In today’s edition, much on the costs of climate change, including Bloomberg’s Climate Change Reducing Global GDP by $1.2 Trillion, Business Green’s Climate change costs already top $1tr – and are set to spiral, and The Hill’s Report: Carbon tax could halve deficit.
Quote of the Day:
“Governments and international policy makers must act decisively to combat the spiralling costs to national and global GDP resulting from inaction on climate change. With the investment required to solve climate change already far below the estimated costs of inaction, no doubt remains as to the path worth taking.”
–José María Figueres, former President of Costa Rica and a DARA Trustee, in Business Green’s “Climate change costs already top $1tr – and are set to spiral”
Lead Stories
Climate Change Reducing Global GDP by $1.2 Trillion
Bloomberg
Climate change and pollution related to carbon-dioxide emissions are reducing the world’s gross domestic product by 1.6 percent a year, about $1.2 trillion, according to a report.
http://jlne.ws/Uvu0hx
Climate change costs already top $1tr – and are set to spiral
Business Green
Inaction on climate change already costs the world economy 1.6 per cent of global GDP – approximately $1tr a year – and cost are likely to double to 3.6 per cent of GDP by 2030 if governments and businesses fail to take urgent action, an NGO has warned.
http://jlne.ws/QctqE1
Report: Carbon tax could halve deficit
The Hill’s E2 Wire
Taxing carbon emissions could raise enough money to eventually cut the deficit in half, but policymakers would face tough questions about whether to use the cash to brighten the fiscal outlook or tackle other needs, a report finds.
http://jlne.ws/TDJ81C
Climate change a ghost issue in U.S. election
Montreal Gazette
It was one of the rare moments in Mitt Romney’s otherwise pedestrian convention speech that brought the house down.
http://jlne.ws/Qorz2u
China takes a huge step in reducing carbon emissions
Mail & Guardian
China has agreed to work with the EU to create its own carbon trading system. This will create a large pool of funding for sustainable development.
http://jlne.ws/SBGF6k
Power, gas groups press for Dodd-Frank delay
The Hill’s E2 Wire
Trade groups for power companies and natural-gas suppliers are pressing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to delay their industries’ compliance with reforms required under the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, warning that higher energy costs could result unless the leeway is provided.
http://jlne.ws/PpWfgC
Governors From Six Nations Meet In Mexico To Push Climate Action
Ecosystem Marketplace
“Our earth is calling us to action, calling us to shift our awareness,” said Juan Sabines Guerrero, Governor of Chiapas, Mexico, as he kicked off the sixth annual meeting of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) here on Tuesday. “We must conserve our forests and replant.”
http://jlne.ws/SBBWSn
Brazil’s Congress Hands Rousseff a Second Forest Bill Defeat
Bloomberg
Brazil’s Congress yesterday concluded voting on a decree to revamp the country’s forest code, handing President Dilma Rousseff a second defeat on her plan to limit deforestation.
http://jlne.ws/OqLWgv
Events
Carbon Forum North America
October 1-2, 2012
Washington, DC
http://jlne.ws/zDe43B
Sustainability Summit – Innovation Challenge
October 9, 2012
New York
http://jlne.ws/wKbX7U
EMA 2012 Fall Meeting
**Keynote speaker is Richard Sandor
October 24 – October 26, 2012
Santa Monica, CA
http://jlne.ws/NIFCwM
Carbon
Reports: Thailand and Vietnam edge forward with carbon market plans
Business Green
South East Asia could emerge as the world’s latest carbon trading hub, after reports emerged suggesting that the governments of both Thailand and Vietnam were considering plans to introduce official carbon trading schemes.
http://jlne.ws/SmSFCX
Using Carbon Credits To Pay For Energy Retrofits
Forbes
One of the signal achievements of the Obama administration is a success hidden in plain view. Scorned by Republicans and rarely mentioned by Democrats, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or simply “the stimulus,” was many things at once – tax cut, lifeline for cash-strapped states and local governments, and, as noted by Michael Grunwald in his important new book The New New Deal, “the biggest and most transformative energy bill in U.S. history.”
http://jlne.ws/SmEHWe
Natural Gas/Coal
Adapting Gas-Fired Power to a Greener Grid
The New York Times
Making electricity from natural gas is cleaner than making it from coal or oil, but as gas gains a bigger market share in the business in the United States and elsewhere, the idea of what constitutes a good generator is shifting. General Electric announced a line of new models on Wednesday, with two interesting environmental twists.
http://jlne.ws/Qy0J7P
Opinion: On Keystone, Environmentalists Lose by Winning
Bloomberg
TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s proposed $7.6 billion Keystone pipeline system, which would take crude from Alberta’s tar sands down through the Midwest and on to Texas and the Gulf Coast refineries, could be scuttled because of concerns about its potential impact on a major aquifer in Nebraska.
http://jlne.ws/PGVhha
Gas: Coal’s Worst Frenemy
The Wall Street Journal
You know things are bad when you start rooting for the enemy. For coal miners, it is that bad.
http://jlne.ws/P79Bgp
EPA Says Wyoming Fracking Results Are Consistent
The Wall Street Journal
The Environmental Protection Agency said new government tests of groundwater near Pavillion, Wyo., have yielded results similar to data it released last year, when it suggested chemicals in the water were linked to hydraulic fracturing.
http://jlne.ws/Uvvjx9
Total warns against oil drilling in Arctic
Financial Times
Total SA says energy companies should not drill for crude in Arctic waters, marking the first time an oil major has publicly spoken out against offshore oil exploration in the region.
http://jlne.ws/S0b1Qd
The Energy Journal: Environmentalists Get Surprising Ally in Arctic Drilling Debate
The Wall Street Journal
When was the last time you heard an executive from Big Oil say no thanks to drilling a hot prospect because it was too risky to the environment?
http://jlne.ws/P79t0s
Power
U.K. Seeks to Use Climate Funds to Spur Kenyan Geothermal
Bloomberg
The U.K. government plans to spur use of Britain’s green technology and financial expertise for geothermal and wind power projects in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania by tapping billions of pounds of state funds.
http://jlne.ws/UKJdzP
Dong Sells $178 Million Wind Link in U.K. to Barclays, Macquarie
Bloomberg
Dong Energy A/S, the biggest owner of offshore wind farms, completed its sale of power links at a wind farm off the English coast to Macquarie Group Ltd. (MQG) and Barclays Plc (BARC) for about 110 million pounds ($178 million).
http://jlne.ws/PpRQdJ
Records tumble after stellar year for Danish renewables sector
Business Green
Denmark has underlined its position as one of the world’s leading renewable energy markets with the release of new government figures showing the country generated over 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources last year.
http://jlne.ws/Qy1ttB
GE Unveils Turbine to Complement Renewable Energy Sources
Bloomberg
General Electric Co. (GE) introduced a new line of gas-powered electrical turbines designed to run alongside renewable energy sources in markets from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia to Japan.
http://jlne.ws/SmET7J
Co-Operative Bank to Boost Clean Energy Lending by 85% in 2012
Bloomberg
The Co-Operative Bank wants to increase renewable-energy lending by 85 percent this year. The bank expects to lend 464 million pounds ($751 million) to clean energy projects this year, up from 251.4 million pounds in 2011, Jenna Moss, a spokeswoman, said by phone today.
http://jlne.ws/OW0Lb5
Reports
The Hidden Costs of Electricity: Comparing the Hidden Costs of Power Generation Fuels (Posted Sept. 19, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/PCt372
CDP Global 500 Climate Change Report (Posted Sept. 11, 2012)
Carbon Disclosure Project
Beyond the bluster: Why wind power is an effective technology (Posted Aug. 30, 2012)
IPPR
http://jlne.ws/UeZB9b
Carbon Tax Revenue and the Budget Deficit: A Win-Win Solution? (Posted Aug. 27, 2012)
MIT
http://jlne.ws/Ri3So8
The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability (Posted Aug. 21, 2012)
Ceres
http://jlne.ws/ONwe8M
EPA REGULATIONS AND ELECTRICITY (Posted Aug. 16, 2012)
GAO
http://jlne.ws/NHwlos
European Power & Renewables Deals: Quarterly M&A outlook (Posted August 15, 2012)
Pricewaterhousecoopers
http://jlne.ws/TFZjaV
Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Future (Posted August 6, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/MA2U6I
Benchmarking Air Emissions Of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States (Posted July 31, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/QbRr0J
Per capita CO2 emissions in China reached European level (July 18, 2012)
http://jlne.ws/NAjBQQ
The Interim Regulation of Voluntary Greenhouse Gases Emission Trading in China (Posted July 10, 2012)
The Climate Group
http://jlne.ws/Mhv62s
Measure for Management: C40 Cities (July 9, 2012)
Carbon Disclosure Project
http://jlne.ws/L9LC37
