Maryland Climate Mitigation Program Gets Positive Results

Maryland and nine other Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states have been participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) since September 2008. It is a "cap and trade" regulatory program whereby emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants have been capped and plant operators are required to buy permits for all the gas that their facilities release into the atmosphere. The Center is registered to participate in the RGGI Program.

The U.S. Congres is currently considering legislation in which businesses buy and sell the rights to release greenhouse gases. A climate change treaty is also being considered at the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen.

The Maryland Energy Administration is investing the proceeds from auctioned permits in helping families and businesses by funding energy efficieincy retrofits. Moreover, power companies in Maryland and the nine other states have been either retrofitting their plants for efficiency or are paying for the rights to emit greenhouse gases for more than a year with slight impact on consumers' electric bills. Some critics of cap and trade have warned that such regulation of greenhouse gases could cripple the U.S. economy, driving energy prices through the roof and putting millions out of work. They also oppose the approach believing it is too complicated and fraught with loopholes to make a real dent in emissions that threaten to drastically alter the world's climate.

But according to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, its residential customers are paying approximately $1.25 a month more as the costs of the carbon-dioxide permits are passed through to ratepayers. Meanwhile, the state has collected more than $96 million in revenue from the six carbon-dioxide auctions held since September 2008, with some of the funds earmarked for providing relief from energy costs and ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, half the funds this year go to help poor families pay their power bills, while nearly a quarter goes to provide a bit of rate relief for all residential utility customers - about 43 cents on the typical household power bill this winter.

Another 18 percent goes into promoting energy efficiency and conservation, with an additional 6 percent earmarked to provide grants and low-interest loans for homes and businesses to install "clean" energy systems. More than 600 Marylanders this year who have received state grants funded in part with carbon-auction proceeds to help them put in home solar, wind or geothermal energy systems.

The price of pollution allowances sold by the states have ranged between $2 and $3.50 per ton, while the Environmental Protection Agency estimates carbon credits would sell initially for $12 to $15 per ton under the more sweeping cap-and-trade approach in the House bill. A congressional budget analysis found that the cost per household in higher energy bills would average $175 a year. The Center offers offsets for $20 per ton. (Balt Sun, 12/16/09)

Electric Vehicles Driven On Wind Power & Nuclear Power

Greenhouse gases (GHSs), and thus global warming, can be reduced by using more hybrid electric and all electric vehicles in combination with increased use of wind and nuclear as power sources. These are facts. The hard part is getting wind projects approved over local NIMBY opposition, getting expensive nuclear power plants built, getting enough electric-powered vehicles on the road and providing enough recharging stations to conveniently service the vehicles. And can an all electric handle a creeping 2-hour beltway traffic back-up? Of course, promoting electric vehicles as hot rods could be the key to making "alternative" cars mainstream.

General Motors Company plans to launch the Chevrolet Volt late in 2010. The Volt uses a small gasoline engine to recharge its batteries after the first 40 miles of all-electric travel. The Volt is expected to cost approximately $40,000, which makes it comparable on a price basis to a luxury car such as a BMW 3 Series sedan.

Toyota will offering a "plug-in" version of its Prius hybrid by 2011. Owners will be able to recharge the car's batteries by plugging it into a wall socket or a recharging station, allowing it to go further on electric power alone. Conventional gas-electric hybrid cars use a combination of battery power and fossil fuels, which proponents say overcomes one of the big objections to all-electric vehicles: Namely, that if you run out of electricity, you could be stranded.

The Tesla Roadster Sport, with a sticker price of $109,000 (or $101,500 after federal tax credits), is a product for an elite few. Tesla has a $465 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy awarded to help develop a seven-passenger electric sedan. The company says it will be assembled in the U.S. and sell for about $49,900, after federal tax credits. The Tesla uses electric motors and software instead of pistons and displacement to generate its super-torquey, race-car performance. The regular 2010 Roadster claims a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds; the Sport will get to 60 mph 0.2 seconds faster.

The Nissan Leaf will cost "in the range of other typical family sedans." In the world of electric cars, that's "affordable." In promoting the Leaf, Nissan has focused on the fact that it is a "zero emission" vehicle—a traditional environmental pitch. (WSJ, 12/16/09)

China Building Nuclear Plants To Fight Global Warming

China plans to build three times as many nuclear power plants in the next ten years than the rest of the world combined. China’s civilian nuclear power industry operates 11 reactors and is planning to start construction on 10 new reactors each year. China is already the largest emitter of global warming causing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the expansion of nuclear power will slow the increase in emissions. Center staff travelled to China in 2007 and toured the Daya Bay nuclear power plant facility and the state-of-the-art Pebble Bed Modular Reactor located about 40 miles from Beijing.

The China National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) oversees nuclear power plant operations and China has a strong safety record. According to the division of nuclear installation safety at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, China welcomes foreign inspectors to its reactors.

China has two rival state-owned nuclear power giants: the China National Nuclear Corporation, mainly in northeastern China, and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, mainly in southeastern China. Daya Bay nuclear power plant in Guangdong uses French designs and is run by China Guangdong Nuclear. China National Nuclear has close ties to Russia.

Today, China’s nuclear plants can produce about nine gigawatts of power when operating at full capacity, supplying about 2.7 percent of the country’s electricity. Three years ago, the government set a goal of increasing that capacity more than fourfold by 2020. The government will soon announce a further increase in its targets, to 70 gigawatts of capacity by 2020 and 400 gigawatts by 2050.

Electrical demand is growing so rapidly in China that even if the industry manages to meet the ambitious 2020 target, nuclear stations will still generate only 9.7 percent of the country’s power, by the government’s projections.

According to specialists at the International Energy Agency in Paris, bringing so much nuclear power online over the next decade would reduce the country’s energy-related emissions of global warming gases by about 5 percent, compared with the emissions that would be produced by burning coal to generate the power. But the economy is growing so fast that even if the country can meet its goals, total emissions will rise 72 to 88 percent by 2020. (NYT, 12/15/09)

Eugene Robinson Gets It Wrong With "Palin's Climategate"

The Washington Post Op Ed Columnist Eugene Robinson sought to paint candidate-for-the-2012-presidency Sarah Palin as an advocate for climate change mitigation measures when she was the governor of Alaska. He does this in an apparent effort to paint her as a hypocrite now for advocating against manmade global warming and President Obama's efforts to constructively address the real problem. Sorry Eugene, but you got it wrong.

When government officials want to bury a real issue, they issue Executive Orders or establish 'special' offices or commissions to address it. That is what Sarah Palin did in Alaska. So Robinson's notion that she was taking the issue seriously is faulty. Okay, so she put some lofty rhetoric in the toothless administrative order and established a powerless subCabinet. These are the actions of inaction in our opinion. If she were serious, she would have sponsored legislation to establish a serious cap and trade program in Alaska much as the Northeastern states did in establishing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). So she has been consistent in her opposition to seriously addressing man-induced climate change.

Sorry Eugene. You missed the mark on this one. (Wash Post, 12/15/09)

Obama Nominates Ostendorff To NRC

President Obama nominated William Charles Ostendorff to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the remainder of resigning Commissioner Dale Klein's term, which expires on June 30, 2011. His nomination was sent to the Senate on Dec 12, 2009.

Mr. William (Bill) C. Ostendorff, left, previously served as Counsel and Staff Director for the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. In 2002, Ostendorff retired from the Navy and joined the Institute for Defense Analyses. From 1999-2002, he served as Director of the Division of Mathematics and Science at the United States Naval Academy. From 1998-1999, he commanded Submarine Squadron Six in Norfolk, Virginia. From 1996-1998, he was Director of the Submarine Force Atlantic Prospective Commanding Officer School. He served on six submarines, including command of the USS NORFOLK (SSN 714) from 1992-1995.

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Ostendorff graduated from the United States Naval Academy with Merit in 1976, with a B.S. in Systems Engineering. He received a J.D. from the University of Texas (Order of the Coif) and an LLM with Distinction in International and Comparative Law from the Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Ostendorff and his wife reside in Oakton, Virginia, and have three children. (DOE-NNSA)

Ocean Acidification Due To Increased CO2 Emissions

Acidification of the oceans is a major threat to marine life and humanity's food supply

1. Up to one half of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by burning fossil fuels over the past 200 years has been absorbed by the world's oceans

2. Absorbed CO2 in seawater (H2O) forms carbonic acid (H2CO3), lowering the water's pH level and making it more acidic

3. This raises the hydrogen ion concentration in the water, and limits organisms' access to carbonate ions, which are needed to form hard parts

Ocean chemistry is changing because water absorbs extra CO2 from the air. The increasing concentration of CO2 [in the air] is making the oceans more acidic. This is likely to affect the capacity of organisms including molluscs, coral and plankton to form "hard parts" of calcium carbonate. It affects marine life, it affects coral, and that in turn could affect the amount of fish in the sea - and a billion people in the world depend on fish for their principal source of protein.

Concentrations in the atmosphere are now about 30% higher than in pre-industrial times; a proportion of this is absorbed by seawater, which results in rising concentrations of carbonic acid. As a result, the pH of seawater has fallen by about 0.1, and a further change of 0.3-0.4 is expected by the end of the century.

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

* Up to 50% of the CO2 released by burning fossil fuels over the past 200 years has been absorbed by the world's oceans

* This has lowered the pH value of seawater - the measure of acidity and alkalinity - by 0.1

* The vast majority of liquids lie between pH 0 (very acidic) and pH 14 (very alkaline); 7 is neutral

* Seawater is mildly alkaline with a "natural" pH of about 8.2

* The IPCC forecasts that ocean pH will fall by "between 0.14 and 0.35 units over the 21st Century, adding to the present fall of 0.1 units since pre-industrial times"

(BBC News, 12/14/09)

China Is A Developed Nation But Pretending To Be Undeveloped To Get Climate Change Benefits

China is the most developed nation on Earth with 20 city municipality populations with over 7 million people. They also feed 1.4 billion people every single day. They feed them well and export food and many other products all over the world. They have a space program and intend to land men on the Moon soon. They have nuclear weapons and a powerful military apparatus. So why are they called a 'developing' nation? Regardless, we know why they call themselves that within the context of the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change: More money.

China has been the chief beneficiary of the U.N.'s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)whereby rich developed countries can invest in carbon-abatement projects in poor countries and get carbon credits that can be traded. China is also demanding billions in subsidies at the Copenhagen climate conference. Developing nations walked out of the talks at the conference today over the issues of how and who will pay for reducing global warming and which countries will benefit from the developments of new technologies.

The question about China's development status and the dispute at the climate conference has called into question the legitimacy of the entire U.N. process created as a way to help poor countries pay for the costly upgrades needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In theory, the credits are a way for rich countries to meet their domestic greenhouse gas commitment by paying for a carbon abatement project in a poor country that wouldn't have been built otherwise. But critics say the system has been distorted and abused, saying that China has sought to unfairly get investments for projects that fail to meet the U.N.'s standards because they would have been profitable to build anyway. (WSJ, 12/14/09)

ExxonMobil Buys XTO Energy For $41 Billion

Exxon Mobil is buying XTO Energy, a natural gas producer, for $31 billion in stock and the assumption of $10 billion in debt. Under the terms of the deal, Exxon will pay XTO shareholders .7098 common shares for each of their XTO shares, a 25 percent premium to Friday’s closing price.

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, plans hearings next year to examine the Exxon acquisition of XTO Energy and "unconventional extraction techniques (hydraulic fracturing)." There is concern that about hydraulic fracturing’s effect on groundwater. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA] have introduced a bill during the last two congressional sessions that would subject fracturing to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Under the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2009 (HR 2766) and Senate companion Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act (S. 1215), companies would be required to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.

Under change-in-control provisions in his contract, XTO Chairman Bob R. Simpson will get a $23 million bonus and $10.8 million in salary, plus various other payments. (WSJ, 12/14/09)

EPA Acid Rain Cap & Trade Program Still Reducing SO2

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in a new report today that power plants across the country decreased emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a precursor to acid rain, to 7.6 million tons in 2008. Emissions from sources in the Acid Rain Program fell by 52 percent compared with 1990 levels and are already below the statutory annual emission cap of 8.95 million tons set for compliance in 2010. Key achievements of the program include:

· All 3,572 electric generating units subject to the program’s SO2 requirements held enough allowances to cover their SO2 emissions, resulting in 100 percent compliance in 2008;

· Emission reductions under the Acid Rain Program have led to improvements in air quality with significant benefits to human health; and

· Sensitive water bodies in the east are showing signs of recovery from acidification.

The Acid Rain Program was established under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and requires major emission reductions of SO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the electric power industry. The program sets a permanent cap on the total amount of SO2 that may be emitted by electric generating units in the United States, and includes provisions for trading and banking allowances. The program is phased in, with a final 2010 SO2 cap set at 8.95 million tons, a level of about one-half of the emissions from the power sector in 1980.

More information on the Acid Rain Program report

George Soros Proposes $110 Billion Cash For Poor Nations To Address Climate Change Mitigation

Billionaire investor George Soros, right, has unveiled a proposal to the 192 nations meeting at the Copenhagen climate change conference to provide up to $US110 billion in cash for poor countries to help them develop climate-friendly technology.

He suggested that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) use its gold reserves as the collateral for green loans. Under his proposal, countries would hand over their special drawing rights - international foreign currency assets distributed by the IMF as loans. (Australia Network News, 12/11/09)

Island Nations Submit Draft Treaty at Copenhagen Conference

The Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSNET), the coalition of 43 small island states, has issued their own plan for a legal post-Kyoto Protocol treaty that includes mandatory emission cuts for both developed and major developing countries and an increased temperature target of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Established in 1997, the primary goal of SIDSnet is to support the sustainable development of SIDS through enhanced information and communication technology. SIDSNet responds to several critical challenges faced by small islands including (1) remoteness, isolation and geographic dispersion, (2) poor connectivity and data management, particularly through ICT, (3) limited human and technological capacity, and (4) the need for greater international recognition and assistance in reducing SIDS’ economic and environmental vulnerability.

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is also promoting a "Declaration On Climate Change 2009." On 21 September 2009, the UN Secretary-General's Climate Summit, AOSIS convened a one day High-Level Summit on Climate Change to review the current status of negotiations on climate change. The declaration expresses that AOSIS members are "alarmed, disturbed and disappointed" at the lack of progress made to date on addressing their concerns. Serious adverse impacts are already being felt by island states at the current 0.8°C of warming, including coastal erosion, flooding, coral bleaching and more frequent and intense extreme weather events.

Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action

The Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action (AWF-LCA), which is commissioned to draft a post Kyoto Protocol Treaty, has edited a 180-page draft negotiation document down to six pages. The draft text, authored by Michael Zammit Cutajar, right, the chair of AWF-LCA, outlines the critical questions that need to be resolved before the talks end Dec. 18, 2009.

The new document still proposes multiple options establishes the parameters for what both industrialized and major developing countries would do to address climate change, and outlines how richer nations could finance climate actions by poorer ones. The Cutajar draft stipulates that the world should seek to keep global temperatures from rising beyond a ceiling of either 2.7 or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels. It offers several possible targets developed countries could use for cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, compared to 1990 levels: by a range of 25 to 40 percent; by 30 percent; by 40 percent; or by 45 percent. The draft also says that major developing countries should cut their carbon output by between 15 and 30 percent in the same period, compared to business as usual. (Wash Post, 12/11/09)

The report of the AWG-LCA on its seventh session including an annex which compiles the texts arising out of the session

Provisional agenda and annotations

The Kerry, Lieberman & Graham Climate Change Legislation

Well evidently, there's no real legislation yet, but they have a 'framework.'

Senators John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) announced a 'framework' for legislation yesterday at a press conference that would cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by about 17 percent compared to 2005 levels by 2020. The House passed legislation last summer with the same reduction level and President Obama is proposing the same 17 percent reduction at the Copenhagen conference.

Senators Lieberman, Kerry and Graham also favor expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, an increase in nuclear-power plants and more money for research to reduce emissions from coal plants. The Center opposes expanded offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. We support nuclear power plants and we support research and development to reduce emissions from coal plants.

EPA Releases Final Specification for WaterSense New Homes

This will help homeowners increase water efficiency and save on their utility bills

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final WaterSense single-family new homes specification today, creating the first national, voluntary, water-efficiency specification for an entire new home. Home builders can now partner with EPA and earn the WaterSense label for their newly built homes, helping to create livable communities and quality homes that are easy to maintain. These homes will save homeowners as much as $200 a year on utility bills compared to their current homes.

EPA worked with hundreds of stakeholders over the past three years to develop this specification, which was designed to complement existing green building programs. WaterSense labeled new homes, which will be 20 percent more efficient than typical new homes, must be independently inspected and certified by an EPA licensed certification provider to meet the WaterSense criteria for water efficiency and performance.

The new homes will feature WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures, Energy Star qualified appliances (if installed), water-efficient landscaping, and hot water delivery systems that deliver hot water faster, so homeowners don’t waste water—or energy—waiting at the tap.

By investing in WaterSense labeled homes, American home buyers can reduce their water usage by more than 10,000 gallons per year—enough to fill a backyard swimming pool—and save enough energy annually to power a television for four years. If the approximately 1.27 million new homes built in the United States each year were WaterSense labeled, it would save more than 12 billion gallons of water.

With this announcement, EPA is inviting home builders to join the WaterSense program and commit to building water-efficient new homes. WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people simple ways to use less water.

More information on WaterSense labeled new homes

Video about the WaterSense new homes specification

Obama & Jackson Hold Public Meetings Before Copenhagen

President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson held a series of important meetings with members of the American public before leaving for Copenhagen, Denmark to work on a follow up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. The Center was invited to participate in these discussions and briefings.

Last week, President Obama sponsored a "Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth" at The White House that included a discussion on "The Innovation Agenda and Green Jobs of the Future." This discussion included a breakout group to discuss new ideas for creating green jobs through encouraging energy efficiency and investment in renewable technologies. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner moderated the discussion.

President Barack Obama met with former Vice President Al Gore at The White House on Monday to discuss Copenhagen. President Obama left on Wednesday to go to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The former vice president won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work in combatting climate change.

On Monday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people (Endangerment Finding). She made the announcement at briefings before the press and stakeholders at the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, President Obama met with environmental leaders and U.S. business leaders at The White Hosue to discuss climate change.

Administrator Jackson spoke at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference on Wednesday, December 9. The president will be at the summit of world leaders on Dec. 18.

The Devastating Effects of Shade On Solar Panels

Even small amounts of shade can cause major power interruption in a solar array. If you shade only one cell in a module you will likely see a 33% power reduction from that module. If you shade a row of cells in one module, you will see a devastating 90% power reduction. The even bigger problem is that every module in the series string will see the same power reduction. So when that chimney casts a shadow over one row of cells on the last module in a string of 13, you lose 90% of the power to ALL 13 modules

Micro-Inverters (like Enphase) and the National Semiconductor SolarMagic control can help minimize the power loss due to shading, but solar pros agree that every effort should be made to ensure ALL modules are shade free between the hours of 9AM and 3PM.

Even shadows from power lines and bird poop (especially pigeons!) can cause a noticeable power reduction. (AEE Solar)

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Remarks to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

12/09/2009 As Prepared For Delivery.

FULL STATEMENT

Excerpts

I'm very glad to be here in Copenhagen. After decades of mounting evidence, climate change has now become a household issue. Parents across the United States and around the world are concerned for their children and grandchildren. Our governments are investing billions in mitigation and adaptation strategies. Our businesses are investing billions in efforts to increase efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions. And our security experts are preparing for new hotspots of instability and violent conflict.

If we do not act to reduce greenhouse gases, the planet we leave to the next generation will be a very different place than the one we know today. Just as the fates of our individual economies are connected in one global destiny, so is the fate of our environment. We know that the emissions from automobiles on American highways contribute to the same urgent environmental problem as peat bogs in Indonesia and deforested farmland in the Amazon – or booming industrial centers in China and India. In this global challenge, each of us bears responsibilities that extend well beyond our individual borders.

As a start, we are working to revitalize and refashion the U.S. economy for the low-carbon, clean energy future. The Recovery Act Congress passed to pull our nation up and out of our economic downturn contains more than $80 billion for renewable energy projects. That represents the largest single investment in renewable energy in American history. We have sparked the development of solar and wind generation, the construction of efficient smart grid infrastructure to deliver clean energy, and the production and use of electric batteries for our automobiles.

One week after finalizing our greenhouse gas registry, I signed a proposed rule to focus a requirement for best available greenhouse gas emissions controls on large facilities being constructed or modified. That will help control the greenhouse gas emissions from sectors that account for nearly 70 percent of our non-vehicle emissions. And the results won’t just be emissions cuts. We will also promote emerging innovations and accelerate the use of efficient, clean technologies – in the United States and around the world.

Finally, I’m proud to say that – hours before I stepped on the plane to come here, I announced EPA’s finalized endangerment finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to our health and welfare.

General Accounting Office Findings on Nuclear Waste Storage

The General Accounting Office (GAO) has presented findings (not recommendations) in a new report on the storage of nuclear waste. The report, "NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT: Key Attributes, Challenges, and Costs for the Yucca Mountain Repository and Two Potential Alternatives," includes the following findings:

- The construction of a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain would provide a permanent solution for nuclear waste that could allow the government to begin taking possession of the nuclear waste in 10 to 30 years.

- Centralized storage at two locations provides an alternative that could be implemented within 10 to 30 years, allowing more time to consider final disposal options.

- On-site storage would provide an alternative requiring little change from the status quo, but would face increasing challenges over time.

- Extended on-site storage could introduce possible risks to the safety and security of the waste as the storage systems degrade and the waste decays, potentially requiring new maintenance and security measures. GAO estimated the 2009 present value cost of on-site storage of 153,000 metric tons at the end of 100 years to range from $13 billion to $34 billion but increasing to between $20 billion and $97 billion with final geologic disposal.

- Reprocessing nuclear waste could potentially reduce, but not eliminate, the amount of waste for disposal.

- The consensus of the international scientific community is that geologic disposal is the preferred long-term nuclear waste management alternative.

DEVELOPMENTS:

- On March 1, President Obama's new energy secretary, Steven Chu, announced intentions to scrap Yucca Mountain in favor of convening a panel of experts to explore other options. - In November, the SRS Community Reuse Organization released a paper calling for more conversation about what might happen next, and whether SRS will play a role in waste disposition.

- Earlier this week, a Government Accountability Office report said that two centralized storage sites could be an alternative to Yucca Mountain and that longer-term storage at existing sites could buy time until a permanent solution is found.

BACKGROUND:

In June 2008, the U.S. Energy Department delivered a formal application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build the nation's first national repository for high-level radioactive waste at Nevada's Yucca Mountain. The 8,600-page application represents a $13.5 billion taxpayer investment spanning two decades. If it is built, radioactive material stored at 80 temporary sites in 35 states -- including Savannah River Site -- would have a permanent resting place.

CENTER POSITION:

The Center supports Yucca Mountain as the singular repository for the nation's nuclear waste. We support reprocessing at Yucca Mountain. We oppose the two alternative site findings by GAO. We promote, through the Nuclear Fuels Reprocessing Coaltion (NFRC), moving nuclear waste management out of DOE and into a newly created Nuclear Waste Management Agency. (Augusta Chronicle, 12/7/09, photo: Center President Norris McDonald at Yucca Mountain in 2003)

EPA Federal Facilities Stormwater Management Guidance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidance to help federal agencies minimize the impact of federal development projects on nearby water bodies. The guidance is being issued in response to a change in law and an Executive Order signed by President Obama, which calls upon all federal agencies to lead by example to address a wide range of environmental issues, including stormwater runoff.

EPA worked closely with other federal agencies to develop this document, which provides background information, key definitions, case studies and guidance on meeting the new requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Under the new requirements, federal agencies must minimize stormwater runoff from federal development projects to protect water resources. Federal agencies can comply using a variety of stormwater management practices often referred to as “green infrastructure” or “low impact development” practices, including reducing impervious surfaces, using vegetative practices, using porous pavements and installing green roofs.

EPA is using sustainable techniques for reducing the effects of stormwater runoff at its facilities, such as installing a 3,000 square foot green roof as well as using rain gardens and cisterns to capture and reuse stormwater. Stormwater runoff in urban and suburban areas is one of the leading sources of water pollution in the United States. Runoff can cause increased flooding and erosion and more pollution to surface waters. More information on the guidance.

CREW Profiles Former Bush Officials

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today released a report, "Smoke Screen," that profiles many of the former Bush officials and the roles they are now playing on behalf of oil, gas, mining and other powerful energy interests. CREW’s Smoke Screen report examines the critical positions several of these former Bush officials held on key bodies such as the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). According to CREW’s report, at least 22 former Bush-era climate officials have moved into lobbying or government relations. Fourteen of them are registered lobbyists.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

Tailoring Rule & Prevention of Significant Deterioration

In addition to the 'Endangerment Finding' announced by EPA today, the agency indicated it would soon finalize a new "Tailoring Rule" that will set a greenhouse-gas-emissions threshold for regulators at 25,000 tons a year. This is designed to target the largest emitters in the country. The EPA says that would mean around 13,600 coal-burning power stations, crude refineries, metal smelters and other industrial facilities would come under existing regulations. Specifically, for any new construction or modification that would affect greenhouse-gas emissions, companies would be required to apply for permits that include the "best available technology." The EPA is seen finalizing what is considered the best available technology in 2011.

The rule proposes new thresholds for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that define when Clean Air Act (CAA) permits under the New Source Review (NSR) and title V operating permits programs would be required for new or existing industrial facilities. The proposed thresholds would “tailor” the permit programs to limit which facilities would be required to obtain NSR and title V permits and would cover nearly 70 percent of the national GHG emissions that come from stationary sources, including those from the nation’s largest emitters—including power plants, refineries, and cement production facilities. Small farms, restaurants and many other types of small facilities would not be subject to these permitting programs.

Under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) portion of NSR—which is a permit program designed to minimize emissions from new sources and existing sources making major modifications—EPA is proposing a:

1. Major stationary source threshold of 25,000 tpy CO2e. This threshold level would be used to determine if a new facility or a major modification at an existing facility would trigger PSD permitting requirements.

2. Significance level between 10,000 and 25,000 tpy CO2e. Existing major sources making modifications that result in an increase of emissions above the significance level would be required to obtain a PSD permit. EPA is requesting comment on a range of values in this proposal, with the intent of selecting a single value for the GHG significance level.

(EPA, WSJ, 12/7/09)

How Is The World Going To Pay For Global Warming Mitigation?

Almost 200 nations are meeting in Copenhagen right now to develop a follow up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. Trillions of dollars will have to be spent to build more efficient energy deliver platforms and vehicles. At the same time societies will need to retrofit current infrastructure to reduce carbon footprints. Poorer countries insist there will be no environmental agreement unless wealthy countries help them adapt to the possible effects of global warming. Where is this money going to come from? The Center would like to see more defense spending monies directed to climate change mitigation (see Energy Defense Reservations)

Currently, the main source of support for vulnerable developing nations under the Kyoto Protocol is the Adaptation Fund. It is a levy on emission-reduction projects under the international carbon-trading program set up by the Kyoto Protocol. The levy gives 2% of the emission-reduction credits generated by, say, a new wind farm or a reforestation project to the Adaptation Fund, which then can sell the credits on the secondary market. It doesn't appear that an agreement will be reached in Copenhagen, but maybe a similar funding mechanism will be incorporated in Mexico in 2010. A Mexico Protocol should extend the Adaptation Fund.

The Adaptation Fund was established to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The Adaptation Fund is financed from the share of proceeds on the clean development mechanism project activities and other sources of funding. The share of proceeds amounts to 2% of certified emission reductions (CERs) issued for a CDM project activity. The Adaptation Fund is supervised and managed by the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB). The AFB is composed of 16 members and 16 alternates and meets at least twice a year. Upon invitation from Parties, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides secretariat services to the AFB and the World Bank serves as trustee of the Adaptation Fund. (WSJ, 12/7/09)

President Obama & EPA Administrator In Copenhagen

President Barack Obama will attend the end of the U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on Friday, December 18.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Perez Jackson will speak at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference on Wednesday, December 9. The them of Administrator Jackson's address is titled "Taking Action at Home."

EPA Hosts Events at the Copenhagen Climate Negotiations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host 13 events at the annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held at the U.S. Center in Copenhagen. The center will provide an interactive forum to highlight the strong steps being taken at home and the United States’ international leadership role to combat global climate change. EPA staff will be participating in and hosting side events throughout the conference, from December 7 until December 18. Topics to be covered include:

· U.S. government and state climate efforts

· U.S. fuel efficiency policy

· Climate change and air quality

· Greenhouse gas inventories, measurement and reporting

· Short-lived climate forcers and their impact on the Arctic

· Impacts of, and adaptation responses to, climate change

The U.S. Center is hosted by the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the White House and multiple federal departments and agencies. There will be more than 70 events during the conference with topics ranging from energy efficiency investments and global commitments to renewables policy and clean energy jobs. This diplomatic initiative also involves participation by academic institutions, scientific and research laboratories, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.

Information on the EPA Administrator’s Copenhagen Schedule

Information on EPA’s events in Copenhagen

Information on the U.S. Center and webcasts of all U.S. Center events

EPA Endangerment Finding Released - Light Trucks Targeted

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from new light-duty vehicles contribute to that threat. Along with the endangerment finding, EPA now has to figure out how it will regulate carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act.

Center President Norris McDonald participated in the briefing today with Administrator Jackson at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Adminstrator Jackson briefed the press, then stakeholders and announced that she was leaving for Copenhagen immediately after the briefing. EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Gina McCarthy answered questions in the Office of Environmental Information Chesapeake Conference Room.

The proposed program covers model years 2012 - 2016 and includes miles per gallon (mpg) requirements under the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. The overall light-duty vehicle fleet would reach 35.5 mpg in model year 2016, if all reductions were made through fuel economy improvements. This increase in fuel economy was authorized by The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (accelerated by President Obama).

On-road vehicles contribute more than 23 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions. EPA’s proposed GHG standards for light-duty vehicles, a subset of on-road vehicles, would reduce GHG emissions by nearly 950 million metric tons and conserve 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of model year 2012-2016 vehicles.

EPA’s endangerment finding covers emissions of six key greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of scrutiny and intense analysis for decades by scientists in the United States and around the world.

EPA’s final findings respond to the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision that GHGs fit within the Clean Air Act definition of air pollutants. The findings do not in and of themselves impose any emission reduction requirements but rather allow EPA to finalize the GHG standards proposed earlier this year for new light-duty vehicles as part of the joint rulemaking with the Department of Transportation.

GHGs are the primary driver of climate change, which can lead to hotter, longer heat waves that threaten the health of the sick, poor or elderly; increases in ground-level ozone pollution linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses; as well as other threats to the health and welfare of Americans.

Scientific consensus shows that as a result of human activities, GHG concentrations in the atmosphere are at record high levels and data shows that the Earth has been warming over the past 100 years, with the steepest increase in warming in recent decades. The evidence of human-induced climate change goes beyond observed increases in average surface temperatures; it includes melting ice in the Arctic, melting glaciers around the world, increasing ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, acidification of the oceans due to excess carbon dioxide, changing precipitation patterns, and changing patterns of ecosystems and wildlife.

EPA issued the proposed findings in April 2009 and held a 60-day public comment period. The agency received more than 380,000 comments, which were carefully reviewed and considered during the development of the final findings.

Information on EPA’s findings

India To Cut Emissions Intensity 20% - 25% By 2020

India says it will cut emissions intensity 20%-25% by 2020, but will not accept legally binding targets. India opposes binding carbon-emissions cuts at the cost of slowing economic growth.

India also won't accept an agreement that stipulates the setting of a "peaking year" for emissions. A peaking year implies the setting of a date beyond which a nation must begin reducing emissions. We just don't get this. How do you 'reduce emissions without reducing emissions?'

In order to 'reduce emissions without reducing emissions,' India intends to:

Legislate mandatory fuel-efficiency standards for all vehicles by December 2011.

Recommend mandatory green building codes to states and municipal administrations.

Make amendments to the Energy Conservation Act to enable emissions-intensity reductions and report regularly on the state of the country's forests.

Ensure 50% of all new power-plant capacity will be based on clean-coal technology.

The Chinese have pledged a 45% reduction in its 'carbon intensity' by 2020. (WSJ, 12/4/09)

Former President Bill Clinton's 'Cash for Caulkers' Program

Former President Bill Clinton and others have suggested a cash-for-clunkers style initiative that would task construction workers and contractors with weatherizing homes. By employing unspent stimulus funds, Clinton's plan, popularly known as "Cash For Caulkers," involves weatherizing houses and apartments, as well as commercial and industrial buildings. Depending on how many property owners take up the initiative, the plan could not only provide jobs to the hard-hit construction sector, it would limit carbon emissions and reduce owners' energy costs.

The idea was discussed at President Obama's Jobs Summit on Thursday. (WSJ, 12/4/09)

President Obama Shifts Time For Copenhagen Participation

President Obama has made a bold decision to shift his participation in the U.N. Copenhagen, Denmark Climate Change Conference from the beginning to the end. Based on his conversations with other leaders and the progress that has already been made to give momentum to negotiations, the President believes that continued US leadership can be most productive through his participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference on December 18th rather than on December 9th. The Center applauds this decision and supports the goals of Copenhagen to establish a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

President Obama believes that all nations have a responsibility to combat the threat of climate change. He has already taken unprecedented action to do so at home, including an historic investment in clean energy solutions that will reduce our dependence on oil and create jobs. Abroad, he has engaged leaders bilaterally and multilaterally on the issue of climate change, and agreed to participate in the climate conference in Copenhagen.

After months of diplomatic activity, there is progress being made towards a meaningful Copenhagen accord in which all countries pledge to take action against the global threat of climate change. Following bilateral meetings with the President and since the United States announced an emissions reduction target that reflects the progress being made in Congress towards comprehensive energy legislation, China and India have for the first time set targets to reduce their carbon intensity. There has also been progress in advancing the Danish proposal for an immediate, operational accord that covers all of the issues under negotiation, including the endorsement of key elements of this approach by the 53 countries represented at the Commonwealth Summit last weekend.

This week, the President discussed the status of the negotiations with Prime Minister Rudd, Chancellor Merkel, President Sarkozy, and Prime Minister Brown and concluded that there appears to be an emerging consensus that a core element of the Copenhagen accord should be to mobilize $10 billion a year by 2012 to support adaptation and mitigation in developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable and least developed countries that could be destabilized by the impacts of climate change. The United States will pay its fair share of that amount and other countries will make substantial commitments as well. In Copenhagen, we also need to address the need for financing in the longer term to support adaptation and mitigation in developing countries. Providing this assistance is not only a humanitarian imperative – it’s an investment in our common security, as no climate change accord can succeed if it does not help all countries reduce their emissions.

There are still outstanding issues that must be negotiated for an agreement to be reached, but this decision reflects the President’s commitment to doing all that he can to pursue a positive outcome. The United States will have representation in Copenhagen throughout the negotiating process by State Department negotiators and Cabinet officials who will highlight the great strides we have made this year towards a clean energy economy. (Source: The White House)

Obama Administration Forum On Jobs & Economic Growth

The Obama Administration is holding a Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth today at the White House. The forum is an opportunity for the President and the economic team to hear from some of the leading CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, nonprofit heads and thinkers about ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work.

FORUM ON JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH SCHEDULE:

1:20 pm OPENING SESSION – Remarks by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Video, Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden and Remarks by President Barack Obama

Eisenhower Executive Office Building, South Court Auditorium

2:00 pm DISCUSSIONS ON JOBS

The Innovation Agenda and Green Jobs of the Future - Building on the historic energy technology in the Recovery Act, the jobs summit will include a breakout group to discuss new and additional ideas for creating green jobs, including through encouraging energy efficiency and investment in renewable technologies.

Moderator: Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, Carol Browner
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Paving the Road for Small Business Job Growth - Over the course of the last few weeks, the Administration has announced several initiatives to increase access to capital for small businesses in communities across the country. In addition to making government funds available to small banks and supporting an increase in the SBA loans that have provided essential funding, the economic team looks forward to hearing from small business leaders and others about what additional steps would be most effective in encouraging small businesses to taking the next step in hiring.

Moderator: Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner and Small Business Administration Administrator, Karen Mills
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Creating Jobs through the Rebuilding of America’s Infrastructure -The Recovery Act has been a successful tool in putting Americans back to work in communities across the country and investment in infrastructure will continue to reap benefits through 2010. The breakout group will focus on the best ways to make infrastructure investment a longer term commitment to helping the economy continue on a path to recovery.

Moderator: Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag
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Expanding Job Opportunities for American Workers Through Exports - There is no question that the rebuilt American economy needs to be more export driven and less consumption driven in order for the United States to continue to have strong and sustainable job creation and economic growth. The forum will have a breakout group focused on how we can continue to take advantage of the rebound in global trade and how to change the tide from consumption driven to export driven growth.

Moderator: Director of the National Economic Council, Lawrence Summers and President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Fred Hochberg
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Encouraging Business Competitiveness and Job Creation - There are limits to what government can and should do, even during such difficult times and the importance over the long term of the partnership between the public and private sectors. This breakout will be a substantive discussion on ways to encourage businesses to invest and create jobs.

Moderator: Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Christina Romer
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Preparing Workers and Strengthening Main Street - As the economy recovers, we need to take the necessary steps to retrain workers in fields that are no longer growing and better prepare the next generation of the workforce for the jobs and economy of the future. This session will focus on the challenges facing main street as it seeks to prosper, grow and create jobs.

Moderator: Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis and Director of White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes
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3:45 pm CLOSING SESSION – Remarks by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke & Remarks and Discussion led by President Barack Obama

Eisenhower Executive Office Building, South Court Auditorium

Phil Jones Steps Down & Michael Mann In Retreat

Professor Phil Jones, left, who heads the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia in the U.K. has stepped down in the wake of the university's inquiry into allegations of misconduct in climate change research. The investigation comes after e-mails between scientists at the CRU were hacked and posted online by climate change sceptics, who claim the exchanges show that CRU researchers suppressed data in order to prove global warming was man-made.

Dr. Michael Mann, right, is being investigated by Penn State University about his comments in the more than one thousand emails released on the Internet in what is now being called Climategate. Professor Mann, who serves as the director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State, featured prominently in many of the emails making controversial comments that could confound the climate change data establishing global warming as being absolutely man-made. He is the author of the ‘Hockey Stick’ graph that was used by Al Gore in “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Dr. Phil Jones and Dr. Michael Mann are at the center of the Climategat controversy. Unfortunately, if compromised data was used by the CRU, then it could call into question some global warming research. The Center does not believe the Climategate email scandal compromises the conclusion that global warming is real and getting worse.

(WSJ, 12/2/09, TimesOnLine, 12/2/09)