Climate: LNG in B.C. vs Alberta tarsands
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http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/10/F...st&utm_medium=fb-page&utm_campaign=fb-01-2015
Fracking Industry Shakes Up Northern BC with 231 Tremors
Quakes also triggered by wastewater disposal, finds oil and gas commission.
By Andrew Nikiforuk, 10 Jan 2015, TheTyee.ca
Fracking Industry Shakes Up Northern BC with 231 Tremors
Quakes also triggered by wastewater disposal, finds oil and gas commission.
By Andrew Nikiforuk, 10 Jan 2015, TheTyee.ca
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/0...icit_n_6439522.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-alberta
Tumbling Oil Prices In Alberta Mean Surplus Is Now A $500 Million Deficit
CP | By Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
Posted: 01/08/2015 6:04 pm EST Updated: 01/09/2015 3:59 pm EST
Tumbling Oil Prices In Alberta Mean Surplus Is Now A $500 Million Deficit
CP | By Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
Posted: 01/08/2015 6:04 pm EST Updated: 01/09/2015 3:59 pm EST
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/naf...ds-tailings-ponds-opposed-by-canada-1.2896100
NAFTA scrutiny of oilsands tailings ponds opposed by Canada
Officials from Canada, Mexico and U.S. poised to vote on whether to allow investigation
By Margo McDiarmid, environment reporter, CBC News Posted: Jan 12, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 12, 2015 7:50 AM ET
NAFTA scrutiny of oilsands tailings ponds opposed by Canada
Officials from Canada, Mexico and U.S. poised to vote on whether to allow investigation
By Margo McDiarmid, environment reporter, CBC News Posted: Jan 12, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 12, 2015 7:50 AM ET
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150109132808.htm
Small volcanic eruptions partly explain 'warming hiatus'
Date: January 9, 2015
Source: DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Summary: The "warming hiatus" that has occurred over the last 15 years has been caused in part by small volcanic eruptions. Scientists have long known that volcanoes cool the atmosphere because of the sulfur dioxide that is expelled during eruptions. Droplets of sulfuric acid that form when the gas combines with oxygen in the upper atmosphere can persist for many months, reflecting sunlight away from Earth and lowering temperatures at the surface and in the lower atmosphere. New research further identifies observational climate signals caused by recent volcanic activity.
Journal References:
D. A. Ridley, S. Solomon, J. E. Barnes, V. D. Burlakov, T. Deshler, S. I. Dolgii, A. B. Herber, T. Nagai, R. R. Neely, A. V. Nevzorov, C. Ritter, T. Sakai, B. D. Santer, M. Sato, A. Schmidt, O. Uchino, J. P. Vernier. Total volcanic stratospheric aerosol optical depths and implications for global climate change. Geophysical Research Letters, 2014; 41 (22): 7763 DOI: 10.1002/2014GL061541 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014GL061541
Benjamin D. Santer, Susan Solomon, Céline Bonfils, Mark D. Zelinka, Jeffrey F. Painter, Francisco Beltran, John C. Fyfe, Gardar Johannesson, Carl Mears, David A. Ridley, Jean-Paul Vernier, Frank J. Wentz. Observed multi-variable signals of late 20th and early 21st century volcanic activity. Geophysical Research Letters, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062366 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062366
Small volcanic eruptions partly explain 'warming hiatus'
Date: January 9, 2015
Source: DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Summary: The "warming hiatus" that has occurred over the last 15 years has been caused in part by small volcanic eruptions. Scientists have long known that volcanoes cool the atmosphere because of the sulfur dioxide that is expelled during eruptions. Droplets of sulfuric acid that form when the gas combines with oxygen in the upper atmosphere can persist for many months, reflecting sunlight away from Earth and lowering temperatures at the surface and in the lower atmosphere. New research further identifies observational climate signals caused by recent volcanic activity.
Journal References:
D. A. Ridley, S. Solomon, J. E. Barnes, V. D. Burlakov, T. Deshler, S. I. Dolgii, A. B. Herber, T. Nagai, R. R. Neely, A. V. Nevzorov, C. Ritter, T. Sakai, B. D. Santer, M. Sato, A. Schmidt, O. Uchino, J. P. Vernier. Total volcanic stratospheric aerosol optical depths and implications for global climate change. Geophysical Research Letters, 2014; 41 (22): 7763 DOI: 10.1002/2014GL061541 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014GL061541
Benjamin D. Santer, Susan Solomon, Céline Bonfils, Mark D. Zelinka, Jeffrey F. Painter, Francisco Beltran, John C. Fyfe, Gardar Johannesson, Carl Mears, David A. Ridley, Jean-Paul Vernier, Frank J. Wentz. Observed multi-variable signals of late 20th and early 21st century volcanic activity. Geophysical Research Letters, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062366 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062366
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/climate/activities/oceanadapt
OCEANADAPT tool tracks shifts in the distribution of U.S. marine species with changing ocean conditions
What it is
U.S. fish and invertebrates are on the move with changing climate and ocean conditions.
This OCEANADAPT webtool was developed by NOAA Fisheries and Rutgers University to provide easy access to information about the distribution of marine species involved in commercial and recreational fishing over time.
Why it's important
The web tool delivers up to date information on changes in the distribution of marine species in each US marine region over the last 40 years using data collected annually by NOAA Fisheries and others.
How to use it
Users can track shifts in distribution over time for individual species or groups of species in a region or nation-wide.
The information will be updated annually to help managers, scientists, fishermen and others track and assess changes in the distribution of marine fish and other species with changes in climate and ocean conditions.
OCEANADAPT tool tracks shifts in the distribution of U.S. marine species with changing ocean conditions
What it is
U.S. fish and invertebrates are on the move with changing climate and ocean conditions.
This OCEANADAPT webtool was developed by NOAA Fisheries and Rutgers University to provide easy access to information about the distribution of marine species involved in commercial and recreational fishing over time.
Why it's important
The web tool delivers up to date information on changes in the distribution of marine species in each US marine region over the last 40 years using data collected annually by NOAA Fisheries and others.
How to use it
Users can track shifts in distribution over time for individual species or groups of species in a region or nation-wide.
The information will be updated annually to help managers, scientists, fishermen and others track and assess changes in the distribution of marine fish and other species with changes in climate and ocean conditions.
http://cpo.noaa.gov/ClimatePrograms...nited-States-National-Climate-Assessment.aspx
Global sea level rise has been a persistent trend for decades. It is expected to continue beyond the end of this century, which will cause significant impacts in the United States. Scientists have very high confidence (greater than 90% chance) that global mean sea level will rise at least 8 inches (0.2 meter) and no more than 6.6 feet (2.0 meters) by 2100.
More than 8 million people live in areas at risk of coastal flooding. Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast alone, almost 60 percent of the land that is within a meter of sea level is planned for further development, with inadequate information on the potential rates and amount of sea level rise. Many of the nation's assets related to military readiness, energy, commerce, and ecosystems that support resource-dependent economies are already located at or near the ocean, thus exposing them to risks associated with sea level rise.
These are the among the findings presented in this new report, published by NOAA's Climate Program Office in collaboration with twelve contributing authors from ten different federal and academic science institutions—including NOAA, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Columbia University, the University of Maryland, the University of Florida, and the South Florida Water Management District.
The report was produced in response to a request from the U.S. National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee. It provides a synthesis of the scientific literature on global sea level rise, and a set of four scenarios of future global sea level rise. The report includes input from national experts in climate science, physical coastal processes, and coastal management.
http://cpo.noaa.gov/sites/cpo/Reports/2012/NOAA_SLR_r3.pdf
Global sea level rise has been a persistent trend for decades. It is expected to continue beyond the end of this century, which will cause significant impacts in the United States. Scientists have very high confidence (greater than 90% chance) that global mean sea level will rise at least 8 inches (0.2 meter) and no more than 6.6 feet (2.0 meters) by 2100.
More than 8 million people live in areas at risk of coastal flooding. Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast alone, almost 60 percent of the land that is within a meter of sea level is planned for further development, with inadequate information on the potential rates and amount of sea level rise. Many of the nation's assets related to military readiness, energy, commerce, and ecosystems that support resource-dependent economies are already located at or near the ocean, thus exposing them to risks associated with sea level rise.
These are the among the findings presented in this new report, published by NOAA's Climate Program Office in collaboration with twelve contributing authors from ten different federal and academic science institutions—including NOAA, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Columbia University, the University of Maryland, the University of Florida, and the South Florida Water Management District.
The report was produced in response to a request from the U.S. National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee. It provides a synthesis of the scientific literature on global sea level rise, and a set of four scenarios of future global sea level rise. The report includes input from national experts in climate science, physical coastal processes, and coastal management.
http://cpo.noaa.gov/sites/cpo/Reports/2012/NOAA_SLR_r3.pdf
http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/47131
Publication Information
(9.3 MB)
Title: Climate change vulnerability and adaptation in the North Cascades region, Washington
Author: Raymond, Crystal L.; Peterson, David L.; Rochefort, Regina M. eds.
Date: 2014
Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-892. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 279 p.
Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
Description: The North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership (NCAP) is a science-management partnership consisting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and Pacific Northwest Research Station; North Cascades National Park Complex; Mount Rainier National Park; and University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. These organizations worked with numerous stakeholders over 2 years to identify climate change issues relevant to resource management in the North Cascades and to find solutions that will facilitate the transition of the diverse ecosystems of this region into a warmer climate. The NCAP provided education, conducted a climate change vulnerability assessment, and developed adaptation options for federal agencies that manage 2.4 million hectares in north-central Washington.
In the Pacific Northwest, the current warming trend is expected to continue, with average warming of 2.1 °C by the 2040s and 3.8 °C by the 2080s; precipitation may vary slightly, but the magnitude and direction are uncertain. This warming will have far-reaching effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Hydrologic systems will be especially vulnerable as North Cascades watersheds become increasingly rain dominated, rather than snow dominated, resulting in more autumn/winter flooding, higher peak flows, and lower summer flows. This will greatly affect the extensive road network in the North Cascades (longer than 16 000 km), making it difficult to maintain access for recreational users and resource managers. It will also greatly reduce suitable fish habitat, especially as stream temperatures increase above critical thresholds. In forest ecosystems, higher temperatures will increase stress and lower the growth and productivity of lower elevation tree species on both the western and eastern sides of the Cascade crest, although growth of highelevation tree species is expected to increase. Distribution and abundance of plant species may change over the long term, and increased disturbance (wildfire, insects, and invasive species) will cause rapid changes in ecosystem structure and function across broad landscapes, especially on the east side. This in turn will alter habitat for a wide range of animal species by potentially reducing connectivity and latesuccessional forest structure.
Coping with and adapting to the effects of an altered climate will become increasingly difficult after the mid-21st century, although adaptation strategies and tactics are available to ease the transition to a warmer climate. For roads and infrastructure, tactics for increasing resistance and resilience to higher peak flows include installing hardened stream crossings, stabilizing streambanks, designing culverts for projected peak flows, and upgrading bridges and increasing their height. For fisheries, tactics for increasing resilience of salmon to altered hydrology and higher stream temperature include restoring stream and floodplain complexity, reducing road density near streams, increasing forest cover to retain snow and decrease snow melt, and identifying and protecting cold-water refugia. For vegetation, tactics for increasing resilience to higher temperature and increased disturbance include accelerating development of late-successional forest conditions by reducing density and diversifying forest structure, managing for future range of variability in structure and species, including invasive species prevention strategies in all projects, and monitoring changes in tree distribution and establishment at tree line. For wildlife, tactics for increasing resilience to altered habitat include increasing diversity of age classes and restoring a patch mosaic, increasing fuel reduction treatments in dry forests, using conservation easements to maintain habitat connectivity, and removing exotic fish species to protect amphibian populations.
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr892.pdf?
Publication Information
(9.3 MB)
Title: Climate change vulnerability and adaptation in the North Cascades region, Washington
Author: Raymond, Crystal L.; Peterson, David L.; Rochefort, Regina M. eds.
Date: 2014
Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-892. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 279 p.
Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
Description: The North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership (NCAP) is a science-management partnership consisting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests and Pacific Northwest Research Station; North Cascades National Park Complex; Mount Rainier National Park; and University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. These organizations worked with numerous stakeholders over 2 years to identify climate change issues relevant to resource management in the North Cascades and to find solutions that will facilitate the transition of the diverse ecosystems of this region into a warmer climate. The NCAP provided education, conducted a climate change vulnerability assessment, and developed adaptation options for federal agencies that manage 2.4 million hectares in north-central Washington.
In the Pacific Northwest, the current warming trend is expected to continue, with average warming of 2.1 °C by the 2040s and 3.8 °C by the 2080s; precipitation may vary slightly, but the magnitude and direction are uncertain. This warming will have far-reaching effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Hydrologic systems will be especially vulnerable as North Cascades watersheds become increasingly rain dominated, rather than snow dominated, resulting in more autumn/winter flooding, higher peak flows, and lower summer flows. This will greatly affect the extensive road network in the North Cascades (longer than 16 000 km), making it difficult to maintain access for recreational users and resource managers. It will also greatly reduce suitable fish habitat, especially as stream temperatures increase above critical thresholds. In forest ecosystems, higher temperatures will increase stress and lower the growth and productivity of lower elevation tree species on both the western and eastern sides of the Cascade crest, although growth of highelevation tree species is expected to increase. Distribution and abundance of plant species may change over the long term, and increased disturbance (wildfire, insects, and invasive species) will cause rapid changes in ecosystem structure and function across broad landscapes, especially on the east side. This in turn will alter habitat for a wide range of animal species by potentially reducing connectivity and latesuccessional forest structure.
Coping with and adapting to the effects of an altered climate will become increasingly difficult after the mid-21st century, although adaptation strategies and tactics are available to ease the transition to a warmer climate. For roads and infrastructure, tactics for increasing resistance and resilience to higher peak flows include installing hardened stream crossings, stabilizing streambanks, designing culverts for projected peak flows, and upgrading bridges and increasing their height. For fisheries, tactics for increasing resilience of salmon to altered hydrology and higher stream temperature include restoring stream and floodplain complexity, reducing road density near streams, increasing forest cover to retain snow and decrease snow melt, and identifying and protecting cold-water refugia. For vegetation, tactics for increasing resilience to higher temperature and increased disturbance include accelerating development of late-successional forest conditions by reducing density and diversifying forest structure, managing for future range of variability in structure and species, including invasive species prevention strategies in all projects, and monitoring changes in tree distribution and establishment at tree line. For wildlife, tactics for increasing resilience to altered habitat include increasing diversity of age classes and restoring a patch mosaic, increasing fuel reduction treatments in dry forests, using conservation easements to maintain habitat connectivity, and removing exotic fish species to protect amphibian populations.
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr892.pdf?
http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate2473.html
Adaptive potential of a Pacific salmon challenged by climate change
Nicolas J. Muñoz, Anthony P. Farrell, John W. Heath & Bryan D. Neff
AffiliationsContributionsCorresponding author
Nature Climate Change (2014) doi:10.1038/nclimate2473
Received 21 August 2014 Accepted 20 November 2014 Published online 22 December 2014
Pacific salmon provide critical sustenance for millions of people worldwide and have far-reaching impacts on the productivity of ecosystems. Rising temperatures now threaten the persistence of these important fishes1, 2, yet it remains unknown whether populations can adapt. Here, we provide the first evidence that a Pacific salmon has both physiological and genetic capacities to increase its thermal tolerance in response to rising temperatures. In juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), a 4 °C increase in developmental temperature was associated with a 2 °C increase in key measures of the thermal performance of cardiac function3, 4. Moreover, additive genetic effects significantly influenced several measures of cardiac capacity, indicative of heritable variation on which selection can act. However, a lack of both plasticity and genetic variation was found for the arrhythmic temperature of the heart, constraining this upper thermal limit to a maximum of 24.5 ± 2.2 °C. Linking this constraint on thermal tolerance with present-day river temperatures and projected warming scenarios5, we predict a 17% chance of catastrophic loss in the population by 2100 based on the average warming projection, with this chance increasing to 98% in the maximum warming scenario. Climate change mitigation is thus necessary to ensure the future viability of Pacific salmon populations.
Adaptive potential of a Pacific salmon challenged by climate change
Nicolas J. Muñoz, Anthony P. Farrell, John W. Heath & Bryan D. Neff
AffiliationsContributionsCorresponding author
Nature Climate Change (2014) doi:10.1038/nclimate2473
Received 21 August 2014 Accepted 20 November 2014 Published online 22 December 2014
Pacific salmon provide critical sustenance for millions of people worldwide and have far-reaching impacts on the productivity of ecosystems. Rising temperatures now threaten the persistence of these important fishes1, 2, yet it remains unknown whether populations can adapt. Here, we provide the first evidence that a Pacific salmon has both physiological and genetic capacities to increase its thermal tolerance in response to rising temperatures. In juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), a 4 °C increase in developmental temperature was associated with a 2 °C increase in key measures of the thermal performance of cardiac function3, 4. Moreover, additive genetic effects significantly influenced several measures of cardiac capacity, indicative of heritable variation on which selection can act. However, a lack of both plasticity and genetic variation was found for the arrhythmic temperature of the heart, constraining this upper thermal limit to a maximum of 24.5 ± 2.2 °C. Linking this constraint on thermal tolerance with present-day river temperatures and projected warming scenarios5, we predict a 17% chance of catastrophic loss in the population by 2100 based on the average warming projection, with this chance increasing to 98% in the maximum warming scenario. Climate change mitigation is thus necessary to ensure the future viability of Pacific salmon populations.
Last edited by a moderator:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/12/S...ce=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120115
Adrift: How a Stricken, Fuel-Laden Cargo Ship Nearly Ran Aground on Canada's West Coast
Behind the dramatic moments of the Simushir near-disaster.
By Jessica McDiarmid, Today, TheTyee.ca
Adrift: How a Stricken, Fuel-Laden Cargo Ship Nearly Ran Aground on Canada's West Coast
Behind the dramatic moments of the Simushir near-disaster.
By Jessica McDiarmid, Today, TheTyee.ca
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...-investment-for-b-c-northwest-coast-1.2897874
Exxon Mobil is making a bid to get into B.C.'s liquefied natural gas industry with a potential $25 billion dollar investment.
The company, in partnership with Canadian affiliate Imperial Oil, has filed an an application to export LNG with the National Energy Board. It also submitted its plans for the West Coast Canada LNG terminal to B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office. http://www.imperialoil.ca/Canada-English/operations_ngas_export.aspx
"We are at a relatively early stage of project definition," said Pius Rolheiser, a spokesperson for Imperial Oil, told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff.
"Potential investment in an LNG project would be dependent on a range of factors, including outlooks for long term markets, competitive fiscal arrangements, the general investment climate — in order for an LNG project to go, you need a number of things to be present," Rolheiser said.
To hear the full interview with Pius Rolheiser, click the audio labelled: Exxon Mobil eyes B.C. LNG.
Exxon Mobil is making a bid to get into B.C.'s liquefied natural gas industry with a potential $25 billion dollar investment.
The company, in partnership with Canadian affiliate Imperial Oil, has filed an an application to export LNG with the National Energy Board. It also submitted its plans for the West Coast Canada LNG terminal to B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office. http://www.imperialoil.ca/Canada-English/operations_ngas_export.aspx
"We are at a relatively early stage of project definition," said Pius Rolheiser, a spokesperson for Imperial Oil, told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff.
"Potential investment in an LNG project would be dependent on a range of factors, including outlooks for long term markets, competitive fiscal arrangements, the general investment climate — in order for an LNG project to go, you need a number of things to be present," Rolheiser said.
To hear the full interview with Pius Rolheiser, click the audio labelled: Exxon Mobil eyes B.C. LNG.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150112082944.htm
Global warming reduces wheat production markedly if no adaptation takes place
Date: January 12, 2015
Source: Natural Resources Institute Finland
Summary: Future global wheat harvest is likely to be reduced by six per cent per each degree Celsius of local temperature increase if no adaptation takes place. Worldwide this would correspond to 42 million tons of yield reduction, which equals a quarter of current global wheat trade, experts warn.
Global warming reduces wheat production markedly if no adaptation takes place
Date: January 12, 2015
Source: Natural Resources Institute Finland
Summary: Future global wheat harvest is likely to be reduced by six per cent per each degree Celsius of local temperature increase if no adaptation takes place. Worldwide this would correspond to 42 million tons of yield reduction, which equals a quarter of current global wheat trade, experts warn.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/b...e=fb&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=socialmedia
Counting Up Cities' Energy Savings and Climate Commitments
Print this pageBrendan Guy
Posted January 9, 2015
If you're driving your car in suburban Copenhagen, the newly installed LED streetlights will brighten as you approach, then dim once you pass. If you're riding your bike, sensors embedded in those lights will soon tell you the fastest route home.
This is just one example of the energy-saving measures the city is installing into a growing network of smart sensors embedded in streetlights, all part of Copenhagen's effort to become the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.
Over the next three years, cities worldwide are expected to replace 50 million aging streetlights with LEDs, which use 85 percent less energy than traditional bulbs and last far longer. Hundreds of cities are also following Copenhagen's lead in smart technology, installing sensory networks in streetlights that will be able to deliver information on traffic congestion, trash cans that need to be emptied and other city services.
Cities Biking.jpg
Local efforts like these are impressive, but how much will they actually contribute to the global effort to reduce our carbon footprint?
If all cities took aggressive new efforts to reduce energy use, by 2050 they could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of half of annual global coal use, according to a report issued by Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, representing 70 megacities.
Issued at the United Nation's Climate Summit in September, the report said those savings far exceeded what national policies and actions are on track to achieve-- amounting to an additional 3.7 gigatons of CO2 reduced annually by 2030. Yet "cities are rarely included in national action plans," Special Envoy Bloomberg said. As a result, cities' actions have rarely figured in the international agreements drawn up at climate summits.
In essence, cities could help nations bridge the gap between nationally promised emissions reductions and the actions needed to prevent global temperature rise, according to the report's calculations. To achieve those goals, cities would have to move aggressively, issuing new energy efficiency standards for buildings, appliances and lighting, as well as promoting efficient public transit and increased waste recycling.
Another report issued by C40 found that 228 city governments, representing 436 million people, have already set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If they meet these targets, they will cumulatively save 13 gigatons of CO2 by 2050--equivalent to what China and India together emit in a year.
And targets matter. Cities that have announced climate commitments report three times as many activities aimed at reducing emissions than cities without targets.
That's just one sign that mayors around the world are taking seriously their growing role in the fight against climate change. By 2050, more than 70 percent of the world's population is expected to live in cities.
"What happens in our cities drives the globe; climate change is the best expression of that," said Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, the new leader of C40, addressing fellow mayors in Johannesburg in February.
And he pointed out that most mayors have another motivation for acting: They see green growth as a way to improve their town's quality of life. "Cutting carbon emissions and increasing resilience makes people's lives better; it means improving mobility and environmental quality," as well as fostering innovation, he said. "Caring about the environment means caring about the people."
Yet with all this varied activity around the globe, a serious stumbling block has remained: Finding a uniform way to measure and report the ultimate effect on greenhouse gases. The varying methods used by cities have raised serious questions about data quality and made it difficult to estimate the total impact.
Now there's a practical solution. Last month, C40 and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability--representing 1,000 local governments worldwide--released the first widely endorsed method for measuring and reporting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It was launched at the Lima climate change conference--a prelude to the final conference set for December 2015 in Paris to reach a new global climate agreement.
The method, Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC), uses the same accounting principles established by the eminent roster of scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Over 100 cities worldwide are now using beta versions of the new method to measure their emissions, according to ICLEI. Those 100 cities are home to more than 170 million people, and represent a carbon footprint comparable to Brazil's entire emissions.
Counting Up Cities' Energy Savings and Climate Commitments
Print this pageBrendan Guy
Posted January 9, 2015
If you're driving your car in suburban Copenhagen, the newly installed LED streetlights will brighten as you approach, then dim once you pass. If you're riding your bike, sensors embedded in those lights will soon tell you the fastest route home.
This is just one example of the energy-saving measures the city is installing into a growing network of smart sensors embedded in streetlights, all part of Copenhagen's effort to become the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.
Over the next three years, cities worldwide are expected to replace 50 million aging streetlights with LEDs, which use 85 percent less energy than traditional bulbs and last far longer. Hundreds of cities are also following Copenhagen's lead in smart technology, installing sensory networks in streetlights that will be able to deliver information on traffic congestion, trash cans that need to be emptied and other city services.
Cities Biking.jpg
Local efforts like these are impressive, but how much will they actually contribute to the global effort to reduce our carbon footprint?
If all cities took aggressive new efforts to reduce energy use, by 2050 they could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of half of annual global coal use, according to a report issued by Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, representing 70 megacities.
Issued at the United Nation's Climate Summit in September, the report said those savings far exceeded what national policies and actions are on track to achieve-- amounting to an additional 3.7 gigatons of CO2 reduced annually by 2030. Yet "cities are rarely included in national action plans," Special Envoy Bloomberg said. As a result, cities' actions have rarely figured in the international agreements drawn up at climate summits.
In essence, cities could help nations bridge the gap between nationally promised emissions reductions and the actions needed to prevent global temperature rise, according to the report's calculations. To achieve those goals, cities would have to move aggressively, issuing new energy efficiency standards for buildings, appliances and lighting, as well as promoting efficient public transit and increased waste recycling.
Another report issued by C40 found that 228 city governments, representing 436 million people, have already set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If they meet these targets, they will cumulatively save 13 gigatons of CO2 by 2050--equivalent to what China and India together emit in a year.
And targets matter. Cities that have announced climate commitments report three times as many activities aimed at reducing emissions than cities without targets.
That's just one sign that mayors around the world are taking seriously their growing role in the fight against climate change. By 2050, more than 70 percent of the world's population is expected to live in cities.
"What happens in our cities drives the globe; climate change is the best expression of that," said Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, the new leader of C40, addressing fellow mayors in Johannesburg in February.
And he pointed out that most mayors have another motivation for acting: They see green growth as a way to improve their town's quality of life. "Cutting carbon emissions and increasing resilience makes people's lives better; it means improving mobility and environmental quality," as well as fostering innovation, he said. "Caring about the environment means caring about the people."
Yet with all this varied activity around the globe, a serious stumbling block has remained: Finding a uniform way to measure and report the ultimate effect on greenhouse gases. The varying methods used by cities have raised serious questions about data quality and made it difficult to estimate the total impact.
Now there's a practical solution. Last month, C40 and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability--representing 1,000 local governments worldwide--released the first widely endorsed method for measuring and reporting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It was launched at the Lima climate change conference--a prelude to the final conference set for December 2015 in Paris to reach a new global climate agreement.
The method, Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC), uses the same accounting principles established by the eminent roster of scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Over 100 cities worldwide are now using beta versions of the new method to measure their emissions, according to ICLEI. Those 100 cities are home to more than 170 million people, and represent a carbon footprint comparable to Brazil's entire emissions.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/18730/cl...102826625&mc_cid=8d3ea51daa&mc_eid=bad2bcb314
Climate Change: Evidence and Causes is a jointly produced publication of The US National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society. Written by a UK-US team of leading climate scientists and reviewed by climate scientists and others, the publication is intended as a brief, readable reference document for decision makers, policy makers, educators, and other individuals seeking authoritative information on the some of the questions that continue to be asked.
Climate Change: Evidence and Causes is a jointly produced publication of The US National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society. Written by a UK-US team of leading climate scientists and reviewed by climate scientists and others, the publication is intended as a brief, readable reference document for decision makers, policy makers, educators, and other individuals seeking authoritative information on the some of the questions that continue to be asked.
Husky Oil spills another 100,000 Litres of Produced Toxic Water
http://westcoastnativenews.com/husky-oil-spills-another-100000-litres-of-produced-toxic-water/
http://westcoastnativenews.com/husky-oil-spills-another-100000-litres-of-produced-toxic-water/
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