http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Earth_Pollution-and-Warming_GHG-Emissions_18_196_651.html Press Review of the Earth from the most relevant websites. Keep in touch with the Earth and your future ! fr-FR http://www.earth-stream.com/logo-stream-Earth.png http://www.earth-stream.com Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:58:45 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/How-will-the-urban-poor-cope-with-climate-change-_18_196_651_272662.html Christian Science Monitor: Global greenhouse gas emissions keep rising. Yes, the world's poor would enjoy an improvement in their standard of living if climate change does not unfold. Climate change's blows will be less severe if we can restrain our GHG emissions. But, the free rider problem lurks and I predict that GHG emissions will continue to rise. Taking this as given, what happens next to the urban poor? Will there be mass death all over the developing world caused by climate change? If we anticipate that the ... Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:44:46 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Clearing-the-Fog-Climate-Negotiations-from-Tianjin-to-Cancun_18_196_651_272651.html Countries should step back and look at what their leaders agreed to in Copenhagen as they prepare for Tianjin and beyond. Since the Copenhagen meetings in December, there has been a fog hanging over the UNFCCC climate negotiations that has kept people from seeing a way forward to tackle the climate change crisis globally. The fog has played to those who would rather see a completely fragmented, ineffective system move forward. Although in Copenhagen all major economies, from the United States to China to India to Japan, put forward national-level reduction pledges and a number of the decisions were close to being finished, there was no clarity on the path forward from that set of unfinished decisions and the Copenhagen Accord. WRI Resources for Tianjin Summary of ‘Fast Start’ Climate Finance Pledges Summary of UNFCCC Submissions Summary of GHG Reduction Pledges: Annex I | Non-Annex I Scaling Up Low-Carbon Technology Deployment: Lessons from China More… Since then, negotiations have continued both on the Kyoto Protocol and under the separate track in the UNFCCC (LCA) with text tabled and proposals made. The process, however, seems a bit stuck, as the fog has yet to lift for countries to make some choices in the lead-up to Cancun. There is much at stake going into next week’s Tianjin meeting and later in the year at COP-16. Many people are wondering how governments are going to overcome their differences and ensure that progress is made in 2010. A Climate Meeting in China It should not go unnoticed that China is hosting a UNFCCC formal meeting. Ready to have the world come to China for a climate meeting and committed strongly to the UN, China is signaling a seriousness about the issue that should not be overlooked. Chinese business leaders and policymakers tend to be pragmatic problem-solvers, skills that are highly desirable right now in the UNFCCC negotiations. There are a number of decisions to make and proposed texts on the table, yet the te ... Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:28:10 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Pushing-UMD-to-Build-Green_18_196_651_269606.html My opinion column in The Diamondback on the University of Maryland and green building is out today.  if you want to read UMD’s impressive new GHG inventory, see here.  I’ve cross-posted it below, enjoy! I want to congratulate the university and student activists for their recent major accomplishments on the sustainability front. The 2009 Campus [...] Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:40:48 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Fact-Sheet-U-S-Climate-Action-in-2009-2010_18_196_651_269472.html While federal climate change legislation has stalled, federal agencies, states, and Congress made some progress on controlling greenhouse gas emissions in the past two years. Download PDF (PDF, 6 pages, 252 Kb) More WRI Fact Sheets The world has been waiting to see if and when the United States would take meaningful action on climate change. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive climate and energy bill in June 2009, but by summer 2010, the Senate failed to produce a companion bill, putting into question Congress’ seriousness in addressing the climate change problem. While federal climate change legislation has stalled, federal agencies, states, and Congress made some progress on controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the past two years. This fact sheet reviews notable steps taken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), and through stimulus funding, international finance commitments, regional cap-and-trade programs, and state energy policies. It also identifies political and economic developments that could impact federal climate legislation and additional regulatory action to reduce emissions by federal agencies. While these efforts are important, it is clear that much further action, including a binding cap on carbon, are necessary in the United States. EPA Activities Using Existing Legal Authority Without climate legislation, federal agencies can control greenhouse gases using existing legal authorities. Federal agencies such as EPA use “rulemaking” to write administrative laws authorized by existing legislation. Rulemaking is a multi-step process in which a rule is first proposed by the agency, then commented on by the public, and then revised and finalized by the agency. This process is currently underway to control certain GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. In December 2009, EPA, through the Clean Air Act, found that CO2 and five other GHGs constitute a threat to public welfare and ... Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:49:46 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Cities-lead-the-way-in-action-to-halt-climate-change_18_196_651_268931.html The world's cities - home to more than half of the human population - are leading the way to a low-carbon future. Michael Coren for Grist, part of the Guardian Environment NetworkHumans have officially made their home in the concrete jungle. Ours is the first generation in which most of the world's population lives in cities.With 6 billion people on the planet, and 2 billion more expected within 20 years, the race to our cities and the slums and vast sprawl surrounding some of them will only accelerate. Already, our metropolises -- 21 already have populations of 10 million or more -- consume about three-quarters of the world's energy, releasing vast quantities of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that warm the planet.Protecting our climate, in other words, means redefining what urban means. Yet much coverage of climate action dismisses local and state government actions in favor of splashy (or, recently, dismal) international announcements and would-be efforts.That's a mistake, suggests the Pew Foundation, which credits cities and local governments for having cut more than 23 million tons of greenhouse gasses -- equivalent to the emissions produced by 1.8 million households -- in 2009 alone. In fact, if just local governments in the U.S. meet their emissions targets, the country will be well on its way to meeting the Obama administration's official emissions target of 17 percent below 2005 levels within a decade."Generally, cities are the place where it's going to happen," says K.C. Boyce, who oversees the U.S. membership program for ICLEI USA - Local Governments for Sustainability, an organization of local governments worldwide dedicated to urban sustainability and lowering GHG emissions. The group is betting that cities, including the 600 on ICLEI's rosters in the U.S., will lead their nations toward a low-carbon future. "Land use, zoning, and transportation are the nexus that has the potential to have a real impact because it's about where we live, how we l ... Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:44:47 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/EPA-set-to-deliver-modest-carbon-crackdown_18_196_651_265868.html Business Green: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to introduce further greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, but will not deliver cuts in emissions on the scale that would have been achieved had Congress approved plans for a dedicated climate change bill. Citing an unnamed official at the agency, Reuters reported yesterday that the EPA is working on new policies to curb carbon emissions following last year's controversial ruling that allows the watchdog to regulate GHG emissions ... Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:53:17 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Obama-Accelerates-Crackdown-on-Dirty-Trucks_18_196_651_262756.html Tough new U.S. rules governing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large trucks and buses edged forward last week when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent draft proposals to the White House. Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:34:39 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/US-EPA-moves-on-carbon-emissions_18_196_651_262255.html Carbon Positive: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving forward with regulations to control greenhouse-gas emissions (GHGs) sector by sector in the absence of specific climate legislation to do so coming out of Congress. A second round of proposed transport standards covering fuel efficiency and GHG emissions have been produced by the EPA. These cover heavy-duty vehicles, mainly larger trucks and buses, and seek to set rules in place to reduce missions from 2014 onwards. This ... Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:34:38 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Global-firms-applaud-new-greenhouse-gas-yardsticks_18_196_651_262248.html Business Green: More than 60 leading global firms have finished testing two new greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting standards, taking industry a step closer to a universal approach for measuring and managing emissions. Sixty-two firms from 17 countries, including household names such as 3M, Deutsche Telekom and IKEA, tested blueprints for two new GHG protocol reporting and accounting standards. The first protocol, dubbed "Product Lifecycle", provides a standardised approach for measuring the ... Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:02:07 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Learning-to-Track-the-Elusive-Scope-3-Emissions_18_196_651_262003.html The emerging global standard for companies to measure and track Scope 3 greenhouse gases (GHG) is on track for finalization in December. Scope 3 emissions often represent the largest area of a company's GHG impacts by far -- up to 75 percent in many cases -- yet a widely supported industry measurement methodology does not exist.   Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:45:33 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/NEWS-RELEASE-Companies-Complete-Road-Testing-of-New-Global-Greenhouse-Gas-Accounting-Standards_18_196_651_261574.html More than 60 companies have completed the road testing of new global standards designed to help measure the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of their products and supply chains. Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the two new GHG Protocol standards –the Product Lifecycle Accounting and Reporting Standard and the Scope 3 (Corporate Value Chain) Accounting and Reporting Standard – provide methods to account for emissions associated with individual products across their life-cycles and of corporations across their value chains. The 62 companies from multiple sectors and 17 countries started road testing the standards in January. In June, they submitted written feedback on their usability along with final GHG inventory reports. A summary of the feedback is posted on the GHG Protocol website. “The road testing experience illustrates how developing rules around measurement, reporting, and verification involves complex technical and policy decisions that need real-world feedback to ensure the right balance is achieved between rigor and ease of use while keeping in view the capacity of both experienced and new users,” said Jennifer Morgan, director of WRI’s Climate and Energy Program. “The GHG Protocol approach to develop international standards provides us a model on how we might want to pursue the development of rules on tracking emissions at the country-level as well.” The companies that road tested the Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard reported they had little difficulty completing an inventory in conformance with the requirements and found the guidance provided in the draft helpful. “We’re really looking forward to having a standard that can be used globally, for communication across a broad range of stakeholders,” said Robert ter Kuile, senior manager of energy and climate change at PepsiCo. “Road testing the Product Life Cycle Standard has ... Sun, 15 Aug 2010 07:26:28 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/U-S-Cancels-Some-of-Brazil-s-Debt-in-Exchange-For-Forest-Protection_18_196_651_260948.html photo via flickr If only Visa treated my debt the way the U.S. is treating debt from developing countries. On Friday, the Obama Administration announced that it will cancel debt from Brazil in exchange for forest protection. The U.S. has done the same for Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the Philippines. Deforestation accounts for about 20 percent of global warming emissions, making zero deforestation a priority in places like Brazil and Indonesia, which rank third and fourth for GHG emissions, respectively. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger Fri, 06 Aug 2010 01:50:17 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Walmart-Releases-Its-Roadmap-to-GHG-Accounting_18_196_651_258964.html Walmart released a guidance document this week that details how it will count the emissions reductions toward the retailers goal of squeezing 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from its supply chain by 2015. Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:29:46 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/EPA-rejects-challenges-to-labelling-carbon-emissions-a-pollutant_18_196_651_257752.html Environmental Protection Agency rejects petitions challenging its finding that carbon emissions are a pollutant and threat to human healthUS climate sceptic lobbyists' attempts to stop greenhouse gas emissions from being labelled as a pollutant were last week rejected by The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Climate sceptics and oil and coal lobby groups, including the Peabody Energy Company, had challenged the EPA's ruling from December 2009 that climate change caused by GHG emissions was a threat to public health and the environment. Citing the University of East Anglia climategate scandal they said the science could not be trusted.The EPA rejected the claims saying they were based on 'selectively edited, out-of-context data and manufactured controversy' and that the evidence of climate change was 'credible and growing stronger'.'Defenders of the status quo will try to slow our efforts to get America running on clean energy. A better solution would be to join the vast majority of the American people who want to see more green jobs, more clean energy innovation and an end to the oil addiction that pollutes our planet and jeopardises our national security,' said EPA administrator Lisa Jackson.Environmental groups welcomed the decision and said the EPA had powers under the Clean Air Act to push ahead with regulating greenhouse gas emissions from sources such as coal-fired power plants and industry.Under The Clean Air Act the EPA is required to regulate air pollutants in order to protect public health and welfare.The Centre for Biological Diversity said with the recent failure of congress to pass adequate legislation to reduce emissions the door was open for the Obama administration to use the Clean Air Act.'We have always believed that the Clean Air Act possesses sufficient tools, and is legally required to be used, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a safe level,' says executive director Kierán Suckling.'We urge the Obama administration to mak ... Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:31:35 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Important-Considerations-for-a-Utility-Only-Climate-Bill_18_196_651_254540.html A bill that strips the EPA of its authority or that sets a weak cap on greenhouse gas emissions could do more harm than good. This post originally appeared on the National Journal Energy & Environment Blog. With senators scrambling to find the right mix of policies that will get votes, one idea under consideration is a greenhouse gas reduction bill for the electric power sector –- so called “utility only ”– rather than one that covers most sectors of the U.S. economy. If the Senate goes this route, there are important issues that must be considered in order to come anywhere close to cutting total emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, President Obama’s commitment to the international community, and ensuring a pathway to a near-zero economy by 2050. We also need to make sure such a program doesn’t undermine its environmental goals. Here are key points to keep in mind: A utility-only emissions reduction cap alone will not be enough to reduce U.S. emissions to target levels. Emissions from electric power account for only about a third of total U.S. GHG emissions. We still need to address the other two-thirds. That’s why existing authorities’ ability to regulate GHGs, especially on uncapped sectors, must remain intact. We will also need to use new and existing complementary policies (such as appliance and vehicle standards) to achieve national emissions reductions goals. The design of an electric power-only emissions trading program must be ambitious. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, the sector is capable of achieving reductions of 20-27 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 using existing and cutting edge technologies. Emissions reductions in the electric power sector are also cheap relative to other sectors. Moreover, it is imperative that any cap establishes a long-term pathway for reductions out to 2050. For these and other reasons, a strong cap is desirable, and achievable. Cost-containment measures should be consid ... Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:38:03 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/A-Utility-Only-Cap-on-Emissions-_18_196_651_253630.html The Senate must consider several important issues before designing an electric power-only emissions trading program. There’s been a lot of chatter of late about the Senate designing a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction program for the electric power sector – so called “utility only” – as opposed to a broader program like the one passed by the House last year that covers most sectors of the U.S. economy. If the Senate goes this route there are important issues that must be considered if the U.S. is going to come anywhere close to cutting total emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, President Obama’s commitment to the international community, and set the foundation for deeper cuts in the future. Here are three key points to keep in mind: Reducing U.S. emissions at least to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and more than 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050 will almost certainly require a combination of an emissions trading program, federal and state regulatory authority already in place, and new policies and measures. Emissions from electric power account for about a third of total U.S. GHG emissions.1 The fewer sectors covered under an emissions trading program such as utility only, the more important it will be to preserve existing state and federal authorities (such as EPA regulations) and to use complementary policies (such as appliance and vehicle standards) to achieve overall national emissions reduction goals. The design of an electric power-only emissions trading program must be ambitious and environmentally robust to play a meaningful role in meeting reduction targets and in establishing a solid foundation for a national GHG reduction framework that can be ramped up over time. This post will focus on what is required to achieve meaningful near- and long-term national GHG emissions reductions. This is just one area that matters in the construction of a comprehensive approach to the energy and climate challenges the country faces. ... Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:49:01 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Firms-Should-Disclose-Emissions-to-at-Least-One-Carbon-Registry_18_196_651_253594.html With companies increasingly calculating their carbon footprint or greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory levels, sustainability executives must decide whether to participate in and report emissions to a third party carbon registry. They should consider participation in at least one or possibly two registries. Participation beyond two programs is often not worth the additional investment of time and money. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:44:32 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/WRI-Climate-Data-Now-Available-In-Google-Public-Data-Explorer_18_196_651_253183.html WRI is working with Google to make our data related to climate change more approachable and interactive than ever. Google’s Public Data Explorer is a new tool that makes large data sets easier to understand and explore. Users can reimagine data sets from a growing list of providers (like the U.S. Census, Eurostat, the World Bank, and, now, WRI’s Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) as interactive charts and maps that illustrate data relationships and trends over time. These new data visualizations can be embedded in other websites and easily shared via email or social networks. Turning Environmental Data into Policy Solutions Accessible data to support decision-making has always been WRI’s calling card. With CAIT, WRI provides a comprehensive and comparable database of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data and other climate-relevant indicators. Its recently-updated CAIT-U.S. data set, which includes estimates of GHG emissions from all major economic sectors for each U.S. state, is now part of the Public Data Explorer. These data are important for answering policy-related questions regarding GHGs. As a first step towards implementing effective solutions to climate change, decision-makers need to know where GHG emissions come from and what drives them. For example: Which states constituted the top 10 emitters in 2007? How do per capita emissions compare across the U.S.? From which sectors do most greenhouse gas emissions originate in the United States? New Ways to Visualize Greenhouse Gas Emissions The Google Public Data Explorer provides an opportunity to visualize answers to these and other questions in a way that is easy to see and understand. In some cases, the new Google platform also offers additional insights not available through CAIT, such as the moving time scale. By pairing CAIT data with Google’s tools, there are new possibilities for people everywhere to take part in using sound data to tell stories that frame environmental p ... Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:27:29 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/What-s-Next-for-Indonesia-Norway-Cooperation-on-Forests-_18_196_651_253093.html In May 2010, Norway agreed to contribute up to $1 billion towards reducing deforestation and forest degradation and loss of peatland in Indonesia, which now account for more than 80 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. The “Letter of Intent” is a promising first step, yet the two countries must still settle key details of the agreement. Below is WRI’s analysis of the Letter of Intent and recommendations for what should be addressed next. Deforestation and forest degradation in Indonesia have led to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and biodiversity loss of global significance. The recently announced Indonesia-Norway Letter of Intent (LOI) on “Cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation” aims to support Indonesia’s national strategy to reduce emissions from the land use sector, and to contribute to the international forest and climate dialogue. The effective implementation of this phased strategy can help protect Indonesia’s carbon- and biodiversity-rich tropical rainforests while promoting local prosperity. The initiative proposed in the Letter of Intent will be funded by Norway with US $1 billion, with $100 million paid up front and the rest as contributions-for-delivery. Implementation will occur in three phases: 1. A preparatory steps phase to be achieved by January 2011, including: Development of a national strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (known as REDD+); Establishment of a special coordination agency; Formation of an independent institution for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV); Establishment of a funding instrument based on payment for emissions reductions; and Selection of a province-wide pilot project. 2. A readiness phase starting in 2011 and lasting 3-4 years, including: Capacity building, policy development and implementation in 1-2 pilot provinces; Legal reform to address land tenure conflicts, compensation claims an ... Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:04:45 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Pollution-and-Warming/GHG-Emissions/Climate-Change-Risk-Management_18_196_651_252757.html Industry Week: The potential impact of global climate change has generated proposals for new U.S., Canadian and international laws and regulations, and it is likely that North American companies soon will incur costs to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Weather conditions, rising sea levels and changing snow and rainfall patterns may also affect operations, supply chains and profitability. Corporations may face investor claims for losses blamed on company operations, and directors and officers ...