CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

Saturday, January 22, 2011

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS FOR JANUARY 2011

CC NEWS FOR JAN. 2011

There is a nice 8.5-minute YouTube video of a talk by James Hansen discussing the last 65 million years of Earth’s climate history, including the relationship between CO2 concentrations and glaciation of Antarctica and Greenland. It’s called The 8 Minute Epoch: 65 million Years with James Hansen. At: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGFAWzjO378&NR=1

The National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices commissioned Collaborative Economics, Inc. to analyze the emerging green economy in each state. Fifteen segments of the green economy were considered: 1) energy generation, 2) energy efficiency, 3) transportation, 4) energy storage, 5) air and environment, 6) recycling and waste, 7) water and wastewater, 8) agriculture, 9) research and advocacy, 10) business services, 11) finance and investment, 12) advanced materials, 13) green building, 14) manufacturing and industrial, 14) and 15) energy infrastructure. A map of the U.S. can be used to click on states of interest. At: http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=ce5bea15a18e3210VgnVCM1000005e00100aRCRD

LJWorld.com ran an article on Dec. 30 by George Will titled, U.S. coal exports feed carbon footprint. In it he points out that exports of U.S. coal to China could undermine efforts to reduce carbon emissions here. China, which used to export coal, imported 150 million tons last year. The only thing that limits how fast its power companies increase their use of imported coal is its transportation system. Since CO2 is well mixed in the atmosphere, we will feel its effects just as much as if the coal were burned here. At:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/dec/30/us-coal-exports-feed-carbon-footprint/

Joe Romm has a January 10 post in Climate Progress titled, The full global warming solution: How the world can stabilize at 350 to 450 ppm. In it he describes the various actions and the scale required if we are to keep the atmospheric concentration of CO2 to 350-450 ppm by the end of the century. Romm is a regular and well-informed blogger and gives lots of links to other work. Well worth reading. At: http://climateprogress.org/2011/01/10/the-full-global-warming-solution-how-the-world-can-stabilize-at-350-to-450-ppm/#more-40125

On January 13 Science News announced that 2010 tied with 2005 for the warmest global average temperature ever recorded. The past decade has been the warmest decade on record. At: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/68761/title/2010_ties_record_for_warmest_year_yet

The NY Times for January 22 has an article by Elisabeth Rosenthal titled, For Many Species, No Escape as Temperature Rises. The article points out that populations of many bird and local mountain animal species around the world are in rapid decline as a result of habitat loss through human activities - either through direct destruction or indirect reduction in habitat through global warming. The article says, “Over the next 100 years, many scientists predict, 20 percent to 30 percent of species could be lost if the temperature rises 3.6 degrees to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (2-3°C). If the most extreme warming predictions are realized, the loss could be over 50 percent …” At: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/science/earth/22kenya.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

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.

60,000 Businesses Urge Congress to Support EPA

On December 15, 60,000 businesses sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through the Clean Air Act (CAA). The groups argued that a six-month delay in pending ozone (smog) rules will be costly to U.S. companies because of higher health costs due to increased employee sick-day absenteeism and related medical costs. "The business case for a vigorous EPA enforcing well designed and efficient Clean Air Act rules is clear,” said Christopher Van Atten, spokesperson for American Businesses for Clean Energy. “We support policy measures that will create new economic opportunities and drive the transition to a clean energy economy. This includes support for the adoption of effective federal climate legislation, EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and regulation of NOx, SO2, mercury, and other hazardous air pollutants from power plants and industrial sources.”

For additional information see: Sustainable Business, Press Release

UK Releases Plan to Reform Energy Market

On December 16, UK Energy and Climate Secretary Chris Huhne unveiled a proposal to shift the country toward more renewable energy. The proposal sets a tax on fossil fuels and establishes a minimum “floor” price for carbon in addition to providing for long-term contracts that give investors a guaranteed price for providing energy. The proposal will undergo a two month consultation period and could be implemented in an energy bill by the end of 2011. More than £110 billion of investment is needed in new power stations and grid upgrades over the next decade to make renewable energy the dominant form of energy by 2030. It is estimated that prices for consumers will initially rise, but will be lower in 2030 than if the market had not been reformed. Huhne told the House Commons, "we have a once in a generation chance to rebuild our electricity market, investor confidence and our power plants. This will be seismic shift, securing investment in cleaner, greener power and ensuring low-carbon, affordable power for decades to come."

For additional information see: Guardian, Financial Times, BBC, The Telegraph

Climate Change Threatens Seal Habitats

On December 3, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed listing the ringed seal and the bearded seal as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to climate change impacts. NOAA is proposing to list four subspecies of ringed seals, found in the Arctic Basin and North Atlantic, and two distinct population segments of the bearded seal, found in the Pacific Ocean, as threatened. NOAA used climate models to predict the future habitat of the seals, and determined that diminished sea ice and snow cover due to climate change warranted listing the species as threatened. Ringed seal pups are normally born in snow caves in the spring, and are vulnerable to freezing and predators without them. Ringed seals produce only one pup per year, so they may be unable to adapt to changes in the timing of ice break-up and less snowfall. The bearded seal also uses sea ice during reproduction and molting stages, and the reduction of sea ice may threaten their ability to reproduce.

For additional information see: Associated Press, Anchorage Daily News, Sustainable Business, NOAA Press Release

Pricing Carbon Delivers Low-Cost Emissions Cuts

On December 7, an Australian think tank, Grattan Institute, released a report that found placing a price on carbon is a cheaper way to curb carbon emissions than targeting green projects with taxpayer money. The think tank analyzed six market schemes in Europe, the United States, and Australia and found that technology was the key to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and markets were more likely than governments to identify low-cost technologies, ''If [governments] try to forecast what is going to deliver the most cuts at the least cost, chances are they will get it wrong,'' Grattan Institute chief executive John Daley said.

For additional information see: Sydney Morning Herald, Report

Fire in Israel Confirms Predictions in Climate Change Effects

On December 15, Israeli scientist Guy Pe’er warned that the fire in Israel earlier this month is an indicator of future Mediterranean conditions. The fire in the Camel Mountains lasted four days, destroyed some five million trees across 12,000 acres, killed 40 people, and was said to be Israel’s worst fire ever. Pe’re was a co-author of Israel’s National Report on Climate Change, which predicted that fires will increase in frequency and intensity due to extended droughts in the region brought on by increased water evaporation and intense heat waves. "The fire disaster in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa is a taste of the future," said Pe'er.

For additional information see: Sydney Morning Herald, Agence France Presse, Science Daily

Researchers Study How Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Affects Ocean’s Nitrogen Cycle

On December 21, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), similar to what scientists predict the Earth will be like in 20 to 30 years, will have a profound effect on the nitrogen cycle of the oceans. As the oceans gradually absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere, they will become more acidic and disrupt the process of converting one form of nitrogen, ammonium, into nitrate, a form many plants and marine animals need to survive. Researchers collected six samples from four different oceanic research stations and induced pH decreases either by bubbling CO2 through the samples or adding diluted acid. Nitrification decreased in all samples relative to the control samples, from 8 to 38 percent. A potential side effect of the disruption of the marine nitrogen cycle, researchers noted, could be a decrease in the ocean’s natural release of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. However, this effect may be altered by other global environmental changes, such as increased deposition of nitrogen into the ocean. "What makes ocean acidification such a challenging scientific and societal issue is that we're engaged in a global, unreplicated experiment," said Michael Beman of the University of Hawaii and lead author of the PNAS paper, "one that's difficult to study--and has many unknown consequences."

For additional information see: Scientific American, Science Daily, Report

GOP Files Three Bills Intended to Block EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulations

On January 6, three Republican representatives filed separate bills to block the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing rules intended to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a leading cause of climate change. A bill filed by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) would prohibit the EPA from using any money to enforce GHG regulations. A bill by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) would amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of GHGs. A third bill filed by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) would delay the implementation of GHG regulations for two years, similar to the bill filed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) publicly stated that she will use “every tool available” to her to block any attempt to scuttle the EPA’s enforcement of the Clean Air Act, which now includes regulation of GHGs.

For additional information see: Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Politico, Guardian

Changes in Landscape, Climate Increase Flooding in Iowa

On January 2, the Des Moines Register published a review of changes in the landscape and weather patterns of Iowa in an effort to find out why Iowa’s risk of flooding has increased. From examination of climate records, stream data, flood forecasts, weather modeling, dam operations and interviews of scientists, the newspaper found that Iowa’s rainfall has increased gradually over the last 60 years--by as much as 15 to 20 percent along some rivers, and Iowa State University researchers predict another 20 percent jump by 2040. The review also found that rivers and streams were running faster--noting that the Des Moines river was running 137 percent faster than in 1951. Improved drainage systems in rural areas and urban sprawl were cited as land use changes that also have increased flooding. Ron Fournier, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said that the Corps was not convinced that climate change has permanently changed the natural variation of rainfall patterns in Iowa. Gene Takle, an atmospheric scientist at Iowa State University, disagreed, noting the trend toward wetter weather in Iowa was clear. In related news, on December 31, researchers from three Iowa universities published a report entitled, Climate Change Impacts on Iowa, which found that Iowans are already affected by climate change through longer growing seasons, and increased precipitation and temperatures. "High-intensity storms and climate extremes are part of the normal climate, but they are becoming more frequent than happening just by chance," said University of Northern Iowa professor Laura Jackson, who was part of the research team.

For additional information see: Des Moines Register, WCF Courier, Report, Heartland Connection

Researchers Find Dramatic Shift in Atlantic Ocean Current

In November, a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found evidence of a dramatic shift in North Atlantic Ocean currents since the 1970s. These currents play a significant role in determining weather patterns in the northern hemisphere. According to the researchers, changes detected by studying the growth rings of deep sea corals indicated a declining influence of the northern Labrador current, which interacts with the Gulfstream current. This interaction affects weather patterns across North America and Europe. Research was based on the nitrogen isotope signatures of the corals, which feed on sinking organic particles. The Gulfstream current is rich in nutrients while the Labrador current carries fewer nutrients. Since the change in currents is unique in the last 1,800 years, researchers raised the prospect of a direct link to global warming.

For additional information see: AFP, Statement, Abstract

Supreme Court Declines Case Blaming Energy Companies for Hurricane Katrina Disasters

On January 10, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to reopen a case blaming greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by energy companies for contributing to the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Mississippi homeowners filed to sue about 30 energy companies, claiming that their GHG emissions worsened global warming and thus strengthened Katrina’s wrath. The issue regarded whether the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should have dismissed the request to reopen the lawsuit after deciding that it lacked a quorum. The Supreme Court’s decline of the challenge means that the original decision of Mississippi U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. remains valid. While the Supreme Court in the past acknowledged the existence of global warming and its associated harms, it did not give an explanation as to why it denied to rehear the request. Defendants in the lawsuit claim that no conclusion can be drawn between their emissions and Katrina’s strength.

For additional information see: Times Picayune

Carbon Sequestration Technique Fails, According to Saskatchewan Farmer

On January 11, a farming couple in Saskatchewan, Canada released a report linking unusually high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in their soil to CO2 injected into the ground by energy company Cenovus in a practice known as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Cameron and Jane Kerr, who live over the world’s largest CCS project, said that the CO2 stored underground is now leaking to the surface. Cenovus has injected about 16 million tons of CO2 underground since 2000 to extract oil more easily from the oil field. Beginning in 2005, the Kerrs began noticing algal blooms, foam and scum in two ponds on their property, and the regular death of small animals around the ponds. An independent consultant found that soil CO2 concentrations were several times the normal amount, and concluded that the source was the injected CO2 leaking from the Weyburn reservoir. Cenovus denied the findings, citing a 2004 report on the project by Saskatchewan's Petroleum Training and Research Centre that concluded, “there is no evidence so far for escape of injected CO2 from depth,” and in fact recommended the area for long-term CO2 storage. On January 12, Alberta Energy Minister Ron Liepert re-confirmed his stance on the province’s $2 billion government-sponsored commitment to develop CCS technology, despite the Kerrs’ allegations of CO2 contamination on their farm.

For additional information see: Winnipeg Free Press, Calgary Herald

Scientists Suspect Climate Change Link to Australian Floods

On January 11, one of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gifford’s top climate change advisors said that a direct link hasn’t been proven to exist between a warming planet and the devastating flash flooding that has ravaged the state of Queensland. However, scientists do believe that climate change has had an impact on the strength of the rain during this La Nina year, and they say that a warmer world most likely will lead to more intense droughts and flooding. Matthew England, of the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales, pointed out, "the waters off Australia are the warmest ever measured and those waters provide moisture to the atmosphere for the Queensland and northern Australia monsoon,” which make the rain stronger. David Jones, head of climate monitoring and prediction at the Australia Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne, added that the hotter temperatures mean more evaporation from land and water surfaces, more moisture in the atmosphere, and thus stronger weather patterns. In general, climate scientists agree that climate change will likely lead to intensified weather patterns in the future, and that it will take several years of study before any conclusions can be drawn.

For additional information see: The Australian, Reuters, AP

Climate Change Likely to Continue for 1,000 Years

On January 9, a team of Canadian researchers published a study in the journal Nature Geoscience that featured the first full climate model simulation that predicts climate patterns up to 1,000 years into the future. The study was based on a zero-emissions scenario, and it found that even if we cease all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, trends from the current atmospheric CO2 levels will continue to affect the planet in catastrophic ways for the next millennium. The researchers predict parts of North Africa will experience desertification as land dries out by 30 percent, and oceans warm up to 5°C (9°F) off Antarctica, likely causing a complete collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet and rising sea levels by 13 feet (4 meters). Researchers hypothesize that the Northern hemisphere will fare better, with patterns of climate change reversing within the 1,000 year period. Dr. Shawn Marshall, geography professor at the University of Calgary and Canada Research Chair in Climate Change, said that this disparity is probably because “the global ocean and parts of the Southern Hemisphere have much more inertia, such that change occurs more slowly.” However, Marshall added, “If we keep business as usual, the sea ice in the Arctic is mostly gone.”

For additional information see: Science Daily, Globe and Mail, Bloomberg

Earth's Hot Past Could Be Prologue to Future Climate

On January 14, a study published in the journal Science predicted that the magnitude of climate change in the future will mimic the climate change from the Earth’s ancient past if the current trend of increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations continues. If atmospheric concentrations reach the same levels that existed 30 to 100 million years ago, about 900 to 1,000 parts per million (ppm), the planet could experience similar temperatures, about 29°F above pre-industrial levels. Today’s GHG levels hover around 390 ppm, and pre-industrial levels were about 280 ppm. The study also found that the Earth’s climate system may be twice as sensitive to CO2 as currently projected by computer models, since these models generally only focus on short-term time spans and have yet to incorporate long-term critical processes, like glacial melt. Since CO2 is being pumped into the atmosphere at unprecedented levels, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Jeffrey Kiehl, author of the study, could not predict how quickly the Earth would warm up. However, he did warn that if emissions continue as they do now, "the human species and global ecosystems will be placed in a climate state never before experienced in human history.”

For additional information see: Science Daily, Press Release, Abstract and Full Text

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Coalition for Climate Change Study and Action

Sunday, December 19, 2010

CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS FOR DECEMBER 2010

CC NEWS FOR DECEMBER 2010

Christopher Martin of Bloomberg News wrote an article published in the Nov. 22 Wilmington News Journal titled, Mass. regulators OK deal to sell power from offshore turbines. It says that the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has approved an agreement between Cape Wind and National Grid Pic for a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for half of Cape Wind’s power from offshore wind for 18.7¢/kWh, increasing by 3.5% per year. The maximum power from the 130-turbine wind farm off Cape Cod is reported to be 468 MW. The cost of the project, excluding transmission lines will be about $2.4 billion, or a little over $5 per peak watt. The article said that Cape Wind may be the first U.S. offshore wind farm, but the date to start delivering power was not given. At: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101122/GREEN/101122040/Mass-regulators-OK-deal-to-sell-power-from-offshore-turbines

Delaware, which got the first approved PPA for offshore wind in the U.S. – between Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power – is expected to begin generation in 2014 or 2015, at a starting price of 11¢/kWh.

On Nov. 23 Ken Salazar, Director of the Department of the Interior, announced a new federal Smart from the Start initiative to facilitate the siting, leasing and construction of new offshore wind projects along the Atlantic Coast and to spur the rapid and responsible development of this abundant renewable energy resource. At:

http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Launches-Smart-from-the-Start-Initiative-to-Speed-Offshore-Wind-Energy-Development-off-the-Atlantic-Coast.cfm

Some of us were concerned about delays in the permitting of offshore wind projects after the Minerals Management Service was dissolved in the wake of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. That agency has now been replaced by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). See:

http://www.boemre.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/index.htm

Climate Science has put together a web-based Rapid Response Team of climate science experts who have agreed to answer questions on climate change from members of the government or the media. They are responding to the wide gap between the current understanding of leading climate scientists and what is believed by the general public, most reporters and government officials. Questions from the latter groups can be sent to http://www.climaterapidresponse.org/

Others can find educational material and information at Central Coast Climate Science Education at: http://www.centralcoastclimatescience.org/ and Skeptical Science at: http://www.skepticalscience.com/

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has posted a tool on the web for looking at maps of the state showing areas that will be inundated (flooded) with sea level rises of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 meters. At: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Pages/SLRMaps.aspx

Other coastal states may want to develop something similar.

On Nov. 28 Bruce Usher wrote an Op-Ed piece for the NY Times titled, On Global Warming, Start Small. In it he pointed out that meaningful progress on dealing with climate change is not likely to come at large international meetings, like the one in Cancun, Mexico, but from the bottom up, at the local and state levels. He pointed out that 31 states now have laws requiring increased production of renewable energy – 11 of them that vote largely Republican. At: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/opinion/28usher.html

If national energy/climate legislation was difficult in the past, it will be even more so after the new Tea Party members of Congress take their seats.

The NY Times for Nov. 27 has an Op-Ed by Jack Hedin, a Minnesota farmer, titled An Almanac of Extreme Weather. Heavy rains and flash flooding in southern Minnesota have made him concerned about the future of agriculture in America’s grain belt. He writes, “In August 2007, a series of storms produced a breathtaking 23 inches of rain in 36 hours.” “The weather in our area has become demonstrably more hostile to agriculture, and all signs are that this trend will continue. Minnesota’s state climatologist … has concluded that no fewer than three “thousand-year rains” have occurred in the past seven years in our part of the state.” At: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/opinion/28hedin.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&sq=extreme%20rain%20minnesota&st=cse&scp=1

Janet Raloff has an article in Science Times for Dec. 1 titled, Food security wanes as world warms. She writes, “Since summer, signs of severe food insecurity — droughts, food riots, five- to tenfold increases in produce costs — have erupted around the globe. Several new reports now argue that regionally catastrophic crop failures — largely due to heat stress — are signals that global warming may have begun outpacing the ability of farmers to adapt.” At: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/66902/title/Food_security_wanes_as_world_warms

Vinod Koshla, an investor in biofuels, has a Dec. 3 article in greentechmedia titled, Time to Move On. In it he argues that federal subsidies for new energy technologies should be limited to the time required for new industries to innovate, reduce costs, and grow to scale. Corn-based ethanol in the U.S. is 99.8% of the 11 billion gallon biofuels market, and has been receiving federal subsidies for 6 years. According to his calculations, the cost of reducing CO2 emissions through corn-ethanol is about $750/ton. That is very high compared to many other emerging technologies, such as solar PV, which are still in an early stage of development and discovery. It’s time for ethanol to stand on its own feet. At: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/corn-ethanol-time-to-move-on/

At the web site of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication (http://environment.yale.edu/climate) you can find a number of videos, including Global Warming’s Six Americas, which describes six very different views of the reality and seriousness of climate change within the American public. There is also a PDF file of a presentation, Climate Change in the Public Mind, given by Anthony Leiserowitz, the Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change, at the Forum on Climate Change Communication at COP (Conference of the Parties) 16 in Cancun, Mexico. The COPs are an ongoing activity of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which grew out of the work of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). See:

http://unfccc.int/essential_background/feeling_the_heat/items/2906.php

Christopher Joyce has a 4 min 20 sec audio piece dated Dec. 5 on NPR titled,

Climate Groups Retool Argument For Global Warming. It suggests that a better way to get most people take the actions needed to address global warming is not to emphasize the worst that could happen, but to emphasize the benefits of those actions like improving human health, developing green jobs and industries, and improving energy security. At:

http://www.npr.org/2010/12/05/131780926/climate-groups-retool-argument-for-global-warming?ps=rs

On Dec. 8 EarthTimes posted an article titled, Deepwater Wind Energy Center to be Nation's First Regional Offshore Wind Farm to Supply Multiple East Coast States. Deepwater Wind, a Rhode Island based company, has applied for a federal permit to build a wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island that could generate as much as 1000 MW to supply electricity to Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with as many as 200 large turbines. It is called “second generation” because the turbines will be large (perhaps 5 MW each), located in deep water (over 100 feet deep) and far from land (mostly 20-25 miles). The farm could be producing electricity as soon as 2015. At:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/multiple-east-coast-states,1576396.html

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

Cameron Urges More Unified Climate Action Ahead of Cancun

On November 16, UK Prime Minister David Cameron argued that fragmented approaches to tackling climate change would not cut greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently, and that global action was needed to make substantial progress. While he acknowledged that a global treaty was unlikely to occur during December’s climate negotiations in Cancun, he still urged the U.S. and Chinese governments to take action to set the stage for a global, legally binding deal. “To get a proper international deal, we need the Chinese to really agree to proper monitoring and evaluation and recording of their emissions,” Cameron said during this week’s climate summit organized by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "But we also... need to persuade the American administration that it is worthwhile to have a deal that they enter into, as part of the rest of the world all making offers." He went on to say, “we need to work towards a global deal, otherwise we're all going to do our own individual bit. If we can't get the whole of the US and China on board, we're not going to get the kind of action we need to prevent dangerous climate change."

For additional information see: Business Green, Agence France-Presse

China Considers Cap and Trade to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On November 17, Chinese officials announced they were studying a cap and trade system to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. Zhang Junko, head of development and strategy at the State Council’s development research center, said that the government may set emissions quotas for large industries and allow a certain portion of them to be traded. The study is still in early stages, and Zhang said that other options included a carbon tax. Richard Sandor, who helped establish the London-based climate exchange platform in 2003, said that a cap and trade market in China could be functioning as early as 2013.

For additional information see: Bloomberg

India Releases Second Climate Change Assessment

On November 17, the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) released a report that predicts a net temperature increase of 1.7-2.2⁰C in the Northeast, Western Ghats, Himalayas and coastal region of India by 2030. According to the report, India’s four key sectors of agriculture, water, forest, and health will be significantly affected in these vulnerable regions due to an increase in temperature and precipitation. The report predicts that yearly extreme precipitation events in India may increase by 10 and cyclone storms may increase in intensity. The number of malaria infections is expected to rise in the Himalayan region but fall in coastal regions due to changes in moisture and temperature. "There is no country in the world that is as vulnerable, on so many dimensions, to climate change as India is,” said Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh following the release of the report. “This makes it imperative for us to have sound evidence-based assessments on the impact of climate change."

For additional information see: Hindustan Times, Times of India, Telegraph, Press Release

Staple Crop Prices to Rise Partly Due to Climate Change

On November 17, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report warning that food prices are expected to climb, partly due to extreme weather events that occur because of climate change. The biannual Food Outlook report states that a global food crisis could occur in 2011 due to climate change, speculation, competing land use, and soaring demand from markets in East Asia. The report reads: "adverse weather effects are undoubtedly a primary driver of wheat production shortfalls and, with climate change, may increasingly be so." Food prices on staple crops will rise by up to half by next year, which is especially troubling for the poorest people on the planet.

For additional information see: London Independent, UN Dispatch, FAO Report

Heat Stress Caused Record Losses to Caribbean Coral

On November 15, a study published in PLoS ONE shows that coral reef ecosystems in 2005 in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean suffered record losses as a consequence of high oceanic temperatures. Collaborators from more than 22 countries reported that more than 80 percent of the surveyed corals bleached, and more than 40 percent died in 2005. This event is now the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin. Coral bleaching occurs when stressed corals expel their symbiotic algae, and can result in death. “Heat stress during the 2005 event exceeded any observed in the Caribbean in the prior 20 years, and regionally-averaged temperatures were the warmest in at least 150 years,” said C. Mark Eakin, coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch Program. “This severe, widespread bleaching and mortality will undoubtedly have long-term consequences for reef ecosystems, and events like this are likely to become more common as the climate warms.” The decline and loss of coral reefs has severe social, cultural, and economic consequences throughout the world. The economic services alone of coral reefs are estimated to be around $375 billion a year.

For additional information see: NOAA, Study Abstract

56 Religious Groups Urge Senate to Save the Clean Air Act

On November 23, a diverse group of 56 faith-based groups released a joint letter urging the Senate to continue allowing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act. The joint letter opens as follows: "As communities and people of faith, we are called to protect and serve God's great Creation and work for justice for all of God's people. We believe that the United States must take all appropriate and available actions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change; we therefore urge you to oppose any efforts to undermine the authority of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.” Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has submitted a proposal to delay EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions by two years. The proposal may receive a vote before the end of the year.

For additional information see: PR Newswire

California Plans for Climate Change

On November 22, the California Adaptation Advisory Panel released a report that provides plans for California to adapt to climate change impacts. The report calls for Governor-elect Jerry Brown to appoint a Climate Risk Council that would assess relevant science and provide guidance to the Governor on risks associated with climate change. The report focuses largely on coastal counties, and urged a more cohesive approach to three threats: diminishing water supplies, sea level rise, and severe fire outbreaks. “The picture is global and yet there are regional differences," Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences said. "California wants to make sure they understand what may happen in the case of sea level rise - not just along the coast, but inland as well. They want to take actions that will keep them ahead of the game."

For additional information see: Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Report

Norway Calls for More Research into Climate Impacts and Adaptation Measures

In the third week of November, the government of Norway released a report documenting Norway’s vulnerability to climate change and the possible adaptation measures that it could take to combat the effects of climate change. The report found that average annual temperatures in Norway are projected to rise 2.3-4.6°C, average annual precipitation is expected to increase five to 30 percent by 2100, ocean temperatures will rise along the entire Norwegian coastline, and sea levels could rise in varied amounts along the coast. The report supports long-term research programs that will specifically address climate change impacts and actions to adapt to those impacts. The report also emphasizes the need for knowledge dissemination and specially prepared climate projections that enables technical users to comprehend the models and make better decisions.

For additional information see: Science Daily, The Research Council of Norway

Carbon Emissions Set to Be Highest on Record in 2010

On November 21, the Global Carbon Project published a study in Nature Geoscience showing that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions levels in 2009 fell just 1.3 percent below 2008 levels, less than half of the 2.8 percent drop that was expected. The recession caused CO2 growth rates to be lower in the UK, Japan, Germany, France, Russia and the United States. However, CO2 emissions from China increased by eight percent in 2009. Additionally, the overall amount of global fossil fuel emissions was still the second highest in human history, at 30.8 billion tons, just below the record set in 2008. CO2 emissions levels in 2010 are expected to rise again and could reach record levels; this is largely due to the burning of oil, coal, and gas in countries like China and India as their economies grow. The study did show that CO2 emissions from deforestation have decreased by over 25 percent since 2000. The study was part of Global Carbon Project’s annual carbon budget update.

For additional information see: Telegraph, Business Green, Science Daily, Global Carbon Project

Cloud Study Predicts More Global Warming

In the third week of November, researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa published a study in the Journal of Climate showing that warmer climates are more sensitive to increases in greenhouse gases than previously thought. Currently, there is disagreement in many climate models about the magnitude of global warming due to the feedback caused by clouds. Some models predict that global average cloud cover will increase in a warmer climate, and other models predict that global average cloud cover will be reduced. This study applied a model developed at the International Pacific Research Center to study the clouds of a limited region of atmosphere over the eastern Pacific Ocean, which are known to greatly influence the present climate, but were previously poorly represented in climate models. Co-author Kevin Hamilton concludes, "If our model results prove to be representative of the real global climate, then climate is actually more sensitive to perturbations by greenhouse gases than current global models predict, and even the highest warming predictions would underestimate the real change we could see."

For additional information see: Science Daily, Abstract

Secretary Chu Warns that U.S. Faces a Sputnik Moment in Clean Energy Race

On November 29, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu spoke at the National Press Club, warning that the United States faces a “Sputnik moment” in the global clean energy race with China. Chu said that the United States needs to respond like it responded to the Soviet Union’s launch of the world’s first space satellite in 1957 to remain a leader in clean energy innovation. Chu outlined efforts currently underway at the Department of Energy to give America’s entrepreneurs and manufacturers an edge in clean energy investment and innovation, and defended the potential costs of climate change by comparing climate skeptics to homeowners who are repeatedly told to change wiring but keep looking for electricians to tell them they do not need to. Chu also focused on the threat of China as a technological competitor. "From wind power to nuclear reactors to high speed rail, China and other countries are moving aggressively to capture the lead,” Chu said. “Given that challenge, and given the enormous economic opportunities in clean energy, it's time for America to do what we do best: innovate. As President Obama has said, we should not, cannot, and will not play for second place."

For additional information see: DOE Press Release, Guardian, Reuters, New York Times, AFP

Representatives Threaten Funding Cuts for EPA

On November 30, House Republicans hoping to lead the Appropriations Committee in the new Congress threatened to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act. On November 29, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, writing, “in addition to scrutinizing the agency’s entire FY 2012 budget, with particular attention to the agency’s rulemaking process, the House Appropriations Committee will be exercising its prerogative to withhold funding for prospective EPA regulations and defund through the rescissions process many of those already on the books.” Specifically, Lewis said that he wants to target EPA’s “ongoing arbitrary interpretation of the Clean Air Act.” He said he will refuse to support funding to EPA to regulate GHGs “unless Congress passes bipartisan energy legislation specifically providing the authority to do so.”

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), who is also seeking to lead the Committee, said of the EPA’s greenhouse gas rules, “I will look at it very carefully with that in mind. There are things that the Appropriations Committee and the legislative branch can defund or modify or do things about, and we now have a ticket to the table which we have not had for four years.” The EPA is scheduled to begin regulating GHGs in January 2011.

For additional information see: Politico, The Hill

Republican Senators Urge Climate-Aid Spending Freeze

On December 2, four Republican Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the United States must freeze climate-aid payments to developing nations. "We remain opposed to the U.S. commitment to full implementation of the Copenhagen Accord, which will transfer billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to developing nations in the name of climate change," they wrote. "We do not believe that billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars should be transferred to developing countries through unaccountable multilateral or bilateral channels for adaptation, deforestation and other international climate finance programs." The letter states that President Obama has requested $1.9 billion for 2011 out of $3.6 trillion in annual government spending. The money is part of the fast-track financing that Obama agreed to at last year’s UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

For additional information see: AFP, The Hill, Bloomberg

Island Nations: We Won’t Survive Temperature Rise Over 1.5°C

On November 29, the Alliance of Small Island States pleaded their case at the UN climate negotiations taking place in Cancun, Mexico, to keep the global temperature rise under 1.5°C. The Alliance represents 43 member states, but those most at risk include Kribati, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Maldives. The islands face catastrophic consequences with increased sea level rise, and are already coping with eroding beaches and salt water contaminating fresh water supplies. “We are facing at this moment the end of history for some of us,” said Antonio Lima, an envoy from Cape Verde and vice- chair of the Alliance. He said of the countries most at risk, “all these countries are struggling to survive. They are going to drown. I have mountains in my country. I can climb. They cannot climb.”

For additional information see: Bloomberg, Reuters

Global Temperatures Could Rise 4°C by 2060s

On November 29, a series of journal papers was published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, showcasing how climate change could increase average global temperature by 4°C as early as the 2060s, and what that might mean for different societies and ecological systems. The international study team behind the researchers wrote that increasing greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decade rendered the target of keeping global warming below 2°C "extremely difficult, arguably impossible, raising the likelihood of global temperature rises of three or four degrees Celsius within this century." The scientists analyzed the non-binding emissions agreements made last year at the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen, and found that the cuts are not enough to prevent food shortages, rampant spread of disease, and mass migration. While a 4°C rise in temperature was once seen as an extreme scenario, researchers argue that it is becoming more plausible without a binding agreement to limit to greenhouse gas emissions.

For additional information see: Business Green, Science Development, Science Daily, Guardian

Carbon Cycle More Active in Frozen Soils than Previously Thought

On November 15, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that catabolic (carbon dioxide (CO2) production) and anabolic (biomass synthesis) processes in frozen soils are similar to those in unfrozen soil. Previously, scientists believed that microbes in frozen soils were inactive during colder months, but this study shows that the microbes remain active. The amount of CO2 sequestered in frozen soils is not completely known, although most scientists agree that the amount is massive. A group of soil scientists recently estimated the amount to be double that of atmospheric CO2. Ted Schuur, a permafrost expert and ecologist at the University of South Florida, estimates that under thawed conditions, 40 to 70 percent of the carbon stored in the permafrost would escape into the atmosphere within a decade, and vegetation would not be able to keep pace. These findings have important implications for carbon models and cycles. "These microbes are doing a lot more than staying alive," Ben Bond-Lamberty, a scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute at the University of Maryland, said. "And as we construct annual carbon budgets, this raises the possibility that there's a lot more wintertime CO2 coming out of these systems than we realized."

For additional information see: New York Times, Study Abstract

Court Denies Request to Block EPA Regulations

On December 10, the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied a request to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing new rules on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Industry groups had appealed to the court, arguing that the EPA did not conduct enough of its own research when it found that carbon is a danger to human health. Critics of the rules also argued that the agency was not equipped to control GHG emissions and the rules would harm the economy. However, the court said the opponents' case did not meet the "stringent standards" necessary for the court to stop the rules. Opponents did not prove that the rules were "certain" to create negative consequences and not "speculative", the court said. Several lawsuits, however, still proceed against the EPA's climate-related rules.

For additional information see: Reuters, Politico

Committee Urges UK Government to Increase Carbon Emissions Cuts

On December 7, the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) released a report urging its government to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 60 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels. This means that the 2020 target would have to be revised from a 34 percent to a 37 percent reduction. Prior CCC targets were turned into laws, and this target is a step to having a legally binding 80 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 as required by the nation’s Climate Change Act. "We are recommending a stretching but realistic fourth carbon budget and 2030 target, achievable at a cost of less than 1% of GDP. We therefore urge the government to legislate the budget, and to develop the policies required to cut emissions," said CCC Chair Adair Turner. The CCC also recommends a fundamental change in the UK’s electricity market. CCC recommends a better planned approach by having the government tender long-term contracts for low-carbon power generation and commit to buy a certain percentage of the power. The CCC also recommends that 60 percent of new vehicles in 2030 should be electric.

For additional information see: Business Green, Reuters, Guardian, Report

Report Ranks Countries on Climate Change Performance

On December 6, Germanwatch and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe released its sixth annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) during the UN climate negotiations in Cancun, Mexico. The index “compares the climate protection performance of 57 industrialized countries and emerging economies that together account for more than 90 percent of the global energy related carbon dioxide emissions.” The index is based on the strength of climate policies and how well countries control greenhouse gases. The first three spots were left vacant because no country did enough to earn the honor. The index ranks Brazil as the top climate protection performer (fourth) due to its efforts to cut emissions and reduce deforestation. Sweden, Norway, and Germany followed Brazil on the list. Canada was ranked fifty-seventh, followed by Australia, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. was ranked fifty-fourth.

For additional information see: United Press International, CBC News, Report

Ocean Acidification Could Threaten Food Security

On December 2, the United Nations Environment Program released a report showing that ocean acidification linked to climate change may threaten food security. The report shows that shellfish, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters could be most at risk because ocean acidification makes it harder for them to form protective shells. Additionally, the damage to coral reefs could cause problems for many commercial fisheries as the reefs for are critical for nurseries. The oceans have become 30 percent more acidic since the industrial revolution due to increased absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2). Ptetropods — tiny mollusks at the bottom of the food chain — may reduce in number due to the inability to form protective shells, which will affect a number of larger fish higher on the food chain. Carol Turley, lead author of the report, said, "we are seeing an overall negative impact from ocean acidification directly on organisms and on some key ecosystems that help provide food for billions. We need to start thinking about the risk to food security." The report states that fish supplies 15 percent of the protein requirements for three billion people, and another one billion people rely on fish as their primary source of protein. The report urges cuts in CO2 emissions to reduce ocean acidification and more support for research to quantify the risks and identify the species most at risk.

For additional information see: Reuters, Agence France Presse, CNN, UNEP Report

For additional information see: Reuters, New York Times, Press Release, Abstract