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Daily Briefing |

TODAY'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY HEADLINES

Briefing date 03.07.2014
ExxonMobil defies market and invests in oil refinery

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Climate and energy news.

Nine States Join Climate Denier's Lawsuit Seeking To Dismantle EPA Carbon Rule
Climate Progress Read Article

West Virginia, Wyoming, South Carolina, Ohio, Nebraska,
Oklahoma, Alaska, Alabama, and Kentucky have joined a law suit
contesting the US Environmental Protection Agency’s right to impose
climate regulations on the power sector. EPA rules that would
regulate emissions from new power stations have already survived
one round of legal attack but have yet to enter force. We took a
look at the history of EPA climate rules last week, including how they have
survived legal attacks so far and likely to be here to
stay.

Australia sees limited G20 appetite on new climate change steps
Reuters Read Article

The Australian government’s anti-climate rhetoric continues,
with a senior official arguing there is little consensus among the
G20 group of leading economies to take major new steps on climate
change. Australia is this year’s G20 chair. The comments appear to
contradict the official G20 line. Last year it agreed
a statementsupporting “a protocol,
another legal instrument, or an agreed outcome with legal force”
applicable to all parties by 2015. Such an agreement is the aim of
the Paris climate talks next December. §

Good Energy: Solar subsidy cuts threaten 70 per cent of pipeline
BusinessGreen Read Article

Independent renewable energy supplier Good Energy has warned
that up to 70 per cent of its project pipeline is under threat from
government plans to halt subsidies for large solar farms, putting
around £1.5 million of investment at risk. Ms Davenport said there
were probably hundreds of projects at risk across the sector.
Meanwhile the London Green Party has urgedmayor Boris Johnson to
kickstart a ‘solar revolution’ in the capital by giving businesses
and communities help and advice on installing panels.

Roughly $80 Billion Wasted on Power for Networked Devices, Report Says
Yale Environment 360 Read Article

The world’s 14 billion online electronic devices, such as
modems, printers, game consoles, and cable boxes, waste around $80
billion in electricity annually because of inefficient technology,
according to a new report by the International Energy Agency
(IEA).

EU utilities will suffer from low power prices until 2020 - Moody's
Reuters Read Article

Low power prices across the EU will erode utility firms’
profits for the rest of the decade according to ratings agency
Moody’s. New renewable energy capacity and weak demand are behind
the problems facing established power sector players. While UK
prices will be above average, the predictions could still spell
trouble for the government’s electricity market reforms that will
offer low carbon energy a top up subsidy. This will be more
expensive if wholesale prices are low.

Second Try Puts Carbon Observatory Into Orbit
New York Times Read Article

NASA’s $468 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite
has been launched successfully and is now on its way to measure
carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The mission follows the
failure of the loss of the original satellite five years ago.
Scientists hope it will help explain where carbon dioxide goes
after it is emitted. A quarter of emissions are thought to be
absorbed by plants growing on land, but it is not known exactly
where.

ExxonMobil defies adverse market with $1bn investment in Europe
The Telegraph Read Article

The US oil company will invest $1 billion in its oil refinery
in Antwerp so that it can convert heavy oil into usable products
such as diesel. It has also called on EU member states not to block
imports of Canadian tar sands.

UN green fund to seek cash in November; poor want $15 billion
Reuters Read Article

The UN’s Green Climate Fund will start raising money in
November, officials said yesterday. Poor nations would like to see
the fund, seen as vital to unlock their agreement to a global
climate deal, gaining $15 billion in pledges this year. So far $55
million has been pledged. The Oman Tribune reportsthat India plans to play a
constructive role at climate talks in Paris next year and would
like the fund to support intellectual property rights transfers for
“critical technologies”.

Climate and energy comment.

Congressional candidates compete over who is most pro-fossil fuel
Grist Read Article

In US election races where energy is a big issue, both
Democrat and Republican candidates are arguing over who is more
supportive of fossil fuels, according to Grist.

New climate science.

Climate Exposure of US National Parks in a New Era of Change
PLOS ONE Read Article

A team of scientists has studied 289 national parks in the US to
see how their climates have changed over the course of the 20th
century. The scientists found that overall, the parks are
overwhelmingly at the extreme warm end of the range of historical
temperature variability. This holds true for several ways to
express warmth, including annual average temperature, minimum
temperature of the coldest month and average temperature of the
warmest quarter.

Policy options for the world's primary forests in multilateral environmental agreements
Conservation Letters Read Article

A new paper examines untouched forest around the world – and how to
make sure they’re preserved in the 21st century. Primary forests
need to be recognised as a global concern in international
negotiations, say the researchers. 98 per cent of primary forest is
currently spread across 25 countries, with half found in just five
developed ones (USA, Canada, Russia, Australia and NZ). But only
about 22 per cent are in areas of special protection.

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