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climate change, climate denial, Traitors to Humanity, climate science, climate denier, sea level rise,
How will climate deniers be remembered by future generations? As “traitors to humanity.” Blog post at http://climatedispatch.blogspot.com/2015/08/traitors-to-humanity.html
sea level rise, climate change, adaptation, California Coastal Commission, California Coast, California beaches, Coast, Sea Level Rise, King Tides
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Real-time data on California renewable output is available. On a summer day, over 9,000 MW of renewables are dispatched at mid-day.
Patriotism, Science and Climate Change: 4 thoughts for the 4th
The July 4 holiday has been celebrated since the first anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1777, there were bonfires, bell ringing and fireworks to mark the day. In my neighborhood in Sacramento, a local realtor is giving away American flags so residents can show their patriotism and pride in the United States. As flags here and elsewhere are displayed, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on how science and environmental values relate to patriotism. Given that many of our leaders who consider themselves "patriots" are attacking science, scientific reasoning and are denying human caused climate change, I thought it would be a good time to consider the issues of patriotism, science and climate change. Below, I've compiled some quotes and writings to support 4 patriotic thoughts for this 4th of July:
1. The Founding Fathers' belief in facts and science helped shape their thinking and our Constitution
The Founding Fathers were "science enthusiasts" says Shawn Lawrence Otto in Scientific American:
"'Facts,' John Adams argued, 'are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.' When facts become opinions, the collective policymaking process of democracy begins to break down." Otto, Scientific American, November 2012
As Bernard Cohen points out in his book "Science and the Founding Fathers" Thomas Jefforson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and James Madison considered science an integral part of life, including political life. They employed scientific "knowledge in shaping the political issues of the day, incorporating scientific reasoning into the Constitution."
2. Our military recognizes climate change as a clear threat
Patriotism is equated with support for our military. Our defense leaders are telling us that climate change is an issue and it needs to be addressed. The military is also at the forefront of experimenting with sustainable technologies. The Department of Defense in their 2014 Climate Adaption Roadmap put it clearly:
"Climate change will affect the Department of Defense's ability to defend the Nation and poses immediate risks to U.S. national security."
The Defense Department $7 billion investment in renewables is one example of a deepening commitment to alternative energy and conservation. The Pew Charitable Trusts explored how the Defense Department is leveraging resources to push alternative energy and conservation (report here). The Center for Climate and Security has brought together retired military and security leaders to address climate change. The bottom line of their work is clear:
"Climate change presents both direct and indirect threats to human, national, international security" from Climate Security 101
3. Patriotism and environment are interlinked
President Teddy Roosevelt recognized the relationship between conservation and patriotism and spoke about it on many occasions:
"Let us remember that the conservation of natural resources, though the greatest problem of today, is yet but part of another and greater problem to which this Nation is not yet awake, but to which it will awake in time, and with which it must hereafter grapple if it is to live -- the problem of national efficiency, the patriotic duty of insuring the safety and continuance of the nation" Conservation as a National Duty, May 1908
More recently, Anne Marie Todd of San Jose State University, author of "Communicating Environmental Patriotism" suggests that
"Patriotism has historical roots as an environmental concept: the belief that a country's greatness is defined by its environment."
4. Addressing climate change is the patriotic thing to do
As a group of veterans in Montana told their community before Independence Day last year:
"Join us on this Independence Day, reflect on what patriotism means, take steps to reduce your carbon pollution and support efforts efforts to generate clean, domestic, affordable and safe energy for these United States of America." Flathead News June 30, 2014
Product Stewardship, Climate Change and the Encyclical Laudato Si’
The climate change message of the encyclical Laudato Si' is receiving deserved attention for bringing a moral dimension to the climate discussion. But it goes beyond climate change into related environmental, social and economic issues. Pope Francis has made it very clear that although the Encyclical has specific meaning for Catholics, the messages are meant for all humanity. The Vatican emphasized this by bringing in members of other religions and an atheist to attest to the importance of the Encyclical. One of the messages I glean from the encyclical is the importance of "product stewardship" as one of the many steps we need to take as a society. Today I joined Catholic Climate Ambassador Betsy Reifsnider to speak to the California Product Stewardship Council (CalPSC) about climate change, the encyclical and the relation of both to product stewardship. Betsy did a great job showing the interconnections between the message of Pope Francis' encyclical on climate and other issues such as product stewardship, while I spoke about climate change causes, impacts and solutions. I believe the CalPSC team felt, as I have, energized and validated by the messages of the encyclical.
Betsy Reifsnider (Catholic Climate Ambassador), Doug Kobold (CalPSC Board)
Michael Paparian, Heidi Sanborn (CalPSC Executive Director)
I worked on product stewardship issues when I was a member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (now CalRecycle) and represented the state in national discussions over electronic product stewardship from 2000 to 2004. Product stewardship concepts are fairly simple -- manufacturers should design products for source reduction, reuse and recycling and take back their products at the end of their useful life. Paint, televisions, computers, cell phones, carpets and even cars have been the subject of product stewardship discussions. Pope Francis captured the essence of product stewardship more eloquently and succinctly than I've ever seen:
"These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish. ... It is hard for us to accept that the way natural ecosystems work is exemplary: plants synthesize nutrients which feed herbivores; these in turn become food for carnivores, which produce significant quantities of organic waste which give rise to new generations of plants. But our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and by-products. We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them. A serious consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects the entire planet, but it must be said that only limited progress has been made in this regard." Pope Francis, Encyclical, June, 2015, paragraph 22
The connection between product stewardship and climate change was shown several years ago when the Product Policy Institute (now UPSTREAM) used EPA data to show that 37% of greenhouse gas emissions come from products and packaging. The report is available here. The bottom line: To reduce GHG emissions we must reduce emissions from production and consumption of manufactured goods and food.
This is where product stewardship groups like the California Product Stewardship Council, UPSTREAM and the Product Stewardship Institute come in. They work with policy makers, NGOs, governments and industry to promote programs to encourage manufacturers to more efficiently produce products, produce green products, insure product recyclability and take back products at the end of their useful life for recycling into new products. Their work is an important component of the overall effort to identify and address all of the root causes of climate change. If you want to read the encyclical, it is available here.
A blog about climate change, extreme weather, climate denial, California climate change, California Cap and Trade, global warming
California Zero/Low Carbon Transportion: $373 million approved by Air Board
California continues to lead like a nation-state in addressing climate change. Newly adopted incentives for low-carbon and zero emission vehicles include a program benefiting lower income purchasers and a phase out of benefits for higher income vehicle purchasers. With a goal of 1 million zero emission vehicles on the road by 2023, the California Air Resources Board last week approved $373 million in allocations for FY 15-16 for low-carbon transportation, up $150 million over the prior year. The funds are subject to final appropriation authority from the California legislature. The bulk of the money comes from the California Cap and Trade Program. "Action taken by the Board today to boos funding for clean vehicle programs is in direct response to growing demand, and the need to put more zero-emission vehicles on California's roads," said Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary D. Nichols. "This funding plan delivers clean air, less carbon pollution, and provides financial incentives to allow all Californians to benefit from driving and owning the cleanest vehicles." The largest program within the allocation is $163 million for the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which offers up to $6,500 in vehicle rebates for the purchase or lease of new, eligible zero-emission and plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicles. Since 2010, the Air Board has provided 110,000 rebates for a total of $230 million.
The table below summarizes the rebates that will be available for low and moderate income individuals. Higher income individuals (individuals >$250k; joint filers >$500k) will no longer be eligible for rebates for battery or plug-in hybrid vehicles, thus addressing a concern that the program was providing benefits to those who do not need it.
In addition to the light duty vehicle incentives, other programs within the allocation include zero emission truck and bus pilot programs and continuation of the truck loan assistance program for cleaner, newer trucks. Below is a summary of all of the allocations. Additional information can be found in the ARB staff presentation to the Board here or the more detailed funding plan here.
A few climate videos I liked this week
Barrack Obama interviews Sir David Attenborough on Climate
Bill Nye provides a grade-school level explanation of climate change complete with emoji
California Senate welcomes U.N. climate head Christiana Figueres (her comments begin at about 3:00)
Cardinal Donald Wuerl responds to Bush, Limbaugh on Climate
Carnegie Scientists: California could meet 3-5x energy demand with solar
Who are the climate denier scientists?
97% of scientists agree with the consensus on climate, according to most analyses. However, a recent survey indicates the number may be closer to 99.9% Out of 24,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers on climate issues published in 2013 and 2014, only 5 question the consensus on human-caused climate change. That's according to the work of James Powell of the National Physical Sciences Consortium, as summarized by Tony Dokoupil of MSNBC Greenhouse. Dokupil describes the 4 scientists responsible for the 5 papers in this segment from Greenhouse:
Dokupil provides a bit more detail in the summary linked here.
Climate: What Would Reagan Do?
George P. Shultz held positions in the administrations of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, including Secretary of State for seven years during a key period of U.S. and Russia relations. One of his positions outside of government was President of Bechtel, the largest construction firm in the U.S. He is currently affiliated with the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford. His background is hardly one of an environmental advocate, but he has become a leading voice on the need to address the climate change threat.
Shultz with Ronald Reagan
Sacramento Bee Editorial Page Editor Dan Morain caught up with Shultz during the dedication of a Reagan statue at the California Capitol this week and wrote about his conversation in a column today. He asked the simple question, "What would President Reagan have done about climate change?" Shultz told Morain the story of the Montreal Protocol and the ozone hole. There were doubters at that time, but Reagan "became convinced that the scientists who were worried were probably right." He framed the action on the ozone hole as an insurance policy and the U.S. became a leader in pushing for the steps necessary to address the issue. Schultz described this "insurance policy" as "a gifted approach" and the resulting agreement as "the only environmental treaty that has ever worked." What would the "insurance policy" on climate change look like? First, there would be significant federal funding for energy and carbon alternatives. Second, there would be a carbon tax at the source (e.g. at oil wells) with the money returned to citizens as a "carbon dividend." On the insurance policy approach: "That'd be the Ronald Reagan way." Morain's column can be found here: Shultz's View of Climate Change This isn't the first time Shultz has discussed what Reagan would do on climate change. Earlier this year, he wrote a column in the Washington Post: A Reagan Approach to Climate Change He provides a little more detail of his experience with the Montreal Protocol on ozone and the two-pronged insurance policy strategy, concluding "Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It's the Reagan way."
What's Really Warming the World?
Eric Roston and Blacki Migliozzi at Bloomberg Business have done a fabulous job of presenting data and graphics to dispel the myth that global warming is due to natural causes. See their analysis here: What's Really Warming the World?
Tom Steyer to California Teachers: Divestment Makes Sense
Earlier this month I watched Tom Steyer make a clear case for divestment from fossil fuels before the California State Teachers Retirement System Board in Sacramento. The video of the presentation is now available and linked below. Steyer laid out five criteria for evaluating divestment: 1. Does the group of companies cause harm to society? 2. Is there a realistic replacement for the product or service they provide? 3. Is it a long-term asset appropriate for large long-term pension funds? 4. Does engagement with management offer any prospect of improving the investment? 5. What is is the financial impact to the retirement portfolio? Steyer showed that fossil fuel investments fail in all five areas. He provided data indicating that fossil fuel investments have actually performed worse than other investments. He also questioned the value of existing fossil fuel companies, arguing that their reserves will become stranded assets as the world addresses climate change by reducing fossil fuel use. On the issue of whether the fossil fuel companies can reform themselves, he said that if you look at the annual reports of the petroleum companies, it is clear they are very reluctant to change their strategic thinking about their long term role. Steyer said that alternative energy is growing rapidly in California and he expect there to be over 500,000 clean energy jobs in the state by the end of the year: "We are seeing something very good happening here in terms of the state push for clean energy." Steyer's initial comments to CalSTRS are in the first 15 minutes or so of the video, followed by Q&A with CalSTRS board members.
Warmest May on Record
The latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that May 2015 was the hottest May in recorded history. Notable weather anomalies occurred around the world According to NOAA:
The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for May 2015 was the highest for May in the 136-year period of record, at 0.87°C (1.57°F) above the 20th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F), surpassing the previous record set just one year ago by 0.08°C (0.14°F). This ties with February 1998 as the fourth highest monthly departure from average for any month on record. The two highest monthly departures from average occurred earlier this year in February and March, both at 0.89°C (1.60°F) above the 20th century average for their respective months.
Bill Reilly and Christiana Figueres Paris Optimism
A few days ago, I attended a Climate One event in San Francisco featuring former George H.W. Bush EPA Secretary Bill Reilly and Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres. I came away with renewed hope that there will be success at the upcoming Paris Climate Summit. Both Reilly and Figueres expressed optimism, but cautioned that the Paris agreement may not be as strong as many would like. Reilly suggested the "bar" has been set low enough that success in Paris will be inevitable. Figueres said the Paris agreement will be more about "what" we need to do moving forward than "how" we will get there. Terms like "baseline" and "first step" were used. Figueres said that 39 countries have so far submitted plans for how they will achieve emission reductions and she expects twice that many to be completed by the time the Paris Summit opens in December. She said that every country is engaged in the process. She also said that in a meeting in Bonn earlier this month, there is a new push to limit global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius rather than the 2 degrees that is the more common goal being pushed by climate leaders. Figueres noted much more climate change awareness outside of the U.S. Reilly estimated there are about 100 Republican members of Congress in the "Climate Closet." According to Reilly, they are fully aware of the climate issue and the need for action, but have had to remain publicly aligned with climate deniers for political reasons. He said he is being told by those in the Climate Closet that they are not hearing from constituents about climate change The implication is that increased community and direct engagement with these officials could bring them out of the closet.