There are a number of reporters there covering Cancun. I can watch and read from the cold of home in Maryland.
Southwest Reporter
Royal Society - edition on the four degree realities
Fossil of the Day (sing it with me)
The official site with live feeds when in session - COP16
December 5, 2010
July 16, 2010
New GAO report
Coal Power Plants: Opportunities Exist for DOE to Provide Better Information on the Maturity of Key Technologies to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions. GAO-10-675, June 16.
Coal power plants generate about half of the United States’ electricity and are expected to remain a key energy source. Coal power plants also account for about one-third of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ), the primary greenhouse gas that experts believe contributes to climate change. Current regulatory efforts and proposed legislation that seek to reduce CO2 emissions could affect coal power plants. Two key technologies show potential for reducing CO2 emissions: (1) carbon capture and storage (CCS), which involves capturing and storing CO2 in geologic formations, and (2) plant efficiency improvements that allow plants to use less coal.
The Department of Energy (DOE) plays a key role in accelerating the commercial availability of these technologies and devoted more than $600 million to them in fiscal year 2009. Congress asked GAO to examine (1) the maturity of these technologies; (2) their potential for commercial use, and any challenges to their use; and (3) possible implications of deploying these technologies. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed reports and interviewed stakeholders with expertise in coal technologies.
What GAO Recommends (why you should read this report)
GAO recommends that DOE develop a standard set of benchmarks to gauge and report to Congress on the maturity of key technologies. In commenting on a draft of this report, DOE concurred with our recommendation.
Coal power plants generate about half of the United States’ electricity and are expected to remain a key energy source. Coal power plants also account for about one-third of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ), the primary greenhouse gas that experts believe contributes to climate change. Current regulatory efforts and proposed legislation that seek to reduce CO2 emissions could affect coal power plants. Two key technologies show potential for reducing CO2 emissions: (1) carbon capture and storage (CCS), which involves capturing and storing CO2 in geologic formations, and (2) plant efficiency improvements that allow plants to use less coal.
The Department of Energy (DOE) plays a key role in accelerating the commercial availability of these technologies and devoted more than $600 million to them in fiscal year 2009. Congress asked GAO to examine (1) the maturity of these technologies; (2) their potential for commercial use, and any challenges to their use; and (3) possible implications of deploying these technologies. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed reports and interviewed stakeholders with expertise in coal technologies.
What GAO Recommends (why you should read this report)
GAO recommends that DOE develop a standard set of benchmarks to gauge and report to Congress on the maturity of key technologies. In commenting on a draft of this report, DOE concurred with our recommendation.
July 5, 2010
PG&E prepared to campaign for climate law
ClimateWire: PG&E prepared to campaign for climate law
Colin Sullivan, E&E reporter
(07/02/2010)
Colin Sullivan, E&E reporter
(07/02/2010)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is poised to become the first utility in California to actively defend the state's climate change law against a referendum that will ask voters to suspend it, according to a source close to the company.
Though a major emitter of greenhouse gases in California, PG&E could profit from renewable energy development and last year split with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the group's opposition to a federal climate change bill.
The source said PG&E will announce its support of the climate law as well as contribute funds to a pro-A.B. 32 campaign that will likely enlist support from Silicon Valley heavyweights like Google Inc. and venture capitalists.
January 20, 2010
Nine to sign on - one reject - accord
Copenhagen Climate Accord Now Accepted By Nine Nations, UN Says
Australia, Canada, France, Ghana, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Serbia and Singapore will sign onto the Copenhagen Accord reached this December. Cuba rejected support.
"The U.S., Brazil, China, India and South Africa have yet to make formal submissions to the UN indicating they’ll sign up to the Copenhagen Accord, according to the UN e-mail. The 27-nation European Union, Ethiopia and Grenada were among those that indicated support for the deal in Copenhagen."
Australia, Canada, France, Ghana, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Serbia and Singapore will sign onto the Copenhagen Accord reached this December. Cuba rejected support.
"The U.S., Brazil, China, India and South Africa have yet to make formal submissions to the UN indicating they’ll sign up to the Copenhagen Accord, according to the UN e-mail. The 27-nation European Union, Ethiopia and Grenada were among those that indicated support for the deal in Copenhagen."
January 19, 2010
More on the data skeptics - hoax perpetuated
As a data geek, this makes me upset...that this is all being overplayed (in my opinion). But I guess Fox News has to have something to cover since Haiti is getting old.
U.N. Panel’s Glacier Warning Is Criticized as Exaggerated
U.N. Panel’s Glacier Warning Is Criticized as Exaggerated
“The Himalayan glaciers will not disappear by 2035 — that is an overstatement,” said Dr. Bodo Bookhagen, an assistant professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara who studies the effect of climate change at high altitudes. “That number somehow got incorporated into the I.P.C.C. report, and that probably shouldn’t have happened.”
Still, he added: “It is very clear that there is glacier retreat and that it has devastating impact.”
January 18, 2010
Latest news and coverage
First, can everyone stop linking Haiti with climate change? The weather has nothing to do with earthquakes and stop perpetuating hoax believers by linking the two. Come one people - its meteorology and geology - they are not normally linked (I admit, volcanic activity can effect the weather but not earth quakes). And I feel bad for Danny Glover and the misquote. Check out the Fox machine. No good deed goes unpunished - and Bill Reilly loves to lie.
Second, January 31 is the deadline for Copenhagen Accord signatures and emission target publication. Once the list of signatures is available, I will be sure to post it.
Third, more media updates to the debate:
E.U. Seeks to Regain Influence on Response to Climate Change - NYTimes.com "But when the dust settles, the 27 E.U. governments are likely to stick to their carbon-emissions reduction strategy while becoming more pragmatic about working outside the United Nations framework to achieve progress." WSJ covers what occurred this weekend. "France, Germany, the U.K. and Spain said they favor adopting a more-ambitious target to reduce emissions to 30% below 1990 levels by 2020, compared with the 20% target the EU is already committed to—if others were to match that offer." Its the question of whether the EU will lead or use their commitment as a negotiation tool. Personally, I say they should forget bringing others with them on the emissions targets unless they pay countries to do it. Note: "Poland opposed going deeper than the 20% target." How come we are not surprised?
As for the developments for extra-U.N. negotiations: I worry that LDCs will balk at anything outside the U.N. process where they have a protected equal status as industrialized countries - unless, of course, their sign on and approval of any binding agreement is contingent on obtaining money for mitigation or adaptation or technology transfer. Bribery will always work in international negotiations; its just rather disgusting.
Another interesting development: "Meanwhile, Bolivia, one of a handful of poor countries which openly opposed the deal in Copenhagen, has invited countries and non-governmental groups which want a much stronger climate deal to the World Conference of the People on Climate Change." More on the conference which is scheduled April 20-22 in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba.
I will continue blogging on this. And if folks have ideas on how to get me credentialed for Mexico City, love to hear it!
Second, January 31 is the deadline for Copenhagen Accord signatures and emission target publication. Once the list of signatures is available, I will be sure to post it.
Third, more media updates to the debate:
E.U. Seeks to Regain Influence on Response to Climate Change - NYTimes.com "But when the dust settles, the 27 E.U. governments are likely to stick to their carbon-emissions reduction strategy while becoming more pragmatic about working outside the United Nations framework to achieve progress." WSJ covers what occurred this weekend. "France, Germany, the U.K. and Spain said they favor adopting a more-ambitious target to reduce emissions to 30% below 1990 levels by 2020, compared with the 20% target the EU is already committed to—if others were to match that offer." Its the question of whether the EU will lead or use their commitment as a negotiation tool. Personally, I say they should forget bringing others with them on the emissions targets unless they pay countries to do it. Note: "Poland opposed going deeper than the 20% target." How come we are not surprised?
As for the developments for extra-U.N. negotiations: I worry that LDCs will balk at anything outside the U.N. process where they have a protected equal status as industrialized countries - unless, of course, their sign on and approval of any binding agreement is contingent on obtaining money for mitigation or adaptation or technology transfer. Bribery will always work in international negotiations; its just rather disgusting.
Another interesting development: "Meanwhile, Bolivia, one of a handful of poor countries which openly opposed the deal in Copenhagen, has invited countries and non-governmental groups which want a much stronger climate deal to the World Conference of the People on Climate Change." More on the conference which is scheduled April 20-22 in the central Bolivian city of Cochabamba.
I will continue blogging on this. And if folks have ideas on how to get me credentialed for Mexico City, love to hear it!
January 16, 2010
Todd Stern: Next Few Weeks Critical for Copenhagen Accord | SolveClimate.com
Posting news items related to the aftermath of COP15.
Todd Stern: Next Few Weeks Critical for Copenhagen Accord | SolveClimate.com
Todd Stern: Next Few Weeks Critical for Copenhagen Accord | SolveClimate.com
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