Climate 411

Yesterday’s blog highlights

By Rebecca Rasch / Published: April 20, 2010

The Financial Times reports that China may be greening its economy. China’s philosophy is moving “from ‘climate change is bad, but development is our first priority’ towards ‘development is our first priority, and climate change may threaten that’.”

The New York Times reported that Obama is hoping the Senate will take on the climate bill after financial reform. “’This is one of these foundational priorities from my perspective that has to be done soon,’ Obama said of the climate bill”

Senator Kerry goes over the fine points of the climate bill in this video posted on Treehugger. Kerry explains that “the bill will put a price on carbon but not through a cap-and-trade system.”

Also posted in Climate Change Legislation / Comments are closed

A low carbon economy: the gift that keeps on giving

By Gernot Wagner / Published: April 20, 2010

A Practical Guide To A Prosperous, Low Carbon Europe is the latest McKinsey study to show how it is eminently affordable to achieve the transition to a low-carbon world. The headline on a post by Financial Times climate über-scribe Fiona Harvey puts it best: “Europe’s energy in 2050: Cutting CO2 by 80% no more expensive than business as usual.”

How is that possible?

Initial capital expenditures are higher for renewable energy but operational cost savings along the way make up the difference. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

To be sure, there are some very clear obstacles. The old economists’ mantra applies here as well: if it’s so cheap, why aren’t we doing it already? Well, we ought to be. The obstacles are largely political, driven by vested interests. If you are just now building a new coal plant and haven’t put much thought into carbon capture and storage technology, you may be less inclined to cheer than your neighbor investing in wind and solar.

McKinsey isn’t saying that everyone wins in this new world. The ones who see the future and act accordingly do. Most importantly, society and the planet win as well.

Also posted in Economics, Policy / Comments are closed

Blog Snapshot

By Rebecca Rasch / Published: April 19, 2010

Grist “Google climate change chief wants price on carbon” Google wants a price on carbon “for lofty reasons like combating global warming, but also because it could be good for business.”

Climate Progress Senate bipartisan climate bill to launch April 26th Senator Graham on why it is not being released on Earth Day – “We don’t want to mix messages here. I’m all for protecting the Earth but this is about energy independence.”

Washington Post “Congress worked out health care. Is climate change next?” Steven Pearlstein shares his balanced and thoughtful perspective on the state of the climate bill. He points out that “While there are still some details to be ironed about, there is a good chance that the bill will gain the support of oil giants BP, Shell and ConocoPhillips, along with major electric utilities and industrial corporations.”

Mother Jones “Another Good Reason to Cut Oil Use” US military is “concerned that there simply won’t be enough oil available in the near future, which could fuel conflict and instability around the world.”

Also posted in Climate Change Legislation / Comments are closed

EPA Proposes New Rules for Reporting Methane Emissions

By Sharyn Stein / Published: March 25, 2010

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new rules for reporting greenhouse gas emission, including some that would require the oil and gas industry to collect data on its emissions by this coming January.

One of the public benefits of the new rules would be more disclosure about methane emissions.  Methane has a warming potential 24 times that of carbon dioxide.

EDF attorney Pamela Campos says:

Rigorous emissions data is the foundation of well-designed public policy … The public has been left in the dark about methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. EPA’s leadership in requiring disclosure of this potent greenhouse gas will mean more rigorous information and smarter policies to address pollution.

Read more from EPA here, and EDF’s reaction here.

Posted in News / Read 1 Response

Weyerhaeuser Joins USCAP

By Sharyn Stein / Published: March 19, 2010

The USCAP family has grown again.

Weyerhaeuser, one of the world’s biggest timber and paper products companies, announced today that it has joined the United States Climate Action Partnership.

That brings USCAP’s membership to 29 companies and NGO’s. The widely diverse members have all banded together to support passage of strong climate and clean energy legislation in Congress.

Weyerhaeuser joins such “strange bedfellows” as Shell Oil, Duke Energy, PepsiCo, General Electric, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy– and, of course, EDF.

In a statement, Weyerhaeuser CEO Dan Fulton said:

The role of forest fiber in a low carbon economy will depend on the public policy concepts under debate in Washington, D.C. … we believe our membership [in USCAP] will help positively position sustainable forestry, biomass and forest products in these important policy discussions.

EDF is always happy to welcome another ally in the fight for a strong climate policy. We don’t always agree with Weyerhaeuser — or the other USCAP companies — on every issue. But the fact that such divergent voices all agree on this issue underscores how vital a climate bill is to our entire economy.

More details are in the New York Times and The Hill.

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72-Hour Campaign Generates 300,000 Calls

By Sam Parry / Published: March 15, 2010

Our regular readers will remember this recent post about the launch of our 72 Hours for Clean American Power calling campaign. EDF joined forces with 10 fellow environmental organizations to flood the Senate with calls demanding action on climate change legislation.

We’re happy to say the campaign was a big success.  An amazing 300,000 of you called our Senate hotline during those 72-hours.

We can’t thank you enough for your efforts. You made sure that the Senate got your message: America needs a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill, and we need it now.

Lots of you have told us that you’d like to do even more.  Keep in mind that our 100,000 letter campaign is still going on. You can make sure your Senators get the same message in writing — that a climate and clean energy bill should be a national priority.

Posted in News / Read 1 Response