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 | Climate Change: Global Warming Officially a Threat to U.S. National Security |
 For the first time, in 2010, Pentagon planners will include climate change among security threats identified in the Congress-mandated Quadrennial Defense Review that updates Pentagon priorities every four years. The climate change reference follows the October establishment of a new Center for the Study of Climate Change at the CIA. However, this does not mean that the Pentagon and CIA have taken an official stance in the debate over the validity of data on global warming. It only means they wish to be prepared and look at the worst case scenario. Among the scenarios that concern security planners is the melting of the Himalayan ice mass—rivers fed by the glaciers would flood, then dry up as the glaciers retreat, endangering tens of millions of people in Bangladesh. Mass migrations across borders in the area could also soon involve militaries as people compete for food and shelter.
NPR: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Tuesday, December 29 @ 13:45:51 EST (102 reads)
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| Climate Change: Carbon Capture/Sequestration Project Awaiting Funding |
 Dominion Virginia Power and Virginia Tech are seeking federal stimulus money to cover 50 percent of the cost of a $580 million carbon-capture-and-sequestration project. The project would remove carbon dioxide from power plant emissions at the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center and store it underground. Earlier this month DOE announced $1.4 billion in awards for 12 other similar projects. This project would use chemicals called “amines” to capture the carbon dioxide. It would handle emissions from 70 megawatts of power generation, removing 545,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year. The captured carbon dioxide would be sent via pipeline into nearby geologic formations (“stacked storage,” or multiple formations at different depths, including unminable coal seams, depleted gas fields, and saline aquifers). The carbon dioxide would not be injected anywhere near deep underground coal mining operations, and will be constantly monitored to guard against leakage. Construction on this project is scheduled to begin in 2013 and be completed in 2015.
Bristol Herald Courier: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Friday, November 13 @ 09:18:14 EST (255 reads)
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| Climate Change: Grizzly Bears Ordered Back onto Endangered Species List |
A federal judge in Montana has ordered the Interior Department to place almost 600 grizzly bears in and near Yellowstone National Park back on the endangered species list. The judge ruled on the grounds that the bears’ food supply is shrinking due to climate change. Grizzly bears lost their federal protection in 2007 after growing in numbers back from near-extinction. However, pine beetles have devastated the whitebark pine trees the bears rely on for sustenance, causing rising mortality rates among grizzly bears. Last year 48 grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem died, the highest mortality count since the bears were put on the endangered species list in 1975. The judge wrote that the USFWS’s decision to remove the bear’s threatened status didn’t take into account scientific studies that make a connection between the trees’ decline and the deaths of grizzly bears in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This ruling may have larger implications for threatened and endangered species, showing that climate change is in fact a threat to their future.
Washington Post: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, September 28 @ 11:26:27 EDT (348 reads)
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| Climate Change: Climate Change Seen As a Threat to U.S. Security |
Military and intelligence analysts say that global climate change will pose “profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration, and pandemics.” For the first time, the Pentagon and intelligence agencies have been taking a serious look at the national security implications of climate change. This argument could help in the debate in the Senate next month, when it looks at the climate and energy legislation passed by the House in June. The Foreign Relations Committee is advocating the climate legislation and is hoping to help sway skeptics in the Senate. Many critical military installations are vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm surges, and the shrinking of the Arctic ice cap will pose security issues. General Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine and former head of the Central Command, served as a member of a military advisory board on energy and climate at CAN and wrote in a report: “We will pay for this one way or another. We will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, and we’ll have to take an economic hit of some kind. Or we will pay the price later in military terms, and that will involve human lives.”
New York Times: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Tuesday, August 18 @ 10:55:46 EDT (394 reads)
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| Climate Change: Former Senator John Warner Says National Security Emphasis May Gain More Support |
At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, former Senator John Warner joined former high-ranking military personnel and military analysts to stress that climate change poses national security threats. Warner argued that more senators and citizens may be in support of a climate bill if the national security issues were emphasized. At the hearing, Warner and the military personnel and analysts stressed the possibility of increased conflicts over scarce resources due to climate change. He also emphasized the need to work with other nations on climate policy so that the public doesn’t think that other nations are not bearing part of the burden or costs. Swift action by Congress was urged by Warner and others. The hearing witnesses stressed that climate change could be a “threat multiplier” in unstable countries. They also cited the danger of reliance on foreign energy supplies as a threat to national security, especially since DoD is among the largest energy-consumers in the country. Senator John Kerry, chair of the committee, told reporters that he is confident there will be a national security aspect to the climate bill that is being shaped in the Senate. He is working with Barbara Boxer, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, to author an overall climate package and will co-sponsor the legislation.
Grist Magazine: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, July 27 @ 16:25:46 EDT (440 reads)
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| Climate Change: U.N. Recognizes Climate Change as Possible Security Threat |
The United Nations passed a resolution that recognizes climate change as a possible threat to security. The nonbinding resolution was passed by the General Assembly and may help put climate change on the agenda for the U.N. Security Council, which deals with threats to international peace and security. The resolution is a symbolic victory for small Pacific islands that are most vulnerable to rising sea levels. This resolution was the first to directly link climate change and security, a principle that has been resisted by some Security Council members. The resolution asks Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to submit a report on possible security implications from climate change.
Reuters: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, June 08 @ 15:19:42 EDT (505 reads)
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| Climate Change: State Documents Indicators of Climate Change |
 A new report from California’s Environmental Protection Agency’s office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment was released last week. The report identifies 27 indicators that measure the impact of climate change on a number of different areas. The results are not very promising for California. “By monitoring these indicators, we can measure the impacts of climate change and provide information that helps regulators develop policies to respond to them,”
said OEHHA director Joan Denton.
Central Valley Business Time: Article
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Posted by Becca on Tuesday, April 21 @ 10:55:06 EDT (383 reads)
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| Climate Change: Increase in Tree Deaths Tied to Climate Change |
In the past 20 to 30 years, the death rates of trees in Western U.S. forests have doubled, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. The study links higher temperatures and water scarcity due to climate change to the death rates. The study, the largest research project ever done on old-growth forests in the county, examined 76 long-term forest areas in three broad regions across the West. It found similar death-rate shifts, regardless of elevation, fire history, species, and size. The study notes that summers are getting longer and hotter, which places trees under greater stress resulting from droughts and insects. The authors warn that if tree deaths continue to rise or accelerate, U.S. forests could become a “net emitter of carbon dioxide.”
Washington Post: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, January 26 @ 09:19:07 EST (350 reads)
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| Climate Change: Climate Coalition Agrees on Emissions Cut Plan |
The U.S. Climate Action Partnership, made up of 32 large corporations (General Electric, Conoco Phillips, Duke Energy, DuPont, General Motors) and environmental organizations (Environmental Defense Fund, World Resources Institute), has developed a blueprint for limiting greenhouse gases. The group hopes that their plan will help to shape and push forward climate change legislation this year. It includes a cap-and-trade system that will result in a 42 percent cut in emissions by 2030, will limit emissions from petroleum products and natural gas, produce incentives for the first coal plants to capture and sequester carbon dioxide emissions, and establish a carbon market board to examine offsets and costs.
Washington Post: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Wednesday, January 21 @ 14:56:04 EST (346 reads)
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| Climate Change: Kaine Agrees to Action on Climate Report |
The state Commission on Climate Change unanimously adopted its final report, and Governor Kaine indicated that he would act on it. The report makes over 10 recommendations and will go to Kaine next week after some minor editing. The governor can endorse some recommendations through executive orders and is expected to take others to the General Assembly. The President of the Virginia Coal Association asked for a 60-day comment period on the report, which the Commission did not grant. They believe that the General Assembly and other venues will have plenty of time to debate the recommendations.
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, December 08 @ 09:55:41 EST (367 reads)
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| Climate Change: Virginia Climate Panel Decides on 100 Recommendations |
Virginia’s Commission on Climate Change has agreed on more than 100 recommendations. The commission will meet once more on December 4th to finalize the recommendations and give their report to Governor Kaine for action. The commission’s guidance includes many conservation measures, including that new commercial buildings be constructed to energy-saving standards over time. They also suggest that financial incentives be developed for power companies to work with customers to conserve energy. The commission also recommends incentives for protecting undeveloped lands, especially forests and wetlands, which absorb carbon dioxide. Also in the report is the suggestion that Virginia encourage a cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gases. The report’s recommendations are designed to reach Governor Kaine’s goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2025. The commission also backs a tougher goal of reducing emission 80 percent by 2050.
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Tuesday, November 18 @ 09:34:11 EST (423 reads)
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| Climate Change: Utility Fees Sought for Environmental Research Center |
California lawmakers released a proposal that, if passed into law, will tack 10 cents onto regulated utility bills to fund a global warming research center for the University of California. The total cost will amount to $37 million annually, which will partly finance the Climate Change Research and Workforce Development Institute. This is the second bill of its kind, and although ratepayers are not thrilled with the new increase, most agree that the new plan is much better than the preceding proposal. The researchers’ main focus will be on meeting the statewide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2025. The bill, which has already been approved by the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, still requires approval from another committee and the state assembly and senate.
Los Angeles Times: Article
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Posted by Becca on Monday, September 08 @ 10:54:10 EDT (423 reads)
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| Climate Change: Virginia Greenhouse Gases to Double National Rate |
Virginia’s Commission on Climate Change predicted that the state’s greenhouse gas emissions would increase 31 percent by 2025 if the state continues “business-as-usual.” As the state population has grown, VA’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased at a rate almost double that of the rest of the U.S. The commission’s final report, due in December, will outline a strategy for reducing emissions. So far, the commission has created an inventory of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and chronicled the threat of climate change and sea-level rise to the environment and VA’s economic infrastructure.
Newport News Daily Press: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Tuesday, September 02 @ 10:06:51 EDT (317 reads)
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| Climate Change: Dry California Officially in a State of Drought |
On July 19th Governor Schwarzenegger announced that there is a state-wide drought in California for the first time in 17 years. The drought is a result of below-average rainfall and snowmelt for the last two years. In an immediate effort to cope with the drought, the governor has asked the Department of Water Resources to deliver water to the most critically dry areas and to work with local water districts and agencies to improve water efficiency and conservation. To deal with current and future water issues Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed an $11.9 billion water bond to address the issues of water storage, delta sustainability, water resources stewardship, water quality improvement, and other critical water projects. However, many democratic lawmakers and conservation groups are resistant to certain aspects of the proposed project. Planning and Conservation League Executive Director, Tracy Sheehan Van Thull had this to say about the governors proposal: “Unfortunately the governor’s executive order relies heavily on outdated strategies that have created the very problems we seek now to solve.”
Environmental News Service: Article
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Posted by Becca on Monday, July 21 @ 12:31:47 EDT (307 reads)
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| Climate Change: EPA Warns that Global Warming Is a Major Threat to Humans |
This week the EPA warned that climate change will pose a substantial threat to human health in coming decades. The agency issued warnings about heat waves, hurricanes, and pathogens. Extremely hot periods in the future will put the elderly, the poor, and those in inner cities at risk. More powerful hurricanes, shrinking supplies of fresh water in the West, and increased spread of diseases are also dangers. This warning comes a week after the EPA decided not to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the current administration. The announcement made this week was important because there has been a lot of resistance from the EPA and the administration to recognizing that human health is in danger as a result of climate change, even though it has been predicted by many other sources globally.
Washington Post: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, July 21 @ 09:29:58 EDT (418 reads)
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| Climate Change: Democrats May Pull Climate Bill after Long Debate |
The Senate debate on a proposed cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases did not go well this week. On Wednesday, a group of Republican senators asked that a clerk read the 491-page bill in its entirety, delaying deliberations for over 10 hours. It is unlikely that the debate on amendments to the Lieberman-Warner climate bill will end this morning (6 June), as was hoped by majority leader Harry Reid. If that is the case, he is expected to withdrawal the entire measure. In addition to the cap-and-trade system, which would put a price on carbon dioxide emissions, amendments on the bill would impose tariffs on developing countries that don’t price carbon dioxide emissions. While environmentalists are pleased that this bill even made it to the floor, bringing climate change to the attention of senators, many believe the proposed legislation isn’t strong enough.
The Washington Post: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Monday, June 09 @ 10:08:43 EDT (466 reads)
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| Climate Change: Study Predicts VA Coastline Will Dramatically Retreat |
A study released by the National Wildlife Federation concludes that over the next century, most of the barrier islands on Virginia's eastern shore will disappear, the ocean will breach into Back Bay in Virginia Beach, and local rivers will expand to cover more than 10,000 acres of undeveloped land in Hampton Roads. The study is one of the most detailed and localized forecasts of what might happen to the Chesapeake Bay region as a result of undiminished climate change. The report is based on a conservative assumption that sea level will rise about two feet in coastal Virginia by 2100 and uses computer modeling to create maps of specific geographic areas.
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot: Article
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Posted by elizabeth on Tuesday, May 27 @ 09:44:23 EDT (392 reads)
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| Climate Change: Fighting Climate Change through Land Use Planning |
Cities like Seattle and Washington D.C. are rethinking the growth of their communities, as are states across the country. Land use and development policies are changing to require developers to consider the environmental impacts of their projects. This is to encourage development that has minimal greenhouse gas emissions, thus reducing the carbon footprint of these cities and states instead of increasing them.
Washington Post: Article
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Posted by bl on Tuesday, May 13 @ 13:50:46 EDT (405 reads)
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| Climate Change: Climate Change May Affect Bay Area Growth and Development |
In response to recent studies showing that the San Francisco Bay could rise several feet due to sea level changes, officials are disscussing redirecting growth away from bayside areas. There is also talk of higher density growth near public transportation to reduce carbon emissions, and buying out some landowners along the bay to convert their property into wetlands.
SFGate: Article
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Posted by bl on Friday, April 25 @ 14:28:50 EDT (328 reads)
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| Climate Change: Climate Change an Environmental Injustice to Poor |
The world's poorest are the ones likely to be the most affected by climate change. It's not just the poorest countries that will be negatively impacted, but poor people in all countires. The prespective is that wealthy countries and affluent people have contributed more to climate change. It is an environmental injustice to people that are less fortunate, who have not contributed as much, if at all, to climate change.
Pigeon Project: Blog
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Posted by bl on Friday, April 25 @ 14:20:28 EDT (424 reads)
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