Thursday, April 11, 2013

Rep. Goodlatte's RFS Elimination & Reform Acts

Apr 10: Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) released introduced legislation to alter the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). He said, "The RFS debate is no longer just a debate about fuel or food. It is also a debate about jobs, small business, economic growth and freedom. The federal government's creation of an artificial market for the ethanol industry has quite frankly triggered a domino effect that is hurting American consumers, energy producers, livestock producers, food manufacturers, and retailers. Extreme drought last summer and record corn prices made it clear that the RFS is not working. 

    "Diverting feed stocks to fuel has diminished corn supplies for livestock and food producers resulting in higher corn prices.  Higher prices are then passed on to livestock and food producers, meaning consumers across the nation see that increase reflected in the price of food on the grocery store shelves and in restaurants.  At a time when our economy is still struggling to recover, the last thing families and small businesses need are costly government policies that increase their gasoline and grocery bills. Today, I introduced the RFS Elimination Act [H.R.1461], which eliminates the RFS and makes ethanol compete in a free market. This legislation would give relief to livestock and food producers as well as consumers of these products. Renewable fuels play an important role in our all-of-the-above energy policy, but should compete fairly in the marketplace and not be the beneficiary of an anti-competitive government mandate. American families and businesses should not have to shoulder the high cost of this unworkable federal ethanol mandate."

    The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be part of our nation's fuel supply by 2022. Almost all of this is currently being fulfilled by corn ethanol. In 2011, five billion bushels of the corn supply was used for ethanol -- equal to nearly 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop. Rep. Goodlatte also introduced the bipartisan RFS Reform Act (H.R.1462), which eliminates corn-based ethanol requirements, caps the amount of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline at 10 percent, and requires the EPA to set cellulosic biofuels levels at production levels. He said, "This is a common sense solution to make sure that we have enough corn supplies to meet all of our demands." Both the RFS Elimination Act and the RFS Reform Act will be referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

    According to a release from Rep. Goodlatte, the RFS Reform Act is supported by a diverse group of more than 45 organizations, including ActionAid USA, the American Frozen Food Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Environmental Working Group, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Milk Producers Council, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the National Chicken Council, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the National Restaurant Association, the National Taxpayers Union, the National Turkey Federation, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, and Taxpayers for Common Sense.
 
    The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) forcefully responded to the new legislation. Bob Dinneen, RFA's President and CEO, fired back saying, "The motivation behind this bill is backwards, silly, circular logic. The authors insist they're not anti-biofuels, but the bill guts the only program that has successfully opened the market to these new technologies, lowering our dependence on imported oil and reducing the consumer price of gasoline. The authors state they want a 'free market' for energy, but they do nothing to end the billions in subsidies to Big Oil and they deny market access to E15. The authors portend to retain the mandate for new cellulosic and advanced biofuels, but the bill handcuffs the commercialization of these fuels by removing the forward-looking, market-driving provisions of the original legislation. It would be more direct and intellectually honest to simply say 'this bill restores Big Oil's monopoly.' You can't legitimately say 'we support biofuels' and then pull the rug out from underneath companies that relied upon government policy and are now building biorefineries that create hundreds of construction jobs at each location or are hitting milestones in new production. This legislation should have been introduced on Halloween because it will scare away investors. Nothing undermines next generation innovation like uncertainty."
 
    The American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Jack Gerard said he welcomed the bipartisan proposals. He said, "The nation's ever increasing ethanol mandate is a crisis in waiting, and a chorus of concerned groups has joined API in calling on congress to repeal it. Unless we stop this madness now, the mandate could put consumers in harm's way, hurt the economy, and disrupt the nation's fuel supply. Ethanol and other renewable fuels have an important role to play in our transportation fuel mix and will continue to be used after Congress repeals the mandate. But we cannot allow a mandate for ethanol that exceeds what is safe and that could put upward pressure on fuel prices."
 
    Gerard said that the industry is hitting the ethanol blend wall, meaning the amount of ethanol required to be blended under the RFS is unsafe for most vehicles on the road today. He said millions of cars could be severely damaged by fuel blends that contain more than 10 percent ethanol, and cited studies by the Coordinating Research Council. He also cited statements by the automakers which have said higher ethanol blends would void car warranties. He indicated that by 2015, the mandate would cause severe fuel rationing that would lead to a $770 billion decrease in U.S. GDP and a $580 billion decrease in take-home pay for American workers according to a study by NERA economic consulting. 
 
    Environmental Working Group (EWG) Vice President for Government Affairs Scott Faber issued a statement indicating that the RFS Reform Act, which is also sponsored by Jim Costa (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Steve Womack (R-AR), ". . .makes much-needed room in the fuel pool for advanced alternatives that actually lower greenhouse gas emissions and do not compete with our food needs. In doing so, it helps ensure a cleaner energy future that benefits both consumers and the environment."
 
    Access a release from Rep. Goodlatte (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.1461 (click here); and H.R.1462 (click here). Access a release from RFA (click here). Access a release from API with links to the cited information (click here). Access the statement from EWG (click here). [#Energy/RFS, #Energy/Ethanol, #Energy/Biofuels]
GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/11/2013 03:11:00 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

President Announces His Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Proposal

Apr 10: The President announced his Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposal which he said would make critical investments in infrastructure, strengthen the middle class, create jobs, and grow the economy while continuing to cut the deficit in a balanced way. Among other items he said the budget proposes to continue efforts towards energy independence and address the threat of climate change. The budget calls for more than $2 in spending cuts for every $1 of new revenue from closing tax loopholes and reducing tax benefits for the wealthiest. The President said in part:

"The point is, our economy is poised for progress -- as long as Washington doesn't get in the way.  Frankly, the American people deserve better than what we've been seeing:  a shortsighted, crisis-driven decision-making, like the reckless, across-the-board spending cuts that are already hurting a lot of communities out there -- cuts that economists predict will cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs during the course of this year. If we want to keep rebuilding our economy on a stronger, more stable foundation, then we've got to get smarter about our priorities as a nation.  And that's what the budget I'm sending to Congress today represents -- a fiscally responsible blueprint for middle-class jobs and growth. . .

". . .this budget invests in new manufacturing hubs to help turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs.  We'll spark new American innovation and industry with cutting-edge research like the initiative I announced to map the human brain and cure disease.  We'll continue our march towards energy independence and address the threat of climate change.  And our Rebuild America Partnership will attract private investment to put construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads, our bridges and our schools, in turn attracting even more new business to communities across the country. . .

"For years, the debate in this town has raged between reducing our deficits at all costs, and making the investments necessary to grow our economy.  And this budget answers that argument, because we can do both.  We can grow our economy and shrink our deficits.  In fact, as we saw in the 1990s, nothing shrinks deficits faster than a growing economy.  That's been my goal since I took office.  And that should be our goal going forward. . .

"My budget also replaces the foolish across-the-board spending cuts that are already hurting our economy. . . My budget makes these investments to grow our economy and create jobs, and it does so without adding a dime to our deficits. Now, on the topic of deficits, despite all the noise in Washington, here's a clear and unassailable fact: our deficits are already falling.  Over the past two years, I've signed legislation that will reduce our deficits by more than $2.5 trillion -- more than two-thirds of it through spending cuts and the rest through asking the wealthiest Americans to begin paying their fair share. 

"That doesn't mean we don't have more work to do.  But here's how we finish the job.  My budget will reduce our deficits by nearly another $2 trillion, so that all told we will have surpassed the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that independent economists believe we need to stabilize our finances.  But it does so in a balanced and responsible way, a way that most Americans prefer.

    A summary from the Department of Management and Budget indicates that the budget invests in repairing existing infrastructure and building the infrastructure of tomorrow, including high-speed rail, high-tech schools, and power grids that are resilient to future extreme conditions. The investments will both lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and put workers back on the job now. 

  • Provides $50 billion for upfront infrastructure investments, including $40 billion for "Fix it First" projects, to invest immediately in repairing highways, bridges, transit systems, and airports nationwide; and $10 billion for competitive programs to encourage innovation in completing high-value infrastructure projects.
  • Boosts private investment in infrastructure by creating a Rebuild America Partnership including" Establishes an independent National Infrastructure Bank to leverage private and public capital to support infrastructure projects of national and regional significance; and Creates America Fast Forward (AFF) Bonds, building on the successful Build America Bonds program to attract new sources of capital for infrastructure investment.
  • Dedicates funding for the development of high-speed rail to link communities across the country, the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NexGen) to improve air travel and safety, and a robust long term increase in levels for core highways, transit, and highway safety programs. 
  • Expedites infrastructure projects by modernizing the Federal permitting process to cut through red tape while creating incentives and better outcomes for communities and the environment.  Establishes a new goal of cutting timelines in half for major infrastructure projects in areas such as highways, bridges, railways, ports, waterways, pipelines, and renewable energy.

    A separate fact sheet on "Building a Clean Energy Economy, Improving Energy Security, and Addressing Climate Change" indicates that the Budget "supports a range of investments and initia­tives to help make the United States the leader in the clean energy sector and bring about a clean energy econo­my with new companies and jobs.  The Budget also supports work to prepare and strengthen our communities against extreme weather and other impacts of climate change, while cutting the carbon pollution that causes it. Cleaner energy will play a crucial role in meeting the President's goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and enhancing energy security by reducing our dependence on oil.  The President is committed to an "all-of-the-above" approach that develops all American energy sources in a safe and responsible way and builds a clean and secure energy future." The Budget increases funding for the Department of Energy's (DOE) clean energy technology activities by more than 40 percent above the 2012 enacted level, to $6.2 billion, and increasing funding for clean energy technology across all agencies by 30 percent, to approximately $7.9 billion.

    The Budget proposed to "eliminate inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that im­pede investment in clean energy sources and un­dermine efforts to address the threat of climate change. The Budget would repeal over $4 billion per year in tax subsidies to oil, gas, and other fos­sil fuel producers." It calls for $200 million for "Climate Ready Infrastructure" and provides for $2.7 billion for thirteen Federal agencies in the U.S. Global Change Research Program to support research to improve our ability to understand, predict, mitigate, adapt to climate change, and increase communication among scientific and stakeholder communities. The budget provides $8.2 billion for U.S. EPA, a decrease of $296 million, or 3.5 percent, below the 2012 enacted level.

    Access the full text of the President's budget announcement (click here). Access the DMB overview with links to complete budget details including Analytical Perspectives, Historical Tables, Supplemental Materials, Fact Sheets, Past Budgets and more (click here). Access a fact sheet on clean energy and climate change initiatives (click here). Access a fact sheet on Infrastructure (click here). Access a 20-page detail of the U.S. EPA budget proposals (click here). Access the 140-page EPA budget detail (click here). Access the 1024-page EPA FY2014 budget justification document (click here). Access the 48-page detail of the DOE budget proposals (click here). Access links to other agencies details (click here). Access links to the 244-page budget summary and details by section (click here). [#All]

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/10/2013 03:14:00 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Wine-Producing Regions Will Move With Climate Change

Apr 8: A study by a team of international researchers and led by Conservation International suggests that "your merlot [could] be growing near the moose, grizzly or elk of Yellowstone National Park soon or in prime panda habitat in China? The key finding: climate change will dramatically impact many of the most famous wine-producing regions in the world today and prompt the opening of new areas to wine production in unusual places, which would likely degrade or put pressure on the critical natural capital and ecosystems that support species and human well-being.

    The study appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and is the first ever worldwide analysis of the impacts of climate change on wine production and conservation. It found that the area suitable for wine production will shrink by as much as 73% by 2050 in certain parts of the globe, with high potential for stress on rivers and other freshwater ecosystems as vineyards use water to cool grapes or irrigate to compensate for rising temperatures and declining rainfall.

    Dr. Lee Hannah, lead author and Senior Scientist for Climate Change Biology at Conservation International's new Betty and Gordon Moore Center for Ecosystem Science and Economics, said, "Climate change is going to move potential wine-producing regions all over the map. These global changes put the squeeze on wildlife and nature's capacity to sustain human life in some surprising places. Consumer awareness, industry and conservation actions are all needed to help keep high quality wine flowing without unintended consequences for nature and the flows of goods and services it provides people. This is just the tip of the iceberg – the same will be true for many other crops."

    The researchers looked at nine major wine producing areas within the first global map of future winemaking using multiple models of wine suitability. The areas analyzed in more details are: California, Western North America, Chile, Mediterranean Europe, Northern Europe, Cape Floristic region of South Africa, parts of Australia with Mediterranean climate, parts of Australia with non-Mediterranean climate and New Zealand.

    Another key finding from the study is that new areas will become more productive, including parts of Western North America and Northern Europe. These places at higher latitudes and higher elevations will become increasingly suitable for wine making and sought after by vineyards as they search for the climatic conditions that are ideal for wine grape growing.

    According to a release, this will have implications for conservation of wildlife and ecosystems in regions as diverse as the Rocky Mountains around Yellowstone National Park and in Central China, where new vineyard suitability will open in the habitat of the endangered giant panda. Mature, producing vineyards have long-lasting effects on habitat quality for native species as they involve, for instance, removal of natural vegetation, spraying of chemicals and use of fences. According to the study, the greatest area of increasing wine production suitability is in the Rocky Mountains near the Canadian-US border, putting at risk species such as the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), gray wolf (Canis lupus) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana).

    Co-author Dr. Rebecca Shaw, a climate scientist and Associate Vice President for Environmental Defense Fund's (EDF's) Land, Water and Wildlife program said, "Climate change will set up competition for land between agricultural and wildlife -- wine grapes are but one example. This could have disastrous results for wildlife. Fortunately, there are pro-active solutions. We are creating incentive-based programs with private landowners to provide wildlife habitat as we expand our capacity to feed a growing planet in the future under a changing climate."

    The authors concluded that wine grapes are symbolic of a wide variety of crops whose geographic shifts in response to climate change will have substantial implications for conservation, and that adaptation strategies are urgently needed to maintain productivity and to minimize impacts on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Among their key recommendations are:

  • joint planning of vineyard expansion between business managers and conservationists to avoid areas of high environmental importance;
  • investment in new varieties of grapes that offer similar flavors but with altered climate tolerances;
  • consumer awareness (by purchasing bottles with natural cork, and from vineyards that adopt sustainable practices)

    Patrick Roehrdanz of the Bren School of the University of California at Santa Barbara, one of the study authors, said, "Consumers can do their part by purchasing wine from vineyards that participate in programs like the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance or the South African Biodiversity and Wine Initiative and through supporting organizations that are dedicated to finding solutions such as Vinecology, Conservation International or Environmental Defense Fund."

    Access a lengthy release with more details and links to related information including photos, maps, presentations and more(click here). Access the complete 15-page published paper (click here). [#Climate, #Agriculture]

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/09/2013 03:22:00 PM 0 comments

Monday, April 08, 2013

Investors Call For Uniform Sustainability Disclosure

Apr 8: A group of investors announced a Consultation Paper with recommendations for integrating sustainability disclosure requirements into listing rules for U.S. and global stock exchanges. The draft recommendations were developed by nearly a dozen investors who are part of the Ceres-led Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR).
 
    BlackRock, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, and the AFL-CIO Office of Investment are among those who participated on the INCR Listing Standards Drafting Committee. The initiative is part of a growing effort by investors and stock exchanges, including NASDAQ OMX, to make environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure a consistent requirement for corporate listings on stock exchanges. While several exchanges have adopted their own sustainability listing requirements and guidance, INCR members and NASDAQ OMX have set out to develop a uniform standard that all stock exchanges can use.

Meyer Frucher, vice chairman at NASDAQ OMX said, "Creating a corporate sustainability reporting standard across all exchanges will encourage a shift in how companies assess the importance of their efforts in environmental, social and governance issues. It is a win-win for both companies and investors, encouraging sound business practices and responsible investing." Investors are being asked to review and comment on the paper's recommendations by May 1, 2013. Once comments are considered and key issues are incorporated, the final document will be submitted to stock exchanges for consideration at the World Federation of Exchanges annual meeting in October.

    Gwen Le Berre, vice president of corporate governance and responsible investment at BlackRock, an international investment manager with $3.8 trillion in assets under management said, "Stock exchanges can play a leadership role in moving ESG disclosure practices forward. We believe that this proposed listing standard strikes a good balance between investors' need for consistent and comparable ESG information, and companies' need for flexibility."

    INCR director and Ceres president Mindy Lubber, whose organization convened the listing standards consultation said, "Investors are increasingly frustrated by the lack of sustainability disclosure across markets, and how inconsistent that data is even within the same industry. We can solve this problem by bringing investors together on standards that make such information comparable and useful. This paper is the result of such discussions." The Consultation Paper calls for the following disclosures by companies as part of a listing standard:

  • Materiality assessment: An assessment in annual financial filings where company management will discuss its approach for determining the company's material ESG issues and the outcomes of such an assessment.
  • Sustainability table of disclosures: Provide a hyperlink in annual financial filings to a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Content Index. Such disclosure will let investors know if key ESG information exists, and if so, its exact location and the completeness of the data.
  • Improved corporate ESG disclosure: Companies must provide reporting on a "comply or explain" basis for eight key ESG categories. They can either provide such disclosures or explain why they are not.
    According to the Paper, "The standard global definition of sustainability is derived from the Brundtland Report (released by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development): 'Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' For the purposes of this paper, 'sustainability reporting' addresses the integration of environmental, social and economic considerations into corporate strategy, business practices and capital markets, as well as the key impacts on social and environmental systems that are caused by corporate activities. In this paper, ESG refers to environmental, social and governance matters related to sustainability. Governance in this context means the oversight and management of environmental and social issues -- not necessarily limited to the parameters of traditional corporate governance analytics. Since the terminology still varies in the marketplace, our use of ESG is meant to encompass sustainability, corporate citizenship, corporate social responsibility and other similar terms."
 
    The eight key ESG categories would include: Climate change; Diversity; Employee relations; Environmental impact; Government relations; Human rights; Product impact and safety; and Supply chain. Every company would be required to disclose information in the categories of ESG issues, using a comply or explain approach for each category. Examples of reporting topics in each category include for example, but are not limited to:
  • Climate change: greenhouse gas emissions and reduction initiatives, physical risks and opportunities
  • Diversity: employee, board and supplier diversity; training and recruitment programs
  • Employee relations: labor relations and freedom of association, safety, employee turnover and demographics, training, remuneration
  • Environmental impact: water, energy and materials consumption; emissions and waste; toxins; packaging
  • Government relations: political involvement and spending, contracting and revenue payments, tax strategy
  • Human rights: non-discrimination efforts, prevention of child and forced labor, compliance with international human rights norms
  • Product impact and safety: cultural and community impacts, product life cycle assessments, recalls, product integrity and safety
  • Supply chain: size and geographic scope, risks of disruptions (due to e.g. extreme weather events, labor disputes, etc.), impacts on local communities, labor and environmental compliance efforts

    Investor companies participating on the INCR Listing Standards Drafting Committee included: Rockefeller & Co. Sustainability & Impact Investing Group; Boston Common Asset Management; Pax World Management LLC; Rockefeller & Co. Sustainability & Impact Investing Group; Domini Social Investments LLC; BlackRock; F&C Management Ltd.; British Columbia Investment Management Corporation; AFL-CIO Office of Investment; and F&C Management Ltd.

    Access a release from Ceres (click here). Access an overview and link to the Consultation Paper and comments (click here, registration required). [#Sustain, #Climate]

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/08/2013 03:20:00 PM 0 comments

Friday, April 05, 2013

Managing For The Future In A Rapidly Changing Arctic

Apr 4: An interagency working group chaired by Department of Interior (DOI) Deputy Secretary David Hayes released a report that calls for an integrated management strategy for the rapidly changing Arctic. The report highlights the need for a coordinated approach that uses the best available science to integrate cultural, environmental and economic factors in decision-making about development and conservation.

    Hayes, Chair of the Alaska Interagency Working Group that commissioned the report said, "This report chronicles how Arctic residents are dealing with rapid, climate change-induced impacts on their resources and traditional ways of life at the same time that new economic activity and opportunities are emerging -- notably oil and gas, marine transportation, tourism and mining. It is imperative that we reduce redundancies and streamline federal efforts as we safely and responsibly explore and develop Alaska's vast resources while preserving the region's rich ecosystems that will sustain future generations."

    The report -- Managing for the Future in a Rapidly Changing Arctic -- is based on input from a wide range of Alaska stakeholders. In addition to recommending integrated management, the report recommends continuing high-level attention on the Arctic, strengthening state and tribal partnerships, encouraging more stakeholder engagement, undertaking more organized and inclusive scenario planning, and coordinating and potentially consolidating environmental reviews that are now being prepared by multiple agencies.

    The report does not recommend new regulations or represent new policy decisions, but it does call for a review of the activities of over 20 Federal agencies involved in the U.S. Arctic by the end of 2013 with an eye toward increased coordination and the elimination of duplication of efforts. Congress has entrusted the Federal government with primary jurisdiction over nearly three quarters of the U.S. Arctic's land mass. In addition, the Federal government has a special relationship with Alaska natives, including Alaskan tribes and native corporations

    The report to the President was led by the Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska, with active consultation and assistance from the National Ocean Council and the Arctic Research Commission. Established by Executive Order 13580, the Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska includes 11 Federal departments, agencies and executive offices.

    The report also includes the launch of a new government website -- the Arctic Science Portal -- by the Arctic Research Commission, which is chaired by former Alaskan Lieutenant Governor Fran Ulmer. DOI said the web portal will provide decision makers and other interested parties with easier access to scientific information about the Arctic. It includes information on topics such as sea ice, fisheries, oil spill research and many others.

    John Holdren, President Obama's science and technology advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, speaking on behalf of the National Ocean Council, which contributed to the report's creation said, "This report to the President emphasizes the importance of using a science-driven, stakeholder-informed framework -- one that takes into account the needs of functioning ecosystems -- for making good decisions in the Arctic. We must redouble our efforts to move forward on this path."

    Fran Ulmer, Chair of Arctic Research Commission said, "We are pleased to launch the Arctic Science Portal to help make science more accessible to decision makers and the general public. The report released today is extraordinarily important. It emphasizes the key role that science must play in making good decisions in the Arctic, and seeks to build on -- and expand the successes achieved by the Interagency Working Group in coordinating across federal agencies, with all key stakeholders, and with the science community."

    U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ranking Member on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, commented on the report saying, "I commend the administration and the Department of Interior for recognizing the importance of the Arctic to our nation's national and economic security as well as the needs and perspectives of the residents of the far north. This report provides a good general summary of the challenges facing policymakers on Arctic issues, though none of the information in the report will come as a surprise to Alaskans or anyone else who closely follows Arctic issues.  

    "I agree that there needs to be greater coordination between the various federal agencies involved with Arctic policies, as well as a substantive role for the state of Alaska and local communities in determining those policies. It is also important that the White House provide real leadership to ensure that Arctic issues are a priority for the more than 20 federal agencies with responsibilities in the region. We cannot simply allow new layers of federal bureaucracy to be heaped upon the existing permitting regime. Economic development is vital in the region and it's entirely compatible with our other responsibilities there. As the report notes, 'stakeholders are not interested in additional layers of process; existing processes already tax the capacity of many stakeholders without necessarily leaving them feeling fully informed or involved regarding federal decisions.'"

    Access a release from DOI (click here). Access the complete 66-page report (click here). Access the new Arctic Science Portal (click here). Access a release from Sen. Murkowski (click here). [#All]

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/05/2013 03:14:00 PM 0 comments

Thursday, April 04, 2013

DOI/USGS Release Update On National Water Census

Apr 3: Outgoing Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar released a report to Congress on the progress of the National Water Census, which is being developed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to help the nation address its critical water needs. Salazar said, "This update to the National Water Census -- the first since 1978 -- will give the nation critical new information about the availability and use of America's freshwater resources. Development of the new state-of-the-art National Water Census, forms a vital component of DOI's overall strategy to help ensure sustainable water resources for the United States. Similar to the need for the U.S. population census to make informed societal decisions, resource managers need the water census to support wise policy and decision-making on water matters."

    According to a DOI release, as competition for water grows -- for irrigation of crops, for use by cities and communities, for energy production, and for the environment -- the need for the National Water Census and related information and tools to aid water resource managers also grows. The Water Census will assist water and resource managers in understanding and quantifying water supply and demand, and will support more sustainable management of water resources. Anne Castle, DOI's Assistant Secretary for Water and Science said, "It's true in other fields and no less so for water: you can't manage what you don't measure. The Water Census will quantify water supply and demand consistently across the entire country, fill in gaps in existing data, and make that information available to anyone who needs it -- and that represents a huge step forward on the path toward water sustainability."

    The report -- Progress Toward Establishing a National Assessment of Water Availability and Use -- describes the "water budget" approach being taken to assess water availability for the nation. Water budgets account for the inputs to, outputs from, and changes in the amount of water in the various components of the water cycle. They are the hydrologic equivalent of the deposits to, withdrawals from, and changes in the balance in a checking account and provide the hydrologic foundation for analysis of water availability.

    USGS is initially focusing production of the Water Census on areas with significant competition for water availability and existing or emerging conflicts over water supply, such as the Delaware, Colorado, and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basins. Increasing populations, more volatile stream flows, energy development and municipal demands, and the uncertain effects of a changing climate amplify the need for an improved understanding of water use and water availability in these crucial watersheds. The Water Census (like our national population Census) is an ongoing effort that will provide information for current and future decision makers. USGS will continually be updating it, adding to it, and improving the accuracy of the various water budget components.

    DOI said the Water Census is a component of the Department's WaterSMART initiative (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow), and fulfills a requirement under the Secure Water Act, part of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. Through WaterSMART, the Department is working to secure and stretch water supplies for use by existing and future generations to benefit people, the economy, and the environment, and to identify adaptive measures needed to address climate change and future demands.

    The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a "national water availability and use assessment program" within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A major driver for this recommendation was that national water availability and use have not been comprehensively assessed since 1978. The report fulfills a requirement to report to Congress on progress in implementing the national water availability and use assessment program -- i.e. the National Water Census. The SECURE Water Act authorized $20 million for each of fiscal years (FY) 2009 through 2023 for assessment of national water availability and use. The first appropriation for this effort was $4 million in FY 2011, followed by an appropriation of $6 million in FY 2012.

    Access a release from DOI (click here). Access the complete 44-page report with links to referenced information (click here). [#Water]

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/04/2013 02:46:00 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

NOAA Study Links More GHG To Intense Precipitation

Apr 3: A newly published NOAA-led study in Geophysical Research Letters, indicates that as the globe warms from rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs), more moisture in a warmer atmosphere will make the most extreme precipitation events more intense. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the North Carolina State University's Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites-North Carolina (CICS-NC), NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the Desert Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and ERT, Inc., reports that the extra moisture due to a warmer atmosphere dominates all other factors and leads to notable increases in the most intense precipitation rates.
 
    The study also shows a 20-30 percent expected increase in the maximum precipitation possible over large portions of the Northern Hemisphere by the end of the 21st century if greenhouse gases continue to rise at a high emissions rate. Kenneth Kunkel, Ph.D., senior research professor at CICS-NC and lead author of the paper said, "We have high confidence that the most extreme rainfalls will become even more intense, as it is virtually certain that the atmosphere will provide more water to fuel these events."

    The paper looked at three factors that go into the maximum precipitation value possible in any given location: moisture in the atmosphere, upward motion of air in the atmosphere, and horizontal winds. The team examined climate model data to understand how a continued course of high greenhouse gas emissions would influence the potential maximum precipitation. While greenhouse gas increases did not substantially change the maximum upward motion of the atmosphere or horizontal winds, the models did show a 20-30 percent increase in maximum moisture in the atmosphere, which led to a corresponding increase in the maximum precipitation value.

    NOAA indicated that the findings of this report could inform "design values," or precipitation amounts, used by water resource managers, insurance and building sectors in modeling the risk due to catastrophic precipitation amounts. Engineers use design values to determine the design of water impoundments and runoff control structures, such as dams, culverts, and detention ponds.

    Thomas Karl, L.H.D., director of NOAA's NCDC in Asheville, N.C., and co-author on the paper said, "Our next challenge is to translate this research into local and regional new design values that can be used for identifying risks and mitigating potential disasters. Findings of this study, and others like it, could lead to new information for engineers and developers that will save lives and major infrastructure investments."

    Access a release from NOAA (click here). Access an abstract and link to information on obtaining the complete paper (click here). [#Climate]

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/03/2013 03:12:00 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Pew Survey Shows Strong Support For Keystone Pipeline

Apr 2: As the Obama administration approaches a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, a national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 13-17, finds broad public support for the project. According to the survey, two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada's oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas. Just 23% oppose construction of the pipeline.

    The national survey was conducted among 1,501 adults. According to a release from Pew, support for the pipeline spans most demographic and partisan groups. Substantial majorities of Republicans (82%) and independents (70%) favor building the Keystone XL pipeline, as do 54% of Democrats. But there is a division among Democrats: 60% of the party's conservatives and moderates support building the pipeline, compared with just 42% of liberal Democrats. The survey also found that the public has mixed opinions about increased use of fracking, a drilling method that uses high-pressure water and chemicals to extract oil and natural gas from underground rock formations. About half (48%) of Americans favor the increased use of this process, while 38% are opposed.

    The survey also finds that 69% say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. That is little changed from last October (67%), but up 12 points since October 2009. However, at the same time, the percentage of Americans who say that global warming is a very serious problem has slipped six points, from 39% to 33%, since last October. Current opinions about whether global warming is a very serious problem are similar to those in 2009 and 2010.

    Pew indicates that there are regional differences in opinions about the increased use of fracking. More than half of those who live in the Midwest (55%) and South (52%) favor the increased use of fracking; there is less support in the West (43%) and Northeast (37%). While men favor the increased use of fracking by a 55% to 34% margin, women are divided (41% favor, 42% oppose). Twice as many Republicans (66%) as Democrats (33%) favor the increased use of fracking. Independents, by a 51% to 36% margin, support the increased use of fracking.

    Looking deeper at the global warming results, Pew indicates that currently, 69% say there is solid evidence that the earth's average temperature has been getting warmer over the past few decades. Among those who see evidence of global warming, more say it is caused mostly by human activity (42% of the public) than by natural patterns in the earth's environment (23%). Nearly three-in-ten Americans (27%) say there is no solid evidence of warming. The opinions are little changed from last fall. But four years ago, just 57% saw solid evidence of global warming and 36% said it was mostly caused by human activity. Also, there has been a sizable partisan gap in views about whether there is solid evidence of global warming since the Pew Research Center began asking this question in 2006. In the current survey, almost twice as many Democrats (87%) as Republicans (44%) say there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been rising. Further, Democrats are three times as likely as Republicans to say that human activity is mostly causing global warming (57% vs. 19%).

    About half of Democrats (48%) say global warming is a very serious problem, an eight-point decline from 56% last October. The percentage of independents saying global warming is a very serious problem also has slipped, from 39% to 31%. Just 14% of Republicans say global warming is a very serious problem; in October, 19% of Republicans expressed this view.

    Regarding details of the survey methodology, Pew indicates that the analysis in the report is based on telephone interviews conducted March 13-17, 2013, among a national sample of 1,501 adults (420 Republicans, 487 Democrats & 498 Independents), 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (750 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, and 751 were interviewed on a cell phone, including 385 who had no landline telephone). The survey was conducted by Abt SRBI. A combination of landline and cell phone random digit dial samples were used; both samples were provided by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Respondents in the landline sample were selected by randomly asking for the youngest adult male or female who is now at home. Interviews in the cell sample were conducted with the person who answered the phone, if that person was an adult 18 years of age or older.

    Access a detailed release from Pew with tables and charts of results and links to further details (click here). Access the complete 10-page survey report (click here). [#Energy/KXL, #Climate, #Energy/Frack]

WIMS 24/7 News  Blogs

GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/02/2013 03:25:00 PM 0 comments

Monday, April 01, 2013

EPA & Enviros Request Supreme Court Hearing On CSAPR

Mar 29: U.S. EPA and a coalition of health and environmental organizations appealed separately to the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider a controversial appeals court ruling in a lawsuit over the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR).
 
    On March 29, U.S. EPA announced that the U.S. Solicitor General has petitioned the Supreme Court to review the D.C. Circuit Court's decision on CSAPR. In its brief, the Solicitor General indicates: The questions presented in the case are as follows:
1. Whether the Court of Appeals lacked jurisdiction to consider the challenges on which it granted relief
 
2. Whether states are excused from adopting SIPS prohibiting emissions that "contribute significantly" to air pollution problems in other states until after the EPA has adopted a rule quantifying each state's interstate pollution obligations.
 
3. Whether the EPA permissibly interpreted the statutory term "contribute significantly" so as to define each upwind state's "significant" interstate air pollution contributions in light of the cost-effective emission reductions it can make to improve air quality in polluted downwind areas, or whether the Act instead unambiguously requires EPA to consider only each upwind state's physically proportionate responsibility for each downwind air quality problem.
    Also, the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Sierra Club, and the Clean Air Council filed their appeal -- officially called a petition for writ of certiorari -- with the Supreme Court. EDF counsel Sean Donahue said, "The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is vital for the health and well-being of hundreds of millions of Americans. We have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the lower court's decision given the profound public interest in ensuring healthier, longer lives for the 240 million Americans afflicted by power plant pollution and given the appeals court's sharp deviation from settled legal principles."

    On January 24, 2013 the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 11-1302, EME Homer City Generation, L.P v. U.S. EPA, consolidate with 44 additional cases denied a request by EPA and others for an en banc (full panel) rehearing of the case [See WIMS 1/25/13].  In this high-profile case, on August 21, 2012, the Appeals Court, in a split 2-1 decision,  vacated EPA's CSAPR Transport Rule and the Transport Rule FIPs and remand this proceeding to EPA [See WIMS 8/21/13]. The opinion expressly left in place the existing Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) pending EPA's further action.

    EDF and the environmental groups indicated in a release that the CSAPR is a historic pollution reduction measure that would protect air quality for 240 million Americans across the Eastern United States and save up to 34,000 lives each year. The rule was created by EPA under the "good neighbor" provision of the Clean Air Act, which is intended to ensure that the emissions from one state's power plants do not cause harmful pollution levels in neighboring states. Opponents of the clean air standards sued to block them. In August 2012, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated and remanded the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to EPA. Judge Judith Rogers, who dissented in the case, argued that the ruling represented a "trampling on this court's precedent on which the Environmental Protection Agency ('EPA') was entitled to rely in developing the Transport Rule rather than be blindsided by arguments raised for the first time in this court."

    The groups said CSAPR would reduce the sulfur dioxide pollution (by 73%) and oxides of nitrogen (by 54%) from 2005 levels emitted from coal-fired power plants across 28 eastern states. Those emissions, and the resulting particulate pollution and ozone -- more commonly known as soot and smog -- drift across the borders of those states and contribute to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels of pollution in downwind states.   

    The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule would reduce power plant sulfur dioxide emissions by 73 percent and oxides of nitrogen by 54 percent from 2005 levels. While no one is immune to these impacts, children and the elderly in downwind states are especially vulnerable. They cited EPA estimates saying the CSAPR would: Save up to 34,000 lives each year; Prevent 15,000 heart attacks each year; Prevent 400,000 asthma attacks each year; and Provide up to $280 billion in health benefits for America each year.

    Access the 157-page brief filed by EPA (click here).Access a release from EDF with links to a history of the case, legal briefs and more information on CSAPR  (click here). Access EPA's CSAPR website for background and further details (click here). [#Air, #MIAir, #SupCt, #CADC]
 
GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS
You can review recent issues of eNewsUSA (click here)
Access subscription information (click here)
Want to know more about WIMS? Check out our LinkedIn company website (click here).
33 Years of Environmental Reporting for serious Environmental Professionals
Posted by JPMcJ at 4/01/2013 03:25:00 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)