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Climate Negotiations Wind Down in Bonn, Seek a More Flexible Approach on the Road to Paris and COP 21

Climate negotiations in Bonn end on a guardedly positive noteThe latest round of climate negotiations wound down last Friday in Bonn, Germany with most delegates from the nearly two hundred countries represented expressing guarded optimism that progress has been made toward laying the groundwork for an international agreement to be signed in 2015 at the COP 21 climate conference in Paris.

In learning lessons from the past, especially with the disappointing outcome of the COP15 conference in 2009, negotiators are coalescing around the idea of creating a more “fluid” pact, freeing countries from the need of endless rounds of negotiations as they respond to new scientific understanding and technological breakthroughs in their efforts to cut carbon emissions.

“The agreement of 2015 cannot be cast in stone, and it cannot be frozen in time,” said Christiana Figueres, the current Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). “It needs to accompany the efforts of countries over time, and it needs to be able to bring on board consistently and constantly the emerging science on the one hand and the growing capabilities of stakeholders on the other.”

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The Environmental Impacts of Sequestration

Clean energy development is just one area that will suffer under the economic sequestration In addition to harming the economy, the middle-class and national security, Sequestration cuts will have a disastrous impact on the environment. These cuts will adversely impact air, water, energy, fish, wildlife and national parks.

Sequestration is a series of automatic budget cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011; it went into effect on March 1, 2013. These spending reductions were ostensibly intended to be so undesirable to both Democrats and Republicans that they would force a compromise. It did not work.

These arbitrary automatic cuts total $85 billion dollars over a seven-month period and by 2021,  these budget reductions will slash $1.2 trillion. A total of 100,000 people are expected to lose their jobs and many thousands more government employees will be furloughed for several days each pay period. These numbers do not include expected layoffs among private sector government contractors.

In addition to the environment, these cuts will impact some of the most vulnerable members of society. In addition to the loss of 10,000 teaching jobs, more than 70,000 kids’ will lose a place in the Head Start program, seniors will lose $43 million for food programs and nutrition assistance will be denied to 600,000 families.
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President Obama’s Green Executive Orders

President Obama employs green executive orders to advance environmental policy. His use of the EO is less than many other recent presidentsPresident Obama has vowed that in the absence of congressional action, he will use his executive privileges to combat climate change. Some who are seeking a pretext to discredit the President have suggested that he is ruling by executive orders (EOs). However, President Obama has signed fewer EOs in his first four years in office than most of his predecessors. Executive orders are issued by the President of the United States to manage the operations of the Federal Government.

In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama indicated that while he wants to work with Congress, he is prepared to use other means at his disposal:

“The good news is, we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”

President Obama is far from the first President to use EO’s to address environmental considerations. Most recently, his Republican predecessor, George W Bush signed EO 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management,” on January 24, 2007 and it was codified into law by the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which was signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Read More→

EPA’s 2011 GHGRP: Expanded Coverage of US GHG Emissions by Source, Sector, State and County

EPA expands reporting of GHG emissions data. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) February 5 published a second year of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) data on its website, offering the public insight into an expanded set of more granular nationwide GHG emissions compiled by sector, by greenhouse gas, and by geographic region down to the state and county level.

“Transparency ensures a better informed public, which leads to a better protected environment,” Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation was quoted in a press release. “With this second data release, communities, businesses and others can track and compare facilities’ greenhouse gas emissions and identify opportunities to cut pollution, minimize wasted energy, and save money.” Read More→

Naples Plans to Tap Mt. Vesuvius as Core of Sustainable Energy Strategy

Naples plans on tapping into the volcano at Mt. Vesuvius for sustainable geothermal energy production Dominating vistas around Italy’s Bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius erupted on August 24 in the year 79 AD, a cataclysm that brought an end to the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae and its denizens, preserving their remains in volcanic ash.

The looming presence of Vesuvius is a stark reminder of the destructive power of volcanoes for residents of Naples, as well as the vulnerability of populations around the world who reside in their presence. Today, however, the city of Naples is looking to tap into and harness Vesuvius’ energy to improve lives, the environment and living conditions.

The largest volcano in Europe, Vesuvius is actually two volcanoes in one – the active Gran Como crater sits within that of inactive Mount Somma. Experts estimate that the energy produced in the Campi Flegrei, or Phlegraen Fields, a 13 kilometer (km) (7.8 mile) wide caldera and geothermal field west of Naples, is equivalent to that of four large nuclear power plants. Read More→