Climate Change
Is Waxman-Markey Even Worth It?
If Michael O’Hare is right about this, then Waxman-Markey might not be worth the candle: Waxman appears to have sold out the indirect land use issue in a deal with Peterson on the climate change bill: “Waxman also consented to block EPA from calculating “indirect” greenhouse gas emissions from land-use changes when implementing the federal …
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CONTINUE READINGWaxman-Markey May Lower Household Costs
In another report issued today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency counters the predictions of some critics of climate change legislation by concluding that the Waxman-Markey bill would not lead to higher energy costs for consumers. In fact, the EPA concludes that household energy costs actually may go down. In one scenario, each household on average …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Low Cost of Climate Legislation
According to a new CBO estimate reported by the Washington Post: Climate-change legislation would cost the average household $175 a year by 2020, according to the Congressional Budget Office, far below the figure commonly used by GOP critics of the House bill. The CBO said yesterday that the poorest 20 percent of American households would …
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CONTINUE READINGClimate Report from Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen has issued a synthesis report on Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions. A good summary can be found here. The authors include such luminaries as Sir Nicholas Stern (author of the Stern Report) and Dan Kammen (from Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group). The bottom line: “further inaction is inexcusable.” Future …
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CONTINUE READINGNew climate change information resource
The Santa Clara Valley Water District has created a Climate Change Portal on its website, compiling “reports and other technical literature on the subject of climate change” and how it could affect the District’s work. The reports can be browsed by topic or date. They include everything from hard-core science to legal analysis, and from …
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CONTINUE READINGZoi confirmed for EERE post
Energy efficiency isn’t the sexiest topic in the world, but it may be among the most important (see this study, showing how much and how cheaply the US could cut GHG emissions by ramping up the efficiency of buildings and appliances). Good news: Today, Cathy Zoi was confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a post within …
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CONTINUE READINGBill would emphasize wildlife on public lands
Reps. Ron Kind (D. WI) and Walter Jones (R. NC) have introduced a new bill, dubbed the America’s Wildlife Heritage Act (H.R. 2807), in the House. The bill is intended to shift the balance of power over the nation’s multiple-use lands (those managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management) a bit away …
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CONTINUE READINGAn Open Letter to Climate Change Denialists
Dear Climate Deniers: From the point of view of the blog, it’s good news that you have found us — it means that we’re reaching readers who are well outside our usual circle of friends and acquaintances. And we also welcome dissenting views, even when we think they’re unfounded, so you folks are welcome to …
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CONTINUE READINGClimate change affecting the U.S.
The US Global Change Research Program has just issued a report on Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. For people who have been paying attention, there’s not much new here. But this report, authored by a team of distinguished scientists from inside and outside the government, endorsed by the White House (see this …
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CONTINUE READINGWhat Does the CBO Report on Waxman-Markey Actually Mean?
The Congressional Budget Office issued its report on the Waxman-Markey bill recently. The Washington Times immediately trumpeted: “CBO puts hefty price tag on emissions plan: Obama’s cap-and-trade system seen costing $846 billion.” This is quite misleading. Actually, the CBO report tells us virtually nothing about the economic costs of the bill or how much consumers …
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