CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS FOR JULY 2011

CC NEWS FOR JULY 2011

On April 4 the EPA announced the formation of a faith-based and neighborhood partnerships initiative to support environmental education and healthier families. You can learn more about it at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/D49A036B7F10292F85257876007036DE. You can subscribe to electronic newsletters about it and other topics at the EPA and other U.S. government agencies at: https://service.govdelivery.com/service/multi_subscribe.html?origin=&code=USAEPA

Tim DeChristopher, a student at the University of Utah, crossed a threshold when he decided to engage in civil disobedience to interfere with a Dept. of the Interior auction of public lands for oil and gas drilling near Zion National Park in Utah. An article, Utah UU convicted for environmental activism, describing his conviction in federal court, appeared in the March issue of UU World at: http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/178994.shtml (UU stands for Unitarian-Universalist.) You can watch a short YouTube video of his statement after his conviction at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cae5Pr7CHgk A resolution by his church congregation, supporting his action, can be found at: http://slcuu.org/resolution-supporting-ethical-commitment-7th-principle
Tim is to be sentenced on July 26. His action raises the issue: When is peaceful civil disobedience the right thing to do?

In May, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP), the scientific arm of the eight-nation Arctic Council, issued a report titled, Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic. Among its findings are that temperatures during the period 2005-2010 have been the highest ever recorded in the Arctic and that the rate of warming is accelerating; temperatures in permafrost have increased by up to 2ºC, releasing unknown amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. Arctic glaciers, ice caps and the Greenland Ice Sheet contributed more than 40% of the global rate of sea level rise (about 3 mm/yr) between 2003 and 2008; sea level by 2100 may be higher by as much as 1.6 meters (5 feet). A 16-page Executive Summary is available at: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/88367-arctic-ice-melt-2011-executivesummary.html

pv magazine ran an article by Jonathan Gifford on June 20 titled, Ceremony marks construction of the world’s largest solar power plant. It described a groundbreaking ceremony in Blythe, CA, in the Mojave Desert for two 242 MW solar thermal power plants. The plants should be connected to the grid in 2014. They are the first stage of a 4-plant facility with a total capacity of 1000 MW – comparable in scale to a coal or nuclear plant, and are expected to cost $2.8 billion. At: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/archive/2011/june/beitrag/ceremony-marks-construction-of-the-worlds-largest-solar-power-plant_100003391/

Living on Earth has a weekly environmental news and information broadcast distributed by Public Radio International (PRI). Energy and climate change issues are often featured. The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides major funding. You can read a transcript or listen to a recording of items of interest. On May 24 Flammable Gas In Drinking Water From Hydraulic Fracking aired. On June 24 there was a related item, Natural Gas and Greenhouse Gasses, pointing out that fracking may be leaking enough methane – a powerful greenhouse gas –to pose a problem for climate change. At: www.loe.org. Click on Show Archive to see past broadcasts.

The Institute of Physics has a web site physicsworld.com with a 2-minute YouTube rap titled, I’m a Climate Scientist. It’s fast-paced, but right on target. If you want to see more, there’s a 1-minute 43-second YouTube rap called, Supermodels Take it Off for Climate Change, showing what it takes to get down to 350 ppm. Both are at: http://physicsworld.com/blog/2011/05/the_climate_science_rap.html

Ian Urbina had an article in the NY Times for June 25 titled, Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush. Based on emails among market analysts and industry insiders, the golden age of gas from fracking shale may be overblown. In some cases wells are producing considerably less after only one year of operation, suggesting that they will not be productive for 10-15 years. In others, the value of the gas obtained doesn’t justify the costs of acquiring land and drilling. And of course the environmental damage to water and air has yet to be determined. At: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/us/26gas.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

The Solar Energy Industries Association has published its U.S. Solar Market Insight – 2010 Year in Review. The Executive Summary says, “ 2010 was a banner year for the solar energy market in the United States. In contrast to U.S. GDP growth of 2.8%, the U.S. solar market grew 67% in value in 2010. Not only did the market expand greatly, but it showed substantial diversity across market segments, geography, and technologies. Solar is growing quickly across the U.S. at the residential, commercial, and utility scale levels.” The U.S. market grew from $3.6B to $6.0 B in 2010. At: http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/SMI-YIR-2010-ES.pdf

The July issue of Scientific American has an article by Lee Kump, a professor of geosciences at Penn State University, titled, The Last Great Global Warming. In it he describes his recent work on the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), an event 56 million years ago when a large release of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere caused an increase in global temperature of about 5°C (9°F) and an oceanic extinction event. His studies of drill cores from Spitsbergen Island in Norway showed that the release of between 3000 and 10,000 billion tons of carbon (GtC or petagrams of carbon) took longer than scientists had thought – perhaps 20,000 years. The average rate of carbon emissions then (about 1.7 GtC/yr) is much less that the current rate of about 9 GtC/yr from human burning of fossil fuels and forests. He writes, “Furthermore, glaciers and ice sheets are melting and driving sea-level rise; coral reefs are increasingly subject to disease and heat stress; and episodes of drought and flooding are becoming more common. Indeed, shifts in rainfall patterns and rising shorelines as polar ice melts may contribute to mass human migrations on a scale never before seen. Some have already begun.” “Current global warming is on a path to vastly exceed the PETM, but it may not be too late to avoid the calamity that awaits us.”
This article at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-last-great-global-warming follows one in the January issue of Scientific American titled, Casualties of Climate Change: Sea-level Rises Could Displace Tens of Millions at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=casualties-of-climate-change

John Farrell has an article in Grist for June 26 titled, Value of solar power far exceeds its cost. He writes, “Solar power has a monetary value as much as 10 times higher than its energy value, thanks to its ability to reduce peak demand on the transmission and distribution system, hedge against fuel price increases, and enhance grid and environmental security.” At: http://feeds.grist.org/click.phdo?i=28a0ec65c7c3fe28cf1f00d25c518a72
While I’m not sure about his economic analysis - as he doesn’t mention the health costs of electricity generation from fossil fuels or the damages of climate change - it is clear that a full life cycle analysis, including all externalities, is needed to compare energy technologies fairly.

John Vidal had an article in The Guardian for June 27 titled, Climate change hots up in 2010, the year of extreme weather. He pointed out that 2010 was a record-breaker in a number of ways. “A combination of abnormal climatic phenomena resulted in the year being the hottest, wettest, and in many cases also the driest and coldest in recorded history.” Climate change is more than just rising average temperatures; we are setting new records for extremes. At: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/27/climate-change-extreme-weather-2010/print

Jeff Donn of the Associated Press had an article in abc NEWS for June 28 titled, AP IMPACT: NRC and Industry Rewrite Nuke History. In it he points out that 40 years ago, when commercial nuclear power was getting its start in the U.S., the industry said that its plants were designed to operate for 40 years. But they are now saying that the plants can be safely operated for much longer – perhaps as much as 100 years. And the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) appears to be giving extensions with little or no inspection or serious consideration. At:: abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=13945405

Janet Raloff wrote an article in the June 29 issue of ScienceNews titled, AAAS board defends climate scientists. She quoted the following statement issued by the board of directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: “AAAS vigorously opposes attacks on researchers that question their personal and professional integrity or threaten their safety based on displeasure with their scientific conclusions.” At: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/331978/title/AAAS_board_defends_climate_scientists

On July 5 SolarIndustryMag.com reported that domestic production of renewable energy is now greater that that of nuclear power. In the first quarter of 2011 renewable energy sources produced 2.24 quadrillion BTUs – 11.7% of U.S. energy production, compared to 2.12 Quads for U.S. nuclear power. Renewable energy now provides 77% as much energy as domestic crude oil.

Daniel Strain has an article in the July 16 issue of ScienceNews titled, Collapsing Coastlines - How Arctic shores are pulled a-sea. He points out that warming seas and a shorter season of sea ice along the Alaskan coast are causing accelerating rates of loss of land. He writes, “In 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identified 178 communities struggling with erosion in Alaska, three of which have perhaps a decade before collapsing completely.” Along one 60-kilometer stretch of Alaska's Beaufort Sea coast the mean annual erosion rate doubled from 6.8 meters per year from 1955 to 1979 to 13.6 meters per year from 2002 to 2007. The village of Shishmaref, facing severe coastal erosion rates, has elected to move a few miles inland. The cost may be $200 million. At: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/332007/title/Collapsing_Coastlines


The following items are from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), Carol Werner, Executive Director. Past issues of its newsletter are posted on its website under "publications"
 at http://www.eesi.org/publications/Newsletters/CCNews/ccnews.htm
EESI’s newsletter is intended for all interested parties, particularly the policymaker community.

Poll Finds Most Americans Worried about Global Warming

Fifty-two percent of the American public is “very worried” or “somewhat worried” about global warming, nearly the same proportion as last year, according to the annual survey, Climate Change in the American Mind survey. Researchers at Yale and George Mason universities polled 1,010 American adults in May 2011 and found only small shifts in public opinion compared to 2010. Sixty-four percent of adults this year say the planet is warming, up from 61 percent in 2010. Only 47 percent, however, responded that human activity is the cause, down from 50 percent in 2010. Thirty-nine percent of respondents agreed that “most scientists think global warming is happening,” up from 34 percent in 2010.
For additional information see: New York Times, Study

Little Progress Made to Extend Kyoto Protocol at Climate Talks

The latest round of international climate talks ended June 17 as a top United Nations official pleaded for world leaders to break a stalemate. "Resolving the future of the Kyoto Protocol is an essential task this year and will require high-level political guidance," said Christina Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Figueres spoke to reporters in Bonn, Germany after delegates to the negotiations said little progress was made to extend Kyoto past its expiration in 2012. Japan, Canada and Russia won’t agree to an extension of Kyoto and are pushing for a new global pact with carbon dioxide (CO2) limits that would apply to all parties. Kyoto required industrialized nations to limit emissions but did not constrain developing nations. Developing nations, on the other hand, say industrialized nations that bear the historic responsibility for CO2 emissions in the atmosphere must take the lead. The United States is not a party to the treaty.
For additional information see: Reuters, Associated Press

Conference: International Community Must Focus on Climate Disaster Preparedness

International funding and cooperation are needed to allow people in climate vulnerable places to migrate to safer ground, delegates to the Nansen Conference on Climate Change and Displacement in the 21st Century said. Held June 6 and 7 in Oslo, Norway, the conference featured speakers who urged governments and international organizations to shift away from disaster relief in favor of disaster preparedness. Forecasting models are able to more accurately predict episodes of drought and flooding, presenters noted. Last year, millions of people across the globe, in places like Pakistan and China, were displaced by extreme weather events. “Human displacement due to climate change is happening now,” Jonas Gahr Store, Norway's minister of foreign affairs, told conference delegates. “There is no need to debate it.”
For additional information see: Inter Press Service

Study Says Electric Cars Produce Less CO2 Over Their Lifetimes than Gas Cars

Electric cars are still greener than conventional gasoline-powered cars, though it takes a lot of driving to realize a net savings in carbon dioxide (CO2), according to a new analysis that considers the entire lifespan of the vehicles. Largely because of the energy consumed in producing the battery for an electric vehicle, the car has to be driven at least 80,000 miles before it realizes a net savings of CO2 compared to a conventional car. Nearly half of the CO2 associated with an electric car over its lifespan is produced before it rolls out of the factory. The study was conducted for the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, which is funded by the British government and industry. It found a standard gas-powered car produces 24 metric tons of CO2 over its lifetime, compared to 19 for a plug-in or battery electric vehicle. More work is needed to reduce CO2 emitted during the manufacturing of electric vehicles, the study says.
For additional information see: The Australian, News Release, Study

Tree Rings Show “Almost Unprecedented” Decline in Mountain Snowpack, Study Says

The decline in snowpack in the northern Rocky Mountains is “almost unprecedented” in magnitude in the past 800 years, a new study concludes. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Washington sought to evaluate the uniqueness of the late 20th and early 21st Century decline in snowpack by studying tree rings. Although this year’s snowpack is deep, the trend over the past few decades has been rapid springtime warming to diminish annual snowpack, which influences the growth of tree rings. "I think the findings are pretty significant," said lead author Greg Pederson of the USGS. "It means trees are telling the same stories as computer models and instrument records — that human greenhouse-gas emissions are contributing to the loss of snowpack." Many water supplies in the West rely on mountain snowpack. Today’s water management strategies may be based on assumptions that are no longer reliable, scientists say. The study was published in the journal Science.
For additional information see: The Oregonian, Seattle Times, Study Abstract
Supreme Court Turns Down Emissions Lawsuit; Says EPA Has Authority to Regulate CO2

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected a lawsuit brought by six states and several conservation groups that sought to force large utilities to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. In the June 20 decision, the justices said the courtroom is not the correct forum to control greenhouse gases. But the justices, including conservatives John Roberts and Antonin Scalia, reaffirmed that the authority to address greenhouse gas emissions rests with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2007, a divided court ruled 5-4 that the Clean Air Act gives the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. The EPA has issued one rule thus far requiring pre-construction permits to build or modify certain large industrial facilities that emit greenhouse gases, and plans to propose greenhouse gas standards for power plants and refineries in September. The plaintiffs, which included California, Connecticut, Iowa, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, believe the federal government is acting too slowly.
For additional information see: The New York Times, Associated Press

GAO: President, Congress Need to Set National Climate Change Priorities

Although federal funding for climate change activities is increasing, federal officials lack a shared understanding of the nation’s strategic priorities that would help guide that funding, a new GAO report found. Federal funding for climate change activities increased to $8.8 billion in 2010, up from $4.6 billion in 2003. More than half of the funding is spent on technology to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. At the request of Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), GAO surveyed and interviewed federal officials. GAO found federal officials do not have a shared understanding of strategic priorities. “This is in part due to inconsistent messages articulated in strategic plans and other policy documents,” GAO reported. The report recommended that the nation establish federal strategic climate change priorities. The report, “Climate Change: Improvements Needed to Clarify National Priorities and Better Align Them with Federal Funding Decisions,” was released June 20.
For additional information see: Markey Announcement, GAO Report

Report Calls for Urgent Cuts in CO2 to Save Dying Oceans

Climate change, pollution and overfishing are harming the oceans so rapidly that many marine species could be extinct within a generation, an international panel concluded. Marine scientists produced the report, which was released June 21 at a workshop at Oxford University that was organized by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO). “As we considered the cumulative effect of what humankind does to the ocean the implications became far worse than we had individually realized,” said Alex Rogers, scientific director of IPSO. “This is a very serious situation demanding unequivocal action at every level.” The report calls for cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to the warming of ocean surface temperatures and ocean acidification. It also calls on governments to reduce pollution and enact sustainable fisheries policies. The cumulative effect of the multiple threats must be addressed urgently because the rate of degeneration in the oceans is greater than predicted, the report warns.
For additional information see: The New York Times, Science Daily, Report

Study Finds Link Between Temperature, Increasing Rate of Sea Level Rise

The Atlantic is rising at a greater rate today along the coast of the United States than at any time during the last 2,100 years, a new study found. The study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also discussed the link between changes in temperature and rates of sea level rise. “Sea-level rise is a potentially disastrous outcome of climate change as rising temperatures melt land-based ice and warm ocean waters," said Benjamin Horton, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. The current average sea level rise is 2.1 millimeters per year. The study verifies that today’s rate of sea level rise is unprecedented in the recent geologic past, scientists said.
For additional information see: Associated Press, Science Daily, Study

Scientific American Series Links Stronger Storms to Climate Change

Scientific American last week published a three-part series exploring the connection between climate change and extreme weather. The first story stated that the extreme weather predicted by climate models is now being observed across the globe. The second explained how rising global temperatures fuel stronger storms. And the third discussed how the world can manage the risks and adapt to a changing climate. The series was funded by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Scientific American had complete editorial control.
For additional information see: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Insurers Study Climate Change to Decide Rate Hikes in Alabama

Insurance companies are considering rate hikes for homeowners after devastating tornadoes caused $2.5 to 3.5 billion in losses on April 27 in Alabama. The amount of rate increases depends on whether or not the storms are considered a new normal pattern caused by climate change. At only halfway through the year, Alabama’s tornado total is already three times the average and there have been more F4 and F5 storms than any other year. According to Lee Bowron of the Birmingham actuarial consulting firm Kerper and Bowron, LLC, insurance rates are based on models that predict the frequency and intensity of disasters, and “re-insurers and insurers are now evaluating tornado risk in light of the recent outbreak.” Brian Thomas, a sustainability consultant who formerly worked in the reinsurance industry, says, "the global re-insurers are very concerned about climate change. As far as they are concerned, there is a pretty clear signal." However, a preliminary National Weather Service evaluation of climate variables known to cause tornadoes in the Southeast doesn't show a global warming-related trend that can be linked to the severe outbreak. While insurance companies may want to raise rates to compensate for the threat of climate change, they can only raise them so much before they begin to lose customers.
For additional information see: The Birmingham News

EPA Report Outlines Climate Adaptation Options for Coastline

A new federal report on climate adaptation suggests that development in some low lying coastal areas will have to give way to rising sea levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in June released “Rolling Easements,” a primer for communities to preserve development rights of shoreline property owners while acknowledging that some coastal properties will be economically or environmentally infeasible to defend from rising sea levels. “Defending coastal development from the rising sea would prevent wetlands from migrating inland, expose large numbers of people to the hazard of living below sea level, and often cost more than what the property being protected is worth,” the report stated. The report detailed land-use and legal tools that would allow coastal development, but prohibit seawalls and shoreline protections from being built in some areas. Proposals include issuing regulations or transferring the rights to build shoreline protections from owners who would do so to organizations that would not. This allows property to be put to its highest use, but it can be converted to wetland or beach once it is threatened by rising seas.
For additional information see: The Washington Post, Report

Rockies Losing Colorful Flowers as Temperatures Rise, Study Finds

The colorful flowers that brighten the meadows of the Rocky Mountains in the middle of the summer are fading because of factors that include climate change, a new study found. As temperatures have risen in the high altitude meadows and conditions turned drier, the flowers have become less abundant, particularly during the middle of the summer. Not only would the Rockies lose a splash of color as the world turns warmer, but other species, such as pollinators, would be affected. “The resulting longer periods of flowering abundance in the middle of the summer season could negatively affect pollinators that are active throughout the season, and shifts in flowering peaks within habitats might create mismatches between floral resources and demand by pollinators with limited foraging ranges,” the study stated. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation. It appears in the July edition of the Journal of Ecology.
For additional information see: Los Angeles Times, Study Abstract

Survey Shows Who Americans Trust About Climate Change

A new survey suggests the urgency of climate change can be communicated if the right people engage local constituencies and explain how human activities are impacting local communities. "You can't talk about preparing for climate change in Seattle the same way you would in Phoenix,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, which released the survey results on June 27. The survey suggests many people remain uninformed about climate change but there is an opportunity to close the information gap. The survey found 39 percent of people were alarmed or concerned by climate change. On the other hand, 10 percent were dismissive, and may be unreachable because they distrust any source of data. A large sector of the public is in the middle, looking for information from trusted people who can explain why they are certain that humans are responsible for climate change. If more doctors, military officers, businesspeople or labor leaders speak out, the information gap may close. “We take our cues from key trusted individuals and organizations,” said Leiserowitz. “And different groups tend to trust different messengers.”
For additional information see: Reuters, Study

N.H. Governor Vetoes Plan to Leave Carbon Market

New Hampshire will stay in a regional carbon market after its governor vetoed a bill that would have led to its withdrawal. Gov. John Lynch said leaving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) would cost the state $16 million that the program raises through its carbon auctions. "I am vetoing this legislation because it will cost our citizens jobs, both now and into the future, hinder our economic recovery, and damage our state's long-term economic competitiveness," said Lynch. The 10-state program requires reductions of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and established the trading market. Power plants can buy allowances to cover their emissions and sell unneeded allowances on the market if they further reduce their emissions. Republican legislators in New Hampshire said leaving the program would lower costs for utilities and reduce electricity rates. RGGI has faced challenges in several states. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced in May that his state will leave the program later this year.
For additional information see: Reuters

British Columbia Carbon Tax Seen as Good for Environment

Nearly three-quarters of the residents of British Columbia believe their province’s carbon tax has been good for the environment, or feel neutral about it, according to survey results released June 30. Strategic Communications, Inc. conducted the poll of 830 people. It found 69 percent of residents are worried about climate change. This year, the carbon tax, introduced in 2008, costs $25 per ton for carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of oil, natural gas and coal. Next year, it rises to $30 per ton. Future rate hikes have not been determined; 51 percent of those polled do not support an increase in the carbon tax. Similar taxes apply to jet fuel, diesel, propane and other fuels. Both businesses and consumers pay the tax. The tax adds about $142 a year to the home heating bills of the average homeowner. The province claims the tax is revenue neutral because personal, corporate and small business income taxes were lowered.
For additional information see: Vancouver Sun, British Columbia Carbon Tax Website

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Coalition for Climate Change Study and Action

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS FOR JUNE 2011

CC NEWS FOR JUNE 2011

In January, the Energy and Environmental Study Institute (EESI) released a Fact Sheet called, A Snapshot of Renewable Energy Development. It focused on the current status of renewable energy for electricity generation, which has been growing rapidly and now produces 10.6% of U.S. electricity. The 12-page report describes capacity, project size, cost trends and construction timelines, and the impacts of renewable electricity technologies on carbon emissions. At: http://files.eesi.org/re_deployment_011211.pdf

In the last (May) issue of Climate Change News I mentioned a report from the National Academy of Sciences titled, Warming World: Impacts per Degree. The Energy and Environmental Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on the report on April 25, and the presentations of the three speakers and their slides can be found online at: http://www.eesi.org/warming-world-impacts-degree-25-apr-2011

Looking at the impacts by degree C temperature increase gives policy makers a new way to look at climate change and to make informed decisions about what kinds of impacts are acceptable. The full National Academy of Sciences 298-page report, titled, Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations, and Impacts over Decades to Millennia can be ordered or viewed online. At: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12877

I highly recommend World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse by Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute. It's available free online at: http://www.earth-policy.org/images/uploads/book_files/wotebook.pdf

You can buy the book or join the Earth Policy Institute listserv at:

http://www.earth-policy.org/

I’m a great admirer of Dr. James Hansen at Columbia University. The NY Times interviewed him in 2008, and you can see it on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVCMBozpoA0&feature=relmfu

On May 20, Need to Know on PBS did a piece by Laura LeBlanc titled, From allergies to deadly disease, feeling the effects of climate change. You can watch the 13.6-minute video at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/video-from-allergies-to-deadly-disease-feeling-the-effects-of-climate-change/9457/

Bill McKibben has a wonderful sardonic article in the Washington Post for May 23 titled, A link between climate change and Joplin tornadoes? Never! He reassures us with a quote from U.S. Chamber of Commerce, saying that there’s no need to worry because “populations can acclimatize to warmer climates via a range of behavioral, physiological, and technological adaptations.” At: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-link-between-climate-change-and-joplin-tornadoes-never/2011/05/23/AFrVC49G_story.html

Desiree Parker has an article in the May 24 Williamsburg Yorktown Daily titled, Planned Coal Plant Could Cost $200 Million In Health Costs, Report Finds. The Old Dominion Electric Cooperative plans to build a new 1,500-megawatt power plant in the town of Dendron, VA. A report by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says that the health care costs associated with running it could be over $200 million per year. According to the report, the annual health impacts of the plant would include: chronic bronchitis, asthma-related emergency room visits, premature deaths, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and lost work days. At: http://wydaily.com/local-news/6533-planned-coal-plant-could-cost-200-million-report-finds.html

Matthew Wald has an article in the May 24 NY Times titled, Risk From Spent Nuclear Reactor Fuel Is Greater in U.S. Than in Japan, Study Says. He writes, “The report, from the Institute for Policy Studies, recommends that the United States transfer most of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel from pools filled with cooling water to dry sealed steel casks to limit the risk of an accident resulting from an earthquake, terrorism or other event.” One U.S. nuclear plant, Vermont Yankee, on the border of Mass. and Vermont, has more nuclear waste stored in a pool than all four similar units at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Moving all U.S. nuclear waste into dry storage might take 10 years and cost between $3.5 and $7 billion, but the costs could be much greater if we don’t take the precaution. One of the planes that hit the Twin Towers on 9/11 flew over the Indian Point nuclear complex on the Hudson on its way to NY City. At:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/business/energy-environment/25nuke.html

The Australian Climate Commission has issued a report titled, The Critical Decade: Key Messages. The Climate Spectator says, “Over many decades thousands of scientists have painted an unambiguous picture: the global climate is changing and humanity is almost surely the primary cause. The risks have never been clearer and the case for action has never been more urgent. Our Earth’s surface is warming rapidly and we can already see social, economic and environmental impacts in Australia. Failing to take sufficient action today entails potentially huge risks to our economy, society and way of life into the future. This is the critical decade for action.” At: http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/climate-commission-critical-decade

Switchboard, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Staff Blog, posted an article on May 25 by Kaid Benfield. It describes A Citizen’s Guide to LEED for Neighborhood Development, developed by the NRDC for local environmental groups, smart growth organizations, and others interested in making communities better and greener. It is available for free and can be downloaded at: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/knowing_when_its_green_a_citiz.html

The NRDC on May 26 issued a press release titled, New Poll Reveals New Jersey Residents Strongly Support Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative's Results. The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling showed that 74% of NJ residents support clean energy development in the state over importing fossil fuels – in spite of a well-funded disinformation campaign by a group calling itself Americans for Prosperity. Similar groups – probably funded by the Koch Brothers and other fossil fuel interests – have been active in a number of Northeastern states opposing any efforts to reduce GHG emissions. At: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2011/110526.asp

Do you remember when more doctors smoked Camels than any other cigarette?

The Washington Post for May 27 carried an article by Chico Harlan titled, Japan takes a shine to renewable energy. It says that Japan, as a result of the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, is changing national energy policy to scale back nuclear power and develop wind and solar power to replace it. In the meantime, while the new energy sources come online, Japan will reduce its energy consumption and import more oil and natural gas. At: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-takes-a-shine-to-renewable-energy/2011/05/26/AGm8wuCH_story.html

A NY Times article on May 29 by John Broder said that ex-President Bill Clinton and ex-NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg are working together to help cities reduce their GHG emissions and deal with climate change. Cities are home to more than half of Earth’s people and are responsible for 70% of its GHG emissions. At: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/science/earth/29enviro.html?pagewanted=all

There is now a group working on a National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy for the United States. A Steering Committee is supported by staff from the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Native American tribal partners. You can learn more at:

http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/management.php

Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported on May 30 that carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 were the highest in history – 30.6 Gt. The unwillingness of many countries to reduce their emissions makes it unlikely that global warming can be kept below 2º C (3.6º F). At: http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/co2-emissions-highest-ever-2010-iea-0

The NY Times for June 4 has an article by Justin Gillis titled, TEMPERATURE RISING - A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself. It mentions that climate change is challenging the ability of farmers to feed the growing population. It will be important to develop new varieties and new techniques better adapted to the new conditions. At: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/science/earth/05harvest.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2

OilChange International has a Dirty Money Campaign aimed at exposing the financial contributions that dirty energy companies make to members of Congress to protect the companies’ interests. You can follow the money by Zip code, politician, or company. At: http://www.dirtyenergymoney.com/#

The NY Times reported the development of a new generation of commercially available LED light bulbs at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/magazine/bulb-in-bulb-out.html?scp=2&sq=Light%20Bulb&st=cse

On June 8 Heather Goldstone of WGBH (Boston) posted an article on her Climatide blog titled, The State of the Oceans 2011. In it she pointed out five threats to our oceans: 1) climate change, 2) acidification, 3) pollution, 4) over fishing and 5) ignorance. Heather is an oceanographer – well worth reading. At:

http://climatide.wgbh.org/tag/ocean-acidification/

On June 13 EnergyBiz ran an article by Ken Silverstein titled, Offshore Wind Hits Waves. It pointed out that offshore wind development in the U.S. is being slowed by a combination of regulatory hurdles and difficulty finding investors – in spite of the fact that offshore wind is growing very rapidly in many other parts of the world, including China. It appears that the first turbines in the water may be off the coast near Galveston Texas. Texas already leads the U.S. in onshore wind generation, with about 25% of the country’s total. At: http://www.energybiz.com/article/11/06/offshore-wind-hits-waves

Why is it so much easier for us to go to war than to develop a clean energy technology?

Robert Fri has a Voices piece on PBS Need To Know for June 14, titled, Action on climate change: Why now? He quotes a recent National Academy of Sciences report that says that though we don’t know exactly how or when the effects of climate change on humans and the environment will play out, “the environmental, economic, and humanitarian risks of climate change indicate a pressing need for substantial action to limit the magnitude of climate change and to prepare to adapt to its impacts.” At: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/voices/action-on-climate-change-why-now/9790/

The report was called America’s Climate Choices and was issued in May. A press release and a link to the full report can be found at:

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12781

The following items are from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), Carol Werner, Executive Director. Past issues of its newsletter are posted on its website under "publications"
 at http://www.eesi.org/publications/Newsletters/CCNews/ccnews.htm

EESI’s newsletter is intended for all interested parties, particularly the policymaker community.

UK Agrees to Two Decades of Drastic Emission Cuts

Cabinet ministers have agreed to a deal that will commit the United Kingdom to two decades of drastic greenhouse gas emissions cuts. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne announced last week that the government will fully accept the recommendations of an independent Committee on Climate Change that extended commitments to 2027, making the UK the only nation with legally binding commitments past 2020. The committee has recommended carbon emissions should be cut to 60 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, and eventually 80 percent by 2050. Ministers believe major companies involved in developing offshore wind technology, such as Siemens, Vestas, and General Electric, would be more willing to invest in Britain now that it is committed to expanding its renewable energy production. According to the committee, 16 billion pounds would need to be invested annually throughout the 2020’s and new policies would need to be implemented in order to meet the targets. In order to meet its goal, the country plans to replace a generation of aging nuclear power plants with new reactors, expand renewable energy, such as offshore wind power, geothermal energy, and use carbon sequestration.

For additional information see: The Guardian, Reuters

Climate Change a Contributing Factor to More Frequent Mississippi Floods

According to scientists, the increasing frequency and severity of Mississippi River floods are being caused by a combination of climate change and federal water projects over the past 100 years that have transformed the river into a waterway for shipping. The flooding of the Mississippi, as seen in recent weeks, was expected to occur once every 10 or 25 years, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. However, similar floods have occurred in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2001. In 2008, the river experienced a flood that was expected once every 200 years, and in 1993 flood waters were at levels expected once every 500 years. The construction of locks, levees and weirs, they say, has caused the river to be unnaturally constrained, leading to higher flood water levels during heavy rains. Climate change, in addition, is leading to increased evaporation and, in turn, heavier rainfall.

For additional information see: NY Times, Scientific American

Study: Seaports Must Improve Infrastructure to Cope with Climate Change

A study published in the journal Climatic Change found that the majority of seaports around the globe are unprepared for the potentially damaging effects of climate change in the coming century. In a survey conducted on port authorities around the world, researchers found most of them do not know how to protect their facilities against rising sea levels and intense storms, which according to scientists are potential effects of climate change. Out of the 93 agencies representing major seaports around the globe who responded to the survey, fewer than six percent said that they plan to construct hurricane barriers within the next 10 years, and fewer than 18 percent had plans to build dikes or other storm protection structures.

For additional information see: Science Daily, UPI, Study

Scientists and Planners Agree Extreme Weather is the “New Normal”

On May 18, climate scientists and government planners stated that extreme weather patterns, such as increased rain, snow, floods, and droughts, are indicators of a new normal climate caused by climate change. "We are used to certain conditions and there's a lot going on these days that is not what we're used to, that is outside our current frame of reference," said climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe on a conference call with other scientists, civic planners and the giant Swiss Re reinsurance firm, organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Although they did not blame climate change for any specific event, all the participants cited human-caused climate change as one of the factors contributing to the more extreme weather.

For additional information see: Reuters

Texas Seeks to Overturn EPA’s Endangerment Finding

On May 23, the state of Texas, on behalf of 14 other states, filed an opening brief in a case seeking to overturn the “endangerment finding” announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009. The finding stated that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health and welfare, which gave the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling EPA v. Massachusetts. Texas is challenging the finding on the grounds that it is "arbitrary and capricious,” words in the U.S. Code that are grounds for a reversal of the decision. The brief stated that the EPA "never provides criteria for determining when [greenhouse gas] emissions or climate change endanger public health or welfare,” as well as the possibility that people might adapt to or even combat the effects of climate change over the extended time period in which it occurs, reducing its effects on health and welfare. The brief was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

For additional information see: Texas Tribune, Brief

Report: California Needs to Take Aggressive Measures to Meet Emissions Goal

In a report titled "California's Energy Future¬¬: The View to 2050," scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory concluded that California can meet its goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The report stated that the first 60 percent of emissions reductions could be met by aggressively implementing current technologies, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro and offshore marine energy. The remaining 20 percent would be attained through technological advancements in artificial photosynthesis, fusion energy, more efficient and sustainable biofuels, hydrogen fuel, more effective carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), and advanced batteries for both vehicles and grid storage. The report also called for improvements to the electrical grid, to allow it to integrate more intermittent renewable sources and store more energy. In addition to faster development of renewable energy sources, scientists also stated that significant efficiency measures must be taken, retrofitting 1.8 percent of all buildings annually.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Report

Micronesia Challenges Czech Coal Plant Over Sea-Level Rise

Micronesia has mounted an unprecedented legal challenge against the Czech Republic's plans to expand a coal-fired power station more than 7,000 miles away. They claim the increased greenhouse gas emissions from the plant will contribute to global warming, potentially threatening the country, with many parts that lie just over three feet above sea level. If expanded, the power plant will emit over 40 times as much carbon emissions annually as Micronesia as a whole. Micronesia, along with Greenpeace, want the Czech government to carry out a study, called a Trans-Boundary Environmental Impact Assessment, to assess how pollution from the coal plant will affect the Micronesian archipelago. This type of study usually occurs between countries that share a border, but has never been done between countries from different regions before. The Czech environment ministry is expected to come to a decision regarding Micronesia’s case within two weeks.

For additional information see: Telegraph

Australian Climate Commission Suggests Immediate Action, End Logging in Old Growth Forests

A report issued by Australia’s Climate Commission stated that the evidence for global warming is now ''exceptionally strong and beyond doubt,'' and actions this decade will determine the impact of climate change for the rest of the century. The report concluded that the impacts of climate change are already being seen, despite the earth warming less than one degree Celsius so far. The commission addressed the issues of sea level rise and risks to the Great Barrier Reef, and suggested that carbon emissions must peak within the next few years, and then rapidly decline. The report also concluded that the country must end logging in old-growth forests with high carbon storage capacities, stating that it is one of the best ways of making timely cuts to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions while the slower energy transforming and transport systems unfold. "We need to use whatever means we can to sequester carbon but also start reducing emissions from industry. We need some sort of price on carbon. A price is unavoidable,” said Climate Commission chief, Tim Flannery.

For additional information see: Sydney Morning Herald 1, Sydney Morning Herald 2, Business Green, Report

IEA: CO2 Emissions Reached All Time High in 2010

On May 30, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached their highest level ever in 2010, with the growth driven mainly by booming coal-reliant emerging economies. The agency also stated that 80 percent of the projected carbon emissions in 2020 will be “locked in” since they will be produced by power plants that are already running, or under construction. "This significant increase in CO2 emissions and the locking in of future emissions due to infrastructure investments represent a serious setback to our hopes of limiting the global rise in temperature to no more than 2.0 [degrees Celsius] (3.6 [degrees Fahrenheit])," said IEA chief economist Fatih Birol. According to scientists, if global temperatures rise over two degrees Celsius, the risk of severe climate change impacts, including flooding, storms, rising sea levels and species extinction, greatly increase. The UN climate talks, which will resume in Bonn on June 6, will focus on how to achieve the two degree Celsius target.
In related news, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, stated that, "Two degrees is not enough- we should be thinking of 1.5 [degrees Celsius]. If we are not headed to 1.5 we are in big, big trouble." She said that the record emissions reported by IEA strengthens the need for urgent action on greenhouse gases.

For additional information see: AFP, Reuters, Guardian

Experts Discuss Ways to Help Threatened Island Nations Keep Sovereignty

Rising sea levels have put a number of small-island nations in the Indian and Pacific oceans at risk. At a three-day discussion at Columbia University last week, a collection of international lawyers and politicians began to find ways to use existing rules to allow many of these nations to continue as legal entities entitled to ocean fishing and mineral exploration rights, even if their entire populations were forced to relocate elsewhere. "It's important to maintain a government that can defend its interests in the international arena," said international law expert Jenny Grote Stoutenburg. Experts discussed the creation of new laws to address the fate of these island-nations, ways to clearly define their coastline as it currently exists, and how to deal with the relocation of the nations’ population if they are forced to relocate.

For additional information see: NY Times

Report Warns Food Prices Will Double without Global Action

A report published by Oxfam concluded that if global action is not taken to address issues such as climate change, failing biofuel policies, and stalling growth in agricultural yields, food prices will more than double over the next 20 years. The report suggested the price of key crops, like corn, would rise from 120 to 180 percent, with almost half the price increase attributed to climate change. Oxfam called for British Prime Minister David Cameron, among other G20 leaders, to implement measures that will stabilize food prices. These measures include increasing food reserves, removing agricultural subsidies, and decreasing support for biofuels that displace agricultural land that could be used for food production. The report also called on international governments to ensure that the Green Climate Fund, designed to help developing countries adapt to climate change, is put in place by this year’s climate summit in Durban, South Africa.

For additional information see: Business Green, BBC, Report

Climate Change To Increase Ozone-Related Illnesses

On June 2, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report, “Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution”, stating that climate change could increase illnesses and affect health costs because of the increase of ground-level ozone. "Even a small increase in ozone due to a warmer climate would have a significant impact on public health," said report co-author Liz Perera. "It would mean more asthma attacks, respiratory illnesses, emergency room trips and premature deaths." The report found that 10 states with the largest numbers of urban residents, children, and senior citizens along with high levels of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compound emissions would be severely affected by ground-level ozone. These states include California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey and Virginia. If fossil fuel emissions continue to increase at today’s current rate, by 2020 the higher ozone levels could create 2.8 million additional serious respiratory illnesses.

For additional information see: USA Today, Union of Concerned Scientists Report

Rising Sea Levels Will Affect More Than Just Coastal Populations

In a report to be published in the upcoming issue of Population and Environment, researchers examine the impacts of rising oceans as one element of how a changing climate will affect humans. Researchers used existing climate projections and maps to predict which areas will be at risk from rising seal levels and storm surges, and then applied these predictions to projections of future populations. The study focused on four main areas, including the tip of the Florida peninsula, coastal South Carolina, the northern New Jersey coastline, and the greater Sacramento region of northern California. According to researchers, more than 19 million people will be affected by rising sea levels in the four study areas by 2030. The study was designed towards helping local authorities identify how to best deal with environmental impacts. "As we anticipate future events, future natural disasters, we've learned how dramatic it can be -- and there are things that can be done in advance to mitigate the extent of damage in a location," said Katherine Curtis, lead author of the study.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

California Planning for Rising Sea Levels

California would require certain public entities to draw up action plans to prevent or mitigate damage from rising sea levels under a bill approved by the state assembly on June 1. The legislation applies to about 75 coastal cities, counties, and harbor and sanitary districts that manage state-granted public lands that generate more than $250,000 in annual revenues, a category that includes facilities such as large public airports and ports. The bill states that rising sea levels from climate change will significantly affect the state’s economic and social future. Coastal activities contribute more than $50 billion to the state’s economy. The bill does not include any provisions requiring public entities to implement their action plans.

For additional information see: San Jose Mercury News, Text of Bill AB 752

Natural Gas Is Not the Solution to Climate and Energy Problems, IEA Warns

At a June 6 press conference, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that natural gas is not an energy panacea. “While natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, it is still a fossil fuel,” said Nobuo Tanaka, IEA’s executive director in discussing new research by the agency. “Its increased use could muscle out low-carbon fuels such as renewables and nuclear, particularly in the wake of Fukushima. An expansion of gas use alone is no panacea for climate change." Gas companies are urging governments to support an expansion of natural gas, including the tapping of previously inaccessible shale gas through “fracking,” a process which is blamed for the contamination of water supplies. The IEA worries that low-cost natural gas would incentivize the building of gas-fired power plants while shelving plans for renewable projects.

For additional information see: The Guardian, IEA, World Energy Outlook

Climate Change Will Reduce Water for Farming, UN Agency Says

Climate change will siphon away the amount of water available to the world’s farmers, the United Nation’s food agency warned in a new report that calls for action to lessen the danger to both rural and heavily populated areas. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued its “Climate Change, Water and Food Security Report” on June 9. The report calls on countries to improve their management of water resources and urge farmers to adopt new crops and practices before more serious effects of climate change are felt. Regions already prone to water scarcity are at the greatest risk, but the FAO said the loss of glaciers from climate change “will eventually impact the amount of surface water available.”

For additional information see: Reuters, AFP, FAO Report

Today’s Heat Waves to Become Commonplace in 20 to 60 Years, Study Finds

Unprecedented summer heat will be here to stay within the next 20 to 60 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, a new study found. Stanford University researchers concluded that tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South America could see the “permanent emergence of unprecedented summer” heat in the next two decades. In the middle latitudes of Europe, China and North America, today’s heat waves will become the new normal within 60 years. “According to our projections, large areas of the globe are likely to warm up so quickly that, by the middle of this century, even the coolest summers will be hotter than the hottest summers of the past 50 years,” said lead author Noah Diffenbaugh, an assistant professor of environmental Earth system science. The study will appear later this month in Climate Change Letters.

For additional information see: MSNBC, Stanford University

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Coalition for Climate Change Study and Action