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Climate and energy news:
States move to blunt Obama carbon reductionplan
Some US states are taking preemptive action to protect the coalindustry ahead of President Obama announcing new regulations tocurb power plant emissions. The governors of Kansas, Kentucky,Virginia and West Virginia have all signed laws directing theirenvironmental agencies to develop their own, less stringent, carbonemission plans.
US LNG exports could help countries curbemissions
Asian and European countries could cut emissions by importingliquefied natural gas from the US, a new report concludes. The USDepartment of Energy research says the cuts depend on howeffectively greenhouse gases can be prevented from escaping thewells.
McCartney calls for halt tofracking
A letter signed by over 150 celebrities and scientists calls for ahalt to fracking while the “potential dangers” are discussed. TheTimes published the letter signed by Sir Paul McCartney, amongothers, on behalf of the “We Need To Talk Abut Fracking”campaign.
Britain’s uncertain renewables policy puts offinvestors
Government interference means the UK has slipped back to sixthplace on a list of the most attractive countries for renewableenergy investment. Ben Warren, consultancy EY’s EnvironmentalFinance leader and one of the authors of the report, says “The UKhas slipped to sixth place for the first time in more than a year.Policy tinkering and conflicting signals once again become too muchfor investors and developers to handle”.BusinessGreenalso covers thereport.
Energy UK: time to rethink ‘green’ power policiesin Brussels
Industry group Energy UK is hoping to push its agenda through thenew glut of UK Independence Party MEPs, the Guardian claims. EnergyUK chair, Angela Knight, says it is time to move away from “anemotion driven and expensive [energy] agenda” inBrussels.Terry Macalister, Guardian
Could climate change take molluscs off the menu?Warning over clam and oyster habitats
New research from the University of Kansas shows some molluskscould lose more than a 20 per cent of their suitable habitat due toclimate change. The species are unable to move quickly enough toavoid the effects of climate change on their ocean habitats, itsuggests.
George Osborne accused of making climate changeworse with tax breaks
UK oil and gas companies have avoided paying £2.7 billion of taxover the past five years, research by campaign group Friends of theEarth claims. A series of tax breaks brought in by the Labourgovernment have been extended by the current chancellor toencourage the UK to get every last drop out of its hydrocarbonresources.
Climate and energy comment:
California’s ‘boring’ carbon market to takelimelight after EPA
California’s carbon market will be flung into the limelight todayas the President announces new rules to curb coal power plantemissions. Under the rules, states can meet their emissionsreduction obligations through carbon trading. That means newmarkets being created, or more states joining existing markets suchas California’s. We’ve taken a look at the world’s carbon markets -including those already trading in the US –here.
How Obama’s power plant emissions rules willwork
Associated Press runs down how President Obama’s new coal rulewill work, and why it was necessary in the first place.
US carbon curbs raise hopes for Parisdeal
The Financial Times says President Obama’s decision to curb coalpower plan emissions could be a moment to define his presidency. Itargues the ruling means China may be more willing to take action onclimate change, and makes a global deal to curb emissions in 2015more likely. TheNew York Timeslooks at the President’sefforts to reclaim the high ground on climate change.
The age of climate warfare is here. Themilitary-industrial complex is ready. Areyou?
The US military accepts that climate change drives conflict. Butviewing climate change through the “narrow, self-serving,systematically abused lens of ‘national security'” could becomejust one more way to protect corporate profits, Nafeez Ahmedargues.