General News and Politics
U.S. emissions up 3.9 percent in 2010 (UPI, August 19)
That's the largest single-year rise since 1988, driven by economic rebound.
US cap-and-trade scheme set for key battle (Financial Times, August 21)
Opponents of the northeastern RGGI multi-state cap-and-trade a gearing up to try to push participant states out of it. Ironic since, as noted below, the scheme is actually running into problems because it's NOT coming anywhere close to constraining actual emissions. But it's seen as a test case by both sides. Meanwhile, Gov. Christie just vetoed a bill that would have kept New Jersey in the scheme.
China might stop UN CO2 credit supply in 2015, Barclays says (Bloomberg, August 25)
That is, they may withdraw from the Clean Development Mechanism, the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol mechanism that funnels money to developing countries in exchange for the right to claim "credits" toward emissions reductions targets. Not quite sure what to make of this, given that the CDM is basically a way to funnel money into developing countries. Barclays speculates that "China might be expecting to keep its emissions reductions for itself to meet its own greenhouse gas targets, rather than export them". Unclear whether that means there's a likelihood of China taking on international commitments in the future. China is also starting pilot emissions trading programs domestically, so this may have to do with isolating or supporting those?
Inhofe calls out Romney on climate (Washington Times, August 25)
Inhofe endorses Rick Perry instead.
Eight views on climate change: a guide to the Republican candidates (iWatch, August 26)
What it says on the tin. Highlights: Bachman thinks climate change is "manufactured" and wants to shut down the EPA; Perry has been a little less clear but appears to have a similar positions; Romney mostly admits climate change is real but is officially unsure how much of it is man-made and doesn't want to do anything about it.
Markets and Industry
Xcel CEO: climate change science is 'pretty solid' (RealAspen, August 22)
This is interesting because Xcel happens to have been shaped significantly by regulatory action. The article notes that Xcel is the number one utility in the nation for wind - but this is in no small part because it's a dominant utility in two states - Minnesota and Colorado - that have successful histories of instituting renewable portfolio standards. Xcel fought the regulations, but its interests have been shaped by them.
Business leaders call on state to protect market certainty, press ahead on AB32 (Sacramento Bee, August 23)
Green policy has become entrenched enough that it has a constituency within business in California.
Northeast climate change emissions market threatened (AOL Energy, August 23)
The limping economy combined with increased use of natural gas has carbon emissions down, which is actually bad for emissions-trading schemes; with current emissions well below caps, prices and trading are both depressed, and allowances are going begging even at the legal minimum price.
Are we entering cleantech's Dark Ages? (GreenBiz (blog), August 24)
Gives a run-down of the subsidy and investment-supporting programs that are likely to be cut as a result of the discretionary spending cuts in the recent budget deal.
Smart Grid has trouble attracting smart money (GLOBES, August 24)
Israel has put together a multi-country Smart Grid Consortium, but VC hasn't responded warmly yet; investment in smart grid in general is pretty cool at the moment.
VCs may be hot for cleantech, but markets stay lukewarm (The Globe and Mail, August 25)
The important point of this article is this: "From late 2006 to May of 2008, a U.S. cleantech EFT was up over 40 per cent while the NASDAQ was essentially flat. ... Since 2008, the EFT has declined slightly while the NASDAQ has been up over 15 per cent."
Science, Technology and Innovation
Climate change linked to wars? (IOLscitech, August 25)
People have sort of assumed this for a while, but a study published in Nature uses the natural warming/cooling oscillation of El Nino/La Nina to study the effects of El Nino's warming and drying on countries' stability. They find that El Nino years are twice as likely (6% rather than 3%) to have civil war break out in affected countries (countries not affected by El Nino tend to stay around a 2% chance).
U.S.' first large-scale geologic C.C.S. facility breaks ground (EcoSeed, August 25)
Carbon capture and storage project in Decatur, Illinois.
No comments:
Post a Comment