White House Report on Climate Change

Thirteen federal agencies have published a new report on the impacts from global climate change. The key findings from the report, in very general form, can be found here. This report does not provide a prescription for legislative action, but its factual findings will support proponents of Waxman-Markey and other legislative action.

-Morgan

Scoping Plan

The California Air Resource Board's Climate Change Scoping Plan is available here.

EPA Endangerment Finding

EPA signed proposed endangerment and cause or contribute findings today.  The proposed findings and the technical backup are available here.  A sixty day comment period will begin when the proposed findings are published in the Federal Register.  EPA is also holding two public meetings on the proposed findings.  The west coast meeting will be held in Seattle on May 21.  

--Morgan

More Rumors About An Endangerment Finding

There are more rumors that an endangerment finding for greenhouse gases is imminent. Here's the latest from one of the New York Times' blogs.

-Morgan

Warming costs for California

Here's a summary of the Climate Action Team's latest estimates of the cost of climate change for California: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-climate-change-california,0,4184482.story The final report is due out at the end of March.

New Federal GHG Reporting Rules Announced

Its only March and the new administration is already laying the groundwork to address climate change. EPA proposed a rule today that requires mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources.

The rule would require that suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions submit annual reports to EPA. The gases covered by the proposed rule are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).

The preamble to the Rule, which hasn't yet been published in the Federal Register, is at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/MRRPreamble.pdf

The press release, announcing the rule is at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/4bd0e6c514ec1075852575750053e7c0!OpenDocument

-Morgan

The End of California Agriculture?

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu reportedly said this week that climate change could mean "no more agriculture in California."  While Chu was referring to a worst-case scenario, in which the Sierra snowpack would be reduced by 90 percent, this a stark comment from a cabinet official.  

-Morgan