Several major insurance companies are taking steps to include the future effects of climate change in their business models. Claims resulting from this year’s floods, droughts, wildfires, and other extreme weather events in the United States are expected to negate any profits for the insurance and reinsurance industry. “Last year in Texas it was all floods and this year it’s drought,” said Andrew Castaldi of Swiss Re America Corp., a reinsurance company. “Is that climate change or just natural variability? We’re investigating whether these phenomena are simply normal variability or normal variability with some climate change influence.” Insurance companies want to price the potential effects of climate change, and set aside appropriate capital reserves to handle future claims. “We don’t see it as a danger in the next 30 years, but if we don’t do something to contain greenhouse gas emissions now, this is definitely a challenge for the insurance business model in the second half of this century,” said Peter Hoppe of Munich Re, another reinsurance company.

For additional information see: CNBC, Munich Re News Release

A suspended government biologist faces an investigation related to his management of research contracts and not his scientific work on drowned polar bears, a watchdog group reported Aug. 1. Charles Monnett, a biologist with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, received a memo dated July 29 from the Department of Interior’s Inspector General’s Office that mentioned a research contract with the University of Alberta. Monnett coordinated agency research on Arctic wildlife. “There were no mysteries about how Dr. Monnett handled his responsibilities related to the procurement of this or any other research project in his scientific portfolio,” said Jeff Ruch of the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which is defending Monnett, who was suspended July 18. He had received significant publicity for co-authoring a paper that detailed his observations of dead polar bears in the Arctic. It became a rallying point for climate activism amidst concern for the risks the bears face in swimming greater distances because of melting ice. However, investigators for the Inspector General’s Office who interviewed Monnett asked about his calculations of polar bear mortality rates in the paper, according to a transcript of the interview that was made public.

For additional information see: ABC News, Interview Transcript

Canada is overestimating the potential of its current suite of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an independent policy advisory group reported. The cumulative effect of the policies is likely to be half the effect predicted when each policy was introduced. Policies include regulations on greenhouse gases from cars and light trucks, and regulations and incentives to promote energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in industrial, residential and commercial sectors. The analysis was published in late July by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, an advisory group created in 1999 by a federal law to promote sustainable development. The analysis also reaffirmed a previous statement by the government that it would not meet its 2020 target for emissions reductions.

For additional information see: Montreal Gazette, Report

New Zealand’s greenhouse gas (GHG) trading program is cutting emissions and winning support from the business community. National GHG emissions decreased during the past two years – the first time since 1990 that emissions had fallen two years in a row. Renewable sources also accounted for 80 percent of energy generation last year. And, 63 percent of companies responded in submissions to the government that they support the program. A majority opposed the program two years ago. A new government report released the data, and Climate Change Minister Nick Smith commented on a “marked and positive shift” in business attitudes toward the program. “’This reflects the value of certainty – the fact that critics overstated the costs of the scheme and the careful approach the government has taken to the transitional arrangements,” he said. The program has been implemented in stages and puts a price on GHG emissions; energy plants, large industry and transportation sources of GHG emissions were included in July 2010. For now, they are paying a reduced price of $10 NZD per metric ton of GHG emissions.

For additional information see: The Age, Government Website

Ice cover in the Arctic melted to such an extent this summer that previously perilous waters are open to easy and safe navigation, the Russian climate monitoring agency reported. The melting is occurring at a near-record pace. “Since the beginning of August, icebreaker-free sailing is open on almost all the (northern shipping) routes,” the agency said in a statement posted Aug. 3 on its website. The Arctic Ocean could be entirely free of ice during the summer by 2050 if the current pace of melting keeps up. Russia would like the northern passage through the Arctic to rival the Suez Canal in moving cargo and become a year-round route. For cargo moving between European and Asian ports, the northern route is one-third shorter. Right now, it is used from July to November and ice-breakers ensure safe passage.

For additional information see: Reuters, Bloomberg

Generating electricity from reservoirs produces far less carbon dioxide and methane than previously thought, according to a new study that used the largest data set available on hydroelectric energy. Hydroelectricity produces about 20 percent of the world’s electricity, and greater development of hydroelectricity is expected worldwide. Although hydroelectricity produces fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than burning fossil fuels, carbon dioxide and methane are still produced naturally from wetlands and lakes, and are emitted in the largest amounts following the creation of a new reservoir as vegetation and soil organic matter decomposes. An international team of researchers analyzed 85 hydroelectric reservoirs across the globe, and found they emit only one-sixth the amount of GHGs previously attributed to them. But the study found that the location of a reservoir and composition of local biomass affects the quantity of GHGs emitted. Site location and reservoir design should be considered carefully, the authors said. “The bottom line is that per unit of energy, hydroelectric generation produces much less carbon dioxide and methane emissions than previously thought, but impacts are not equal across all landscapes,” said lead author Nathan Barros. The study was published online in Nature Geoscience in August.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

An analysis of prehistoric, large scale discharges of icebergs in the North Atlantic Ocean shows small temperature increases of subsurface water can cause a rapid collapse of ice shelves. The findings indicate a 3-4 degree Celsius increase in water temperatures was enough to cause breakup of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in what is now Canada. According to the researchers, present day temperature increases and potentially shifting ocean currents could greatly increase ice melt and hasten sea level rise. The study was conducted by researchers from Oregon State University, the University of Wisconsin, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology and was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

Invasive grass species that are more prone to wildfire will push out native grasses in California as the climate warms, a new study found. The study by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley found that the ecological traits of invasive grasses make them superior in adapting to warmer temperatures. But the invasive grasses tend to become drier than native grasses in the summer, making them more susceptible to fire. And, some invasive grasses provide sanctuary to unwanted pathogens and viruses that harm crops. Native grasses in California already are under pressure; in some areas, two-thirds of all grasses are invasive species. “As climate changes in the coming century, which at this point is quite certain, this means we expect the distributions of the grasses to change as well,” said David Ackerly, a professor at Berkeley. “Sadly, what this predicts is that the alien species that already dominate the Central Valley and other hotter regions of the state will become even more widespread in the future.” The study was published online in Global Change Biology.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

Replacing today’s crops with deeper-rooted plants could dramatically lower atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, a new study found. Deeper root systems promote greater sequestration of CO2 in the soil. The University of Manchester study found that replacing today’s crops with new crops that have roots that extend one meter deeper into the soil could double the amount of CO2 sequestered in the soil from agriculture. Deeper-rooted crops also are more drought resistant. Most of today’s crops do not have root systems that extend below one meter. Many deeper-rooted plants exist, but have not been bred for agriculture. “While there is a way to go before such crops might have, for example, the grain yields of present day cereals, their breeding and deployment seems a very promising avenue for sustainable agriculture,” said study author Douglas Kell. The study was published in the Annals of Botany.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

Cutting emissions of short-lived greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane and nitrous oxide could provide a buffer to develop long-term strategies to mitigate emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a new study found. Although CO2 is a main contributor to climate change, other GHGs also contribute to the problem. They include methane and nitrous oxide, which are relatively short-lived gases in the atmosphere. “We know that recent climate change is primarily driven by CO2 emitted during fossil-fuel combustion, and we know that this problem is going to be with us a long time because CO2 is so persistent in the atmosphere,” said Stephen Montzka of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which conducted the study. “But lowering emissions of GHGs other than CO2 could lead to some rapid changes for the better.” The study confirms the long-term need to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere, but shows that there are other opportunities to curb the warming trend, the scientists said. The study was published online Aug. 3 in Nature.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study Abstract

Other Headlines

S.1426: Foreign Relations Authorization Act,

Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013: On July 27, S.1426 was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Intent: To authorize certain authorities by the Department of State, and other purposes. The bill integrates consideration of climate change into foreign policy on sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Previous Action: No previous action.

Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John (D-MA)

For additional information see: S.1426

H.R.2738: Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act of 2011: On Aug. 1, H.R.2738 was introduced and referred to the following House committees: Transportation and Infrastructure; Energy and Commerce; and Natural Resources.

Intent: To authorize the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program of awarding grants to owners or operators of water systems to increase resiliency or adaptability of the systems to any ongoing or forecasted changes to the hydrologic conditions of a region of the United States.

Previous Action: No previous action.

Sponsor: Rep. Capps, Lois (D-CA)

For additional information see: H.R.2738

Writers: Dave Gershman, Justin Jones and Matthew Johnson

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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!

On May 30, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) reached their highest level ever in 2010, with the growth driven mainly by booming coal-reliant emerging economies. The agency also stated that 80 percent of the projected carbon emissions in 2020 will be “locked in” since they will be produced by power plants that are already running, or under construction. “This significant increase in CO2 emissions and the locking in of future emissions due to infrastructure investments represent a serious setback to our hopes of limiting the global rise in temperature to no more than 2.0 [degrees Celsius] (3.6 [degrees Fahrenheit]),” said IEA chief economist Fatih Birol. According to scientists, if global temperatures rise over two degrees Celsius, the risk of severe climate change impacts, including flooding, storms, rising sea levels and species extinction, greatly increase. The UN climate talks, which will resume in Bonn on June 6, will focus on how to achieve the two degree Celsius target.

In related news, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, stated that, “Two degrees is not enough- we should be thinking of 1.5 [degrees Celsius]. If we are not headed to 1.5 we are in big, big trouble.” She said that the record emissions reported by IEA strengthens the need for urgent action on greenhouse gases.

For additional information see: AFP, Reuters, Guardian

New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie announced last week that the state would leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) emissions cap-and-trade scheme. According to Christie, RGGI was “nothing more than a tax on electricity, a tax on our residents and on businesses with no discernible effect on our environment.” The move was another major blow to the U.S. carbon market, coming just days after a California court ordered the state to suspend work to introduce its own cap-and-trade scheme. Republican governors in New Mexico and Arizona have also left the planned Western Climate Initiative cap-and-trade scheme, which is due to launch next year. However, analysts have concluded that New Jersey’s decision would have a minimal impact on carbon prices in the RGGI scheme. “We expect the cap will be adjusted proportionately to New Jersey’s emissions, so that the overall supply-and-demand balance will not be affected,” said Emilie Mazzacurati, head of Point Carbon Research North America.

For additional information see: NY Times, Business Green

According to analysts, Germany’s plan to shut all its nuclear power plants by 2022 will result in 40 million tons of added carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually as the country turns to fossil fuels to produce more electricity. “Longer term, [Germany] will be using more renewables and gas but this year and next, we should see a lot of support for coal burn,” said Amrita Sen, Barclays Capital analyst. Analysts from the Deutsche Bank estimated an extra 370 million tons of CO2 emissions through 2020, whereas Societe Generale estimated an extra 406 million tons. The added emissions would increase demands for carbon permits under the European Union’s trading scheme, potentially raising carbon prices and pollution costs for EU industry.

For additional information see: Reuters

The Canadian federal government has admitted that it deliberately left out data indicating a 20 percent increase in pollution from Canada’s oilsands industry in 2009 from a recent 567-page report on climate change that it was required to submit to the United Nations. The report stated that Canada experienced a six percent overall drop in emissions from 2008 to 2009, but does not include emissions from oilsands production, which is now greater than the carbon emissions of all the cars driven in Canada. According to Environment Canada, oilsands production was responsible for about 6.5 percent of Canada’s annual emissions in 2009, up from five percent in 2008. A department spokesman stated that “some” of the information regarding the oilsands emissions was available in the report, meeting Canada’s reporting requirements under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

For additional information see: Vancouver Sun, UPI

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

For additional information see: NY Times

On June 1, the World Bank signed an agreement with mayors from 40 of the world’s biggest cities (C40) to work on technical and financial assistance for projects to minimize the effects of climate change. The deal, announced at the C40 large cities climate meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is intended to increase financing for projects used to mitigate climate change. It also will help investors who were previously hesitant to provide financing for assessing city action plans by providing a standard approach. “What is holding back the sustainable clean technology revolution for a lot of mayors and businesses and households in a lot of countries is the lack of green financing,” said Sam Adams, the mayor of Portland, Oregon. “The partnership with the World Bank begins to address that.” The C40 commissioned two studies that will measure the greenhouse gas emissions from the 58 cities that are part of the organization, as well as provide options that are being used to reduce those emissions. The meeting also gave mayors a chance to discuss the solutions they have been working on to reduce pollution, improve transportation, and increase energy efficiency.

For additional information see: NY Times, Bloomberg

According to a report issued by the World Bank, the global carbon market shrank in 2010 for the first time in five years. The report stated that the value of the market for greenhouse gas permits and credits for cutting pollution fell from $143.7 billion in 2009 to $141.9 billion. Fading prospects for the introduction of emissions-trading programs in countries, including the United States, contributed to the fall, spurring a lack of confidence from investors. “If we take the wrong turn we risk losing billions of lower-cost private investment and new-technology solutions in developing countries. This report sends a message of the need to ensure a stronger, more robust carbon market with clear signals,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank special envoy for climate change.

For additional information see: Bloomberg

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

For additional information see: Business Green, BBC, Report

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that beginning in the early 1400s, rapid changes in climate drove early Viking colonizers from Greenland as temperatures plummeted several degrees in just decades. Researchers collected core samples from two lakes near the Norse “Western Settlement” to reconstruct 5600 years of climate history where the Vikings lived. “We can say there is a definite cooling trend in the region right before the Norse disappear,” said William D’Andrea, lead author of the study. According to researchers, a number of factors caused by the change in climate, including shorter crop-growing seasons, less available food for livestock, and more sea ice that may have blocked trade, may have contributed to the Vikings abandoning Greenland.

For additional information see: Reuters, Study

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

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

A study published in Biology Letters found that increasing ocean acidification due to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could hinder the ability of baby clown fish to detect and avoid larger predators. Recent studies have shown increasing acidification to compromise the fish’s sense of smell, but a new study shows that the fish’s hearing is also affected. “We kept some of the baby clownfish in today’s conditions, bubbling in air, and then had three other treatments where we added extra [carbon dioxide] based on the predictions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for 2050 and 2100,” said Dr. Steve Simpson, lead author of the study. After 17-20 days, researchers exposed the juveniles to sounds of predator-rich coral reefs, comprised of sounds from crustaceans and fish. According to the study, the fish reared in today’s conditions swam away from the noises, whereas the fish reared in the predicted 2050 and 2100 conditions did not respond.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Sydney Morning Herald, Study

A study in Soil Biology and Biochemistry found that adding biochar to soil to combat climate change may cause less harm to earthworms than initial studies suggested. Biochar is a form of charcoal that can be used to capture carbon and store it in soil for hundreds of years, mitigating climate change. Researchers found that earthworms avoided soils enriched with dry biochar, and that when they were exposed to the substance, their weights decreased as a result of insufficient moisture. The study concluded that wetting the biochar either before or immediately after applying it to soil mitigated the harmful effects on the earthworms, as well as the earthworms’ avoidance of soil containing biochar.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, NASA used a variety of satellite data to create the most accurate map ever produced depicting the amount and location of carbon stored in Earth’s tropical forests. The map, which used both ground- and space-based data, shows how much carbon is stored in the tropical forests of more than 75 countries, the majority located in Latin America. Scientists used ground-based methods to measure the size of the trees, which provided good estimates of the amount of carbon they contained. Then, using space-based methods, they obtained the height of treetops for more than three million measurements covering three continents. By combining the data, they calculated the amount of above-ground biomass and thus the amount of carbon it contained. The measurements will be used by countries planning to participate in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation program, which offers incentives for countries to preserve their forests in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and invest in low-carbon development.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study, NASA

A study published in Nature Climate Change found that although climate change will likely open up coastal areas in the Arctic to development, many regions of the northern interior will close to forestry and mining by mid-century as ice and frozen soil supporting temporary winter roads melt. The ice roads, which are constructed of compacted snow and ice on top of frozen ground, rivers, lakes and swampy areas, only cost two to four percent of what a permanent land road would cost. The timber and metal mining industries would be the most affected due to the high costs of building new permanent roads leading to those resources. As the ice roads melt, indigenous populations could also become more isolated and face increased prices as some goods could only be delivered by airplane.

For additional information see: Reuters, Study

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

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

A study published in Paleoceanography found that climate change should not affect the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the future. The Pacific alternates between two states, El Niño and La Niña, every two to seven years. The switch, or ENSO, affects weather worldwide, with each state bringing floods and droughts to various areas around the globe. In the past, climatologists have predicted that ENSO may shut down due to climate change, causing the Pacific to stay in an El Niño state. This would inhibit the periodic upwelling of cold water associated with La Niña, leaving a layer of warm water covering most of the ocean, releasing its heat into an already warming atmosphere. There is some evidence supporting ENSO being affected by climate change in geological studies, where scientists found that the average state of the Pacific was directed toward an El Niño condition in the Pliocene Epoch, 4.5 to three million years ago, when Earth’s climate was three degrees Celsius warmer than today. However, a recent study by Oxford University found that ENSO kept working during the Pliocene. Researchers examined 700 to 800 fossils from the Pliocene and concluded that they had experienced a wider range of temperatures than the changing seasons alone could have caused, leading them to believe they were caused by ENSO.

For additional information see: New Scientist, Study

Other Headlines

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Water Environment Federation (WEF) invite you to a briefing on innovative, market-based approaches to controlling nutrient pollution in the nation’s waters from agriculture. Fertilizer and manure applications can release excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus into local watersheds. These can degrade water quality, potentially causing human illness and harming aquatic ecosystems. This briefing will focus on innovative agricultural solutions to these issues, including trading programs such as those used for the Long Island Sound and Ohio River Basin, “safe harbor agreements”, and current on-the-ground nutrient management programs. The briefing is free, open to the public, and no RSVPs are required. The briefing will be held on June 9, 9:30-11:00am in SVC 203/202 Capitol Visitor Center. For more information, contact Laura Parsons at lparsons [at] eesi.org or (202) 662-1884.

On June 16, the Sustainable Energy Coalition—in cooperation with Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucus—will host the 14th annual Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum. This year’s EXPO will bring together over 50 businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and near-term potential of the cross-section of renewable energy (biofuels/biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) and energy efficiency technologies. Members of Congress and the Administration will speak from 11:30 – 2:00pm. Afternoon speakers will discuss the role sustainable energy technologies can play in meeting America’s energy needs. The EXPO is free, open to the public, and no RSVPs are required. The events will be held on June 16, 9:30am-4:30pm in 345 Cannon House Office Building (Cannon Caucus Room). For more information contact Ken Bossong at kbossong614 [at] yahoo.com.

Writers: Deep Ghosh 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.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been constructing a new Climate Service that would provide climate information and data in accessible and timely formats to assist people in making decisions. In addition to providing climate information, the Climate Service would develop products, assessments, and tools to aid its stakeholders in preparing for and responding to climate change. However, funding for the program was cut in the Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2011 that was agreed to by Congress and the White House on April 8. Since the NOAA plans to establish the Climate Service in 2012, this lack of funding does not directly affect the program unless it is carried over into the fiscal 2012 budget. The Department of Commerce and NOAA proposed establishing a NOAA Climate Service in February, 2010.

For additional information see:Washington Post, Spending Bill

On April 12, California officials announced that the state will expand its new carbon-trading program to three Canadian provinces, British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario. The program is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industrial plants and transportation fuel, allowing companies to buy and sell emissions permits among themselves to cut their costs. Quebec is expected to join the program when it is launched this January, with British Columbia and Ontario joining within a year, creating the largest regional cap-and-trade system in North America. Arizona, New Mexico Washington, Oregon, Utah and Montana were originally part of the initiative but withdrew.

For additional information see: LA Times

On April 13, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former President Bill Clinton announced a plan to merge their global climate groups. C40 Cities, a coalition of international cities run by Bloomberg, will merge with Clinton’s philanthropic foundation, the Clinton Climate Initiative, doubling both groups’ annual budget and staff. Bloomberg and Clinton are scheduled to deliver a joint address next month at an environmental conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Both programs are aimed at reducing carbon emissions in large cities through programs that would make buildings more efficient, promote mass transit, and reuse greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Jay Carson, former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, will become chief executive of the new organization which will be called the C40-Clinton Climate Initiative. It is expected to have a budget of about $15 million per year and a staff of 70.

For additional information see:NY Times

Sun Cuihua, the vice-director of the climate change department at the National Development and Reform Commission, announced at a conference that China will launch pilot emissions trading programs in the cities of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin and the provinces of Hubei and Guangdong before 2013, as well as set up a nationwide trading platform by 2015. China has pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45 percent by 2020, compared to 2005 levels. The government plans to cut energy intensity by 16 percent and carbon intensity by 17 percent in the 2011-2015 period to meet this goal. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, provinces and regions have already been issued local targets, but the figures have not yet been released to the public.

For additional information see: Reuters

Three Indian states, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, have begun to implement a pilot emission trading program in an effort to reduce emissions. The Times of India reported on April 12 that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board began analyzing emissions of industrial units by using online monitoring systems, and will put a cap on emissions within clusters, as well as on individual units. “For the next six months, we will be tracking the emissions of industries such as thermal [plants], cement factories, etc, which are responsible for ambient air pollution. Based on the six-month findings, we will determine the capping limit,” said Environmental Secretary Nair Singh. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF) will use the next two years to determine how this market-based pilot program can aid Indian environmental regulations in the future.

For additional information see: Times of India

Research released by Point Carbon indicated that the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) proposed carbon floor price will cut UK energy industry emissions 5.3 percent by 2020. The proposals include a requirement for fuel suppliers to pay a floor tax, regardless of any future changes in the price of carbon through the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The research noted that the carbon price will be set two years prior to the time of the tax taking effect, which could result in a UK carbon price as high as 54 Euros per ton, significantly more than the 36 Euros per ton that is expected throughout the rest of the European Union (EU). The report predicted that this high carbon price will increase investment in renewable and low-carbon energy, although the higher price of carbon in the UK may put it at a competitive disadvantage in comparison to other EU nations.

For additional information see: Business Green

Research conducted by the Research Center for Environmental Changes indicated that a change in global weather will cause Taiwan to experience an increase of floods in the rainy season and droughts in the dry season. Rainfall distribution between wet and dry seasons has shifted 15 percent in the past 30 years. Reservoirs in the area are able to hold six months worth of necessary water supplies each year, but may not be sufficient with an extending dry season, leading to severe droughts. Leading researcher Chou Chia suggested the government re-evaluate how the nation collects and stores water, as well as implement more efficient ways of irrigating crops.

For additional information see: China Post

A study published in the journal Nature found that anywhere from two to six percent of atmospheric reactive nitrogen is converted by forests into nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), and then emitted from forest soil back into the atmosphere. The previous estimate by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was only one percent. Forest deposition of reactive nitrogen has increased about 1.5 million tons per year from 1860 to 2000. The sources for the atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen are mainly the volatilization of ammonia from fertilizers used in agriculture, and nitrogen oxide emissions formed by the combustion of fossil fuels or biomass burning. In addition to producing N20, nitrogen deposition on forests also reduces plant and animal diversity, and increases nitrate levels in water. The study identifies which European regions are at the greatest risks for nitrogen pollution and outlines actions to be taken to protect the environment and public health.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

A study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters found that long-term climate change has the potential to move the Earth’s tectonic plates. According to the study, intensification of Indian monsoons, which increased rainfall in northeast India by four meters per year, have accelerated the movement of the Indian plate by a factor of 20 percent over the past 10 million years. Although scientists have previously known that tectonic movements influence climate by creating new mountains and sea trenches, this study was the first to show the reverse. The study did not indicate climate change will cause stronger, more frequent earthquakes, but it will contribute to understanding what caused plate motions to change and which regions are currently more prone to large earthquakes.

For additional information see: ANU, AFP, Study

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that climate change is affecting both chinstrap penguin and Adelie penguin populations through reductions in their food supply. Krill, the penguins’ main food source, requires sea ice to reproduce. The reduction in sea ice from climate change has led to an 80 percent decrease in krill populations since 1970. Over the past decade, chinstrap penguin populations have fallen by 4.3 percent a year, and Adelie penguin populations have fallen 2.9 percent a year. According to the study, fewer fledgling penguins are surviving to adulthood, causing some penguin colonies to fall by half. The penguins face more danger as krill fisheries in the Southern Ocean expand.

For additional information see: Mongabay, Reuters, NY Times, Study

New research presented at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in the United Kingdom indicated that as climates change, plants will become more vulnerable to infectious disease, threatening crop yields and affecting the price and availability of food. The research focused on how changing levels of rainfall, humidity, and temperature all play a role in the predominance of a toxic fungal disease affecting wheat called Fusarium head blight (FHB). Mathematical models have shown that the number of FHB epidemics, as well as the amount of mycotoxin, the harmful toxin released by FHB, will increase across the United Kingdom in coming decades. “Higher temperatures, increasing levels of carbon dioxide, water limitation and quality may all affect existing plant microbes as well as favouring the appearance of new microbes. This may increase the incidence of some diseases and reduce the incidence of others,” said Dr. Adrian Newton, author of the study. He suggested that exploiting plant diversity will increase resilience to disease and other factors associated with climate change. “This means less pesticide use, reliable crop production and sustainable food production systems,” he said.

For additional information see: Science Daily

In a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, UCLA geoscientists constructed an ancient climate record by analyzing fossilized mollusk shells . The study used two geochemical techniques to determine the summertime Arctic temperatures during the early Pliocene epoch (3.5 million to 4 million years ago), in which the shells were formed, and found that temperatures may have been 18 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today. Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels from the Pliocene epoch remained near the current value of 400 parts per million (ppm) for thousands of years, possibly indicating how warm the planet may get if CO2 levels are stabilized at modern levels. The results of the study supported previous climate models which predicted summertime sea ice will be eliminated in the next 50 to 100 years. By evaluating the isotopic content of oxygen from both fossilized mollusk and plant samples, scientists were able to determine the temperature at which the specimens originally formed, eliminating the need for ice cores which only provided climate information up to 800,000 years ago, during which CO2 levels were never above 280 to 300 ppm. Scientists created an additional method that determined how much of the rarest isotopes of carbon and oxygen are present in just the mollusk sample, which yielded results consistent with the original method. Data from these methods were in sync with three entirely different approaches, proving them to be reliable.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

A study published in Nature Geoscience found that rising surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and near the International Date Line drive atmospheric circulation that has caused some of the largest shifts in Antarctic climate in recent decades. The warmer surface temperatures cause air to rise, creating a large wave structure in the atmosphere which brings warmer temperatures to the West Antarctic during winter and spring. By using surface and satellite temperature observations, scientists found a strong relationship between central Pacific sea-surface readings and Antarctic temperatures during the winter months of June through August, as well as a less pronounced relationship in the spring months of September through November. The results could also provide clues for scientists as to why the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is thinning.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

A Cornell University study published in Climate Change Letters concluded natural gas produced by a drilling method called “hydraulic fracturing,” or “fracking,” could contribute more to global warming than previously thought. The findings are controversial due to previous estimations that natural gas had a fraction of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of coal, and “shale gas” has been widely credited in many circles for keeping energy prices low during the recession. According to the study, however, the production of gas from shale produces much higher methane emissions, a GHG many times more potent than carbon dioxide, which is enough to negate the carbon advantage that it has over coal and oil when they’re burned for energy. “The [greenhouse gas] footprint for shale gas is greater than that for conventional gas or oil when viewed on any time horizon, but particularly so over 20 years. Compared to coal, the footprint of shale gas is at least 20 percent greater and perhaps more than twice as great on the 20-year horizon and is comparable when compared over 100 years,” stated Robert Howarth, one of the authors of the study.

For additional information see: Time, NY Times, Study

Other Headlines

H.R. 910:

Intent: To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas to address climate change, and for other purposes.

Previous Action: Passed House on April 7, 2011, 255-172.

Sponsor: Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee

Related Bill: S. 482 (Inhofe, R-NM)

For more information: Bill Summary

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing on a new report from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that details for the first time what the anticipated effects of climate change will be per degree of global temperature increase. Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations and Impacts over Decades to Millennia details the impacts of human activities — particularly emissions of carbon dioxide, but also other greenhouse gas emissions — which are so vast they will largely control the future of the Earth’s climate system. A companion piece, Warming World: Impacts by Degree, highlights the main findings of the report. Two authors of the report will discuss its findings and how the future could bring a relatively mild change in climate or an extreme change to entirely different climate conditions that will persist for many thousands of years. This briefing will also include perspective on the value judgments that policymakers face when they deliberate on the risks of climate change. The event will be held Monday, April 25, 2011, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., in 122 Cannon House Office Building. This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Matthew Johnson at mjohnson [at] eesi.org or (202) 662-1892.

Writers: Deep Ghosh 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!

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!

Leslie Harroun, Oak Foundation

In the first week of February, several Senate and House Republicans introduced bills to limit or prevent the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority in climate change matters. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced broad legislation that would prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases (GHG) in any of its actions to address climate change. According to Barrasso, controlling emissions would harm the economy and stifle job growth. The bill would forbid the use of landmark federal legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act to implement laws concerning climate change. It would also overturn the EPA’s 2009 finding that carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHGs pose a threat to public and environmental health. The bill included one concession to allow new vehicle emissions standards to go forward, but it would shift the responsibility of managing them to the Department of Transportation. As of February 4, the bill has ten Republican co-sponsors. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman, also introduced draft legislation that would prohibit the EPA from regulating GHGs under the Clean Air Act. Officials said that the bill would nullify the EPA’s finding that GHGs are a danger to public health, and strip the agency of the authority to use the law in any future attempts to regulate emissions from polluting firms. In a less aggressive measure to block federal climate rules, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced a bill to delay the EPA’s authority to regulate GHG emissions for two years. Rockefeller’s bill was co-sponsored by six Democrats.

For additional information see: The Hill, New York Times, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, AP, Barrasso Press Release, Upton Press Release

In the first week of February, Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) issued a response to Sen. John Barrasso’s (R-WY) bill to restrict the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gases (GHGs). In a press release, Sen. Kerry remarked that the attempted legislation encouraged the outsourcing of jobs and placed the health of the public at risk. Kerry’s concern over public health was echoed by Sens. Menendez and Whitehouse, as they both highlighted that the bills were about “tying EPA’s hands to help polluters.” Whitehouse touched on creating green jobs, encouraging energy efficiency, and getting rid of air pollution, and expressed his interest in promoting public health and creating jobs. Sen. Sanders accused the Republicans of trying to put the EPA out of business, make the United States more dependent on fossil fuels, and roll back clean air protections; he urged that the bill be stopped in its “Big Oil tracks.” Meanwhile, speaking on the cluster of recently filed anti-EPA bills, the Obama administration reiterated its threat to veto any legislation that would hamstring the EPA’s ability to regulate GHG pollution.

For additional information see: Press Release, Politico

On February 2, the Republican Study Committee released a proposal to cut $2.5 trillion in spending. Among the key cuts to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation, is $12.5 million in annual funding to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The funding supports costs for organizing research from scientists around the world who work without direct compensation for the time and effort they spend in the process of publishing IPCC documents. The intent of the IPCC is to help the public as well as policymakers understand climate change. According to the IPCC, however, the projected 2011 budget totals just under $10 million and historically U.S. funding fluctuated between $200,000 and $5.6 million.

For additional information see: Sustainable Business

On January 27, Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne withdrew the state from a multi-state lawsuit supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new climate regulations. Arizona had previously supported the Obama administration’s decision that greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a threat to environmental and human health, and was among 20 states that supported the “endangerment finding” that united efforts to limit GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. In addition to pulling its support of the EPA’s climate rules, Arizona has backed out of the Western Climate Initiative, a cap and trade program intended to limit GHG emissions in Western states. Horne has challenged the Obama administration over several different rulings, even though Arizona supported Obama and the EPA under its former Attorney General, who unsuccessfully ran for governor last year.

For additional information see: The New York Times

On February 2, a San Francisco judge tentatively ruled that California’s climate change regulator, the Air Resources Board (ARB), did not adequately analyze scientific data or consider alternatives to the carbon market it plans to create. If finalized, the ruling could delay implementation of California’s carbon cap-and-trade program, which would establish limits on greenhouse gases (GHGs) and allow major emitters like power plants to trade the rights to pollute, due to begin next year. The Association of Irritated Residents, an environmental justice group, filed the objection on the grounds that the health effects of the plan have not been studied sufficiently and that the plan could backfire in some regions of California. The judge tentatively ordered the ARB to stop the implementation of California’s 2006 climate change law until it comes into compliance and analyzes the alternatives. “ARB could have, and should have, used data from existing programs, studies and reports to analyze the potential impacts of the various alternatives,” the judge concluded.

For additional information see: Reuters, San Francisco Chronicle

On February 3, the European Commission announced that it would re-open emissions registries in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Britain after verifying that those five countries met the requirement to implement heightened security measures. The Commission called on every member nation to bulk up their cyber security measures in the wake of a theft of 28 million euros in carbon credits from the registry on January 19, which forced officials to freeze carbon spot trade in the European carbon market. Major liquidity provider Barclay’s Capital had warned that the carbon market was in danger of “irreversible damage” if heightened restrictions on access weren’t in place. Earlier in the week, the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) criticized the European Commission for refusing to publish details of how it will fix security flaws that allowed hackers to make cyber attacks on Europe’s carbon trading registries, warning that trade could be harmed significantly if regulators did not set a deadline to reactivate the market. The emissions market is the EU’s main mechanism to combat climate change, and since many investors have lost confidence in the market, recovery from the theft will be slow at first. The Commission expects to receive more security reports from national registry authorities within the next few days.

For additional information see: Business Green, Reuters, AP, The Guardian, Reuters

On January 30, New Zealand Climate Change Minister Nick Smith announced that the government was setting a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target of 50 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 under the Climate Change Response Act. New Zealand already produces 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydro- and geothermal power, and almost half of its emissions come from agriculture. According to Smith, the target would require the country to reduce its net emissions by 31 million tons per year, made possible through technological innovations in agriculture and transportation. The target is not yet fully decided upon, and it would need to be reviewed regularly in light of scientific advice on climate change and technological progress made by other nations. The Labour party’s environment spokesman, Charles Chauvel, expressed concern that the emissions reduction target is unrealistic and unlikely to change emissions behaviors, and that a 2020 target was necessary, as well.

For additional information see: Voxy, Renewable Energy World

On February 1, the United Kingdom (UK) Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) released figures that showed an 8.7 percent reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2009, and a 9.8 percent reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in particular. DECC credited the significant reduction in emissions to a decreased demand for power from businesses and homes due to the economic downturn, and noted that the demand for energy fell at a time when the proportion of energy demanded from nuclear plants increased. Energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne cautioned that these deep cuts in energy demand are unlikely to continue since the economy is recovering and the country wasn’t seeing an increase in new green policies. Huhne said that he would concentrate on government schemes such as a Green Investment Bank that would remove the UK from the “oil-hook” and lead it on to “long-term green growth.”

For additional information see: Business Green, Daily Mail UK

On January 31, United Nations (UN) secretary-general Ban Ki-moon issued a demand that the United States and the EU lead global efforts to curb climate change regardless of whether other countries act. Ban told the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland that the countries that had led the industrial revolution had a responsibility to spearhead the development of a low carbon economy, and warned that the world’s belief in “consumption without consequences” had to change immediately. Ban joined other political leaders, such as Presidents Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Jacob Zuma of South Africa, in their concern that the United States should take stronger leadership in climate crisis given its position as a world superpower and a leading carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter. In addition to calling on Europe and the United States to lead the climate change battle, Ban also called upon businesses to play a more central role in curbing climate change by launching Global Compact LEAD, a UN program to encourage businesses to share their sustainable practices and expertise.

For additional information see: Business Green

On January 28, UN officials announced that climate negotiators will stage an extra round of talks this year in Bangkok, Thailand on April 3-8. The meeting will be in addition to the already planned meetings in Bonn in June and the annual summit in Durban, South Africa at the end of the year. The additional talks are expected to flesh out the details of a deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. The climate talks held in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010 made incremental progress on several fronts. However, there was no advancement on new emissions goals for developed nations, and developing countries refused to sanction deals that did not include countries like Japan, Russia, and Canada, all of which opposed any continuation to the carbon emissions agreement. The United States never ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

For additional information see: Reuters, Business Green

On January 28, researchers at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology that found that the number of heat-related deaths in the United States could increase substantially in the next few decades due to rising temperatures from climate change. According to researchers, an estimated 3,500 to 27,000 additional deaths could occur each year from extreme hot weather by mid-century, compared to 3,400 total deaths between 1999-2003. The study used a computer model to analyze how a change in temperature over time could impact human health. The researchers divided the United States into grid cells, and then adjusted results from NASA’s global circulation model to estimate temperatures for each cell for two time periods, 1999-2003 and 2048-2052. The NASA model measured temperatures in the future scenario as roughly 2°C higher. Researchers then used results from five previous epidemiological studies that measured the risk of dying associated with changes in temperature to determine heat-related health effects. The authors acknowledged that their study did not account for several variables, such as how people adapt to hot weather.

For additional information see: Chemical & Engineering News, Study

On January 29, a study published in Climate Dynamics found that the warming of the Indian Ocean, which causes decreased rainfall in eastern Africa, is linked to climate change and will likely lead to continued drought as long as temperatures continue to rise. An estimated 17.5 million people in the Greater Horn of Africa currently face potential food shortages, and the study’s results showed that climate change presents an increased risk of food shortage for people in the region. Over the last century the Indian Ocean has warmed particularly quickly, and the resulting warmer air and increased humidity over the Indian Ocean has led to increased rainfall in the region. The rainfall causes the air to rise, lose its moisture, and flow westward to descend over Africa, causing drought conditions. According to scientists, decreased rainfall is most pronounced during seasons when substantial rainfall usually occurs. Scientists compiled data to determine what was driving the climate variations in the tropical Indian Ocean region and found that most of the warming is due to human activities. The Tropical Warm Pool, an area with the warmest ocean surface temperatures on Earth, is steadily encroaching upon the cooler Indian Ocean temperatures.

For additional information see: Science Daily, Study

On January 28, a study published in the journal Science found that the current flowing from the North Atlantic into the Arctic Ocean is warmer now than it has been any time in the past 2,000 years. The study provided new evidence that human activities might be causing the recent warming, since temperatures in the past never reached these heights, even during warm periods from increased solar energy output. However, “it doesn’t necessarily prove that the change that we see is man-made, but it does strongly point toward this being an unusual event,” said Thomas Marchitto, a co-author of the study. The scientists found that the Fram Strait, which carries Atlantic ocean heat to the Arctic between Greenland and Svalbard, reached temperatures “well outside the natural bounds,” noting that summer water temperatures have risen an average of 5.2°C from 1890-2007, and about 3.4°C in the previous 1,900 years. The scientists used both climate records and data from sediment cores dating back 2,000 years to determine water temperatures. The authors expected the Arctic Ocean to be free of ice in summers of coming decades, disrupting hunting patterns of indigenous peoples and animals.

For additional information see: New York Times, Reuters, University of Colorado

On January 31, a report by the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission showed that fertilizing the oceans with iron dust or other nutrients to boost growth of plants that soak up excess greenhouse gases (GHG) is unlikely to work as a way to curb climate change. Scientists in seven countries contributed to the review of 13 geo-engineering experiments conducted in recent years, and concluded that such schemes would not be effective because it would be almost impossible to monitor them and they would work on a scale too small to make a difference. According to the study, only one to 15 percent of the absorbed carbon falls to the ocean floor to be stored with other organic matter, while some of it simply returns to the atmosphere as the GHG carbon dioxide (CO2). Experts expressed concern about measuring the effects of ocean fertilization, as well as using massive pipes to bring deep, nutrient-rich waters closer to the surface where sunlight could trigger further plant growth.

For additional information see: Reuters, Policymaker Summary

On January 31, a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that, by 2080, climate change is likely to cut the European Union’s (EU) economic welfare by at least half of the annual gain in the standard of living for the average household—currently about 2 percent. The study used models that could distinguish climate at the city scale and counted up the costs of specific natural impacts, such as flooding, that are likely to be caused by climate change. The researchers estimated that the future climate scenarios would cut 20 billion to 65 billion euros from the current annual European gross domestic product (GDP) of 13 trillion euros. According to the authors, northern Europe would fare best from the warmer temperatures, southern Europe would experience a decline in agricultural production and tourist populations, and all regions would see increases in the number of people affected by flooding. Since the study had a wide range of uncertainty, it is considered a general framework upon which to make decisions.

For additional information see: Nature, Abstract

On February 2, a study published by Japanese researchers in the journal Environmental Science and Technolgy found that a Japanese program similar to the U.S. “Cash for Clunkers” vehicle replacement program did not significantly lower passenger vehicles’ contribution to climate change. “Cash for Clunkers” intended to stimulate the economy by offering customers vouchers when they traded in a vehicle with a fuel efficiency of 18 miles per gallon or less. Some proponents also touted the program as a way to mitigate climate change since customers traded in fuel-guzzling cars for newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The new research analyzed a similar program in Japan by creating a model that incorporated data on vehicles from 1990 to 2000, including vehicle sales, fuel efficiency, how often vehicles were replaced, as well as emissions generated by the production of vehicles and of the fuel they consumed. The researchers used a scenario that replaced all passenger cars with fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid cars, and found that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would be cut by only 0.2 percent at most, since the program would stimulate GHG emissions through the manufacturing of new cars. In order to offset the manufacturing-related GHG emissions, the new car’s fuel efficiency would need to exceed that of the older car by 13 percent.

For additional information see: Chemical & Engineering News, Abstract

Farmers who raised their beef cattle on pasture instead of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) can significantly reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the beef industry. According to the report, U.S. beef cattle emit 160 million metric tons of GHGs every year, and by raising beef cattle in pasture, farmers can reduce their annual global warming impacts by as much as 140 million metric tons, which is the equivalent to removing 21 million passenger vehicles off the roads. Cattle that are mostly raised in CAFOs are fed a diet heavy in grains like corn. The report found that by switching their diet to grass, alfalfa, and other forage crops, the amount of methane–a potent GHG–cattle produce would decrease significantly. In addition, by increasing pasture crop productivity, more nitrous oxides–another GHG, would be sequestered in the soil. The prevention of overgrazing was also a key recommendation in the report. The beef industry annually releases more than 103 million tons of the carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent of methane into the atmosphere, while crop and pasture sources of nitrogen release 57 million tons of the CO2 equivalent of nitrous oxide. Both methane and nitrous oxides are GHGs, and have much higher warming effects than CO2. The report also cited co-benefits to pasture raising, such as reducing the need to use antibiotics compared to CAFO-raised cattle, and beef raised on pastures contain healthier fats.

For additional information see: Report, Sustainable Business

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Writer: Laura Diez and Matthew Johnson

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