Judge Orders Review of ‘Endangered’ Status for Polar Bears. By Matthew Daly, AP, 10/20/10. “A federal judge ordered the Obama administration on Wednesday to review whether polar bears, at risk because of global warming, are endangered under U.S. law. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan wants the Interior Department to clarify a decision by the administration of former President George W. Bush that polar bears were merely threatened rather than in imminent danger of extinction. Sullivan's request, made at a hearing Wednesday in federal court, keeps in place the 2008 declaration by the Bush administration.

“Former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in May 2008 that the bears were on the way to extinction because of the rapid disappearance of the Arctic Sea ice upon which they depend. But he stopped short of declaring them endangered, which had it been declared would have increased protections for the bear and make oil and gas exploration more difficult… Along with the listing, Kempthorne created a ‘special rule’ stating that the Endangered Species Act would not be used to set climate policy or limit greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming and melting ice in the Arctic Ocean. The Obama administration upheld the Bush-era policy, declaring that the endangered species law cannot be used to regulate greenhouse gases emitted by sources outside of the polar bears' habitat. If the bears are found to be endangered, however, that could open the door to using the Endangered Species Act to regulate greenhouse gases. Sullivan said he would issue a written order shortly, but said Wednesday that the government is likely to have about 30 days to explain how it arrived at its decision.”

Fuel-Economy Stickers Unveiled. ClimateWire, September 7, 2010. "U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation issued two new designs for the fuel-economy stickers affixed to the windows of new cars. The designs aren't final -- they won't appear until the auto class of 2012, and the agencies have requested public input during the next two months. But the labels are distinct. One design would feature a large letter grade for a car's fuel economy and emissions levels. The other design would feature numbers: the car's miles-per-gallon score and the estimated annual cost of filling its gas tank or battery."

Environmental Groups Face Their Future in Climate-Change Debate. By David Fahrenthold, WashPost, August 29, 2010. "A year ago, environmentalists seemed to be at the peak of their influence, needing only the Senate's approval for a landmark climate-change bill. But they lost that fight and now are wondering how they can keep this loss from becoming a rout as their opponents press their advantage."

Under Pressure to Block Oil, Army Corps Authorizes Dubious, Drastic Measure. By Bob Young, YaleEnvriro360, June 3, 2010. “In response to the widening disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, government officials have approved a plan to intercept the oil by building a 45-mile sand berm. But scientists fear the project is a costly boondoggle that will inflict further environmental damage and do little to keep oil off the coast... Under pressure from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and other state and local officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued an emergency permit on May 27 authorizing the state of Louisiana to construct 45 miles of artificial berm -- 300 feet wide at its base and rising six feet out of the gulf -- in an attempt to protect delta wetlands and barrier islands from the encroaching oil... Since the Louisiana berm will not be continuous, there is a strong likelihood that oil will flow in through the gaps, then possibly become trapped in wetlands... EPA questioned whether a project that will take at least 6 to 9 months to build would be completed in time to have any impact on the spill...

“Coastal dredging and filling can cause significant damage to marine organisms and local ecosystems as massive amounts of sand are dug up in one location and then deposited on the sea floor in another spot. In addition, building a 45-mile sand berm could alter tidal currents and lead to the erosion of natural barrier islands that protect the Louisiana coast from hurricanes... Thad Allen, the U.S. Coast Guard admiral in charge of the spill cleanup, said on June 2 that BP has agreed to pay for construction of the 45-mile line of sand berms, which he estimated would cost $360 million... have yet to speak to a scientist who thinks that the project will be effective.”

Hydrofracking: The Next Drilling Disaster? By Kara Cusolito, Nation, June 21, 2010 edition. “Hydrofracking is a hugely lucrative and rapidly expanding industry -- the consulting firm PFC Energy recently reported that shale gas production accounts for about 10% of US natural gas production, up from 1% in 2000. It is bolstered not only by a powerful lobby but also by growing awareness of the threats posed by climate change and America's dependence on foreign oil... For a long time, shale gas was thought to be unattainable. But in the 1990s, first in Texas and later in other Western states, new drilling techniques, sophisticated technology and industry exemptions from environmental laws paved the way for economically viable fracking. Many of those exemptions -- from provisions in the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Superfund Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act -- are longstanding. The most notable among them was introduced by Vice President Dick Cheney as an amendment to the 2005 energy bill. The so-called Halliburton Loophole, named after Cheney's former employer and the company that pioneered the fracking process in the 1940s, stripped the EPA's authority to regulate hydrofracking through the Safe Water Drinking Act. Companies were essentially given free rein to drill however and wherever they see fit, and to use and dispose of proprietary fracking fluids without any disclosure or safety requirements. The only remaining shred of federal oversight was a voluntary agreement with the three largest companies not to use diesel fuel -- which they proceeded to ignore.”

Indonesia Probes Massive Forest Corruption. AFP, May 20, 2010. "Indonesia's anti-graft commission is investigating rampant corruption in the forestry sector that has cost the state more than 100 billion dollars, an official said on May 20... Deforestation and rampant illegal logging is the main reason Indonesia is the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions report [Illegal Logging in Indonesia, PDF, 20 pages] by a coalition including the BlueGreen Alliance and the Rainforest Action Network released in the United States this month found that 40 to 55% of Indonesia's timber is illegally harvested. It warned that 98% of the archipelago's lowland forests could be gone by 2022."

Obama's Second Chance on the Predominant Moral Issue of This Century. Commentary by James Hansen, HuffPost, April 5, 2010. "President Obama, finally, took a get-involved get-tough approach to negotiations on health care legislation and the arms control treaty with Russia -- with success. Could this be the turn-around for what might still be a great presidency? The predominant moral issue of the 21st century, almost surely, will be climate change... Our fossil fuel addiction, if unabated, threatens our children and grandchildren, and most species on the planet...

The fundamental requirement for solving our fossil fuel addiction and moving to a clean energy future is a rising price on carbon emissions. Otherwise, if we refuse to make fossil fuels pay for their damage to human health, the environment, and our children's future, fossil fuels will remain the cheapest energy and we will squeeze every drop from tar sands, oil shale, pristine lands, and offshore areas. An essential corollary to the rising carbon price is 100% redistribution of collected fees to the public -- otherwise the public will never allow the fee to be high enough to affect lifestyles and energy choices. The fee must be collected from fossil fuel companies across-the-board at the mine, wellhead, or port of entry. Revenues should be divided equally among all legal adult residents, with half-shares for children up to two per family, distributed monthly as a 'green check'. Part of the revenue could be used to reduce taxes, provided the tax reduction is transparent and verifiable. The rising carbon price will affect almost everything. Congressman John Larson defined an appropriate rising fee. $15 per ton of carbon dioxide the first year and $10 more per ton each year. Economic modeling shows that carbon emissions would decline 30% by 2020. The annual dividend then would be $2000-3000 per legal adult resident, $6000-9000 per family with two or more children. About 60% of the public would receive more in the green check than they pay in added energy costs. People will set their net cost or gain via their energy and other consumer choices...

"The National Religious Coalition on Creation Care (NRCCC) is working with the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), the Price Carbon Campaign (PCC), and economists at the Carbon Tax Center (CTC) to help promote this honest and effective energy and climate policy. The public, if well-informed, can be expected to support this policy. But so far Congress has been steamrolled by special interests... Can the cacophony of special interests be overcome? There is one way: the president must get involved. He must explain the situation to the public and use his bully pulpit to persuade Congress to do what is right for the nation and future generations. He must explain that a rising carbon price is needed to phase out our fossil fuel addiction. The dividend will provide the public the means to move to a clean energy future, stimulating the economy... Perhaps posterity may remember that Obama reduced the number of nuclear-tipped missiles, or that he added 10% of Americans to the health care rolls. But if he dreams of being a great president, he needs to take on the great moral challenge of our century." Dr. James Hansen is director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, but he writes on this policy-related topic as a private citizen.

Shares of Solar Firms Plummet as Germany Plans Further Cuts in Feed-In Tariffs. Reuters, January 15, 2010. "A potential deep cut in feed-in tariffs in Germany will hit solar companies around the world and increases pressure on large players to reduce exposure to the world's largest photovoltaic market. Analysts say that lower prices could result in a shakeout in the industry that drives higher cost players out of business and dissuades new entrants. Shares in solar firms plummeted after a Reuters report that the German government plans to chop feed-in tariffs -- prices utilities pay generators of renewable energy -- as early as April, much more deeply and sooner than the market expected. Analysts agree that the plans, which envisage a one-off cut of 16-17% on top of the 10% already set out in the German Renewable Act, will deal a major blow to the sector, which the German government thinks is overly subsidized now... Large utilities must pay producers of solar power the feed-in tariffs, which have gradually fallen from 57 euro cents per kw in 2004 to 39 cents this year. The utilities then pass the higher costs to consumers."

Australia's Conservative Opposition Gears Up to Challenge Rudd on Climate. By Rob Taylor, Reuters, January 14, 2010. "Australia's conservative opposition has opened its campaign for this year's elections, targeting the environment as a key battleground in its attempt to stop Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gaining a second term. But while new conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott released a series of green initiatives, he stopped short of announcing a key climate change policy -- prompting one environment group on Friday to accuse him of 'cheap political opportunism.' Abbott is seen by many voters as a climate change skeptic after becoming opposition leader last December on the back of opposing the government's climate change policy of a carbon emissions trading scheme... Rudd will most likely call an election in the second half of 2010, and is strongly tipped to govern for another three years on the back of a growing economy that has emerged largely unscathed from the global financial crisis. Opinion polls showing Rudd's Labor maintaining an election-winning lead and surprisingly strong job figures on Thursday will reinforce his government's popularity."

Senators Maria Cantwell and Susan Collins Introduce 'Cap and Dividend' Bill. By H. Josef Hebert, AP, December 11, 2009. "Two senators on Friday offered yet another approach to tackling climate change [The Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal Act -- CLEAR], proposing the government sell pollution allowances to industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions and then use most of the money to send tax-free monthly checks to every American. The 'dividend' checks, estimated to average about $100 a month over nearly two decades, would be aimed at offsetting the higher cost of energy. The proposal by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was being offered as an alternative to a more complex cap-and-trade climate bill already before the Senate and approved by the House. Cantwell said her approach is a simpler way to reduce carbon pollution and boost clean energy alternatives. Like the rival Senate bill, it would impose limits on greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and is designed to cut emissions by 20% by 2020 and about 80% by mid-century... The bill introduced by Cantwell and Collins adds yet another alternative, raising more uncertainty as to what kind of climate legislation is likely to emerge when the Senate focuses on the issue early next year... Cantwell and Collins largely abandon the broad cap and trade approach that has been the focus in the Senate up until now, and which has been widely attacked by Republicans and some centrist Democrats as too complex, subject to manipulation and tantamount to imposing a huge energy tax and threatening jobs."

Dark Side of Natural Gas Boom. By Jad Mouawad and Clifford Krauss, NYTimes, December 14, 2009. "Across vast regions of the country, gas companies are using a technology called hydraulic fracturing to produce natural gas from previously untapped beds of shale. The push has been so successful that the country's potential gas reserves jumped by 35% in two years. The new supplies have driven down natural gas prices for consumers and might help the global environment by allowing more production of electricity from natural gas, which emits fewer global warming emissions than coal. What the drilling push will do to local environments is another matter. The drilling boom is raising concern in many parts of the country, and the reaction is creating political obstacles for the gas industry. Hazards like methane contamination of drinking water wells, long known in regions where gas production was common, are spreading to populous areas that have little history of coping with such risks, but happen to sit atop shale beds. And a more worrisome possibility has come to light. A string of incidents in places like Wyoming and Pennsylvania in recent years has pointed to a possible link between hydraulic fracturing and pollution of groundwater supplies. In the worst case, such pollution could damage crucial supplies of water used for drinking and agriculture."

Lawsuits Place Global Warming on More Dockets. By Chris Joyner, USA Today, November 23, 2009. "A group of 12 Mississippi Gulf Coast homeowners is using a novel legal strategy to try to recoup losses suffered during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The lawsuit seeks damages from a group of 33 energy companies, including ExxonMobil and coal giant Peabody Energy, electric utilities, and other conglomerates for allegedly emitting greenhouse gases that the litigants say contributed to global warming. That, the litigants claim, caused a rise in sea levels and increased air and water temperatures fueling the Category 5 hurricane that destroyed their homes. The lawsuit, considered a long shot by legal experts, cleared a hurdle last month when a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said it could continue, overruling a circuit court judge who had agreed with arguments from the companies that global warming is a political, not legal, issue... The Mississippi case is one of a small number of global warming cases to test the judiciary's role in the climate debate."

White House Recommends Creating National Oceans Council, But Shuns NOAA. By Les Blumenthal, McClatchy, November 8, 2009. "Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the oceans have absorbed 525 billion tons of carbon dioxide. They're now absorbing about 22 million tons of carbon dioxide a day... More than 60% of the nation's coastal rivers and bays are moderately to severely degraded by nutrient runoff from products such as fertilizer, creating algae blooms that affect the kelp beds and grasses that are nurseries for many species of fish... The danger signals are everywhere, some related to climate change and greenhouse gases and others not... As the grim news mounts, a storm is brewing in Washington, D.C., over who should oversee oceans policies. A White House task force has recommended creating a National Ocean Council that would develop and implement national ocean policy and include the secretaries of state, defense, agriculture, interior, health and human services, labor, commerce, transportation and homeland security. It also would include the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, the administrators of NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Plus the president's advisers on national security. homeland security, domestic policy and economic policy. The chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy would head the council.

"However, NOAA, the nation's primary ocean agency, which includes the National Ocean Service, the nation's premier science agency for oceans and coasts; the National Marine Fisheries Service, which manages living marine resources; the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, which studies climate, weather and air quality; and the National Weather Service -- is missing from the task force's list. 'I am mystified why NOAA has been exempted,' said Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, the top Republican on the subcommittee. 'It was a surprise,' Sen. Maria Cantwell, D- Wash., said in an interview. 'I didn't know it would be this sensitive.' Cantwell chairs the oceans subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Her panel held a hearing on the issue in early November."

Photos of Pollution in China. ChinaHush, October 21, 2009, 39 photos shown. "On October 14, 2009, the 30th annual awards ceremony of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund took place at the Asia Society in New York City. Lu Guang from People's Republic of China won the $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for his documentary project Pollution in China."

Reps Filner and Kucinich Calling on Obama to Make 350 The Goal. Press Release, Citizens Climate Lobby, October 24, 2009. "U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) told hundreds of environmental activists Saturday that he would ask President Obama to go to Copenhagen and seek agreement with other global leaders on the need to reduce the level of carbon-dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere to 350 parts per million. Filner spoke by teleconference to members and guests of Citizens Climate Lobby who were participating in events marking the International Day of Climate Action. The CCL gatherings were among more than 4,000 events held throughout the world Saturday that called upon policy-makers to target 350 ppm as the limit of CO2 necessary to keep global temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels. The events were organized by the climate action group 350.org. Filner announced that he and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) will circulate a letter in the House of Representatives next week calling upon the President to lead other nations toward acceptance of the 350 ppm target."

States Rated for Efficiency Standards. By Kate Galbraith, NYTimes, October 21, 2009. "California again claims the prize for most energy-efficient state, while Wyoming is holding steady in last place, according to new rankings from an efficiency advocacy group. Massachusetts has leaped from seventh in last year's rankings to second, and Maine rose from 19th place to crack the top 10 for the first time, according to the survey, which was conducted by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Rhode Island also broke into the top 10, which is dominated by coastal states -- plus Minnesota. The study assessed several factors, such as utility efficiency programs; building-code policies; appliance standards; and transportation. On transportation, states can earn points for measures such as land-use planning to reduce car use, and also for signing on to join California's efforts to obtain stricter tailpipe emissions rules, though those stricter limits are now being adopted nationally."

States Rated for Efficiency Standards. By Kate Galbraith, NYTimes, October 21, 2009. "California again claims the prize for most energy-efficient state, while Wyoming is holding steady in last place, according to new rankings from an efficiency advocacy group. Massachusetts has leaped from seventh in last year's rankings to second, and Maine rose from 19th place to crack the top 10 for the first time, according to the survey, which was conducted by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Rhode Island also broke into the top 10, which is dominated by coastal states -- plus Minnesota. The study assessed several factors, such as utility efficiency programs; building-code policies; appliance standards; and transportation. On transportation, states can earn points for measures such as land-use planning to reduce car use, and also for signing on to join California's efforts to obtain stricter tailpipe emissions rules, though those stricter limits are now being adopted nationally."

Salazar Call for Probe of Bush Oil-Shale Leases. By Paul Foy, AP, October 20, 2009. "The Department of the Interior is rewriting the rules for oil-shale leasing as the secretary called Tuesday for an investigation into last-minute changes made by the administration of President George Bush to favor oil companies. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the Bush Interior Department locked in a bargain royalty rate on 30,000 acres of land for oil companies 'without any opportunity for review or comment'... The Department of Justice already has launched a probe into whether former Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton used her position to steer three of the six potentially lucrative oil leases to Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the company she works for now. Salazar said Kendall's probe would be a separate matter... Salazar said he was opening a second, more environmentally sensitive round of oil-shale leasing for Colorado, Utah and Wyoming."

As China's Economy Grows, So Do Mounds of Garbage. By Chi-Chi Zhang, AP, Chi-chi Zhang, Associated October 11, 2009. "Visitors can smell this village long before they see it. More than 100 dump trucks piled high with garbage line the narrow road leading to Zhanglidong, waiting to empty their loads in a landfill as big as 20 football fields. In less than five years, the Zhengzhou Comprehensive Waste Treatment Landfill has overwhelmed this otherwise pristine village of about 1,000 people... 'Life here went from heaven to hell in an instant,' says lifelong resident Wang Xiuhua, swatting away clouds of mosquitoes and flies. The 78-year-old woman suddenly coughs uncontrollably and says the landfill gases inflame her bronchitis. As more Chinese ride the nation's economic boom, a torrent of garbage is one result. Cities are bursting at the seams, and their officials struggle to cope. The amount of paper, plastic and other garbage has more than tripled in two decades to about 300 million tons a year, according to Nie Yongfeng, a waste management expert at Beijing's Tsinghua University. Americans are still way ahead of China in garbage; a population less than a quarter the size of China's 1.3 billion generated 254 million tons of garbage in 2007, a third of which is recycled or composted, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But for China, the problem represents a rapid turnabout from a generation ago, when families, then largely rural and poor, used and reused everything."

Dam Breaching Celebrated on Famed Rogue River. By Jeff Barnard, AP, Jeff Barnard, Ap EnviOctober 10, 2009. "The wild and scenic Rogue River has become even wilder with the demolition of a dam that had hindered passage of salmon and steelhead to their spawning grounds for 88 years. A flotilla of some 80 people in rafts, driftboats and kayaks celebrated the breaching of the Savage Rapids Dam on Saturday by floating through the remains of the concrete structure in southwest Oregon… Since the dam was completed in 1921, the logging and mining that once sustained Southern Oregon have faded. Farms that the Grants Pass Irrigation District once served have sprouted homes that tap the water for lawns and gardens. And the salmon and steelhead have struggled, with an estimated 58,000 adult salmon and steelhead blocked from spawning grounds each year. The battles to restore the waterway started in 1988, when the conservation group WaterWatch, which organized the celebration, Rogue Fly Fishers and the American Fisheries Society filed a protest to stop the irrigation district from drawing more water from the Rogue. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation took a look and decided the cheapest and best solution to provide water efficiently without harming fish was to remove the dam and replace it with pumps... The river quickly cut down through the huge accumulation of sand, gravel and rocks that had built up behind the dam the past 88 years."