Climate 411

Highlights from top blogs and news stories in the last few days

The Wonk Room draws attention to a new report that shows how climate legislation will boost the economy. “This CCS analysis finds that instead of slowing the economy, household wealth and jobs will grow faster in a green economy.

Marc Gunther explores the potential of the growing wind power industry and how innovative companies are working to “capture high-altitude wind energy and turn it into electricity for off-the-grid users. Potential customers include the U.S. military, chic eco-resorts in remote locations and poor people in the global south in desperate need of power.”

The Washington Post has an editorial stressing the importance of keeping the climate bill on the Senate agenda this year. The editorial board reminds us that “every year Congress waits to legislate, adequately curbing emissions will get harder and more expensive.”

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Yesterday’s blog highlights

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.”

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A low carbon economy: the gift that keeps on giving

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.

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Blog Snapshot

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.”

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Joe Romm’s ‘Straight Up’ is a great resource for fact seekers on climate

Joseph Romm is the author of ClimateProgess.org and was voted the “Web’s most influential climate-change blogger” in 2009. His new work is titled Straight Up-America’s fiercest climate blogger takes on the status-quo media, politicians, and clean energy solutions.

Straight Up is well-researched, provides insightful political analysis, and showcases compelling data on the economic benefits of climate change solutions. As Joe notes:

“So the bottom line is that the economic cost of action is low, whereas the cost of inaction is incalculably greater-what exactly is the ‘price’ of 5 feet of sea level rise in 2100…and losing all of the inland glaciers that provide a significant fraction of water to a billion people? Or the price of losing half the world’s species?”

“China has a excellent track record of achieving gains in energy efficiency and has begun to ramp up its efficiency efforts and aggressively expand its carbon-free electricity targets(recently committing, for instance, to triple its wind goal to 100,000 MW by 2020).”

“…will the United States be a global leader in creating jobs and exports in clean energy technologies or will we be importing them from Europe, Japan, and the likely clean energy leader in our absence, China.”

“A 20 percent reduction in global emissions might be possible in a quarter century with net economic benefits!”

Purchase Straight Up by Joseph J. Romm

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Can the U.S. Compete with China? Fred Krupp Says “Yes”

China’s growing economic power is a growing concern for many Americans. Can the U.S. continue to compete with China in the global marketplace?

In a new piece for Reuters, EDF President Fred Krupp says “yes” — through the power of comprehensive climate and energy legislation.

Fred talks about the new “tripartisan” effort to pass a climate and clean energy bill in the U.S. Senate.

He also talks about how that effort is our best hope to beat China in the world’s clean energy markets — and win the jobs those markets create:

Along with Sens. Graham, Kerry, and Lieberman, I believe we can match the scale of China’s centralized industrial policy by fully deploying the engine of American prosperity: our marketplace. It is the only tool we have with the scale and capital to compete with China. If the U.S. puts a limit on carbon pollution, we will send a clear signal to the marketplace that will unleash a massive wave of private investment in low-carbon energy sources and technologies like carbon capture and storage that would allow us to compete with the Chinese. Only when American policy creates a profit motive for investors, inventors and entrepreneurs, will we have a chance to win the race.

You can read the full piece here.

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