News Roundup
‘Now that a red flag has been raised by the Colorado River Basin Study – a federal and state cooperative analysis published in late 2012 – that there will be water shortages across much of the U.S. Southwest, the handwringing has started.’
via As Climate Change Reduces Colorado River Communities Must Prepare – News Watch.
‘A new Climate Protection Act introduced by Senators Bernard Sanders, the independent from Vermont, and Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, proposes such a tax. About 60 percent of the revenues would be returned directly to consumers, 25 percent allotted to deficit reduction and 15 percent devoted to investments in renewable energy.’
via Nancy Folbre: Our Carbon, Our Climate, Our Cash – NYTimes.com.
‘A BILL
To address climate disruptions, reduce carbon pollution, enhance the use of clean energy, and promote resilience in the infrastructure of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Protection Act of 2013’’
…’
jumping ahead to the key detail – the cost per ton pricing schedule:
‘(3) APPLICABLE AMOUNT.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the amount of the fee shall be—
(A) for the first calendar year, $20;
(B) for each calendar year occurring after the first calendar year and before the 12th calendar year, an amount equal to the sum of—
(i) the amount in effect under this paragraph for the preceding calendar year; and
(ii) the product (rounded to the nearest dollar) obtained by multiplying—
(I) the amount described in clause (i); and
(II) 5.6 percent; and
(C) for the 12th calendar year and any calendar year thereafter, the amount in effect under this paragraph for the preceding calendar year.’
See full text of the bill: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/0121413-ClimateProtectionAct.pdf
The cost per ton of carbon emissions in this bill begins at $20 and tops out at $33. Many have previously suggested that this range will be inadequate to prevent the use of fossil fuels. For example Severin Borenstein, Director of the University of California Energy Institute, said in May 2010
“…if you really think through the full economics of what it would take in terms of market mechanisms to remove fossil fuels from the system, a price of $30 a ton isn’t going to do it, and my guess is a price of $80 a ton isn’t going to do it. Because what’s going to happen is as the price of carbon goes up the price of fossil fuels goes down, and they continue to be economic. What the alternatives have to beat is not the current price of fossil fuels, what they have to beat is the true cost of extracting them.”
Applicable amount per ton annually:
Year 1: $20
Year 2: $21
Year 3: $22
Year 4: $23
Year 5: $24
Year 6: $25
Year 7: $26
Year 8: $27
Year 9: $29
Year 10: $31
Year 11: $33
Year 12: $33
Report by James George
‘TRENTON, NJ— The New Jersey solar market hit a new milestone this week when it eclipsed the 1 gigawatt (GW) mark for total installed solar electric capacity. This is enough solar electricity to power 139,000 homes. New Jersey now ranks third in the nation in solar energy installations, according to a new study released last week, thanks to declining system prices and the strong, consistent support from the state’s policymakers, including its robust net metering policies and the U.S.’ first Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program, an innovative market-based incentive for solar generation.’
via New Jersey Solar Market Hits 1 Gigawatt Milestone | SEIA.
‘Mathematical societies and institutes around the world are participating in “Mathematics of Planet Earth,” or MPE, this year. They aim to study the math that underpins geologic and biological processes on our planet as well as encourage more math researchers to tackle these problems.’
‘TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese utility that owns the tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant says it has detected a record 740,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in a fish caught close to the plant.’
via Fish Near Fukushima Reportedly Contains High Cesium Level.
‘On Feb. 21, the Sebastopol City Council voted to ban the wireless meters, which Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has been installing throughout Northern and Central California since 2006. Anyone caught hooking up a SmartMeter within Sebastopol city limits would face a $500 fine.’
‘In 2010, China’s ministry of finance suggested levying a carbon tax of 10 yuan ($1.60) per ton in 2012, to rise to 50 yuan ($8) per ton in 2020. Experts have suggested a tax of 500 yuan, or $80 per ton.’
via China takes climate change initiative | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME.
‘President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they should consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects, from pipelines to highways.’
via Obama Will Use Nixon-Era Law to Fight Climate Change – Bloomberg.
‘President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they have to consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects, from pipelines to highways.’
via Obama Will Use Nixon-Era Law to Fight Climate Change – Bloomberg.