CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS FOR MAY 2010

CC NEWS FOR MAY 2010

In Climate Change News for November 2009 I cited a Scientific American article that month by Mark Jacobson (Stanford) and Mark Delucchi (UC Davis) titled, A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030. The authors wrote that a combination of wind, water and sunlight could provide 100% of the world’s energy, for all purposes, as early as 2030.

I have now found a pdf version of the article on Jacobson’s Stanford web site at:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/sad1109Jaco5p.indd.pdf

His web site, which contains a lot of interesting and valuable information, is at:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/

One of his articles, first posted on the web in December 2008 and published in Energy & Env. Science in 2009 – titled, Review of solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy security – is a must read for anyone interested in solutions to global warming and low-carbon energy technologies (including nuclear). In it he writes, “This paper reviews and ranks major proposed energy-related solutions to global warming, air pollution mortality, and energy security while considering impacts of the solutions on water supply, land use, wildlife, resource availability, reliability, thermal pollution, water pollution, nuclear proliferation, and undernutrition.” At:

http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/PDF%20files/ReviewSolGW09.pdf

The Global Humanitarian Forum (Geneva) issued its 2009 Annual Report in February, 2010, emphasizing the human impacts of climate change, and describing a forum held in Geneva in June 2009 titled, “Human Impact of Climate Change: New Challenges for Humanitarianism and Sustainable Development.” At:

http://www.ghf-ge.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ewagRIk69CQ%3d&tabid=794

The report (on p.18) also described the Human Impact Report: Climate Change – The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis, issued in May last year, which found the following impacts of climate change that have already occurred: around 300,000 deaths per year; 500 million people at extreme risk today; 4 billion people living in vulnerable areas; over 25 million climate displaced people with 1 million more every year; and over 100 billion dollars worth of damage each year. This report can be found at:

http://www.eird.org/publicaciones/humanimpactreport.pdf

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued four 2-page fact sheets on climate change based on recent scientific findings. The four titles are: Climate Change Science Facts, Climate Change and Ecosystems, Climate Change and Health Effects, and Climate Change and Society. The fact sheets (PDF format) are written in non-technical language and can be found in the Climate Toolbox on EPA’s Climate Change Basic Information page at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basicinfo.html

Jeremy van Loon reported in Bloomberg Business News on April 27, in an article titled, Germany’s Deepwater Offshore Wind Farm Starts Production. This first German offshore wind farm, consisting of 12 large 5MW turbines, can generate up to 60 MW in strong winds and cost 250 million Euros ($333). It is in the North Sea 45 km (28 miles) off the German coast in water 30 m (about 100 feet) deep. Germany plans to install 25,000 MW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. It is likely to be at least three more years before the U.S. generates any electricity using offshore wind, but it has a huge wind resource off its coasts and on the Great Lakes. At: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=a4WRBAB_AwHQ

On May 7 Josie Garthwaite of earth2tech report, Cape Wind: National Grid to Buy Half of the Project’s Power. The Massachusetts utility National Grid announced an agreement with Cape Wind for the utility to buy 50 percent of the power generated by the 130-turbine project starting in 2013, at a price of 20.7¢/kWh for the electrical energy and renewable energy credits, increasing by 3.5% per year. The average power is expected to be about 180 MW. At: http://earth2tech.com/2010/05/07/cape-wind-national-grid-to-buy-half-of-the-projects-power/

On May 13 Gillian Caldwell, the Campaign Director of 1Sky, posted a note titled, 16 tips for avoiding climate burnout. It has some good tips for those of us who are sometimes ready to scream at the apathy, ignorance, and denial of the many who just don’t get it. She writes, “We know that this crisis is an opportunity to reinvent the way we are living our lives, and to steer this troubled ship called Earth towards safer harbor. In our despair, we must surface all our passion and commitment and power to ensure that we come together as an unstoppable force for change, …” At:

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-05-12-coming-out-of-the-closet-my-climate-trauma-and-yours

The May 14 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle has an article by Jon Carroll titled, Global Warming: Not a Fraud, deploring the attacks on science and scientists – especially climate scientists. He wrote, “Science is inherently undemocratic - you don't get to vote on whether two plus two equals four, but some politicians, school boards and political parties have adopted the "wishing makes it so" protocols, and we as a nation are poorer for it.” He cites a recent letter to the magazine Science by 250 scientists, who wrote in part, "We are deeply disturbed by the recent escalation of political assaults on scientists in general and on climate scientists in particular. All citizens should understand some basic scientific facts. There is always some uncertainty associated with scientific conclusions; science never absolutely proves anything. When someone says that society should wait until scientists are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never take action. For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet.” At:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/14/DDGD1DDLT8.DTL#ixzz0o1qtQXh4

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. For more information regarding either the newsletter or EESI please contact Amy Sauer at asauer@eesi.org.

CO2 Emissions Causing Ocean Acidification to Progress at Unprecedented Rate

On April 22, the National Research Council (NRC) reported that the chemistry of the oceans is changing faster than it has in hundreds of thousands of years because of the carbon dioxide (CO2) being absorbed from the atmosphere. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the pH of ocean water has declined from 8.2 to 8.1 and a further decline of 0.2 to 0.3 units is expected by the end of this century, according to the NRC, an arm of the National Academy of Science. The current rate of change "exceeds any known change in ocean chemistry for at least 800,000 years," the report said. According to the report, oceans absorb about one-third of all human generated CO2 emissions, including those from burning fossil fuels, cement production and deforestation. While the long term consequences of ocean acidification on marine life are unknown, many ecosystem changes are expected to result. Ocean acidification eats away at coral reefs, interferes with the ability of some fish species to find their homes and can hurt commercial shellfish such as mussels and oysters by reducing their ability to make their protective shells.

For additional information see: AP, AFP, The Sydney Morning Herald, National Academies

Study: Copenhagen Pledges Set Path for 3°C Warming

On April 21, researchers in the journal Nature concluded that commitments made at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not enough to keep global warming below the 2°C target. Between now and 2020, the scientists calculate that global emissions are likely to rise by 10-20 percent and the chances of passing 3°C by 2100 are greater than 50 percent. The meeting in December produced the Copenhagen Accord, an agreement that was “taken note of” under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, but not considered a new global treaty. As part of the Accord, nations pledged to cut emissions and submit these targets to the UN following the December meeting. The researchers concluded that the pledges committed to at this time are so weak that they have left the world “in dire peril” from rising temperatures. "There's a big mismatch between the ambitious goal, which is 2°C . . . and the emissions reductions," said Malte Meinshausen of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research, which conducted the study. "The pledged emissions reductions are in most cases very unambitious.”

For additional information see: Nature, BBC, AFP, Times Online

World Bank Says East Asia Can Stabilize CO2 by 2025

On April 19, the World Bank announced that East Asia could stabilize its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025 while maintaining economic growth by investing in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies. The report, "Winds of change: East Asia's sustainable energy future," said that success would require an investment of $80 billion a year to make the power, industry and transportation sectors more efficient as well as to develop renewable energy. Success will also depend, the report noted, on the region finding the political will for such changes, as well as transfers of financing and technologies from developed countries. Underscoring the region's rapid rise, the Bank said East Asia achieved a 10-fold increase in GDP over the past three decades, leading to a tripling of energy consumption, which was expected to double again in the next two decades. "Countries need to act now to transform the energy sector toward much higher energy efficiency and widespread deployment of low-carbon technologies," said Jim Adams, World Bank Vice President for the East Asia & Pacific Region.

For additional information see: Reuters, UPI, AFP

Spring Comes 10 Days Earlier in Changed U.S. Climate

On April 20, scientists reported that spring comes about 10 days earlier in the United States now than it did two decades ago, a consequence of climate change that favors invasive species over indigenous ones. The phenomenon, known as "spring creep," has put various species of U.S. wildlife out of balance with their traditional habitats, the environmental experts said. "The losers tend to be our native plant species," said Charles Davis of Harvard University, who studied plant changes in Concord, Massachusetts. "Climate change is not affecting species uniformly," Davis continued. "Certain groups are hit harder than others, and those species that are not able to respond to climate change . . . are being hit the hardest."

For additional information see: Reuters

EPA Issues Report on U.S. Climate Change Indicators

On April 27, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new report, "Climate Change Indicators in the United States," which looks at 24 key indicators that show how climate change impacts the health and environment of American citizens. Heat waves, storms, sea levels, glaciers, and wildlife migrations are just a few of the environmental indicators that show measurable signs of climate change. In total, the report found that there was scientific evidence that climate change was making 22 of the 24 indicators worse. “These indicators show us that climate change is a very real problem with impacts that are already being seen,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “The actions Americans are taking today to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions will help us solve this global challenge.”

For additional information see: EPA Press Release, Reuters, USA Today

175 Companies Urge Senate to Move Forward with Climate Legislation

On April 28, 175 U.S. companies sent a letter to Senate leadership, urging them to continue working to enact comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. The letter was brought together by the We Can Lead coalition, a project of the Clean Economy Network (CEN) and Ceres. The businesses come from some of the nation's largest electric power, manufacturing, and clean tech companies, including Nike, Exelon, PG&E and eBay. "Today, the United States is falling behind in the global race to lead the next global industrial revolution. U.S. businesses need strong policies and clear market signals to deploy capital, harness innovative technologies, and compete in the global marketplace," the letter stated. "Every day the Senate fails to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation is a day our economy falls another step behind and delays our ability to create millions of new American jobs. America's energy future is not a partisan issue. Now is the time to bring the parties together and finish what we started."

For additional information see: We Can Lead Letter

33 Retired Military Leaders Call for Climate Legislation

On April 28, 33 retired military leaders issued a statement, calling on “Congress and the administration to enact strong, comprehensive climate and energy legislation to reduce carbon pollution and lead the world in clean energy technology.” The statement goes on to note that the “Pentagon and security leaders of both parties consider climate disruption to be a ‘threat multiplier’ – it exacerbates existing problems by decreasing stability, increasing conflict, and incubating the socioeconomic conditions that foster terrorist recruitment.” The statement, released in conjunction by The Truman National Security Project and Operation Free (OPFREE), is another attempt by the military community to inform the public about the national security issues connected to climate change. OPFREE says America’s dependence on oil puts money into the hands of dangerous enemies. In January, the United States imported 506,000 barrels of oil each day from Iraq, 911,000 from Venezuela and 463,000 from Russia, according to the Energy Information Administration. “At the same time, the climate change caused by carbon pollution is destabilizing nations like Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria and Afghanistan — creating safe havens for terrorists,” Operation Free campaign manager Jonathan Murray said.

For additional information see: Truman Project Press Release, Lake City News & Post

Melting Sea Ice Major Cause of Warming in Arctic

On April 28, a study published in the journal Nature found that melting sea ice has dramatically accelerated warming in the Arctic, where temperatures have risen faster in recent decades than the global average. The study also suggested that current forecasts underestimate the degree to which the polar region could heat up in the future. "It was previously thought that loss of sea ice could cause further warming. Now we have confirmation this is already happening," said James Screen, a researcher at the University of Melbourne and co-author of the study. From 1989 to 2008, global temperatures climbed on average 0.8°F, whereas the Arctic has warmed by 3.4°F - the most rapid increase of any place on the planet. The findings show that the main driver of so-called "polar amplification" - warming in excess of the global average - is shrinking ice cover, and not increased cloudiness or changes in ocean and atmospheric circulation.

For additional information see: AFP, Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Science Daily

Report Finds U.S. Economy Only 13 Percent Energy Efficient

On April 28, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released a new report, “Crossing the Energy Divide: Moving from Fossil Fuel Dependence to a Clean-Energy Future,” detailing a U.S. transition to a clean energy future. A critical finding in the report showed that the American economy today is only functioning at a level of 13 percent efficiency in terms of energy use, meaning that 87 percent of the energy used is wasted. In comparison, Japan and several European countries are about 20 percent efficient, a factor of 1.5 greater than the United States. This important fact is being drowned out, however, by an overemphasis on creating new energy, said John “Skip” Laitner, director of Economic and Social Analysis at ACEEE and co-author of the study. “The dirty little secret today is that most economic assessments of the current climate change policies either ignore or greatly understate the potential advances in energy efficiency, even though it is clearly the largest and most cost-effective form of greenhouse gas mitigation,” Laitner said.

For additional information see: ACEEE Press Release

UN Warns Climate Change Will Hit Africa's Poorest

On May 4, at a regional conference in Angola, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations warned about the impacts climate change will have on Africa’s food security. The main consequence of higher temperatures and more unpredictable weather was a likely reduction in crop yields – 6.9 percent in the case of maize, an important staple – and a heightened risk of food insecurity. A paper released at the conference described how climate change will affect the poorer African countries disproportionately, especially the subsistence farmers within those countries. One-third of the African population lives in drought-prone areas, while six of the ten largest cities in Africa are located on the coast, both areas that are most susceptible to climate change. The paper urged African governments to "prioritize and implement measures to develop agriculture and sustainable natural resource management.” It specifically highlighted the opportunity for African countries to benefit from carbon and international market instruments such as the Clean Development Mechanism.

For additional information see: AFP, FAO Press Release

Study Finds Global Warming Heat Stress Could Make Life Intolerable

On May 4, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a growing number of healthy people will suffer from cases of heat stress if temperatures continue to rise into the next century. The human body maintains a constant core temperature of 37°C by giving off excess heat through the skin. But, if the temperature of the air reaches 35°C, this heat dissipation stops, causing the body to retain heat, resulting in heat stress. The study highlights a number of potential 'hot spots' in the future. "The places that heat stress will be highest are places near sea level and at lower latitudes and that's where people live," said Professor Steven Sherwood of the University of New South Wales and author of the study. "This includes Amazonia; most of China; India; Indonesia; pretty much all of South East Asia; eastern United States; northern Australia and parts of Africa,” Sherwood said.

For additional information see: ABC, UNSW Press Release, Study Abstract

Senators Kerry and Lieberman Unveil Climate Bill

On May 12, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) released their much-anticipated climate legislation, the American Power Act. The legislation seeks to reduce greenhouse (GHG) emissions 17 percent below 2005 by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. "The American Power Act will finally change our nation's energy policy from a national weakness into a national strength," Kerry said when the bill was released. "This is a bill for energy independence after a devastating oil spill, a bill to hold polluters accountable, a bill for billions of dollars to create the next generation of jobs and a bill to end America's addiction to foreign oil and protect the air our children breathe and the water they drink." The bill includes 12 titles, including a mandatory cap on GHG emissions that is phased into different sectors of the economy at different times. The bill also includes measures to encourage renewable energy, new coal technology that captures and stores carbon, nuclear power and offshore drilling. In light of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on an offshore oil rig, states are allowed to opt out of federal drilling within 75 miles of their shore, while states that go ahead with offshore drilling would retain 37.5 percent of the federal revenue generated. The senators have not yet formally introduced the bill in Congress, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has indicated that he will make a decision soon as to whether or not he will bring the legislation to the Senate floor this year.

For additional information see: New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe

CBO: Climate Policies Would 'Slightly' Lower Employment

On May 5, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of climate policies, determining that they would “slightly” reduce total employment during the next few decades. According to the study, “adopting policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) would shift the demand for goods and services away from fossil fuels and products that require substantial amounts of those fuels to make or to use and toward alternative forms of energy and products that require lesser amounts of fossil fuels. Employment patterns would shift to mirror those changes in demand.” Predictably, various industries would be affected differently by policies to reduce GHG emissions. Coal mining would likely see the largest percentage decline in employment because it emits more GHGs than other forms of fossil fuels. CBO also said employment in oil and gas extraction and natural gas utilities are expected to decline as those fuels become more expensive and the demand for them declines. Eventually, however, most workers who lost jobs would find new ones the study concluded. The CBO did not address changes in employment that would result from the absence of policies to reduce emissions of GHGs.

For additional information see: CBO Report, Bloomberg, Sustainable Business News

Report: Climate Change Could Render Much of World Uninhabitable

On May 11, a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that climate change could make parts of Earth uninhabitable within three centuries. “It would begin to occur with global-mean warming of about 7°C (13°F), calling the habitability of some regions into question," the researchers said in a paper. "With 11-12°C warming, such regions would spread to encompass the majority of the human population as currently distributed." The study looked at climate change over a longer range, beyond 2100, which the scientists said has not been studied enough. “It needs to be looked at," said Steven Sherwood, a co-author of the study from the University of South Wales. "There's not much we can do about climate change over the next two decades but there's still a lot we can do about the longer term changes."

For additional information see: AFP, USA Today, Sydney Morning Herald

EU Climate Chief Looks into 30 Percent Carbon Cuts

On May 11, European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said that the EU should set a stricter target for cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to help push the price of carbon permits higher, to about 30 euros ($38.20). “Around 30 euros, people would start to do things differently,” Hedegaard said, yet she continued that she is fearful that the price of carbon may stagnate though 2020 unless the EU sets a tougher target. Hedegaard plans to soon present an analysis of options for scaling up emissions reductions in the EU from a 20 percent cut by 2020 from 1990 levels to a 30 percent reduction. The economic crisis has cut the estimated cost of achieving the 20 percent goal by about a third. “Now, the cost of the 30 percent reduction would be only modestly higher than what we were prepared to pay for the 20 percent cut,” Hedegaard said.

For additional information see: Guardian, BBC, Bloomberg

Greenland Glacier Slide Speeds 220 Percent in Summer

A new study published in the May 9 issue of Nature Geoscience concluded that the variability of glacier movement in Greenland is much greater than previously thought. The researchers, led by Ian Bartholomew of Edinburgh University in Scotland, found that glaciers in Greenland slide up to 220 percent faster toward the sea in summer than in winter. The study did not speculate if the change in speed between summer and winter was part of natural shifts or was influenced by a changing climate. They did note, however, that "in a warming climate, with longer and more intense summer melt seasons, we would expect that water will reach the bed farther inland and a larger portion of the ice sheet will experience summer velocity changes." The ice sheet in Greenland is the second largest in the world, behind Antarctica, and has enough ice to raise world sea levels by about 23 feet if it melted entirely.

For additional information see: Study Abstract, Reuters

If you would like to receive my Climate Change News automatically by email and don’t already, just send an email message to:

climate_change_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you want to stop receiving it, just send a message to climate_change_news-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. If you come across some really interesting information, please send it along and I may include it in the next issue. Recent issues are available at: http://tolmanccnews.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Chad A. Tolman

chadtolman@verizon.net
Coalition for Climate Change Study and Action

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS FOR APRIL 2010

CC NEWS FOR APRIL 2010

In the March 16 issue of the NY Times, Matthew Wald has an article titled, Underwater Cable an Alternative to Electrical Towers. In it, Wald points out that generating a substantial fraction of our electrical power from renewable energy sources is going to require a lot of additional transmission lines. A promising alternative to standard high voltage AC transmission lines and towers is high voltage DC cables underwater. A Toronto company is proposing a 370-mile long underwater cable from Canada to New Your City, along the bottom of Lake Champlain and down the Hudson River, bringing cheap hydroelectric power to the power-hungry city. A similar but longer cable offshore along the East Coast could tie together offshore wind farms from Maine to North Carolina, providing power to highly populated states all along the coast. Such a cable would not only have less environmental impact than a North-South transmission line on land, but by tying together many different wind farms in different areas, would provide nearly constant 24/7 baseload power – making it possible to replace coal and nuclear plants, operating or proposed. At:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/business/energy-environment/17power.html

On March 16 the Governor’s Wind Energy Coalition issued a set of recommendations in a report titled, Great Expectations – U.S. Wind Energy Development. The recommendations call for the following actions at the federal level:

· Adopt a renewable electricity standard.

· Develop new interstate electric transmission system infrastructure as needed to provide access to premier renewable energy resources both on-shore and offshore.

· Fully support coastal, deep water, and offshore wind energy technology and transmission research and development.

· Streamline permitting processes for both offshore and on-shore wind energy development projects.

· Expand the U.S. Department of Energy’s work with the states and the wind industry to accelerate innovation.

· Extend the Treasury Department Grant Program in lieu of the Investment Tax Credit, and adopt a long-term renewable energy production tax credit with provisions to broaden the pool of eligible investors.

At: http://www.governorswindenergycoalition.org/assets/files/GWC%202010%20Recommendations%20(FINAL%203-16-10).pdf

John Blackburn, a PhD Professor of Economics Emeritus, Duke University, issued a report in March for the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) titled, Matching Utility Loads with Solar and Wind Power in North Carolina - Dealing with Intermittent Electricity Sources. The report concludes that wind and solar power – North Carolina’s largest renewable energy sources – together with smart meters and some energy storage can supply most of the state’s electrical requirements. Load control, price-induced demand shifts and vehicle batteries “permit the utility systems to operate with a complement of backup generation capacity which is smaller than the backup facilities commonly used in the present systems and their huge centralized coal or nuclear baseload plants.” At:

http://www.ieer.org/reports/NC-Wind-Solar.pdf

An ABC News report from last November that I had missed earlier said that gravity satellite measurements have now shown that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet – the largest mass of ice on the planet - is now definitely melting and will contribute more to sea level rise (SLR) than scientists had thought. The scientists projected that SLR may be 1 to 1.5 meter (40 to 60 inches) by 2100. At: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2009/s2751232.htm

For the abstract of the original report, Accelerated Antarctic ice loss from satellite gravity measurements, in the Nov. 22, 2009 issue of Nature Geoscience, by J.L. Chen et al., see: http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n12/abs/ngeo694.html

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) issued a news release on March 22 titled, Polls and Media Reports Exaggerate Climate Change Backlash, Says Stanford Polling Expert. Jon Kosnick, professor of communication, political science and psychology at Stanford University, told a Capitol Hill briefing that the percentage of Americans who think that global warming is real fell only slightly last year – from 80% to 75% - probably because the global average temperature in 2008 was a little cooler than in previous years. A majority of Americans (70% in 2009) still trust scientists, although only 31% that year thought that most scientists agree that global warming is happening. Part of that may be due to the failure of many scientists to communicate clearly with the public, but a lot can be attributed to the success of climate change skeptics in misleading the public about the extent of agreement among climate scientists. At: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2010/0322climate.shtml

BusinessWeek ran an Associated Press story on March 30, reporting that the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission rejected a proposal by Deepwater Wind to sell power from eight turbines. The price was to be more than twice the current price from the National Grid. Though no price was given, the price per kWh can be substantially less for large wind farms than for small ones, because of economies of scale. The Power Purchase Agreement between Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power, for 200 MW off the Delaware coast, was to begin at 11¢/kWh, increasing gradually for inflation. See:

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EP4O8G0.htm

The U.S. Department of Energy has an Energy Savers Blog with a page dated March 30 titled, Everything You Need to Know about Home Energy Assessments. It even has a video that describes the energy auditing process. At: http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/energysavers/post/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-about-Home-Energy-Assessments.aspx

Oliver Sefrin in magazin-deutschland.de has an important article titled, The Start of a New Energy Age, announcing that Germany and eight other European countries plan to pursue a major new renewable energy initiative called the North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative. Thousands of kilometers of high-voltage transmission cables will be laid beneath the North Sea to connect wind farms and other sources of renewable energy, such as hydroelectric plants in Scandinavia, tidal power plants on the Belgian and Danish coasts, and solar and wind plants in continental Europe. While such a large system is expensive (estimated to cost about 30 billion Euros), it can largely eliminate the intermittency problem associated with most isolated renewable energy sources – making it possible to eliminate most fossil fuel power plants and greatly reduce CO2 emissions. At: http://www.magazine-deutschland.de/en/artikel-en/article/article/sprung-in-ein-neues-energiezeitalter.html

The April 5 issue of Wired Science had an article by Janelle Weaver titled, Chain of Offshore Wind Turbines Could Power Atlantic Seaboard. It reported a study by Willett Kempton of the University of Delaware and others, using wind speed data over five years from 11 stations from Maine to North Carolina, showing that tying together wind farms over a long section of coast (over 1500 miles) can largely overcome the intermittency problem associated with wind power. Colored maps show that the wind resource along the coast tends to be best during winter months, suggesting that solar PV could be a nice complementary renewable resource during the summer and that excess winter-generated electricity could be used to heat buildings and power electric vehicles. At: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/wind-power-chain/

See also Offshore Wind Farms in U.S. Should Be Linked, Researchers Say, by Jim Efstanthiou of BusinessWeek. At: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-05/offshore-wind-farms-in-u-s-should-be-linked-researchers-say.html

For the original article see: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/03/29/0909075107

In March, Environment America issued a 65-page report titled, Building a Solar Future - Repowering America’s Homes, Businesses and Industry with Solar Energy. The technologies addressed include: photovoltaic (PV) power, concentrated solar power (CSP), solar water heating, passive solar heating and lighting, and active solar heating and cooling. The report suggests that the U.S. adopt a target of getting 10% of its total energy from the sun by 2030. At: http://www.environmentamerica.org/uploads/37/06/370684e48c4a60d6c25763175070f0ae/Building-a-Solar-Future.pdf

In March, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released a report titled, The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change. The report was prepared by several federal agencies and NGOs, including: American Bird Conservancy, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy. The report finds that “nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.” Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. At: http://www.stateofthebirds.org/

The Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen published a study on April 13 indicating that the rise in sea level during this century is likely to be close to a meter – much more than reported in the IPCC report of 2007. See: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/04/13/ipcc-sea-level-prediction-not-scary-enough/

The Department of Energy has reported in a post called, Recycling Energy Yields Super Savings, that in some cases high temperature waste-heat from industrial processes can be used to generate electricity – saving both money and energy. This is related to cogeneration – the idea of using waste heat from electricity generation for heating buildings or industrial processes instead of just wasting it. At: http://www.energyempowers.gov/post/Recycling-energy-yields-super-savings.aspx

I came across an excellent radio interview with Jeff Goodell by Terry Gross of NPR dated June 21, 2007, titled Big Coal’s Dirty Secrets. The broadcast lasts just over 37 minutes. At: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11254947&ps=rs

Goodell has written a book, Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future, now in paperback.

CO2 at New Highs Despite Economic Slowdown

On March 15, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations at Norway’s Zeppelin station on the Arctic Svalbard archipelago rose to a median of 393.71 parts per million (ppm), up from 393.17 ppm the same time last year. Johan Stroem of the Norwegian Polar Institute said, “Looking back at the data we have from Zeppelin since the end of the 1980s, it seems like the increase is accelerating.” This year’s rise is less than the average yearly rise of 2 ppm, largely due to a reduction in industrial output and fossil fuel combustion. Carbon concentrations at Svalbard typically peak in April due to CO2 released from decomposing plants in the winter, and decline again when plant growth resumes in springtime in the northern hemisphere.

For additional information see: Reuters

Colorado Legislature Backs Bill to Cut Emissions from Coal Plants

On March 16, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter urged state lawmakers to back a framework for retiring or retrofitting coal-fired power plants, arguing it would likely be cheaper in the long run than reacting to a series of expected new emission rules from the federal government. Gov. Ritter said the costs of maintaining existing coal plants, which are at least 40 years old, would also grow if the federal government puts a price on carbon. Changes are coming regardless of whether Colorado decides to act now, he continued, "It's only a question of whether we do it smarter." Members of the House Transportation and Energy Committee voted 10-1 to endorse the bill, the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, sending it on to the Appropriations Committee to review its costs. The legislation would require the state's two investor-owned utilities to cut emissions by at least 70 percent at some of its power plants over the next seven years. The firms would have to give priority to replacing old plants with ones fueled by natural gas, but they would also be able to consider using efficiency improvements and other cleaner energy sources, such as burning beetle-killed trees, or renewable energy. All the plans are subject to approval by the Public Utilities Commission, which will consider how much the transition would increase electric bills, particularly for low-income customers.

For additional information see: Denver Daily News, Daily Sentinel, AP

Open Letter from U.S. Scientists on the IPCC

On March 13, over 250 U.S. scientists issued an open petition to federal agencies stating their views on the overall validity and integrity of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The letter reaffirmed the consensus presented in the AR4 that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal” and that “most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.” The writers addressed recent attacks on the validity of the report and climate science generally. They lamented two papers found to have mistakes regarding Himalayan glacial retreat and flood risk in the Netherlands, qualifying that these two mistakes do not undermine the aforementioned conclusion or broadly implicate the other papers cited as suspect. The letter also explained the careful process for citing non-peer reviewed literature and the fully transparent documented process of crafting each portion of the report. So far the letter has been signed by over 250 leading researchers and scientists from universities and institutions in the United States.

For additional information see: Petition

U.S. Chamber Petitions EPA to Reconsider Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding

On March 15, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (COC) petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider its endangerment finding for greenhouse gases (GHGs), which legally requires the agency to develop regulations to reduce GHG emissions. The COC chief legal officer Steven Law said, “The Chamber believes that the right way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere is through bipartisan legislation and comprehensive international agreements. The wrong way is through the EPA's endangerment finding, which triggers Clean Air Act regulation." The chamber is currently engaged in one of the 16 different lawsuits against the EPA regarding its endangerment finding. Law also voiced the concern that “[t]he EPA has admitted that such an unprecedented regulatory expansion would 'paralyze' and 'overwhelm' permitting authorities, leaving businesses waiting months or even years to get the permits they need to keep operating."

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has repeatedly stated that any regulation to be initiated by the EPA would be gradual to allow firms and regulators to prepare necessary changes and not overwhelm the regulatory capacity of the EPA. Jackson has also made repeated references to the fact that the biggest emitters would be regulated first, with smaller emitters coming under regulation in a minimum of five years later.

For additional information see: New York Times, Environmental Leader, E&E News,

Australia '0.7 Degrees Warmer Over Past 50 Years’

On March 15, Australia’s top scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) released a report showing Australia’s average temperature has risen 0.7°C since 1960. Some areas of the country saw temperature rises of 1.5 to 2°C. The report further revealed that warming occurred most during spring months and least during summer months. Rainfall patterns were seen to change, with rainfall increasing in parts of Northern and Central Australia and decreasing across southern and eastern parts. "We are seeing significant evidence of a changing climate. We are warming in every part of the country during every season and as each decade goes by, the records are being broken," said Megan Clark, head of CSIRO.

For additional information see: AFP, The Australian, India Times, Scientific American

Reduction in Solar Radiation Not Enough to Stop Warming

A study published in the March issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters concluded that even the most extreme decrease in solar irradiation will at most slow planetary warming by 0.3°C by the end of the century. This news comes from a study headed by Georg Feulner at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research. The sun is known to go through cycles of stronger and weaker radiation, typically on a period of 11 years. As was the case during a period of time known as the Little Ice Age from 1645-1715, the sun enters an extended period of low output. The authors point out, however, that even the most drastic potential cooling effect the sun could produce in the coming century would at best cool the earth by only 0.3°C. The maximum total change possible in solar energy output is around 0.25 percent. The net planetary warming effect will remain positive due to the much stronger effect of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. "This shows that any changes in the sun, even large changes, will only have a small impact in offsetting that warming," Feulner said.

For additional information see: Reuters, Blooomberg, Discovery News, Europa

EPA Proposes to Add Sources to Greenhouse Gas Reporting System

On March 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new rules that would expand the number and types of industries required to report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The original rule was issued in October 2009 and required 31 industries covering 85 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions to report their emissions. The modification to the ruling will require reporting from oil and natural gas producers as well as industries that emit fluorinated gases or inject carbon dioxide (CO2) underground. Oil and gas producers emit a large amount of GHGs from the flaring, release, or leakage of methane. Methane is around 20 times more potent than CO2 and fluorinated gases are even stronger GHGs.

“Gathering this information is the first step toward reducing greenhouse emissions and fostering innovative technologies for the clean energy future,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “It’s especially important to track potent gases like methane, which traps more than 20 times as much heat as carbon and accelerates climate change. Once we know where we must act, American innovators and entrepreneurs can develop new technologies to protect our atmosphere and fight climate change.”

For additional information see: EPA, Bloomberg,New York Times,Calgary Herald,

NASA Draft Analysis Finds Global Temperatures Rising Steadily in Past Decade

On March 21, draft analysis of temperature data released by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies found that global warming has neither stopped nor slowed in the past decade. The analysis, led by Dr. Jim Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, found that global temperatures over the past decade have "continued to rise rapidly," despite large year-to-year fluctuations associated with the tropical El Niño-La Niña cycles. The analysis also predicted, assuming current El Niño conditions hold, that 2010 will go down in history as the hottest year on record despite an unusually snowy winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

For additional information see: Daily Climate, NASA Press Release

Study: California's Climate Change Plan Will Not Hurt Economy

On March 23, a report released by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found that California’s overall economy will not suffer, and that many parts will in fact prosper, under the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). Under the law, the state's emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) would have to decline 15 percent by 2020. The report, which takes into account the current economic downturn, concludes that California's gross state product will grow to $2.5 trillion over the next decade, only 0.2 percent less than it would without the legislation. Jobs will grow to 18.4 million -- 0.1 percent more than without the law, the report also found. "This shows we can implement the law and that growth in the California economy will be large and unabated," said CARB Chairwoman Mary D. Nichols, who acknowledged that "shifting the economy away from fossil fuels and toward more renewable energy means that some businesses, including green technology, will benefit, while others will see their costs go up.” Critics of the CARB projections reiterated their skepticism, however, and touted their own commissioned studies that predict more dire effects, particularly for small businesses. A group that includes the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Manufacturers & Technology Assn. and various other companies supported a report released in July 2009 by California State University, Sacramento, which found that implementing the climate law could cost California 485,000 jobs by 2020, a sharp contrast to CARB’s finding that the law would yield a net increase of 10,000 jobs.

For additional information see: Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, Bloomberg

Canada Reports Mildest Winter on Record

On March 19, Environment Canada reported that Canada had recorded the mildest and driest winter on record. The agency, which compiled data from 1948, determined the average temperature throughout the country was 4°C above normal. Meteorologist Andre Cantin said the country also saw 20 percent less precipitation than normal, also a record. El Nino, the climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that influences global weather, was likely responsible for the unusual weather, according to Cantin, who noted that changes in climate may also have played a role. David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, warned that "the winter that wasn't" may have set the stage for potentially "horrific" water shortages, insect infestations and wildfires this summer.

For additional information see: Vancouver Sun, Montreal Gazette

Soils Emitting More Carbon Dioxide

On March 24, an analysis published in Nature found that soils around the globe have increased their emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the past few decades. The findings, which are based on an analysis of 439 studies, match predictions that increasing temperatures will cause a net release of CO2 from soils by triggering microbes to speed up their consumption of plant debris and other organic matter. The researchers found that soil respiration had increased by about 0.1 percent per year between 1989 and 2008, the span when soil measurement techniques had become standardized. In 2008, the global total reached roughly 98 billion tons, about 10 times more CO2 than humans are now putting into the atmosphere each year. The change within soils "is a slow increase, but the absolute number is so large, even a small percentage increase is quite a bit," said Ben Bond-Lamberty, a research scientist at the University of Maryland's Joint Global Change Research Institute.

The extra soil emissions could come from two types of sources: microbes and plants. If plant roots are emitting more CO2, the additional flux could be balanced by increasing rates of photosynthesis, resulting in no net increase in atmospheric CO2. In contrast, warming soils could prompt microbes to break down old sources of carbon that have been locked away for a long time. This would cause a net increase in the atmosphere's store of CO2. Although the study shows an increase in respiration, it cannot distinguish between the two potential causes.

For additional information see: Nature, Study Abstract

NOTE: The statement, “the global total reached roughly 98 billion tons, about 10 times more CO2 than humans are now putting into the atmosphere each year.” gives the impression that humans are putting about 10 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. Actually the report in Nature refers to 98 billion tons of carbon. Carbon dioxide (CO2) weighs 3.67 times as much as carbon (the ratio of molecular weights). Thus human global emissions of CO2 were about 28 billion tons in 2006, not counting deforestation, which produced about 30% as much CO2 as fossil fuel burning. See:

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/globalghg.html

Obama Administration Announces New Fuel Efficiency Rules

On April 1, the Obama administration announced a new set of fuel efficiency standards and tailpipe emission limits for automobiles. The joint ruling from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will set estimated corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards at 35.1 miles per gallon by the end of 2016 and require tailpipe emissions to be less than 250 grams carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile. The ruling will apply to cars beginning in 2012. The rules are expected to increase the upfront costs of vehicles sold in 2016 by about $985, but will save consumers $3000 over the life of the car due to reduced fuel consumption. In total, the program is expected to eliminate the equivalent emissions of 50 million cars and light trucks while conserving 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the regulated vehicles.

“These are the first national standards ever to address climate change,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Gina McCarthy. “Over the coming years, America will witness an amazing leap forward in vehicle technologies, delivering fuel efficiency that will save us money and protect the environment.”

For additional information see: EPA Press Release, Washington Post, AP, Detroit News

Geoengineering Conference Concludes with Call for Commitment to More Research

On March 26, the Asilomar International Conference on Climate Intervention Technologies concluded that the world needs more conversations about research on geoengineering techniques, such as carbon sequestration and solar reflection, to prepare for possible action against rapid global warming. The conference was attended by a group of more than 175 scientists from 15 countries spanning geosciences, ethics, business, and political science. The conference called for deliberations among scientists, governments, and the public to ensure that research on the risks, impacts, and efficacy of climate intervention is conducted responsibly and transparently. A conference press statement stressed, however, that a strong commitment to emissions reduction and development of low-carbon technology is independent of whether geoengineering ultimately proves safe and feasible.

For additional information see: Monterey Herald, American Chemical Society, Science

Among Weathercasters, Doubt on Warming

On March 29, the results of a survey conducted by George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication highlighted different perspectives between two groups regarding climate change: climate scientists and meteorologists, especially those who serve as television weather forecasters. Climatologists, who study weather patterns over time, were found to almost universally endorse the view that the earth is warming and that humans have contributed to climate change. There is less of a consensus among meteorologists, who predict short-term weather patterns. The survey, conducted by researchers at George Mason University and the University of Texas at Austin, found that only about half of the 571 television weathercasters surveyed believed that global warming was occurring and fewer than a third believed that climate change was “caused mostly by human activities.” More than a quarter of the weathercasters in the survey agreed with the statement “Global warming is a scam,” the researchers found. The split between climate scientists and meteorologists has gained attention in political and academic circles as polls show that public skepticism about global warming is increasing, and weather forecasters — especially those on television — dominate communications channels to the public. A study released this year by researchers at Yale and George Mason found that 56 percent of Americans trusted weathercasters to tell them about global warming compared to other news media or public figures.

For additional information see: New York Times, Washington Times, George Mason Press Release