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

For additional information see: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

California will delay by one year the start of its cap and trade program, officials announced June 29. Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, said the delay is needed for “all necessary elements to be in place and fully functional.” The delay extends the program’s compliance deadline to January 2013. It would apply to the 500 largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the state, such as power plants, factories and other industrial facilities. She said the delay will not affect the amount of greenhouse gases industries will be required to cut by the end of the decade. Work on the program slowed as state regulators responded to legal challenges. A state appellate court is still weighing a lower court’s ruling that state regulators did not adequately analyze alternative ways of reducing greenhouse gases. It may take more than a year for the appeals court to issue its ruling. Meanwhile, the state is drafting an analysis.

For additional information see: Los Angeles Times, Fresno Bee

An activist conservative organization is suing to force New York to drop out of a regional cap and trade program. Americans for Prosperity, which receives significant funding from oil interests, filed the lawsuit June 28. The organization claims the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) imposes an illegal tax on New Yorkers because former Governor George Pataki, a Republican, entered the program without approval from the state legislature. The 10-state program limits carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants and requires them to buy allowances to cover their emissions. Power plants that reduce emissions further can sell their allowances. Supporters of RGGI say it has reduced CO2 emissions and raised $860 million for participating states at auctions of the allowances. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, announced in May that his state will leave the program later this year.

For additional information see: Albany Times Union, Associated Press

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

For additional information see: The Birmingham News

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

For additional information see: The Washington Post, Report

Advocates are concerned that the important role of women in Africa is being ignored as the international community finances climate mitigation and adaptation projects. “There is a lot of talk about climate change funding for local communities and especially for women, but not much is actually happening,” said Ange Bukasa, a delegate to the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) 2011 Partnership Forum. The forum was held June 24 and 25. Set up by the World Bank, CIF has allocated $6.5 billion to projects in 45 developing nations, including 15 in Africa. More than 70 percent of the money is financing large clean technology energy and transportation projects, which advocates say are traditionally male-dominated sectors. In Africa, women make up 80 percent of the smallholder farmers, who are key to the food security of the continent. “We are planning to take gender into greater account and are introducing more and more indicators to assess the gender dimension of projects,” said Mafalda Duarte, climate finance coordinator at the African Development Bank, which is administering the funds. She said the technological improvements financed by CIF will improve the lives of women in rural communities.

For additional information see: The Guardian, Forum Website

Parts of Mauritania’s capital city have become uninhabitable marshes, which experts and residents fear is only a preview of more significant flooding as climate change causes sea levels to rise. Mauritanian government studies suggest that nearly 80 percent of its capital, Nouakchott, could be under water in 10 to 20 years. Already, residents in some neighborhoods are demanding compensation for flooding. Water is pooling during the rainy season as the water table has risen in recent years. “Nouakchott is located in a depression 50 centimetres below sea level,” said Ould Lefdal, director of environmental services. “The sea is advancing towards the city at a rate of 25 meters per year.” Marico Demba, head of the Climate and Coastal Change Project in West Africa, said Mauritania may not have the resources to respond to the threat. Other factors include the development of the harbor and the use of beach sand for construction, which have removed natural barriers to flooding. The capital lacks proper drainage systems. And, large quantities of drinking water withdrawn from a nearby river leak into the ground through faulty pipes.

For additional information see: Inter Press Service

Thirty-six countries signed an agreement in June to cooperate on research to expand global food production while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Development of the New Zealand-led Global Research Alliance on Agriculture and Greenhouse Gas Emissions has proceeded since its creation in 2009. It includes the United States, China and Brazil. The United States has agreed to contribute $90 million over four years to step up agricultural research. The partnership encourages scientific exchanges, facilitates joint research programs, and disseminates information. “About as much emissions come out of growing food as come out of every truck on the planet, every car, every plane, every boat, every train,” said Tim Groser, the New Zealand minister of trade. “So, we’ve got to try to reduce that because food is not an option. And we think we can do this, but we’ve got to bring to bear some of the world’s finest scientific minds.” The agreement was signed June 24 at a ceremony in Rome.

For additional information see: Voice of America News (includes audio), Radio New Zealand News

Climate change could put a big squeeze on the premium wine industry in California by vastly reducing the amount of land suitable for growing high-value grapes, a Stanford University study found. By 2040, the effects of rising temperatures could reduce the amount of land suitable for growing premium grapes by 50 percent. The wine industry is a major economic engine in California. Its retail value was $18.5 billion in 2010. California produced more than five million gallons of wine, representing 90 percent of the total produced in the United States. The study assumed average global temperatures would rise by 1 degree Celsius, a conservative estimate. “Our new study looks at climate change during the next 30 years, a timeframe over which people are actually considering the costs and benefits of making decisions on the ground,” said study co-author Noah Diffenbaugh, an assistant professor at Stanford. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters in June. It suggested climate adaptation strategies that can limit the projected losses. Wine growers could plant in new locations and use more heat tolerant varieties of grapes, alter the design of vineyards, and adjust winery processing procedures.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

Last year was one of the two warmest years on record, a federal agency reported. Released June 28, the “State of the Climate Report,” produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), tracked 41 climate indicators. Although several cities in the United States experienced record snowfalls and Europe experienced the coldest winter in three decades, average global sea and land temperatures are increasingly consistent with climate change, NOAA reported. Greenland recorded record-breaking temperatures and its ice sheet lost more mass during 2010 than at any time in the prior 10 years. Meanwhile, Russia experienced a deadly heat wave. Australia suffered significant flooding. Other parts of the globe experienced droughts. “We’re continuing to closely track these indicators because it is quite clear that the climate of the past cannot be assumed to represent the climate of the future,” said Thomas Karl, director of NOAA’s National Climate Data Center.

For additional information see: The Washington Post, Synopsis, Report

Rockies Losing Colorful Flowers as Temperatures Rise, Study Finds

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

For additional information see: Los Angeles Times, Study Abstract

Climate change is adding stress to the marine life of the Baltic Sea, which is expected to become less salty in the coming decades, according to scientists involved in a multinational research project. Climate change is expected to increase precipitation in the region, sending greater volumes of freshwater into the semi-enclosed and brackish Baltic Sea from its river basins, according to Climate Change & European Marine Ecosystem Research. Warmer water temperatures also are expected to aid invasive species arriving from the Mediterranean. Add the legacy of overfishing and chemical pollution into the mix, and the result could be the loss or decline of several native species, scientists warned. The research project is a European Union effort involving 17 academic institutions to disseminate research on climate mitigation and adaptation to the public and policymakers.

For additional information see: The Independent, Project Website

Droughts could harm freshwater fish by exacerbating the toxicity of common pollutants in lakes and rivers, a new study found. Climate change is expected to lead to drier conditions in some regions. “We may be underestimating or overestimating the adverse effects of some chemicals on fish,” said Bryan Brooks, an associate professor at Baylor University and co-author of the study. Baylor researchers sampled water from 23 streams during a two-year period. They found that dry spells raised the pH level of water, which, in turn, increased the toxicity of pollutants like ammonia and allowed them to more readily accumulate in fish. One-third of pesticides used today include weak base compounds similar to those in ammonia. The study was published online in the journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.

For additional information see: Science Daily

Other Headlines

S.1292: Employment Protection Act of 2011: On June 29, S.1291 was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Intent: To require the Environmental Protection Agency to consider the impact on employment levels and economic activity prior to issuing a regulation, policy statement, guidance document, endangerment finding, or other requirement, implementing any new or substantially altered program, or denying any permit, and for other purposes.

Previous Action: No previous action.

Sponsor: Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)

For more information: S.1292

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 the manufacture and construction of electric transmission infrastructure can make a major contribution to reversing the nation’s stagnation in employment and economic activity. The electric transmission system is a critical and strategic asset for our nation. As policymakers focus on infrastructure development as an engine of new jobs and economic activity, this panel is a reminder that electric transmission – developed at the levels that experts project the country will need over the next two decades – is at the center of economic revitalization. The briefing will be held on July 15, 10:00-11:30 AM, in Congressional Meeting Room North in the Capitol Visitor Center. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Laura Parsons at lparsons [at] eesi.org or (202) 662-1884.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the huge potential for solar-reflective roofs and other “cool-roofing” techniques to lower the surface temperature of buildings and entire cities. Cool roofs improve comfort on hot summer days and reduce the amount of energy used for air-conditioning – thereby reducing energy costs and improving air quality. Whitening flat roofs is a low-cost solution which, if implemented in certain cities across the globe, has been estimated to have the potential to offset the carbon emissions of 300 million automobiles. At this briefing, renowned physicist and energy efficiency expert Arthur Rosenfeld will discuss research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) that for the first time quantifies the reflective power (albedo) of urban surfaces that would be necessary to mitigate the urban heat-island effect and offset carbon dioxide emissions. Panelists also will discuss insulated and vegetated (“green”) roofs and how different types of cool roofs may be combined or integrated with solar-roofing systems, photovoltaics (PV) and/or solar thermal technology. The briefing will be held on July 21, 2:00-3:30 PM, in the Capital Visitors Center room SVC 212/210. This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information contact Ellen Vaughan at evaughan [at] eesi.org or (202) 662-1893.

Writers: Dave Gershman, Justin Jones 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 or see www.eesi.org/donate to find out more. Thank you for your support!

McConnell Files Anti-EPA Amendment to Small Business Bill

On March 15, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced an amendment to a small business bill to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The McConnell amendment closely resembled the bill H.R. 910, now under consideration in the House. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) indicated he would schedule a vote for the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Reauthorization Act of 2011 (S. 493), despite the inclusion of the amendment, but the date has yet to be determined. Authored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), the bill mirrors the McConnell amendment, has the support of 42 Republicans and one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).

For additional information see: Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Politico, SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Bill

On March 15, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed H.R. 910, a bill intended to strip the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its authority to regulate greenhouse gases (GHG). Co-authored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), the bill cleared its second legislative hurdle on a 34-19 vote, after the Energy and Power Subcommittee approved passage days earlier on a voice vote. Three Democrats, Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), Jim Matheson (D-UT), and Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), joined a unanimous Republican voting bloc. Specifically, the bill would repeal the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding” that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are a threat to human health, and bar the agency from implementing rules to control them. A floor vote on H.R. 910 is expected later this Spring.

In related news, several Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced amendments to the Inhofe/Upton bill intended to put Congress on record as either supporting or denying the science of climate change. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced an amendment to H.R. 910 that Congress accept the EPA’s finding that global warming is unequivocal, which failed on a party-line vote 31-20. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) offered an amendment that stated Congress accepts the EPA’s finding that “the scientific evidence is compelling” that man-made emissions “are the root cause of recently observed climate change.” That measure also failed by the same margin. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) also offered an amendment that Congress accept EPA’s finding that climate change threatens human health. It was defeated 31-21. The three Democrats who voted in favor of H.R. 910, Reps. Ross, Matheson, and Barrow, voted in favor of all three amendments.

For additional information on the Bill passage see: LA Times, NY Times, H.R. 910

For additional information on the Democratic amendments see: Politico, LA Times, Politico

On March 14, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of six states and New York City in a public nuisance lawsuit against five utilities over their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Filed in 2004, the lawsuit considers whether states and other entities have the right to sue major utilities because their power stations are causing a public nuisance with their GHG emissions. The states named in the lawsuit are New York, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Rhode Island, Vermont, plus New York City. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the states’ right to bring the suit, American Electric Power Co. Inc. v. Connecticut in 2009. However, the electric companies, American Electric Power, the Southern Company, Xcel Energy, the Cinergy Corporation and the Tennessee Valley Authority, appealed and the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next month and decide on the case in July.

In related news, on March 11, New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow informed the U.S. Supreme Court that her state will withdraw from the public nuisance lawsuit. In a statement to the Associated Press, Dow’s spokesperson said, “Considering the Supreme Court’s ruling and the Obama Administration’s subsequent position that the EPA must determine an appropriate plan of action, it does not make sense to incur further taxpayer expense on an unnecessary lawsuit.” Wisconsin withdrew from the lawsuit in February.

For additional information see: Business Green, Environmental Leader, NY Attorney General’s Brief, NJ.com

On March 4, the Supreme Court of Virginia agreed to hear the appeal of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on the case against the climatologist, Dr. Michael Mann, whom he accused of fraud. In April 2010, Mr. Cuccinelli demanded that the University of Virginia supply him vast numbers of academic documents regarding Dr. Mann’s work, including emails, computer programs and data, and others. Mr. Cuccinelli has accused Dr. Mann, now a professor at Penn State, with defrauding the state of hundreds of thousands of dollars by providing false information and records in his research grant applications. Last August a state judge ruled against Mr. Cuccinelli, because he had failed to provide any evidence. Mr. Cuccinelli appealed the decision, and now the Virginia Supreme Court will hear the case.

For additional information see: NY Times, Virginia Supreme Court

On March 15, carbon credits rose to 17 euros after German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed that several older reactors in Germany will shut down temporarily for a three month moratorium. Merkel ordered seven reactors, all brought online before 1980, to close to conduct a sweeping safety review in the midst of the growing crises at several Japanese reactors following the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The carbon price spike was fueled by carbon traders who speculated that coal and natural gas will meet most of the unmet demand. According to industry analysts, energy and industrial firms currently hold a surplus of emissions allowances as a result of the economic recession, but a lengthier nuclear shutdown could eat into the surplus.

For additional information see: Reuters, Business Green

On March 15, the European Commission Director General for Climate, Jos Debelke, announced plans to auction 120 million carbon allowances for the next phase of the European Union’s cap and trade program. “Stakeholders have expressed a strong preference to have the early auction volume fixed now as this gives market actors time to adapt to the chosen level,” Jos Delbeke acknowledged. Set to begin in 2013, the European emissions trading scheme will enter its third phase and begin to ratchet down the number of emission allowances it distributes to 11,000 installations for free. Instead, companies subject to the program will have to purchase more allowances at auction to cover their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition to the 120 million allowances, the European Investment Bank intends to sell 300 million allowances by the end of 2012 as part of its NER300 demonstration program to raise funds for low carbon projects./p>

For additional information see: Business Green, European Commission

On March 16, a report released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that the 2010 average carbon emissions for new cars in the United Kingdom fell 3.5 percent as compared to carbon emissions in 2009. The “New Car CO2 Report” also found that 40 percent of new cars average emissions below 130g/km, the 2015 targeted EU fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles. “New technology has delivered impressive reductions in CO2 emissions, but coordinated action, to support research and development, new infrastructure and consumer incentives, is critical to securing significant future advances.” said SMMT’s chief executive Paul Everitt. The report stated that 56 percent of new cars have a CO2 emission level of 140g/km or less, compared to 10 years ago, when the average new car in the United Kingdom was well over the 140g/km CO2 emissions level.

For additional information see: Business Green, Report

On March 17, a study published in the journal Nature found that rapid climate change occurred on Earth much more frequently than previously thought, with limited biological impact at the time. A team led by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography analyzed sea floor sediments to see how climate change affected marine ecosystems during four short periods of intense warming in the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum–a transition period between two geologic epochs 65 to 33 million years ago, in which global temperatures rose 7.2-12.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Researchers attributed the rapid global warming events to different feedback mechanisms, such as a substantial release of carbon from the ocean. Scripps geologist and study co-author Richard Norris noted that the research discovered more periods of intense warming and, that despite significant global change, biological effects seemed modest. While Norris pointed out there were differences between then and now, indicating that the earth’s surface has been massively restructured, making it harder for species to relocate en masse, reaction to the findings in the scientific community included several remarks about comparisons to human-induced climate change. Current ecosystems, including human beings, were not around back then, noted Gavin Schmidt, of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. “So, while interesting from an intellectual standpoint, this new information is not going to change how ‘scientists’ think about climate change.”

For additional information see: Science Daily, San Diego Union-Tribune, Abstract

On March 15, a study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment reported a new method to more accurately assess carbon stored in Hawaii’s forests. A team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Department of Global Ecology developed a 30-meter resolution map of the above ground carbon density of the island of Hawaii, spanning 40 vegetation types, by combining field measurements, airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR)-based observations, and satellite-based imagery. The estimated total of 28.3 million tons of carbon was 56 percent lower than the estimate of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. However, the latter assessment was not intended to resolve carbon variation on so fine a scale. Researchers noted that the new approach represented a fourfold decrease in the regional costs of carbon management over using field samples only. “We are very excited about the prospects of applying this new approach to other regions of the world to facilitate faster and more accurate forest carbon assessments. It is a true leap forward in understanding the state and dynamics of the world’s forests,” said Dr. R. Flint Hughes, an ecologist and co-author of the study.

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

On March 17, an international study published in Trends in Plant Science found that the phenotypic plasticity of plants enables them to adapt to climate change. Researchers reviewed plants’ molecular and genetic mechanisms which showed that plants have “the capacity to adapt to a changing environment without requiring any evolutionary changes,” according to Fernando Valladares, co-author of the paper. Scientists used various indicators to study the plasticity of the plants, including pigmentation, root length, and leaf mass. Valladares stated that “various studies suggest that species from more heterogeneous and changing environments have greater degrees of plasticity. For example, plants from these environments have great root plasticity in order to be able to take better advantage of fertile and damp areas and to avoid sterile, dry ones”. He continues, “The differences in plasticity and its mechanisms allow us to better understand why various plant species grow where they do. This will enable us to project their most likely ranges in climate change scenarios.”

For additional information see: Science Daily, EurekAlert, Abstract

On March 11, a study published in The Journal of Climate found new evidence of the relationship between movements in the Earth’s core, rotation, and atmospheric temperature change. According to researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the link between the three variables and the effect each has on the length of Earth’s day has been established for some time. In addition to finding a correlation between long-term variations in temperature to long-term variations in the length of day, researchers also found how much core variations affect the length of day over various time periods. Scientists used two sets of global surface temperature data from NASA’s Goddard Institute and the UK’s Met Office since the 1880’s and compared it to existing models of the fluid movements of the Earth’s core and recorded changes to the length of day. They then subtracted human-produced temperature changes to create a “corrected” temperature record and found that the Earth’s core effect on climate is substantially smaller than human effects. Data showed that since 1930, global temperature began to rise without corresponding changes to other variables. “It’s just a wiggle on top of what ever else is going on,” said JPL’s Steve Marcus, a co-author of the study. “It’s just an added variability on top of these larger trends we’ve observed in climate over the last century or so, when human global warming has certainly been kicking in.”

For additional information see: Science Daily, Pasadena Star News, Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have determined the greenhouse gas emissions of septic tanks to be approximately half as high as previously estimated. The waste sent to septic tanks is broken down by microorganisms that then produce methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide – all of which contribute to the warming of the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that an average septic tank emits 0.23 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per tank per year, but this new research indicates that annual per-tank emissions are between 0.10 and 0.12 metric tons. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population uses septic tanks in their homes.

For additional information see: Chemical and Engineering News, Abstract

Northern peatlands did not play as large a role as previously thought in the warming of the atmosphere at the end of the last ice age, according to research conducted by PhD students at the University of Alberta and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Northern peatlands, the largest of which occur in subarctic regions of Canada and Russia, are a boggy mixture of dead organic material and water. Covering more than four million square kilometers, they sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow and emit methane – a greenhouse gas many times more powerful than carbon dioxide – as old peat is buried and decomposes. Scientists had previously believed that northern peatlands were a principal source of the increase in atmospheric methane 10,000 years ago, but a comparison of radiocarbon dates of ancient peatlands with ice-core records showed that peatlands did not colonize the north until 500-1000 years after the dramatic increase in methane. These results imply that tropical wetlands were instead the likely cause of the initial rises in methane levels at the end of the last ice age.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Press Release, Abstract

Other Headlines

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on hydropower. The event will be held from 3:00-4:30 p.m., April 6, at the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2322. It is free and open to the public. For more information contact Laura Parsons at lparsons[at]eesi.org or 202-662-1884.

Writers: Matthew Johnson, Alison Alford, Laura Parsons

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!

On March 3, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) introduced legislation intended to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gases (GHGs) from power plants, factories, and refineries. Named the “Energy Tax Prevention Act”, the companion bills, H.R. 910 and S. 482, have 9 co-sponsors in the House, including Democrats Nick Rahall (D-WV), Dan Boren (D-OK), and Collin Peterson (D-MN), and, in the Senate, 42 Republican co-sponsors as well as Joe Manchin (D-WV). The bill would allow many of the Clean Air Act programs to continue, but prevent the EPA from using its authority regulate carbon dioxide. A deal brokered with the automobile industry to limit GHGs from cars and light trucks would be allowed to continue until 2016, but not further. State-adopted GHG regulations would be allowed to continue. Rep. Upton is Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Sen. Inhofe is the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

For additional information see: New York Times , Politico, AP, Bill Information

On March 1, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations and their potential effects on American jobs. Business leaders, along with the Ohio Coal Association and the Industrial Energy Association of America, spoke on the first panel. They told the lawmakers that regulations have been onerous, and that they have stunted economic growth. All of the panelists, with the exception of Professor Dan Reicher from Stanford University, testified that the EPA’s efforts to regulate GHGs will accelerate the closing of coal-fired power plants, impose unnecessary and burdensome regulations on businesses of all sizes, and cost companies enormous sums of money. Reicher stated that controlling carbon emissions was critical to U.S. national security, economy, health, and environmental quality, and that well-designed environmental and energy regulation can enhance U.S. competitiveness, innovation, and cut costs. During the hearing, Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) said he would schedule a hearing for March 8 on two new scientific studies linking climate change to severe weather, at the request of Committee Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Bobby Rush (D-IL).

The second panel consisted of Gina McCarthy, Assistant EPA Administrator. McCarthy testified that even though individuals and businesses have said expanding regulations pose a threat to jobs, history has repeatedly shown that the United States can clean up pollution, create jobs, and grow its economy at the same time. McCarthy said the EPA has been identifying cost-effective ways for new companies to obtain emissions permits. In a report released before McCarthy testified, the EPA found that the Clean Air Act will have saved $2 trillion by 2020 and prevented at least 230,000 deaths annually.

For additional information see: Energy and Power Subcommittee Press Release, The Hill, Bloomberg, Hearing Video, EPA Report

On February 28, member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction program, announced in a report that they have invested more than half their carbon permit auction proceeds, roughly $404 million, into energy efficiency. To meet its goal of a 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2018, the RGGI holds quarterly auctions of CO2 permits, which have raised nearly $780 million since 2008 despite a recent dip in auction prices to $2 a short ton. About 80 percent of the proceeds have gone to programs that cut energy demand, foster the growth of alternative energy, and help the poor pay energy bills, while 52 percent of the proceeds have gone specifically to programs to improve energy efficiency, such as replacing boilers and caulking windows in businesses and homes. The RGGI called the energy efficiency programs the most cost-effective tool for reducing GHG emissions.

For additional information see: Reuters, RGGI Report Press Release

On March 1, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was extending the deadline requiring thousands of businesses to report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from March 31 to later this summer, after it establishes an online platform for companies to report their emissions. Once data are uploaded, the agency expects to publish them later this year. The EPA’s emissions reporting program was launched in 2009 to collect information on GHG pollution to inform future policy decisions, and it is one aspect of the EPA’s plan to roll out more regulations on GHG emissions. The EPA’s decision will result in a more accurate GHG database, said the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, which welcomed the delay, along with the American Chemistry Council.

For additional information see: Reuters, EPA Press Release

On February 24, an independent review of 1,073 leaked emails from climate scientists around the world, known as the 2009 “Climategate” controversy, found that scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) did not manipulate climate change data or fail to adhere to appropriate peer review procedures. The report was conducted at the request of Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) by Todd Zinser, the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce, under which NOAA operates. It is the latest in a series of investigations, all of which have exonerated the climate scientists. Previous investigations were conducted by the UK’s House of Commons, the National Research Council, and Pennsylvania State University. Climate change skeptics have cited the emails leaked from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the UK, and contend that the correspondence showed that scientists were manipulating or withholding information about global warming and the role of human activity. “None of the investigations have found any evidence to question the ethics of our scientists or raise doubts about NOAA’s understanding of climate change science,” said Mary Glackin, NOAA’s deputy undersecretary for operations. Although the report found no evidence of scientific misconduct, it did criticize NOAA over its handling of some Freedom of Information Act requests in 2007.

For additional information see: The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Office of the Inspector General

On March 1, research presented at the Canadian Water Network’s conference found that within 20 years, water demand will exceed supply by 40 percent. In flood-prone places, “once-in-a-century” catastrophic events can be expected every 20 years instead, due to the combined threats of climate change and population growth. Three hundred international scientists, policymakers, and economists attended the meetings and acknowledged the need to create technologies and services to find, manage, filter, disinfect and desalinate water; improve infrastructure and distribution; and reduce household, industry, and agricultural water consumption. Filling the gap between water demand and supply with supply-side measures only would require an estimated $200 billion per year, while an approach that both raises supply and lowers demand would require $50 to $60 billion per year, according to Margaret Catley-Carlson, a global authority on water issues. Nicholas Parker, Chairman of Cleantech Group, noted that institutional investors are increasingly looking ahead to the bottom-line impacts of a water-constrained world, asking businesses for data on their vulnerability to potential water supply difficulties. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researcher Nicholas Ashbolt pointed out that conservation measures could reduce household demand in developed countries by 70 percent through water-saving innovations discussed at the meeting.

In related news, an increase in extreme rainstorms brought on by climate change could result in the return of cholera to North America, said an expert who spoke at the Canadian Water Network’s annual conference. Microbiologist Rita Colwell and fellow expert Steve Hrudey noted that a breakdown in sewage treatment plants from severe weather patterns could raise the risk of cholera. Hrudey cited the need to better train and better pay individuals who manage Canadian municipal water systems. In Canada, the main problem lies in its patchwork of water management rules and regulations nationwide, while matching up natural units of water, such as watersheds, with political units poses additional concerns, noted Rob de Loe, a water expert from the University of Waterloo.

For additional information see: Canadian Water Network, CBC News

On March 1, a survey, conducted by Point Carbon, of more than 2,500 European energy companies found that 59 percent of respondents have already reduced their emissions because of the European cap and trade system that put a price on carbon emissions. Another 9 percent said they plan to lower emissions due to the cost of carbon. Most of the reductions were only marginal, less than 5 percent, but the survey showed that the system introduced six years ago, has gained wider acceptance and has made a small dent in the pollution from big energy companies. Since the Emissions Trading Scheme’s (ETS’s) introduction, power companies have received their permits for free, but beginning in 2013 they will have to pay for their allocations in an auction with other companies. Overall carbon pollution has declined since 2005, despite a small increase in emissions last year. Europe is on target to meet its emissions reduction goal of 20 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. Forty-nine percent of the companies that responded thought the trading scheme was the most cost-effective way for Europe to meet its emissions targets, up from 43 percent in 2010.

For additional information see: AP

On February 27, a Philippine House Committee on Ecology approved a bill that would create the People’s Survival Fund (PSF) for assisting local governments as they cope with climate change. Deputy Speaker of the Philippine Congress Lorenzo R. Tañada was the principal author of the bill that would incentivize early climate action by encouraging local governments to create adaptation plans and vulnerability assessments before they tap the PSF. A coalition of various organizations, including Oxfam and the Institute of Climate and Sustainable Cities, are working to persuade Congress to approve the bill as soon as possible. According to Congressman Tañada, the country’s response to natural disasters caused by climate change has been disorderly and costly, and the PSF bill would establish “long-term, predictable, and transparent” financial resources made available to vulnerable populations. Potential financial sources are cash dividends declared by all government-owned and controlled corporations, a portion of the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge, and a portion of emission units earned under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism.

For additional information see: Business World, Thomson Reuters

On February 28, China’s Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian issued a warning about the effects of unrestrained development on China’s air, water, and soil quality, saying that the nation’s current path could stifle long-term economic growth and fuel social instability. China has become the leading emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), due to its growth in energy consumption, its dependence on coal for 70 percent of its energy needs, and its increasing demand for oil. Mr. Zhou said the government will take a more aggressive role in determining whether development initiatives contribute to climate change through a new risk assessment system. Mr. Zhou’s comments were echoed by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on the same day, who suggested that the nation would seek to embrace tighter environmental regulations this week. “We must not any longer sacrifice the environment for the sake of rapid growth and reckless roll-outs,” said Mr. Wen, who lowered China’s target for average GDP growth, from 7.5 percent to 7 percent, in a move that suggested China would reconsider emphasizing economic growth above all else.

For additional information see: The New York Times, Reuters, BBC

On February 27, at a meeting of the BASIC group of countries—Brazil, South Africa, India, and China—ministers from the four countries expressed the need for specific issues to be addressed before the upcoming December climate talks in Durban, South Africa. At the conclusion of the meeting in New Dehli, India, representatives said the agreements made at the 2010 Cancún climate talks could not be a complete substitute for the decisions made during the 2007 climate change conference in Bali. According to Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, there were several issues of equity, intellectual property rights, and trade in the “Bali Road Map” that were not included in the Cancún agreements. The BASIC countries want to see them addressed in Durban. Ramesh also pointed out that even though the United States and other participants in the 2009 Copenhagen Accord had agreed to raise $30 billion to aid poor and developing countries at risk of climate change disasters, they have so far failed to deliver these “fast track” financial obligations. Ramesh said only a negligible amount of the promised money has been delivered, and further inaction could lead to a suspicious atmosphere in Durban. The ministers said that a commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol, a commitment review mechanism for developed and developing countries, and strong emission reduction targets for the developed world were also necessary for an agreement at Durban.

For additional information see: Sify News, United Press International, Hindustan Times

On March 1, UN Climate Change Chief Christiana Figueres called on world governments to quickly implement the agreements reached at the 2010 Cancún climate summit and provide clarity on the future of the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. She warned that the future of the global carbon market could be in thrown into doubt unless the upcoming climate talks in Durban, South Africa, produce an agreement on how to replace or extend the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012. Figueres described the Cancún talks as a solid step forward for strengthened global climate action, and praised the conference for forming the most comprehensive package ever decided by governments to help developing countries deal with climate change, and for deciding on a long-term agreement to keep average global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-Industrial Age levels. However, Figueres noted that current emissions reductions promised by governments are only 60 percent of what the scientific community says is required by 2020. She instructed governments to agree on a way to cut global emissions about twice as quickly as they have already promised, and to keep in mind that the Kyoto Protocol remains the only working, binding international model to reduce emissions.

For additional information see: UN News Centre, United Press International, Business Green

On February 28, a study published in the journal Climatic Change found that the range of the lodgepole pine tree is shrinking as a result of climate change, and could disappear from most of the Pacific Northwest by 2080. Warming temperatures, less winter precipitation, earlier loss of snowpack, and more summer drought appear to be affecting the range of the lodgepole pine, while simultaneously attracting bark beetles that attack the tree species. The lodgepole pine thrives in cold temperatures and plays a key role in many ecosystems in western North America, but scientists predict that the tree will only be able to survive in 17 percent of its current habitable range. The pine can occupy vast areas following major fires where extreme cold temperatures, poor soils, and branch-breaking snows make it difficult for other tree species to compete or survive. According to the study, climate change forces will have decreased the Pacific Northwest range of lodgepole pine by 8 percent by 2020, and by 2080, scientists predict that it will be almost absent from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

For additional information see: EurekAlert, The New York Times, Science Daily, Oregon State University Press Release, Study Abstract

Southwest U.S. Could Face a “Megadrought” Due to Rising GHG Emissions

On March 1, a study published in the journal Nature found that rising global temperatures from increased concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) could lead the southwestern United States into a period of prolonged extreme drought seen only in ancient geological history. Researchers used a 270-foot core of sediments extracted from a dry lakebed in the Valles Caldera National Preserve to construct climatic conditions that prevailed between 360,000 and 550,000 years ago. Data from the lake sediment suggest that if the current epoch followed past trends, the Southwest would eventually enter a cooler, wetter phase in the absence of climate changes that are expected to arise from rising concentrations of heat-trapping GHGs. The sediment layers, which were bounded by distinct layers of volcanic ash, covered two interglacial periods, which represent times between ice ages when warmer temperatures mimicked present-day temperatures. The current Holocene Epoch is the most recent interglacial period. The projected warmth caused by GHGs increases the possibility of tipping the region into a “megadrought,” potentially lasting a millennium or more, according to lead researcher Peter Fawcett.

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

Drier Conditions Reduce Vegetation, Could Accelerate Dust Storms in Southwest

On February 28, a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that climate change is projected to result in drier conditions in the southwest United States that will likely reduce perennial vegetation cover and result in increased dust storm activity in the future. The researchers examined climate, vegetation, and soil data collected over a 20-year period in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah, then used these measurements in a model to project future wind erosion. According to scientists, accelerated rates of dust emission from wind erosion have significant implications for natural systems and human health. Dust carried by the wind has far-reaching effects, including the loss of nutrients and water-holding capacity from source landscapes, declines in agricultural productivity, and health and safety concerns. In addition, dust is a contributing factor in speeding up the melting of snowpack, which can subsequently affect the timing and magnitude of runoff into larger bodies of water.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

Ancient Catastrophic Drought Shows How Severe Climate Change Can Become

On February 24, a study published in the journal Science found that climate change could become worse than anything recorded in written history. An international team of scientists compiled four dozen paleoclimate records from sediment cores extracted from several locations in Africa, which showed the occurrence of one of the most widespread and intense droughts of the last 50,000 years or more that struck Africa and Southern Asia 17,000 to 16,000 years ago. The “H1 megadrought” was one of the most severe climate trials ever faced by anatomically modern humans. Africa’s Lake Victoria dried out, the Nile and the Congo rivers shriveled, and Asian summer monsoons weakened or failed from China to the Mediterranean. While the cause of the drought is still unknown, the study opens up the possibility that the “Heinrich Event 1,” a massive surge of icebergs and meltwater into the North Atlantic at the close of the last ice age, could have played a role, as it coincided with the drought. This study differed from previous studies that implicated the southward drift of the tropical rain belt as a localized cause. Researchers found that the rain belt not only moved, but it also weakened. According to lead author Curt Stager, “there is much less ice left to collapse in the North Atlantic now, so it is unlikely that this type of megadrought could happen again, at least on such a huge scale.”

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

Arctic Algae Blooms Occurring Earlier, Impact on Carbon Cycling Unknown

On March 3, a study published in Global Change Biology found that warming temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic may be behind the phytoplankton peak occurring up to 50 days earlier than usual. Earlier timing of the annual algal bloom—a crucial marine event that leads to the production of zooplankton, which become a food resource for fish—could hold major consequences for the entire food web and carbon cycle in the region. Scientists plotted the yearly spring phytoplankton bloom in the Arctic and found that the peak of the bloom has been occurring earlier each year for more than 10 years. The researchers also analyzed satellite data depicting ocean color and phytoplankton production to determine how early the spring blooms have arrived in recent years. According to scientists, the advancement of the bloom may have serious consequences for the entire Arctic ecosystem, and could explain the annual variability of fish stocks in the region.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

One: Climate Change Could Make “Tree of Life” Slimmer in Europe

On March 1, EU-founded research published in the journal Nature found that the tree of life, an aggregate of species according to their genetic similarity, faces a trend of homogenization across the continent of Europe due to climate change. However, it will not lose its overall structure, meaning there will be no major losses of biodiversity, but it will become “thinner” as vulnerable species may fall prey to the effects of climate change. Major losses would occur only if localized “branches” were completely eliminated, which would then jeopardize the structure of the entire tree. According to researchers, reductions in phylogenetic diversity will be greater in southern Europe, and gains are expected in the higher latitudes or altitudes; however, losses will not be offset by gains. While the data did not present a number of species predicted to disappear, they did suggest that humankind needs to be aware of the threat and ensure species’ sustainability. This study differed from previous biodiversity studies through its use of phylogenetic groups, which are based entirely on species’ evolutionary relatedness to one another, as opposed to taxonomic groups, which provide information about evolutionary relatedness based on form and function, and are thus less accurate when predicting future evolutions.

For additional information see: Science 2.0, European Comission, Study Abstract

On March 2, a study published in the journal Nature suggested that mankind may have set into motion the sixth known mass extinction in Earth’s history. Naturally induced extinction events have occurred over the past 540 million years, but the new threat is man-made, caused by habitat loss, over-fishing, over-hunting, the spread of germs and viruses and introduced species, and climate change caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists examined the state of biodiversity today, using the world’s mammal species as a measuring baseline. Until mankind’s expansion 500 years ago, mammal extinctions were rather rare, with an average of two species dying out every million years. In the last 500 years, at least 80 out of 5,570 mammal species have gone extinct. Under the assumption that these species are extinct and biodiversity loss will continue unabated, researchers said that the sixth mass extinction could arrive within 3 to 22 centuries—a “fast track” pace compared to previous extinctions. Authors acknowledged some weaknesses to their study from using only mammals as a benchmark of Earth’s biodiversity, as well as having an incomplete fossil record. However, they said it is important to devote resources and policy toward species conservation.

For additional information see: AFP, Study Abstract

Other Headlines

The Embassy of Canada, with the support of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is hosting a briefing on the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, one of the largest conservation agreements in history. The Agreement brings together the forest industry and conservation groups to work toward a common goal of economic prosperity and resource protection, and may be a useful model for managing environmental conflicts in other sectors. Speakers will include Gary Doer, Canadian ambassador to the United States; Avrim Lazar of the Forest Products Association of Canada; Greenpeace Forests Campaign Coordinator Richard Brooks; the Pew Environment Group’s Steven Kallick; and The Nature Conservancy’s Ronnie Drever. The briefing will be held from 10:00 – 11:30 am in G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building (Metro: Union Station). It is free and open to the public, no RSVP required. For more information, contact Claire Seaborn at claire.seaborn@international.gc.ca or (202) 448-6452.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on the prospects for increased use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Natural gas has a current price advantage over diesel fuel and gasoline (per gallon equivalent), emits fewer greenhouse gases when burned (per unit energy), and comes from mostly domestic sources at present. However, increasing and sustaining U.S. gas production will rely heavily on unconventional sources (shale gas, coal-bed methane, and tight gas), which face potentially rising costs, require continuous and intensive drilling, and present significant water supply, water quality, wastewater, air quality, land use, and seismic risk issues. Speakers for this event will include Danilo Santini of the Argonne National Laboratory, Mark Smith of the U.S. Department of Energy, Dana Aunkst from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Lynn Pittinger of Pittinger Consulting, and Steven Hamburg from the Environmental Defense Fund. This briefing will be held from 3:00 – 4:30 pm in 2318 Rayburn House Office Building (Metro: Capitol South). It is free and open to the public, no RSVP required. For more information, contact Jan Mueller at jmueller@eesi.org, or (202) 628-1400.

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