Climate Changes Updates 18 April

1)   National Trust to generate 50% renewable energy by 2020

http://www.edie.net/news/6/National-Trust-to-generate-50–percent-renewable-energy-by-2020-/

2)   PM Singh: India to Double Renewable Energy Capacity By 2017

http://www.asianscientist.com/topnews/pm-singh-india-set-double-renewable-energy-capacity-2017/

3)   ‘Wake-up call’ sounded on stalled renewable energy initiatives

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-iea-renewable-energy-stalled-20130417,0,6043134.story?track=rss

4)   Most Christian pastors still deny global climate change

http://blogs.redding.com/dcraig/archives/2013/04/most-christian.html

5)   What Makes Fertilizer Plants So Explosive?

http://news.discovery.com/earth/the-capricious-chemistry-of-ammonium-nitrate-130418.htm

6)   Earthquakes Heralded Opening of Sinkhole

http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/earthquakes-signaled-toxic-sinkhole-130418.htm

7)   Deadly Explosion At Texas Fertilizer Plant

http://news.discovery.com/earth/plants/deadly-explosion-at-texas-fertilizer-plant-130418.htm

8)   And now to the weather: climate science on the front foot

http://theconversation.com/and-now-to-the-weather-climate-science-on-the-front-foot-13306

9)   Gorbachev sees global failure to address eco-risks

http://news.yahoo.com/gorbachev-sees-global-failure-address-eco-risks-113816709.html;_ylt=AlELOqLCYH41e9_I7g2aeJe1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTQwODR1OWllBG1pdANUb3BpY3MgQ29sbGVjdGlvbiBMaXN0BHBrZwM4MmFkYTc1Mi04MmVjLTM1YTItODczOS1iYTk3MjgwYzllNGYEcG9zAzEEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDZWY5OWZjNzEtYTg4MS0xMWUyLWJjZjctNjVkMDBjOWMzNzEz;_ylg=X3oDMTJpa2VjNnJhBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDN2IyZWFjYjItZWRmYS0zMTA2LWEzZGMtZWFkM2E4NjM2YjIzBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3

10)                     EU climate chief promises to save emissions trading scheme

http://www.rtcc.org/eu-climate-chief-promises-to-save-emissions-trading-scheme/

11)                     Climate science and politics – where two worlds collide

http://www.rtcc.org/climate-science-and-politics-where-two-worlds-collide/

12)                     Methane and soot identified as sea level rise drivers

http://www.rtcc.org/methane-and-soot-identified-as-sea-level-rise-drivers/

13)                     World Bank chief defends coal investments

http://www.rtcc.org/world-bank-chief-defends-coal-investments/

14)                      Climate Sensitivity Single Study Syndrome, Nic Lewis Edition

http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-sensitivity-single-study-syndrome-nic-lewis-edition.html

15)                     In 2011, China built as many coal plants as there are in Texas and Ohio combined

http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/simple-reason-why-we-need-put-price-carbon.html

16)                     Aerosols confirmed rising over India

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/45873

17)                     Hunting plan a ‘deliberate attack’ on environment, says Debus

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/hunting-plan-a-deliberate-attack-on-environment-says-debus-20130418-2i24y.html#ixzz2QssOuh9x

18)                     ‘First Step’ in Addressing Effects of Climate Change

        http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130418154417.htm

Climate Change Updates April 18, 2013

Wanted: Your thoughts on the 2015 climate change agreement http://brussels.cta.int/index.php?option=com_k2&id=7635:wanted-your-thoughts-on-the-2015-climate-change-agreement&view=item&Itemid=54 The European Commission has put out a call for the opinions of stakeholders and the public alike on what needs to feature in the next global agreement on climate change, with the launch on March 26 of a consultative paper containing questions aimed at shaping the debate.
The paper (Consultative Communication), titled ”The 2015 International Climate Change Agreement: Shaping international climate policy beyond 2020,” was launched ahead of a stakeholder conference being organized by the commission on April 17. It invites a debate with Member States, EU institutions and stakeholders on how best to shape the international climate regime between 2020 and 2030. It sets out a context and poses a set of questions to frame this debate.

Joe Oliver beats back accusations of climate change denial http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/16/pol-joe-oliver-faces-climate-change-questions-at-committee.html Joe Oliver fought off accusations that he doesn’t believe in the science of climate change at a testy meeting of the federal natural resources committee Tuesday. The natural resources minister defended comments he made to an editorial board meeting of the Montreal daily La Presse in which he mused about the complexity of climate science. “I believe and the government believes it’s [climate change] a serious issue and we’re going to continue to act on that belief going forward,” Oliver explained after the meeting. Oliver’s comments were reported in the April 12 edition of La Presse. “I think that people aren’t as worried as they were before about global warming of two degrees,” he was quoted as saying and added, “scientists have recently told us that our fears (on climate change) are exaggerated.”

British children ‘deeply concerned’ about the impact of climate change http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/17/british-children-deeply-concerned-climate-change British children are deeply concerned about the impact of climate changeon their own lives and those of children on poorer nations, according to a new poll for Unicef. Three-quarters of 11 to 16-year-olds were worried about how global warming will change the world and wanted the government to do more to tackle the threat. But the results come as the row increased over the dropping of debate over climate change from the national curriculum for under-14s’ geography classes, with the delivery of a 65,000-strong petition to the Department for Education. The Unicef poll, conducted by Ipsos-Mori, found that two-thirds of young people were worried about how climate change will affect other children and families in developing countries and that only 1% said they knew nothing about climate change.

On the Rebound, New England Oysters Face Climate Change Threat http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=on-the-rebound-new-england-oysters-face-climate-change-threat CHARLESTOWN, R.I. – Rain and sleet smack the surface of Ninigret Pond as oyster farmer Jules Opton-Himmel fumbles with a stalled outboard motor. Not much is going his way this morning. He’s under pressure to harvest on this mid-February day to make an on-time afternoon delivery to a local raw bar. On-board, he’s trying to impress a top chef from one of Newport’s most exclusive restaurants – and his pontoon boat is stuck in a field of slushy ice not even halfway out into the lagoon where he grows oysters.

Forestry sector may lose native trees to climate change http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/04/17/nb-forestry-industry-climate-change.html A new study that examines the impact of climate change on New Brunswick’s forestry sector says it appears the province will see a decline in some of its native species by the year 2100. The report out of the University of New Brunswick says the balsam fir and white spruce will likely decline over the next century when average temperatures climb, while species that adapted to southern regions, such as red spruce and red oak, will improve. Tom Beckley, a professor of forestry and environmental management at UNB, says the provincial rules governing the industry should reflect the changing environment and protect New Brunswick’s biodiversity.

Developed nations must share climate change burden: PM http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/developed-nations-must-share-climate-change-burden-pm-113041700534_1.html As part of his opening remarks at the fourth Clean Energy Ministerial here, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said industrialised countries should take a large share of the steps to mitigate climate change, in line with their greater share in global emissions.

Global strategies to address climate change must be based on “equitable sharing” of the burden of mitigation and adjustment, Singh said. “On any principle of equity, industrialised countries have to bear a large share of the burden. They are historically responsible for the bulk of the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions, and this alone suggests greater responsibility,” he added.

Singh painted a grim picture of the climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, saying the goal of stabilising global temperatures at acceptable levels was nowhere in sight.

West doing little for climate change, says Manmohan http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/West-doing-little-for-climate-change-says-Manmohan/Article1-1045977.aspx Voicing his concern on “painfully slow” progress in climate talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hit at rich nations for not doing enough to fight climate change. Singh, while inaugurating the Fourth Clean Energy Ministerial, also made it clear that rich nations, who were responsible for a bulk of global warming causing greenhouse gas emissions, were best placed to provide workable solutions. “They (industrialised nations) also have high per capita incomes which gives them the highest capacity to bear the burden. They are technically most advanced, and to that extent best placed to provide workable solutions not only for themselves but for the whole world,” he said. At the same time, Singh said issues of financing mitigation actions to tackle climate change have been a focus of intense discussion in negotiations under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Does Australia hold the keys to solving climate change?
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/4/18/policy-politics/does-australia-hold-keys-solving-climate-change#ixzz2QnBSaU8K Opponents of action on climate change often like to point out that Australia’s direct emissions are only 1.5 per cent of the global total, and claim that it therefore doesn’t matter what we do. But they’ve missed several key areas where Australia’s actions could dramatically affect global outcomes.  If we’re serious about solving climate change, we need to fully understand how our actions influence the global stage, and act accordingly. Australia’s action (or inaction) influences China and the USA While it’s true that Australia’s direct emissions are only 1.5 per cent of the global total, it’s worth bearing in mind that we are not only one of the highest per capital emitters in the world, but also the 15th largest emitter in total. This means that of the 196 odd nations of the world, barely a dozen are larger than Australia. Therefore, if Australia isn’t moving, most other nations in the world can feel justified in a similar degree of inactivity.

Climate Change Responsible for Global Vegetation Change http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-responsible-for-global-vegetation-change-15883 LONDON — The amount of vegetation in the world, and the way it is spread across the planet, has changed significantly in the last three decades, researchers say. They attribute more than half the changes they detected to the effects of the warming climate, with people responsible for only around a third. Surprisingly, perhaps, they are at a loss to attribute about 10 percent of the changes unequivocally to either the climate or us.

Waiting for a Clash on Climate Change http://www.nationaljournal.com/house-energy-commerce-committee/waiting-for-a-clash-on-climate-change-20130417 In 2011, congressional Republicans put a bull’s-eye on the Environmental Protection Agency. powerful new political force—the tea party—was on the rise, fueled by opposition to taxes and government regulation. It crashed head-on into President Obama’s EPA, which was in the process of rolling out an ambitious slate of new clean-air regulations aimed at slashing toxic pollution from coal-powered plants and factories. For the past two years, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has operated as the launchpad for legislative attacks on EPA’s rules, hauling in the agency’s former administrator, Lisa Jackson, for high-profile grillings and putting forth a series of bills aimed at handcuffing the agency’s ability to crack down on industrial pollution. Even though none of the legislation had a chance of passing all the way through Congress, the panel’s actions helped amplify the GOP political message that the administration was waging a “war on coal.” The anti-coal charges failed, however, to oust Obama or help Republicans gain control of the Senate. Now, committee Republicans find themselves in the calm before the next storm. EPA is preparing to introduce what one advocate called “the mother of all clean-air regulations”—rules that will force new and existing coal-fired power plants to cut their emissions of the carbon dioxide that is the chief cause of global warming.

Urgent need for international deal to tackle climate change, says Hogan http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/urgent-need-for-international-deal-to-tackle-climate-change-says-hogan-29200579.html Environment Minister Phil Hogan said Ireland was using its EU Presidency to help advance the negotiations on climate change which must be central to any new development goals drawn-up after 2015. “The burden of climate change is not evenly distributed geographically and socially, sadly it is the poorest countries with agriculturally dependent economies which are the most affected despite them having done the least to cause the problem,” Mr Hogan told those gathered for the Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice conference at Dublin Castle.

Ban highlights need to work towards sustainable energy http://www.elp.com/news/2013/04/16/ban-highlights-need-to-work-towards-sustainable-energy.html New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): Calling it “one of the most critical issues of our time,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday stressed the importance of strong partnerships to achieve universal access to sustainable energy. “Clean, modern and affordable energy services are essential for sustainable development,” Ban told participants at the Dubai Energy Forum in the United Arab Emirates. “By making sustainable energy accessible to all people and communities, we can eliminate extreme poverty and improve public health, power economic growth and reduce the risks of runaway climate change. ” Worldwide, almost 3 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, and about 1.5 billion have no access to electricity, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Ban’s Sustainable Energy for All Initiative aims to achieve three inter-linked global targets by 2030: universal access to modern energy services; the doubling of energy efficiency; and the doubling of the share of renewable energy in the world’s energy mix. At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last year, the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative received over USD 50 billion in commitments towards actions under the initiative.

Progress at international climate talks painfully slow: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/zU6WLzKuNF36V5VjzpfL9I/Progress-at-international-climate-talks-painfully-slow-PM.html New Delhi: International negotiations to prevent climate change were progressing at a “painfully slow” pace, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. An acceptable global strategy for mitigation of climate change must be based on equitable sharing of the burden, Singh said after inaugurating the clean energy ministerial in New Delhi on Wednesday. “On any principle of equity, the industrialized countries have to bear a large share of the burden,” he said, adding that intense discussions on these issues have not led to solutions. “The goal of stabilizing global temperatures at acceptable levels is nowhere in sight,” Singh said. A forum such as the fourth clean energy ministerial being held in New Delhi this week helps countries to exchange information and collaborate even as the climate negotiations take place under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Singh said.

FEATURE: African nations strive to stem desertification with a ‘Great Green Wall’ http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44671&Cr=desertification&Cr1=#.UW-OfKJHL3V 16 April 2013 – Stretching from Dakar to Djibouti, a United Nations-backed programme dubbed the ‘Great Green Wall’ brings together 11 countries to plant trees across Africa to literally hold back the Sahara desert with a swathe of greenery, lessen the effects of desertification and improve the lives and livelihoods of communities. The Wall, an initiative spearheaded by African heads of State, will stretch about 7,000 kilometres from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east and will be about 15 kilometres wide as it traverses the continent, passing through Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. The programme aims to support the efforts of local communities in the sustainable management and use of forests – a key theme of the tenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF10), currently taking place in Istanbul – as well as other natural resources in drylands. Among other things, the planting of trees is expected to provide a barrier against desert winds and will help to hold moisture in the air and soil, allowing agriculture to flourish. It is also expected that the Wall will reduce erosion, enhance biodiversity and improve countries’ resilience to climate change.

Media needs a climate change http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/media-needs-a-climate-change/article4623897.ece The Centre for Science and Technology Policy Research (CSTPR) at the University of Colorado-Boulder, US, has an interesting continuing research. It tracks media coverage on climate change and global warming in 50 newspapers being published in 20 countries across six continents. The study also includes India, and four English language dailies are included —Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Times of India and The Hindu. The results are published in the form of graphs. The lines in the graph are jagged — with sharp peaks and deep ravines. PEAKS AND TROUGHS The lines for all the continents mostly follow the same trends, thereby indicating that there is a global pattern to media coverage on climate change. The highest peak (the highest media coverage), in all continents corresponds to November-December 2009 — just before, during and after the Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Climate Change Convention held at Copenhagen in Denmark. The Copenhagen CoP attracted intense media and public attention all through the world because the international community was to decide the roadmap for reducing climate change from the time the Kyoto Protocol ended in 2012.

Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown http://news.yahoo.com/climate-scientists-struggle-explain-warming-slowdown-094217830.html;_ylt=AluX6S3vbKqNFLQ6GIFS6wi1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTQwdDM0ZWdhBG1pdANUb3BpY3MgQ29sbGVjdGlvbiBMaXN0BHBrZwMwNjlmMWQ3MC01MjgyLTMxZTQtOGQ5OS02NjAzZDZiMWNmOTEEcG9zAzMEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDMTQxMmU2MjAtYTY3YS0xMWUyLWI3ZjAtZGE4N2RmM2FiZjU5;_ylg=X3oDMTMzZzhsOGZiBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDN2IyZWFjYjItZWRmYS0zMTA2LWEzZGMtZWFkM2E4NjM2YjIzBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdANOYWNlbGxlX09mZg–;_ylv=3 OSLO (Reuters) – Scientists are struggling to explain a slowdown in climate change that has exposed gaps in their understanding and defies a rise in global greenhouse gas emissions. Often focused on century-long trends, most climate models failed to predict that the temperature rise would slow, starting around 2000. Scientists are now intent on figuring out the causes and determining whether the respite will be brief or a more lasting phenomenon. Getting this right is essential for the short and long-term planning of governments and businesses ranging from energy to construction, from agriculture to insurance. Many scientists say they expect a revival of warming in coming years. Theories for the pause include that deep oceans have taken up more heat with the result that the surface is cooler than expected, that industrial pollution in Asia or clouds are blocking the sun, or that greenhouse gases trap less heat than previously believed. The change may be a result of an observed decline in heat-trapping water vapour in the high atmosphere, for unknown reasons. It could be a combination of factors or some as yet unknown natural variations, scientists say.

***

 

Climate Change Updates April 18, 2013

Wanted: Your thoughts on the 2015 climate change agreement http://brussels.cta.int/index.php?option=com_k2&id=7635:wanted-your-thoughts-on-the-2015-climate-change-agreement&view=item&Itemid=54 The European Commission has put out a call for the opinions of stakeholders and the public alike on what needs to feature in the next global agreement on climate change, with the launch on March 26 of a consultative paper containing questions aimed at shaping the debate.
The paper (Consultative Communication), titled ”The 2015 International Climate Change Agreement: Shaping international climate policy beyond 2020,” was launched ahead of a stakeholder conference being organized by the commission on April 17. It invites a debate with Member States, EU institutions and stakeholders on how best to shape the international climate regime between 2020 and 2030. It sets out a context and poses a set of questions to frame this debate.

Joe Oliver beats back accusations of climate change denial http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/16/pol-joe-oliver-faces-climate-change-questions-at-committee.html Joe Oliver fought off accusations that he doesn’t believe in the science of climate change at a testy meeting of the federal natural resources committee Tuesday. The natural resources minister defended comments he made to an editorial board meeting of the Montreal daily La Presse in which he mused about the complexity of climate science. “I believe and the government believes it’s [climate change] a serious issue and we’re going to continue to act on that belief going forward,” Oliver explained after the meeting. Oliver’s comments were reported in the April 12 edition of La Presse. “I think that people aren’t as worried as they were before about global warming of two degrees,” he was quoted as saying and added, “scientists have recently told us that our fears (on climate change) are exaggerated.”

British children ‘deeply concerned’ about the impact of climate change http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/17/british-children-deeply-concerned-climate-change British children are deeply concerned about the impact of climate changeon their own lives and those of children on poorer nations, according to a new poll for Unicef. Three-quarters of 11 to 16-year-olds were worried about how global warming will change the world and wanted the government to do more to tackle the threat. But the results come as the row increased over the dropping of debate over climate change from the national curriculum for under-14s’ geography classes, with the delivery of a 65,000-strong petition to the Department for Education. The Unicef poll, conducted by Ipsos-Mori, found that two-thirds of young people were worried about how climate change will affect other children and families in developing countries and that only 1% said they knew nothing about climate change.

On the Rebound, New England Oysters Face Climate Change Threat http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=on-the-rebound-new-england-oysters-face-climate-change-threat CHARLESTOWN, R.I. – Rain and sleet smack the surface of Ninigret Pond as oyster farmer Jules Opton-Himmel fumbles with a stalled outboard motor. Not much is going his way this morning. He’s under pressure to harvest on this mid-February day to make an on-time afternoon delivery to a local raw bar. On-board, he’s trying to impress a top chef from one of Newport’s most exclusive restaurants – and his pontoon boat is stuck in a field of slushy ice not even halfway out into the lagoon where he grows oysters.

Forestry sector may lose native trees to climate change http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/04/17/nb-forestry-industry-climate-change.html A new study that examines the impact of climate change on New Brunswick’s forestry sector says it appears the province will see a decline in some of its native species by the year 2100. The report out of the University of New Brunswick says the balsam fir and white spruce will likely decline over the next century when average temperatures climb, while species that adapted to southern regions, such as red spruce and red oak, will improve. Tom Beckley, a professor of forestry and environmental management at UNB, says the provincial rules governing the industry should reflect the changing environment and protect New Brunswick’s biodiversity.

Developed nations must share climate change burden: PM http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/developed-nations-must-share-climate-change-burden-pm-113041700534_1.html As part of his opening remarks at the fourth Clean Energy Ministerial here, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said industrialised countries should take a large share of the steps to mitigate climate change, in line with their greater share in global emissions.

Global strategies to address climate change must be based on “equitable sharing” of the burden of mitigation and adjustment, Singh said. “On any principle of equity, industrialised countries have to bear a large share of the burden. They are historically responsible for the bulk of the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions, and this alone suggests greater responsibility,” he added.

Singh painted a grim picture of the climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, saying the goal of stabilising global temperatures at acceptable levels was nowhere in sight.

West doing little for climate change, says Manmohan http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/West-doing-little-for-climate-change-says-Manmohan/Article1-1045977.aspx Voicing his concern on “painfully slow” progress in climate talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hit at rich nations for not doing enough to fight climate change. Singh, while inaugurating the Fourth Clean Energy Ministerial, also made it clear that rich nations, who were responsible for a bulk of global warming causing greenhouse gas emissions, were best placed to provide workable solutions. “They (industrialised nations) also have high per capita incomes which gives them the highest capacity to bear the burden. They are technically most advanced, and to that extent best placed to provide workable solutions not only for themselves but for the whole world,” he said. At the same time, Singh said issues of financing mitigation actions to tackle climate change have been a focus of intense discussion in negotiations under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Does Australia hold the keys to solving climate change?
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/4/18/policy-politics/does-australia-hold-keys-solving-climate-change#ixzz2QnBSaU8K Opponents of action on climate change often like to point out that Australia’s direct emissions are only 1.5 per cent of the global total, and claim that it therefore doesn’t matter what we do. But they’ve missed several key areas where Australia’s actions could dramatically affect global outcomes.  If we’re serious about solving climate change, we need to fully understand how our actions influence the global stage, and act accordingly. Australia’s action (or inaction) influences China and the USA While it’s true that Australia’s direct emissions are only 1.5 per cent of the global total, it’s worth bearing in mind that we are not only one of the highest per capital emitters in the world, but also the 15th largest emitter in total. This means that of the 196 odd nations of the world, barely a dozen are larger than Australia. Therefore, if Australia isn’t moving, most other nations in the world can feel justified in a similar degree of inactivity.

Climate Change Responsible for Global Vegetation Change http://www.climatecentral.org/news/climate-change-responsible-for-global-vegetation-change-15883 LONDON — The amount of vegetation in the world, and the way it is spread across the planet, has changed significantly in the last three decades, researchers say. They attribute more than half the changes they detected to the effects of the warming climate, with people responsible for only around a third. Surprisingly, perhaps, they are at a loss to attribute about 10 percent of the changes unequivocally to either the climate or us.

Waiting for a Clash on Climate Change http://www.nationaljournal.com/house-energy-commerce-committee/waiting-for-a-clash-on-climate-change-20130417 In 2011, congressional Republicans put a bull’s-eye on the Environmental Protection Agency. powerful new political force—the tea party—was on the rise, fueled by opposition to taxes and government regulation. It crashed head-on into President Obama’s EPA, which was in the process of rolling out an ambitious slate of new clean-air regulations aimed at slashing toxic pollution from coal-powered plants and factories. For the past two years, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has operated as the launchpad for legislative attacks on EPA’s rules, hauling in the agency’s former administrator, Lisa Jackson, for high-profile grillings and putting forth a series of bills aimed at handcuffing the agency’s ability to crack down on industrial pollution. Even though none of the legislation had a chance of passing all the way through Congress, the panel’s actions helped amplify the GOP political message that the administration was waging a “war on coal.” The anti-coal charges failed, however, to oust Obama or help Republicans gain control of the Senate. Now, committee Republicans find themselves in the calm before the next storm. EPA is preparing to introduce what one advocate called “the mother of all clean-air regulations”—rules that will force new and existing coal-fired power plants to cut their emissions of the carbon dioxide that is the chief cause of global warming.

Urgent need for international deal to tackle climate change, says Hogan http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/urgent-need-for-international-deal-to-tackle-climate-change-says-hogan-29200579.html Environment Minister Phil Hogan said Ireland was using its EU Presidency to help advance the negotiations on climate change which must be central to any new development goals drawn-up after 2015. “The burden of climate change is not evenly distributed geographically and socially, sadly it is the poorest countries with agriculturally dependent economies which are the most affected despite them having done the least to cause the problem,” Mr Hogan told those gathered for the Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice conference at Dublin Castle.

Ban highlights need to work towards sustainable energy http://www.elp.com/news/2013/04/16/ban-highlights-need-to-work-towards-sustainable-energy.html New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): Calling it “one of the most critical issues of our time,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday stressed the importance of strong partnerships to achieve universal access to sustainable energy. “Clean, modern and affordable energy services are essential for sustainable development,” Ban told participants at the Dubai Energy Forum in the United Arab Emirates. “By making sustainable energy accessible to all people and communities, we can eliminate extreme poverty and improve public health, power economic growth and reduce the risks of runaway climate change. ” Worldwide, almost 3 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, and about 1.5 billion have no access to electricity, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Ban’s Sustainable Energy for All Initiative aims to achieve three inter-linked global targets by 2030: universal access to modern energy services; the doubling of energy efficiency; and the doubling of the share of renewable energy in the world’s energy mix. At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last year, the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative received over USD 50 billion in commitments towards actions under the initiative.

Progress at international climate talks painfully slow: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/zU6WLzKuNF36V5VjzpfL9I/Progress-at-international-climate-talks-painfully-slow-PM.html New Delhi: International negotiations to prevent climate change were progressing at a “painfully slow” pace, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. An acceptable global strategy for mitigation of climate change must be based on equitable sharing of the burden, Singh said after inaugurating the clean energy ministerial in New Delhi on Wednesday. “On any principle of equity, the industrialized countries have to bear a large share of the burden,” he said, adding that intense discussions on these issues have not led to solutions. “The goal of stabilizing global temperatures at acceptable levels is nowhere in sight,” Singh said. A forum such as the fourth clean energy ministerial being held in New Delhi this week helps countries to exchange information and collaborate even as the climate negotiations take place under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Singh said.

FEATURE: African nations strive to stem desertification with a ‘Great Green Wall’ http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44671&Cr=desertification&Cr1=#.UW-OfKJHL3V 16 April 2013 – Stretching from Dakar to Djibouti, a United Nations-backed programme dubbed the ‘Great Green Wall’ brings together 11 countries to plant trees across Africa to literally hold back the Sahara desert with a swathe of greenery, lessen the effects of desertification and improve the lives and livelihoods of communities. The Wall, an initiative spearheaded by African heads of State, will stretch about 7,000 kilometres from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east and will be about 15 kilometres wide as it traverses the continent, passing through Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. The programme aims to support the efforts of local communities in the sustainable management and use of forests – a key theme of the tenth session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF10), currently taking place in Istanbul – as well as other natural resources in drylands. Among other things, the planting of trees is expected to provide a barrier against desert winds and will help to hold moisture in the air and soil, allowing agriculture to flourish. It is also expected that the Wall will reduce erosion, enhance biodiversity and improve countries’ resilience to climate change.

Media needs a climate change http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/media-needs-a-climate-change/article4623897.ece The Centre for Science and Technology Policy Research (CSTPR) at the University of Colorado-Boulder, US, has an interesting continuing research. It tracks media coverage on climate change and global warming in 50 newspapers being published in 20 countries across six continents. The study also includes India, and four English language dailies are included —Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Times of India and The Hindu. The results are published in the form of graphs. The lines in the graph are jagged — with sharp peaks and deep ravines. PEAKS AND TROUGHS The lines for all the continents mostly follow the same trends, thereby indicating that there is a global pattern to media coverage on climate change. The highest peak (the highest media coverage), in all continents corresponds to November-December 2009 — just before, during and after the Conference of Parties (CoP) to the Climate Change Convention held at Copenhagen in Denmark. The Copenhagen CoP attracted intense media and public attention all through the world because the international community was to decide the roadmap for reducing climate change from the time the Kyoto Protocol ended in 2012.

Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown http://news.yahoo.com/climate-scientists-struggle-explain-warming-slowdown-094217830.html;_ylt=AluX6S3vbKqNFLQ6GIFS6wi1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTQwdDM0ZWdhBG1pdANUb3BpY3MgQ29sbGVjdGlvbiBMaXN0BHBrZwMwNjlmMWQ3MC01MjgyLTMxZTQtOGQ5OS02NjAzZDZiMWNmOTEEcG9zAzMEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDMTQxMmU2MjAtYTY3YS0xMWUyLWI3ZjAtZGE4N2RmM2FiZjU5;_ylg=X3oDMTMzZzhsOGZiBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDN2IyZWFjYjItZWRmYS0zMTA2LWEzZGMtZWFkM2E4NjM2YjIzBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdANOYWNlbGxlX09mZg–;_ylv=3 OSLO (Reuters) – Scientists are struggling to explain a slowdown in climate change that has exposed gaps in their understanding and defies a rise in global greenhouse gas emissions. Often focused on century-long trends, most climate models failed to predict that the temperature rise would slow, starting around 2000. Scientists are now intent on figuring out the causes and determining whether the respite will be brief or a more lasting phenomenon. Getting this right is essential for the short and long-term planning of governments and businesses ranging from energy to construction, from agriculture to insurance. Many scientists say they expect a revival of warming in coming years. Theories for the pause include that deep oceans have taken up more heat with the result that the surface is cooler than expected, that industrial pollution in Asia or clouds are blocking the sun, or that greenhouse gases trap less heat than previously believed. The change may be a result of an observed decline in heat-trapping water vapour in the high atmosphere, for unknown reasons. It could be a combination of factors or some as yet unknown natural variations, scientists say.

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