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By Guest Writer,Feb 9, 2010By Kenneth Hewitt, China Dialogue
Part II of a three-part seriesAs we saw in part one, climate change is obviously having different consequences in different mountain areas of Asia. The situation in the Karakoram must represent some distinctive conditions.
Three features of the regional environment seem critical. The first two relate to snowfall and the nourishment of these glaciers. They are intermediate in type between the summer accumulation (snowfall) glaciers of the greater Himalayas, and the winter accumulation glaciers of, say, the Caucasus and European Alps to the west. In each of the latter, more or less strong glacier retreat is reported.
Second, the zone of maximum precipitation in the Karakoram is much higher than in these and most other mountain ranges. It is also entirely within the accumulation zones of the glaciers. This relates to the third factor, the exceptional elevations and, especially, elevation range of these ice masses.
Closely Watched Project Will Start with MethaneBy Suzanne B. Bopp,Feb 8, 2010California is launching a first-of-its-kind statewide network of monitors to track greenhouse gas emissions closer to their sources.
Knowing those levels will be a crucial step toward implementing a state law, known as AB 32, that requires California to cut its emissions 25% by 2020.
By Guest Writer,Feb 7, 2010By Kenneth Hewitt, China Dialogue
Part I of a three-part seriesGlaciers are quite sensitive to climate change and, recently, there have been many reports of major changes in the Himalaya and other parts of High Asia; mostly of glaciers retreating fast. Impacts of a range of glacier hazards, and on the reliability of water resources, are of concern at local, national and transnational scales.
However, there is also a growing recognition that glacial conditions in the region are very diverse, and so are their responses to climate change.
There are some very different implications in different societal contexts, not least in relation to rapid socio-economic changes, water resource projects and security crises. The latter are often more urgent or immediate problems that disrupt or undermine peoples’ capacities to adapt to environmental change.
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By Ann Danylkiw,Feb 8, 2010Circular 698 caused a momentary pause throughout the business anglo-sino-blogosphere late last year.
China passed a retroactive look-through provision that effectively changed the rules for foreign investment structures in China. The Circular in and of itself is relatively innocuous. It highlights an oft misunderstood Chinese business sensitivity in China’s central economic planning: China for Chinese business only.
As China carries forward its strategy to adapt to and mitigate climate change, foreign owned clean technology businesses need to be aware of China’s position.
A Look at Obama's Call for New Nuclear and the Reactors that Might Be BuiltBy Dave Levitan,Feb 5, 2010All it took was one sentence in President Obama’s State of the Union Address last week, and an oft-maligned energy source was back on the map.
“To create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives,” the president said. “And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.”
A few days later, the White House budget was released and called for an increase in government loan guarantees for nuclear reactors from $18.5 billion to $54.5 billion.
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A federal mandate for renewable electricity could ensure U.S. competitiveness with China on clean fuels and create thousands of home-grown jobs by wooing manufacturers that have been turned off by America's unsteady support for the industry, according to a new study commissioned by an alliance of 19 energy firms and trade groups.
"China is absolutely killing us," said Don Furman, a senior vice president for wind energy company Iberdrola Renewables, a member of the RES alliance.
"America owned this industry 20 years ago," he told reporters. "And we have given it away because we haven't had a coherent national policy supporting renewables."
A renewable electricity standard (RES) would force utilities to get more renewable power on the grid.
All it took was one sentence in President Obama’s State of the Union Address last week, and an oft-maligned energy source was back on the map.
“To create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives,” the president said. “And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.”
A few days later, the White House budget was released and called for an increase in government loan guarantees for nuclear reactors from $18.5 billion to $54.5 billion.
Farm state lawmakers and agribusiness have been hammering the EPA since it announced a plan last year for evaluating biofuels by their lifecycle emissions — including indirect land use changes.
It appeared then that corn-based ethanol wouldn’t make the cut. The proposed rules, based on the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, required renewable fuels’ lifecycle emissions to be at least 20 percent less than gasoline's. An early EPA review calculated that, with greenhouse gases from indirect land-use changes included, most corn ethanol wasn't much better than regular gas.
The EPA has now finalized the renewable fuel standard, and agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced today that corn ethanol will qualify after all.
“EPA has found that it is indeed 20 percent less greenhouse gas emitting than gasoline,” Jackson said. “Based on what we know now, including indirect land use analysis, there is no basis to exclude these fuels.”
What changed in less than a year?
Today's Climate
February 9, 2010
Merkel's Party May Delay Solar Subsidy Cut (Bloomberg)
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats and their allies will propose a cut in subsidies for solar power from rooftop panels by 16% from June 1, instead of April 1, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper said.
A Federal Climate Service Is Created to Provide Data (New York Times)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will create a new climate change unit to gather and provide data to governments, industry and academia as part of a federal effort to prepare for long-term changes to the planet, officials said.
Bolivia Expects 5,000 Foreigners at Climate Forum (AP)
Bolivia's government said it expects thousands of activists, environmentalists and scientists to travel to the nation in April for its "alternative" conference on climate change, set up in response to Copenhagen's failure to produce a binding treaty.
UN Climate Panel Reviews Dutch Sea Level Glitch (Reuters)
The UN's panel of climate experts said it was reviewing whether it wrongly said that more than half of the Netherlands is below sea level in a new glitch after exaggerating the thaw of Himalayan glaciers.
Australian Carbon Trading Plan More Cost Effective (Bloomberg)
Australia's cap-and-trade bill would cost $1.3 billion during the first four years, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That makes it more cost-effective than the opposition's alternative proposal, which carries a price tag of $2.8 billion over the same period.
EU ETS Intervention Call Howled Down (Carbon Positive)
A call by British politicians for intervention in the EU carbon market to lift the "flat-lining" price of carbon has drawn cautionary and critical responses from the government, Brussels and carbon market players.
Coal Ad Blitz Launches New Spot as Industry Sees Political Gains (Greenwire)
An advertising campaign that previously pushed the phrase "clean coal" launches new spots this week focused on jobs and low-cost power, the latest offering in a $120 million effort to sell Washington on coal's future.
Michigan Approves Grants for Offshore Wind Research (AP)
The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved two grants totaling about $1.7 million for studying the development of offshore wind technologies in the state.
Caterpillar Joins FutureGen Clean Coal Alliance (Reuters)
Caterpillar said it will join the FutureGen Alliance to build a $1.5 billion 'clean' coal plant to produce hydrogen and electricity while capturing and sequestering CO2 underground in Mattoon, Illinois.
Explosion Unlikely to Slow Gas Plant Development (AP)
The Connecticut explosion that killed five people won't slow the development of natural gas power plants. But it will likely lead to more scrutiny of a technique used to clear air from gas lines.
Nuclear Giant Areva buys Solar Company Ausra (Reuters)
The world's largest nuclear plant builder, Areva SA, is diversifying into solar power with the aim of becoming an industry leader, as it acquires U.S.-based solar thermal player Ausra, the company announced.
The Electric Taxi, Courtesy of Ford (Greentech Media)
Ford has unveiled its new TransitConnect at the Chicago Auto Show, an all-electric fleet car that will drive 80 miles on a charge and hit a top speed of 75 miles an hour.
Britain Launches Labeling for Green Power Tariffs (Reuters)
Britain has launched a scheme to certify and label electricity produced by green means so as to help consumers and small businesses choose tariffs to support suppliers doing more to cut carbon emissions than obliged.
China Releases First National Pollution Census (AP)
China said Tuesday that its first national pollution census has mapped more than 5 million sources of industrial, residential and agricultural waste throughout the country.
Global Warming an Olympic Worry, Says Rogge (AFP)
Global warming is starting to worry the International Olympic Committee, and the group's president, Jacques Rogge, said it would be a key issue examined in awarding any future Winter Olympics.
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