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

For additional information see: The New York Times, Associated Press

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greenhouse gas rules that took effect Jan. 2 are unlikely to change industry behavior or reduce emissions, a Bloomberg Government study found. The rules apply to large stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions, such as power plants, oil refineries and cement factories. Companies must receive pre-construction permits to build new facilities or make major modifications to older ones. Permits are conditional on the use of “best available control technology” by companies to limit emissions. Published June 16, the Bloomberg study found most companies already incorporate such measures into their projects; the new rules will neither increase costs on companies, nor cut emissions. The EPA plans to propose an additional rule in September establishing greenhouse gas emission standards for utilities.

For additional information see: Bloomberg

The New Jersey Senate may consider a resolution to declare that the state should remain part of a regional carbon market. In May, Gov. Chris Christie said the state would pull out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), calling it ineffective and a tax on business. On June 20, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee voted to refer a resolution to the full Senate that declares the governor’s move “inconsistent with legislative intent.” Such a declaration is generally the first move to overturn a rule, though New Jersey has not yet pulled out of RGGI. Ten states in the Northeast participate in the regional cap and trade program, which applies to power plants.

For additional information see: Legislative History, MyCentralJersey.com

Two organizations took legal steps against NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over climate change last week. The conservative American Tradition Institute, based in Washington, D.C., sued NASA on June 21 to request records detailing climate scientist James Hansen’s compliance with federal ethics and disclosure rules. Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has received $1.2 million in prizes from environmental and civil service groups in recognition of his climate work. Meanwhile, on June 22, the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity announced its intent to sue the EPA to force the agency to develop regulations on black carbon, which settles on sea ice and glaciers, absorbs sunlight, and promotes melting. Black carbon results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. The organization claims EPA is violating provisions of the Clean Water Act.

For additional information see: Science Insider, American Tradition Institute, Center for Biological Diversity

House Republicans accused the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of seeking to open a propaganda office with its proposal to reorganize existing operations into a new Climate Service. “This just seems like a politically motivated advocacy office,” said Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), during a June 22 hearing of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Announced last year, the NOAA Climate Service would bring the agency’s existing climate capabilities under a single entity to create efficiencies and a single portal for the public, businesses and other agencies to obtain long-term weather and climate information. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said the move responds to increasing demands for information that saves lives and property. The reorganization would establish a new management structure only; agency funding levels would not change. “The proposed reorganization is good government,” Lubchenco said in her written statement. “It comes at no additional cost to the American taxpayer, and would sustain NOAA’s scientific research capabilities and focus them on these new challenges.”

For additional information see: Nature, NOAA Proposal, EESI Spotlight

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

For additional information see: Markey Announcement, GAO Report

The European Parliament will wait until July to call a vote on a proposal that would establish deeper cuts in member states’ greenhouse gas emissions. The current policy is to achieve a 20 percent reduction from 1990 levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2020. The United Kingdom is pushing to toughen that goal to establish a 30 percent cut in C02 emissions. On June 23, the parliament opted to delay the vote as Poland strongly objected to the tougher goal. Poland, which is assuming the presidency of the European Union, produces about 90 percent of its electricity from coal.

For additional information see: BusinessGreen Story 1, BusinessGreen Story 2

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

For additional information see: The New York Times, Science Daily, Report

With droughts, floods, wildfires, and tornadoes, 2011 is shaping up to have some of the wildest weather on record, and climate change is one factor, a new federal analysis confirms. Extreme weather has become more common in the United States since 1980, said experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Although pointing to the influence of climate change on specific weather events is difficult, experts believe warmer temperatures can exacerbate droughts in some regions, while fueling more intense rain and snow storms in others. So far in 2011, weather-related damages surpassed $32 billion. That tab is likely to grow as NOAA expects an active hurricane season.

For additional information see: Scientific American

Climate change could increase the size of ocean dead zones, a new study found. Dead zones, created in areas of low oxygen, are fueled by excessive nutrients that stimulate the growth of algae. When the algae decay, they settle into deeper layers of the ocean, and become food for bacteria. The bacteria consume so much oxygen as to make the waters inhabitable for marine life. A UCLA research team used computer simulations which found that low-oxygen areas are particularly sensitive to small changes in climate. Higher temperatures inhibit oxygen from dissolving into the ocean from the atmosphere. Shallower layers of the ocean also heat up and inhibit the circulation of oxygen to lower layers. “In the case of a global temperature increase, we expect that low-oxygen regions will grow in size, similar to what happened at the end of the last ice age 30,000 years ago,” said Curtis Deutsch, assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA. “Since these regions change greatly in size from decade to decade due to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, more data is required before we can recognize an overall trend.” The study was published in Science.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

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

For additional information see: Associated Press, Science Daily, Study

Rapid warming in the Arctic threatens to alter sea currents as ice and glaciers are melting at an accelerating pace, according to the 2011 ice study by the International Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program. ”There is a risk that this could alter large-scale ocean currents that affect climate on a continental scale,” the study said. Sea levels will rise more drastically than the prediction of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the study said. Scientists are observing the work of feedback loops; the loss of ice and snow cover allows the sea and land to absorb more energy from the sun during the summer, promoting greater warming of the lower atmosphere. Temperatures from 2005 through 2010 have been the highest since records began in 1880, the study showed.

For additional information see: Anchorage Daily News, Los Angeles Times, Study

Other Headlines

The Alliance for Green Heat invites you to “Scaling Up Residential Biomass Heating: A Stakeholder Symposium” at the U.S. Forest Service. While residential wood heat is the dominant player in residential renewable energy, most wood heat appliances in America are outdated and emit too many particulates. Robust deployment of modern, high efficiency appliances in Europe has succeeded in helping make substantial strides towards its energy independence. This stakeholder symposium will bring together non-profits, industry, government and forestry and air quality experts to explore how America can maximize the renewable energy potential of wood and pellet heat, and minimize associated drawbacks. The symposium will be held July 13, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in the Yates Training Room at the USDA Forest Service Building, 201 14th Street SW. It is free but space is limited and advance registration is required. Please register at Alliance for Green Heat.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and WIRES (Working group for Investment in Reliable and Economic electric Systems) invite you to a briefing on how manufacturing and constructing electric transmission infrastructure can help stimulate the economy and create jobs. The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required. The briefing will be held on Friday, July 15,10:00 – 11:30 AM in the Congressional Meeting Room North, in the Capital Visitors Center. For more information contact Laura Parsons at lparsons [at] eesi.org, or 202-662-1884.

Please distribute Climate Change News to your colleagues. Permission for reproduction of this newsletter is granted provided that the Environmental and Energy Study Institute is properly acknowledged as the source. Past issues are available here. Free email subscriptions are available here. We welcome your suggestions, comments, and questions.

EESI’s work, including this free newsletter, is made possible by financial support from people like you. Please help us continue to make it available by making a secure, online donation today by clicking here or mailing a check to Environmental and Energy Study Institute; 1112 16th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036. Please contact Susan Williams at (202) 662-1887 or see www.eesi.org/donate to find out more. Thank you for your support!

Leslie Harroun, Oak Foundation

New Report Shows UN Forest
Protection Efforts Ineffective

On January 23, a report issued by the
International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
found that international accords to slow deforestation and
protect vulnerable forests were too limited in scope, and
have had little success. Worldwide, 10 percent of carbon
emissions are from deforestation, and from 2000 to 2009, 32
million acres of forest have been subject to deforestation.
The report argued that too much attention was being placed
on forests as major stores of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main
greenhouse gas (GHG) blamed for global warming, and not on
underlying causes of deforestation such as heightened demand
for crops and biofuels. The report suggested that the United
Nations-backed initiative, Reduced Emissions from
Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD), should focus
more on supporting regional efforts to save forests, rather
than seeking a standard global solution. IUFRO called for
greater efforts to aid indigenous peoples whose livelihoods
depend on forests. The assessment is being released as the
United Nations launches the International Year of Forests in
New York.

For additional information see: Reuters,
Science
Daily, AFP

Canadian Panel Calls for Climate
Change Legislation

On January 25, a Canadian think tank issued a
report saying that Canada should progress with a domestic
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trading system regardless of
whether the United States takes similar steps. The National
Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy, the
government-appointed panel that handles environmental
issues, said that by taking measures to tackle climate
change, Canada gets “ahead of the curve,” and
ensures that economic impacts on Canada are manageable and
that Canada makes sustained progress toward achieving its
2020 carbon emissions target of 17 percent below 2005
levels. Lawmakers and industry participants have put
pressure on the Canadian government to act without U.S.
participation in order to reach their goal within the given
time frame. The panel urged the government to pass
cap-and-trade legislation that would ensure that the price
of carbon never exceed C$30 (US$30.13) price per ton of
carbon to ensure that Canada remains competitive with the
United States. The panel’s proposed approach “would
walk a middle line between harmonizing with the United
States on carbon price and on emission reduction targets,
balancing competitiveness and environmental concerns,”
according to the report.

For additional information see: The
Star, Power-Gen
Worldwide

U.K. Report Warns of Global Food
Shortages, Need for Sustainability

On January 24, a major report published by the
U.K.-based think tank Foresight warned that the global food
supply is not enough to satisfy booming demand, as the
population continues to expand and resources are not being
replaced as quickly as they are being consumed. The report,
titled “Global Food and Farming Futures,”
concluded that the entire agricultural system must undergo a
massive overhaul to bring sustainability center stage and
end world hunger. The report found that water and energy
supplies may struggle to keep up with demand due to climate
change, and suggested developing a strategy to avoid food
shortages that could damage economic growth and lead to
international tensions or conflicts. Some of the proposed
strategies include minimizing waste, changing personal diet,
reducing subsidies and trade barriers, linking food and
agricultural policy to climate change mitigation, and
exploring genetically modified organisms (GMO).

For additional information see: Bloomberg,
Business
Green, Report

Chinese Provinces Seek to Establish
Regional Carbon Markets

In the fourth week of January, various regions
within China lobbied Beijing to approve and establish local
emissions trading schemes. The provincial governments of
Jiangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hebei have all sent
proposals to Beijing to introduce local carbon trading
platforms within the next five years, in an attempt to place
themselves ahead of the likely mandatory regional carbon
targets expected in the next few years. Beijing, however, is
not expected to support the proposed plans, as it already
backs the three established trading platforms in the cities
of Tianjin, Beijing and Shanghai. The central government’s
national five-year plan is expected to include a commitment
to market mechanisms to reduce its carbon emissions level,
as China has committed to reduce its 2005 carbon intensity
rates by 40-45 percent by 2020.

For additional information see: Reuters

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Increasingly Affect Stock Value

On January 25, a study published by professors
at Haas School of Business at University of California-Davis
and the University of Otago in New Zealand found that
potential investors have taken a greater interest in
companies’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disclosures,
which indicates the amount of emissions is an important
factor in the valuation of their stocks. The researchers
analyzed data on firms listed in Standard & Poor’s
500 from 2006-2009, and on Canada’s top 200
publicly-traded firms from 2005-2009, and found that
companies with high carbon emissions had lower valued
stocks, especially with regard to firms in the energy
industry. The research tracked 1400 instances of firms that
filed formal notices and press releases around events that
would impact climate change, and found that markets
responded almost immediately, with stock values adjusting on
the same day as the formal disclosures. The researchers
presumed that this was due to investors feeling that a
company’s environmental footprint will have an impact
on its long-term costs dealing with mitigation, regulation,
and taxes, and thus its profitability. Currently, the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not require
that all companies report their GHG emissions, but this may
change if the SEC validates this study’s findings.

For additional information see:
International
Business Times

Scientists Hope for Reliable Climate
Data

On January 25, the Washington Post published a
story highlighting the need for reliable satellite
monitoring of climate change in order to produce accurate
calculations that inform the Earth’s scientists and
political leaders. The story included the recent failure of
NASA’s $250 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO),
which forced climate scientists to rely on aging satellites
to gather climate data. According to scientists, satellite
models are crucial in supplementing and even sometimes
replacing on-the-ground mathematical models created by
researchers. In 2005, the National Research Council issued a
warning that the climate satellite system was “at risk
of collapse,” largely due to insufficient financial
support from the United States. According to the article,
the earth science satellite system has lacked coordination
and adequate supervision since President Clinton’s
administration, and NASA’s earth science budget was
cut from $2 billion to $1.4 billion under President George
W. Bush. Satellite surveillance of the environment still
faces financial constraints, even as the Obama
administration proposed increasing NASA’s Earth
Science budget to $1.8 billion–near where it was in 2000.

For additional information see: Washington
Post

Most Himalayan Glaciers in Retreat
or Stable, Few Advance

On January 23, a study published in the
journal Nature Geoscience showed that some portions of the
Himalayan glacier cover are currently stable, and possibly
advancing, while most of the Himalayan glaciers are in
retreat. Previous assessments found that debris–which is
darker than ice–tended to soak up more solar energy and
hasten the ice melting; however, scientists found that a
thick layer of debris actually acts as insulation. From 2000
to 2008, the report found that 58 percent of the glaciers
studied in the Karakoram range of the Himalayas were stable
or slowly advancing, but elsewhere in the Himalayas roughly
65 percent of the examined ice cover was retreating. The
scientists included 286 glaciers in the study, and concluded
that “there is no uniform response of Himalayan
glaciers to climate change.” The satellite data could
not establish how much the glaciers are thinning, or make
estimates of water losses during seasonal melts, since
calculating these numbers would require ground measurements.
The findings corroborated that experts in the 2007 United
Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
overestimated the rate of Himalayan glacial retreat. The
IPCC retracted the calculation in 2010 due to insufficient
evidence.

For additional information see: Reuters, Science News

Methane Gas Emissions from Rivers
and Lakes Underestimated

On January 22, a study published in the
journal Science found that the amount of methane gas, a
greenhouse gas (GHG) that contributes to climate change,
naturally released from freshwater areas is much higher than
scientists previously estimated. The international team of
scientists discovered that methane released from rivers and
lakes changes the net absorption of GHGs by natural land
environments by at least 25 percent, since earlier
calculations of GHG absorption did not account for natural
emissions of methane from inland water sources. According to
John Downing, a professor at Iowa State University and
co-author of the study, the team’s findings show
scientists that the GHG-absorbing properties of forests and
agricultural lands may not “get us as far ahead as we
thought” considering methane’s additional
contribution to the GHG budget.

For additional information see: Ames
Tribune, Study

Plants Moved Downhill in Response to
Warmer Temperatures

On January 20, a study published in the
journal Science challenged the assumption that plants moved
uphill in response to warmer temperatures, and suggested
that plants migrate downhill on account of changes in
habitat moisture. The research demonstrated that between
1930 and 2000, several California plant species migrated
downhill an average of 260 feet. “While the climate
warmed significantly in this period, there was also more
precipitation. These wetter conditions are allowing plants
to exist in warmer locations than they were previously
capable of,” said co-author Greenberg. The study
reveals other factors like precipitation may be more
influential than temperature in dictating the habitable
range of these plant species. The authors said that this
study could be of relevance since global climate models
predict a continuation in that precipitation trend. The
researchers’ findings could have significant impacts
for policy makers and land managers “to make more
informed decisions on, for instance, conservation efforts
for threatened and endangered species,” Greenberg said.

For additional information see: Science
Daily, NPR, Study

Greenland Ice Sheet Experienced
Record Melting in 2010

On January 21, a study published in
Environmental Research Letters showed that the Greenland Ice
Sheet experienced record melting in 2010, which is expected
to contribute to sea level rise in the future. The study
found that 2010’s melt season was up to 50 days longer
than average in some areas, starting significantly earlier
at the end of April and lasting until mid-September. Dr.
Marco Tedesco and co-authors studied surface temperature
anomalies across the Greenland Ice Sheet and measurements of
surface melting from various data sources. Greenland’s
capital had the warmest spring and summer temperatures since
records began in 1873. Summer temperatures in 2010 were 3°
Celsius above average and there was reduced snowfall.
According to Tedesco, the exposure of bare ice to lengthy
periods of sunlight contributed to the record melting, since
bare ice absorbs more solar radiation than snow.

In related news, a U.K.-led study published in
the journal Nature found that some Greenland glaciers
retreat more slowly in warm summers than in cooler ones,
suggesting that the ice may be more resistant to climate
change than previously thought. The scientists found that in
the warmest summers, the rate of retreat of the glaciers
stalled early in the season. They explained that hot weather
causes so much meltwater to collect that instead of
lubricating the glacier flow, it simply runs off in channels
below the ice, causing a pressure drop that leads to reduced
ice speeds. The researchers emphasized, however, that the
Greenland ice cap is still vulnerable to climate change, and
continually loses ice to the sea.

For additional information see: Science Daily, BBC, Science Daily, Study

Changing Climate Threatens Tree
Species Survival

On January 24, a study published in Ecology
Letters found that many tree species that depend on wind for
seed dispersion could become extinct due to climate change.
The research focused on the influence of increased levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and changes in wind speed
on the production and dispersion of tree seeds. The study
found that elevated levels of CO2 causes higher seed
production and earlier maturation in trees, which would give
rise to faster seed spread in the future. However, according
to an author of the study, their research “indicates
that the natural wind-driven spread of many species of trees
will increase, but will occur at a significantly lower pace
than that which will be required to cope with the changes in
surface temperature.” As a result, the researchers
predict the composition of trees in future forests will
change. The research calls for action to ensure the proper
dispersal of seeds in order to prevent losing the valuable
services these trees offer to humans.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

Study Sheds Light on Humans’
Pre-Industrial Influence on Climate

On January 24, a study published in The
Holocene found that humans had affected the climate before
the Industrial Era, and that assumptions about farming have
been inaccurate. The research took into account historical
improvements in farming techniques. Previous models simply
assumed a proportional increase in land use and
deforestation due to population increases. The study showed
the first major human-caused increase in carbon emissions to
be 2000 years before the modern era. Certain historical
events like the fall of the Roman Empire, and the subsequent
reforestation of Europe, as well as the plague, which led to
a fall in carbon emissions, present themselves strongly in
the data. According to the authors, the model does not
disprove the massive increase in carbon emissions beginning
with the industrial era, but it does prove that humans were
already accumulating significant levels of carbon in the
atmosphere much earlier than scientists previously
acknowledged.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

Coral Reefs Moving North at Rapid
Pace

On January 21, a study of coral reefs around
Japan published in Geophysical Research Letters found that
several species of coral have migrated from the subtropics
to temperate climate zones in the last 80 years. The study
found that four out of nine common coral species had
migrated northward, with two traveling to temperate waters.
The data confirmed what scientists and fishermen have
suspected for years, and it predicted that some coral
species will rapidly migrate in response to warmer ocean
temperatures. A few of the species examined migrated 8.7
miles per year, while a sample of land-traveling animals
migrate an average of only 0.4 miles per year. Over the
course of 80 years, some corals will migrate nearly 700
miles.

In related news, on January 21, research
published in Ecology by Australian scientists found that the
key to preserving the world’s coral reefs lies in
understanding how newborn coral larvae disperse across
oceans, settle, and grow on new reefs as climate change
occurs. The scientists studied the dispersal patterns,
survival and settlement rates of larvae from various coral
species. The authors hope that the study will aid in the
management of existing coral reefs threatened by ocean
warming, acidification, and pollution. The scientists
measured the survival rates of coral larvae, the ability for
larvae to settle, and dispersal and settlement rates to
include in their revised models, which provide hope that
coral species would be able to migrate in order to adapt to
climate change. According to the researchers, the models
indicate that more larvae than scientists thought should
settle close to home, and that a small portion of “stellar
performers” can survive for longer and travel further.

For additional information see: Science News, Red Orbit, Study

Tax on Meat and Milk Could Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On January 25, a study published by Swedish
researchers in Climatic Change showed that imposing a carbon
tax of 60 euros per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)
on meat and milk consumption could reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions from European agriculture by seven percent,
and if the agricultural land made available from more
efficient food production methods was used for bioenergy
production, the decrease of emissions could be up to six
times greater. Researchers noted that, since it is difficult
to monitor GHG emissions in the agricultural sector, an
output tax based on a GHG weighted consumption tax could be
effective in reducing emissions from agriculture. Globally,
food production accounts for 25-30 percent of human-caused
GHG emissions, and the study said there was a lack of
technical solutions to reduce this percentage. According to
the researchers’ calculations, a 60 euro per ton tax
would reduce beef consumption by about 15 percent. The tax
would lead to reduced meat, egg, and milk consumption, which
would lead directly to a reduction of methane and nitrous
oxide emissions from livestock and nitrogen fertilizer, as
well as an increase in the amount of free land that could be
used for bioenergy production.

For additional information see:Science Daily, Study

Natural Gas May Harm Environment
More than Previously Thought

On January 25, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) published a new estimate of the pollution from
natural gas power plants, and found that natural gas may be
as little as 25 percent cleaner than oil and coal, and
perhaps even less. Previous estimates pegged natural gas as
having about 50 percent less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
than coal. The research updates earlier EPA literature on
the subject, which had not included life-cycle methane
emissions, and estimated that the amount of methane gas
released during the natural gas production process, through
leaks from loose pipe fittings and venting from gas wells,
is double what the EPA previously reported in April 2010.
Methane levels from hydraulic fracturing, a popular new
method of extracting natural gas from previously
unobtainable sources, of shale gas are 9,000 times higher
than previously thought, according to the new analysis.
Natural gas still has an environmental advantage over oil
and coal, but the margin of benefit is smaller.

For additional information see: ProPublica

Other Headlines

• New Mexico: Court Overrules Governor on Pollutants
• Waxman Presses Climate Skeptic on Industry Funds
• Climate Change Lawsuits Are on the Rise
• Ban Ki-Moon Ends Hands-on Involvement in Climate Change Talks
• Europe Begins to Run Short of Water
• EU Decides to Delay Ban on Imported CO2 Credits by Four Months to May 2013
• Scenario to Cap World Emissions by 2020 Is Fading Fast, Warns IEA Economist
• Fish Threatened by Global Warming May be Moved North
• Time Machine for Climate Scientists: Earth’s Extreme Weather Events Since 1871 Reanalyzed

February 2: State Energy Programs
and Their Economic Impacts

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute
(EESI) invites you to a briefing on how state governments
have implemented energy programs, and the economic
development activities associated with those programs. State
officials will discuss the State Energy Program (SEP), the
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and how
these programs have helped create jobs and reduce energy
bills for Americans. Speakers for this event include: Amy
Butler, Director, Michigan Office of Energy; John Core,
Director, Design and Construction Review, Kentucky Housing
Corporation;

Frank Murray, President, New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority; Roya Stanley, Deputy
Director, Iowa Office of Energy Independence; William E.
“Dub” Taylor, Director, Texas State Energy
Conservation Office, Office of the State Comptroller. This
briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
For more information, contact Laura Parsons at lparsons [at]
eesi.org or (202) 662-1884.

Writer: Laura Diez and Matthew Johnson

Please distribute Climate Change News to your colleagues. Permission for reproduction of this newsletter is granted provided that the Environmental and Energy Study Institute is properly acknowledged as the source. Past issues are available here. Free email subscriptions are available here. We welcome your suggestions, comments, and questions.

EESI’s work, including this free newsletter, is made possible by financial support from people like you. Please help us continue to make it available by making a secure, online donation today by clicking here or mailing a check to Environmental and Energy Study Institute; 1112 16th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036. Please contact Susan Williams at (202) 662-1887 (202) 662-1887 or see www.eesi.org/donate to find out more. Thank you for your support!