Proposed Climate Intervention Techniques Not Ready for Wide-Scale Deployment

<> Proposed Climate Intervention Techniques Not Ready for Wide-Scale Deployment - Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is still the most effective, least risky way to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, concludes a two-volume report from a National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council committee that evaluated proposed techniques to either remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or increase the ability of Earth or clouds to reflect incoming sunlight Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth New Report on Geoengineering a "Significant Milestone" – SRMGI - Experts with the Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative (SRMGI) praised the underlying significance of the report. Climate engineering: it could be a money-making opportunity for business - The longer we take to tackle climate change, the more likely we our to need climate intervention technologies.

First Round of UN Climate Talks in 2015 Begin in Geneva

<> First Round of UN Climate Talks in 2015 Begin in Geneva - Countries began their next round of UN climate change talks on Sunday, in Geneva, where they will continue work to advance the draft text of a new, universal climate change agreement which they are due to conclude at the end of this year -- the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) is meeting from February 8 – 13. Geneva Climate Change Conference - February 2015 Efficiency at Day 2 of ADP2.8 - Day two of the UN climate change negotiations, or according to Kiribati the "most crucial meeting for humanity", in Geneva saw a greater sense of urgency.

Daily Environment ReportT 2015 Outlook

<> Daily Environment Report™ 2015 Outlook - [Bloomberg/BNA] The 2015 Outlook offers a comprehensive exploration of all the top issues facing the environment and energy industry. [Register for this free 60-page report of legislative and regulatory changes to come in 2015].

2015 edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook

<> 2015 edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook - Produced for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, provides up-to-date, accurate market intelligence about the broad range of industries — energy efficiency, renewable energy and natural gas — that are contributing to the country's move towards cleaner energy production and more efficient energy usage. News release from Business Council for Sustainable Energy

Inhofe, Shuster Call for Withdrawal of WOTUS Rule

<> Inhofe, Shuster Call for Withdrawal of WOTUS Rule - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works released the following joint statement with U.S. Representative Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, following the Senate-House hearing on the Administration's proposed rule to expand federal regulation of waters under the Clean Water Act the proposal's potential impacts on state and local governments The Hearing website: webcast & testimony Sen. Boxer statement EPA Waters of the United States (WOTUS) website

Congressional Hearing On EPA-USCOE Proposed WOTUS Rule

<> Administrator McCarthy to Testify in Front of House-Senate Joint Hearing on the Clean Water Rule - U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy will testify today in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the U.S. and the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the proposed Clean Water Rule (WOTUS Rule). House-Senate Joint Hearing on State & Local Impacts of Administration's Proposed Expansion of Waters Regulation   U.S. EPA Waters of the United States website

President's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget & Congressional Reaction

<> 5 New Things About the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget - Here are five things that are new and different about the Fiscal Year 2016 budget. All of the data in the FY 2016 budget in an easy, machine-readable format on GitHub, a website for hosting open-source projects The Full Budget The White House has a better, interactive way to actually "see" the budget Fact Sheet for the EPA, proposed budget of $8.6 billion Fact Sheet: Building a Clean Energy Economy, Improving Energy Security, and Taking Action on Climate Change U.S. EPA Summary Details (20-pages) FY 2016 EPA Budget in Brief (124-pages) EPA FY 2016 Congressional Justification (1185-pages) Department of Energy Summary Details (46-pages)

<> Speaker Boehner Statement on President Obama's Budget - Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) released the following statement on President Obama's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal: "Today President Obama laid out a plan for more taxes, more spending, and more of the Washington gridlock. . . McConnell Statement on the President's Budget and Coal - The new Congress will focus on ways to help the Middle Class instead as we work to pass the serious kind of budget all Americans deserve: one that roots out and reforms wasteful spending, and that aims to grow Middle-Class jobs and opportunity instead of Washington's bureaucracy. Chairman Smith: President's Budget Pushes Partisan Agenda - Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) Blackburn Statement on President Obama's Proposed Budget - Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who is a member of the House Budget Committee Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee - "The president has already spent more than $120 billion on climate change initiatives since taking office, and I will not support any special funds, including the $500 million for the Green Climate Fund, to further his climate agenda that is eroding states' rights and making it unnecessarily difficult to do business in America. . ." Murkowski Responds to President Obama's "Groundhog Day" Budget of $2.1 Trillion in New Taxes – ". . .more taxes, bigger government, less spending restraint, and the President ignoring the law. . ."

White House Establishing A New Flood Standard for Federal Investments

<> A New Flood Standard for Federal Investments Will Help Communities Weather Climate Change, Extreme Storms - The White House is building on that experience by releasing a new flood risk management standard for new and rebuilt federally funded structures in and around floodplains. FACT SHEET: Taking Action to Protect Communities and Reduce the Cost of Future Flood Disasters Executive Order – Establishing a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and Considering Stakeholder Input - Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) - Prior to implementation of FFRMS, additional input from stakeholders will be solicited and considered via a comment period and public meetings Executive Order to Strengthen Flood Risk Standard Smart Move - a move the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said will help make communities more resilient to climate change and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

Senate Approves, S.1, Keystone XL Pipeline Act 62-36

<> Senate Approves, S.1, Keystone XL Pipeline Act 62-36 - 8 Democrats join Republicans to pass bill – here's the roll call Legislative details for S.1 Sen. Inhofe Statement on the Passage to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline - "I urge the House to quickly send this bill to the President's desk -- It is time for the President to put aside rhetoric and seize the opportunity to give his support to over 9.2 million hardworking Americans by making it law to build the remainder of the Keystone pipeline. . . Markey: Senate Should Move On from Keystone Export Pipeline Charade - Now that the U.S. Senate has approved the construction of the Canadian Keystone export pipeline – which the White House has said it would veto – Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) encouraged his colleagues to move forward on more pressing issues that affect middle class families and on energy policy that puts American consumers ahead of foreign oil companies. U-M expert available to discuss Keystone XL pipeline - Andy Hoffman, director of the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise said, "The Keystone pipeline will not substantively lower gas prices, reduce our dependence on foreign oil or create a significant number of jobs. And it will not significantly raise carbon dioxide emissions." API commends Senate passage bipartisan KXL bill, urges president to sign it NRDC: Keystone Bill Deserves Veto

Senate set for Thursday Keystone vote

<> Senate set for Thursday Keystone vote - The GOP still lacks the votes to override an imminent veto of its Keystone plan, and House leaders are undecided on whether to take a vote on the Senate version of the bill or to pursue the first bicameral conference talks of the new Congress. All Congressional Actions With Amendments On S.1 Keystone XL Pipeline Act Senate Floor Schedule for Thursday, January 29, 2015

Case Update: Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency

<> Case Update: Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency - In the U.S. Supreme Court, Docket No. 14-46. - Issue: Whether U.S. EPA unreasonably refused to consider costs in determining whether it is appropriate to regulate hazardous air pollutants emitted by electric utilities. Brief of petitioners Michigan, et al. filed

Keystone Vote Fails in Senate

<> Keystone Vote Fails in Senate - A key vote to advance legislation green-lighting the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline failed 53-39 in the Senate on Monday; A second attempt at advancing pro-KXL legislation also failed by 53-39 after the initial vote. 1st Roll Call Vote: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Murkowski Amdt. No. 2 ) 2nd Roll Call Vote: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on S. 1 ) Senate Schedule for Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - The Senate stands adjourned until 11:00am on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, and will resume consideration of S.1, a bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. . .

President Obama Calls on Congress to Protect Arctic Refuge as Wilderness

<> President Obama Calls on Congress to Protect Arctic Refuge as Wilderness - President Obama announced plans to ask Congress to designate core areas of  Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), known as "The Sacred Place Where Life Begins" to Alaska Native communities, as wilderness -- the majority of which is not protected as wilderness U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Charts Course for Growth of the National Wildlife Refuge System Final Strategic Growth Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge System Sens. Murkowski, Sullivan, & Rep. Young to Hold Press Conference on Obama Admin's Latest Assault on Alaska's Economic & Energy Future - U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young will hold a press conference on Monday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. in the Senate Radio and TV gallery to respond to the Obama administration's efforts to lock up millions of acres of the nation's richest oil and natural gas prospects on the Arctic coastal plain and move to block development of Alaska's offshore resources Murkowski: Obama, Jewell Declaring War on Alaska's Future - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) denounced President Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for launching an unprecedented assault on Alaska that will have long-lasting effects on the state's economy and the nation's energy security. Senator Boxer's Statement on ANWR Wilderness Protection Plan Sen. Inhofe's Statement on the Obama Administration's Grab of 12 million acres in ANWR

Energy Department Unveils More Than $55 Million to Advance Fuel Efficient Vehicle Technologies

<> Energy Secretary Moniz Unveils More Than $55 Million to Advance Fuel Efficient Vehicle Technologies – The technologies will play a key role in increasing fuel efficiency and reducing petroleum consumption, and support the Energy Department's EV Everywhere Grand Challenge to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable to own and operate as today's gasoline-powered vehicles by 2022 -- The Department will fund cost-shared projects with private industry, national laboratories, and university led-teams

Executive Order --- Enhancing Coordination of National Efforts in the Arctic

<> Executive Order --- Enhancing Coordination of National Efforts in the Arctic - The Arctic has critical long-term strategic, ecological, cultural, and economic value, and it is imperative that we continue to protect our national interests in the region, which include: national defense; sovereign rights and responsibilities; maritime safety; energy and economic benefits; environmental stewardship; promotion of science and research; and preservation of the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea as reflected in international law. Sen. Murkowski: White House's Arctic Focus Remains "Unbalanced" - "Today's Executive Order is a good step forward in strengthening the coordination of federal agencies on Arctic policy – and seeks direct input from Alaska's Arctic stakeholders – but it is unbalanced in what the Administration's Arctic priorities should be.

WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet, January 21, 2015 - National / International News

WIMS REPORTS EACH DAY ON National/International environment, energy & climate change news, along with all U.S. Appeals Courts' environmental decisions, important Federal Registers announcemsnts, Great Lakes news, detailed environmental happenings in Michigan and complete Michigan environmental legislative tracking. HERE'S today's complete National/International News section. For a free trial or to order (click here).

 

National / International News

<> ". . .no challenge -- no challenge -- poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. . ." – Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address, January 20, 2015: "let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year"  Watch: President Obama's 2015 State of the Union - "A brighter future is ours to write. Let's begin this new chapter -- together -- and let's start the work right now." Republicans' Responses Take Shots At Obamacare, Push Keystone XL - Joni Ernst, who in 2014 became the first woman elected to the Senate from Iowa, offered the Republican response to the State of the Union

<> House & Senate Bipartisan Infrastructure Bills - President Obama: "So let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan. . ." Delaney and Fitzpatrick Reintroduce Partnership to Build America Act for New Congress H.R.413 Senator Blunt, Bipartisan Group Urge President To Prioritize Job-Creating Infrastructure & Corporate Tax Solution

<> SOTU: A Missed Opportunity for Bipartisan, Constructive Engagement - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the President's State of the Union last night: "Last night, the American people heard two very different addresses. "One was focused on the middle class, and how Washington can work together in a serious way for better jobs, higher wages, and more opportunity. . ." Upton Responds to State of the Union Address - U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) issued the following statement this evening following President Obama's State of the Union address. . . Boxer Statement on President's State of the Union Address - U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement. . .

<> API highlights gaps in President Obama's remarks about oil and natural gas - President Obama's remarks about oil and natural gas in his 2015 State of the Union address fell short of acknowledging the true impact of our energy renaissance on the U.S. economy, said the American Petroleum Institute's President and CEO Jack Gerard. . . President is Right to Focus on Infrastructure Jobs, Not Keystone XL Pipeline - WASHINGTON (January 20, 2015) – The following is a statement from Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. . .

<> New clean energy investment surges 12% in 2014 - New investment in the global clean energy sector totalled $67.9 billion in Q4.14, a 4% increase on the corresponding quarter in 2013 ($65.2 billion). More significantly total investment for CY2014 increased 12% year-on-year to $274.2 billion, the highest annual investment volume since 2011.

<> Old ice in Arctic vanishingly rare - Decades ago, the majority of the Arctic's winter ice pack was made up of thick, perennial ice. Today, very old ice is extremely rare.

<> Rep. Israel Calls for Study on Health Risks of Synthetic Fields and Playgrounds - Steve Israel (D-NY) joined with local stakeholders to call on U.S. EPA to conduct a comprehensive analysis of health risks associated with turf fields and playgrounds that contain recycled tire material known as "tire crumb." EPA website: The Use of Recycled Tire Materials on Playgrounds & Artificial Turf Fields Environment and Human Health, Inc.website indicates ground-up rubber tires used as garden mulch and playground mulch remain a concern

<> Electronic Recyclers International Partners with United Nations University, US EPA and Basel Convention for Person in Port Project - The project focuses on identifying the types and amounts of e-waste imported, its functional status, how it is packaged, labeled and transported, its origin (exporting countries), and what will become of it once it arrives in Nigeria. Solving the E-Waste Problem Initiative (Step)

<> Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems – USGS reports that melting glaciers are not just impacting sea level, they are also affecting the flow of organic carbon to the world's oceans, according to new research that provides the first ever global-scale estimates for the storage and release of organic carbon from glaciers.

<> Senate Republicans Block Markey Amendment to Keep Keystone Oil, Gasoline Here for American Consumers, Security - After years of the oil industry claiming building Keystone XL would increase energy security, and after months of Senate Republicans promising an open amendment process in the U.S. Senate, Senate Republican leaders today blocked a vote on an amendment offered by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) to keep the Canadian tar sands oil that would be transported through Keystone and the refined gasoline, diesel and other fuels produced from that oil, here in America for our consumers. Access Senate Floor actions on S.1 - Keystone XL Pipeline Act