardian, Falls Church News-Press)
Global demand seen for more smaller, cheaper cars
Automobile companies are increasingly developing smaller, low-cost cars, as they see global demand for them rising 30% by 2013. While gasoline prices are a factor, most of the growth will be in developing countries where first-time buyers want small, inexpensive cars. SUV growth is seen as dropping 4% in that time. Toyota has said it may have a $7,000 car by 2010. Electric cars would work well in France, the company says, because 80% of electricity comes from nuclear power. But in China electricity comes from coal, so electric cars won’t help much with greenhouse gases. Mazda research is focused on hydrogen as a fuel. (Source: Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
Whether the recent California fires are the result of climate change is in some dispute. Some of the causes had nothing to do with Global Warming – increased building in wooded areas, the Forest Service’s habit of putting out fires too fast and leaving underbrush as fuel, and of course the notorious Santa Ana winds. But the California fires, like other mega-fires of the past few years that are much bigger and hotter and harder to fight, took place in an environment that had:
• An average yearly temperature increase of 1 degree F in the West.
• A fire season that is now 78 days longer than in the late ‘80s, due to early spring melt and runoff.
• 9 fewer inches of rain this year than normal.
• Triple-digit summer temperatures.
(Christian Science Monitor, CBS 60 Minutes)
Georgia’s dispute with Alabama and Florida over how much water should be released from Lake Lanier, Atlanta’s main source of drinking water, is heating up. All three states have appealed to the president – Georgia to cut the flow and the other two states to keep it as usual. Florida says a cutback will damage fisheries and the oyster/shellfish business in the Panhandle, while Georgia is worried Atlanta won’t have enough to drink (though Macon has offered to truck some in for a price). The three states have squabbled over water rights since the early ‘90s, but the extreme drought facing them all has pumped up the volume. (Greenwire)
Meanwhile, Georgia’s weather forecast for next year isn’t very encouraging. The state climatologist said last week it will be drier and hotter in 2008, though how much so will depend on the strength of La Niña. With less rain than normal, the record drought now troubling the northern part of the state is likely to last into spring and summer, David Stooksbury said. (Greenwire)
North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee, are affected by drought as well. In S.C., the town of Rock Spring has been dry for a month, with pickups bringing in water to keep the cattle alive. A Baptist minister has even put baptisms on hold. In N.C., the governor has asked for a voluntary cut of 50% in consumption until month’s end, to see how much conservation they can accomplish voluntarily. (Greenwire)
Autumn leaves are duller now in New England, where fall colors brought 3.4 million people to Vermont in 2005. “It’s nothing like it used to be,” said U. of Vermont biologist Tom Vogelmann, because autumn is too warm now for rich, vibrant colors. Cold nights are needed to stem the flow of water to the leaves, and warmth has brought fungus to attack the usually dazzling red and sugar maples. Of course, the tourism industry is slow to admit the problem. Just wait, they say, and come in late October, rather than the second week, which used to be the peak. (Associated Press)
Mass transit must expand; Chicago running in reverse
The “city that works,” has a problem. The state that doesn’t work right now (an intra-party feud I won’t get into) hasn’t come up with the money to keep mass transit running, so we are facing a so-called “doomsday scenario” Nov. 4, with plans to eliminate 39 bus routes and raise prices from $2 to $3 or more. And that will be followed by a double-dare doomsday in January with even more cuts and fare increases, if state leaders can’t get their act together.
This at a time when a new report with the cumbersome name “Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction” tells us we should be increasing mass transit.
Greenhouse gases from transportation make up about one-third of the total emitted in the U.S.
Two-car households could cut their carbon footprint 30% by eliminating one car and using public transit instead, the report says. They could save more that way than by insulating their home and adjusting their thermostat (though they should do both).
Transportation emissions in 2005 were 6.9 million tons less than they would have been if everyone used private cars, the report says. Of that, 3 million tons was saved because of the additional traffic congestion and delays that were prevented. A single person saves 2 metric tons a year by using public transit.
Other benefits
Additional benefits of public transportation include less need for parking, both on- and off-street; more efficient use of roads; shorter commute times; and enabling higher-density land use, which leads to fewer miles traveled, the report says.
In the period 1990-2004, vehicle emissions grew 29%. SUVs and light trucks grew the most, with emissions up 64%, compared with 1.8% for cars.
Daily commuting time in cars has increased 7.5% per year, largely because of congestion, causing stress to workers and their families, as well as wasted gas. Nationwide, 78% of commuters drive to work alone, though that figure varies state-to-state. In New York it’s 56%, in Michigan 85%.
What can be done?
Even with increased corporate auto fuel economy (CAFE) standards (higher mpg), emissions from transportation won’t decline in the future because of the continuing increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). VMT closely tracks GDP in the U.S., not to mention the coming increase in cars in developing countries like China.
Gas prices do seem to make a difference. Part of the reason for increased driving in recent decades was a decline in gasoline prices after 1975. But in May this year, prices hit a new high of $3.26/gallon, so that may slow things down.
King County in Washington state is a paragon of mass transit, according to the report. It has plans to switch to biodiesel and expects to reduce CO2 emission by 22,000 metric tons. It also plans to increase ridership significantly. Other good examples are Grand Rapids, Mich., and New York City. The latter is switching buses to compressed natural gas and hybrids. (Last week at LaGuardia Airport I saw two hybrid buses and a hybrid cab in the course of a few minutes). NY hopes to have 40% hybrid buses by 2010.
Increasing mass transit ridership is the key to reducing emissions and at the same time cutting traffic congestion. In NYC, the MTA increased ridership 8.5% on subways between 2000-2006. Cities can stimulate additional mass transit use by making less parking available, charging fees to enter the downtown and collecting tolls, the report concludes.
Meanwhile, in Chicago we’re going the opposite direction. If you live in Illinois, tell your elected reps – including the governor – to get on the ball and fund the CTA. NOW. Go to http://www.savechicagotransit.com.
Congressional round-up
• Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) blocked a formal Conference Committee on the energy bill last week, because she objected to the plan to take billions in tax breaks from the oil companies and give them to clean energy. Negotiations continued informally, however, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she hopes to wind things up before the Nov. 16 recess and have a vote either that week or Dec. 3.
• Citigroup called the fuel economy (CAFE) standards in the Senate-passed energy bill “tough but attainable” in a report last week. Auto lobbyists are asking for a weaker version, saying they can’t attain the standards in the Senate bill.
• Senate Environment Chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) pushed to move along the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill quickly, in the hope it would be out of committee when she leads a Congressional delegation to Bali for international talks in December. She doesn’t want the Bush administration to be the only ones representing the U.S. in these important negotiations about a post-Kyoto agreement, and she would like to be able to show some progress.
• Lieberman-Warner picked up an important vote in subcommittee when Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) offered his support. It’s the first time Baucus has been in favor of cap-and-trade and his vote is a key one. Now they need one more, either from the left or from the right.
(Sources: E&E Daily, E&E News PM, Sierra Club)
Take action
Tell your Senators in Washington to support a strong energy bill. Go to the Environmental Law and Policy Center’s Web site at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/federal_clean_energy_bill. and add your name.
This Saturday is Climate Action Day across the country. Join a Step It Up action near where you live. Get the details at http://www.StepItUp2007.org.
News in brief
CO2 going into atmosphere 35% faster, as land and sea absorb less
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere grew 35% faster than predicted from 2000-2006, a new British-Australian study reveals. While some of the speed-up is caused by rapid global economic growth, half the unexpected increase is due to less absorption of CO2 by the land and oceans, likely because of changing wind patterns and droughts, the authors found. The study, published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was based on data collected by the UN and NOAA. A second study, by the University of East Anglia, showed the uptake of CO2 in the North Atlantic dropped by half from the mid-90s to the period 2000-2005. (Source: Greenwire, BBC)
Get ready for a world with less oil, many experts caution
Some say worldwide oil production has peaked; others say it will do so soon. In either case, the impact on economies and lifestyles will be extreme. A German study by Energy Watch, a think tank with ties to the Green Party, says oil peaked in 2006 and now will go down 7% a year, falling more than 50% by 2030. The Editor of Petroleum Review, Chris Skrebowski, sees the peak coming in 2010 or 2011. Energy Watch gave its report recently at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA conference. There, some of the talk was about “peak exports,” with predictions that oil-producing countries will soon hold back more for themselves, including for future generations. Meanwhile, the oil industry glosses over such dire predictions and most of the public is unaware. How will the impending energy gap be filled? Energy Watch says it will be hard to produce enough alternative fuel fast enough and gas pumps will run dry. Others say the answer is in Canada’s vast tar sand deposits and coal-to-liquid, both of which are ecologically dirty. (Sources: PlanetArk, The Guardian, Falls Church News-Press)
Global demand seen for more smaller, cheaper cars
Automobile companies are increasingly developing smaller, low-cost cars, as they see global demand for them rising 30% by 2013. While gasoline prices are a factor, most of the growth will be in developing countries where first-time buyers want small, inexpensive cars. SUV growth is seen as dropping 4% in that time. Toyota has said it may have a $7,000 car by 2010. Electric cars would work well in France, the company says, because 80% of electricity comes from nuclear power. But in China electricity comes from coal, so electric cars won’t help much with greenhouse gases. Mazda research is focused on hydrogen as a fuel. (Source: Greenwire)
Xtreme weather watch
Whether the recent California fires are the result of climate change is in some dispute. Some of the causes had nothing to do with Global Warming – increased building in wooded areas, the Forest Service’s habit of putting out fires too fast and leaving underbrush as fuel, and of course the notorious Santa Ana winds. But the California fires, like other mega-fires of the past few years that are much bigger and hotter and harder to fight, took place in an environment that had:
• An average yearly temperature increase of 1 degree F in the West.
• A fire season that is now 78 days longer than in the late ‘80s, due to early spring melt and runoff.
• 9 fewer inches of rain this year than normal.
• Triple-digit summer temperatures.
(Christian Science Monitor, CBS 60 Minutes)
Georgia’s dispute with Alabama and Florida over how much water should be released from Lake Lanier, Atlanta’s main source of drinking water, is heating up. All three states have appealed to the president – Georgia to cut the flow and the other two states to keep it as usual. Florida says a cutback will damage fisheries and the oyster/shellfish business in the Panhandle, while Georgia is worried Atlanta won’t have enough to drink (though Macon has offered to truck some in for a price). The three states have squabbled over water rights since the early ‘90s, but the extreme drought facing them all has pumped up the volume. (Greenwire)
Meanwhile, Georgia’s weather forecast for next year isn’t very encouraging. The state climatologist said last week it will be drier and hotter in 2008, though how much so will depend on the strength of La Niña. With less rain than normal, the record drought now troubling the northern part of the state is likely to last into spring and summer, David Stooksbury said. (Greenwire)
North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee, are affected by drought as well. In S.C., the town of Rock Spring has been dry for a month, with pickups bringing in water to keep the cattle alive. A Baptist minister has even put baptisms on hold. In N.C., the governor has asked for a voluntary cut of 50% in consumption until month’s end, to see how much conservation they can accomplish voluntarily. (Greenwire)
Autumn leaves are duller now in New England, where fall colors brought 3.4 million people to Vermont in 2005. “It’s nothing like it used to be,” said U. of Vermont biologist Tom Vogelmann, because autumn is too warm now for rich, vibrant colors. Cold nights are needed to stem the flow of water to the leaves, and warmth has brought fungus to attack the usually dazzling red and sugar maples. Of course, the tourism industry is slow to admit the problem. Just wait, they say, and come in late October, rather than the second week, which used to be the peak. (Associated Press)
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