Summary
In today’s edition, countries are advised to take climate change just as another risk, such as terrorism. Climate change is also a public health risk, as the Obama administration underlines in order to build support for the president’s effort to make climate change a centerpiece of his final months in office. Finally, in the Carbon section, the carbon-trading program initiated in US northeastern states has generated $1.3 billion.
Quote of the day
“We are in a far more certain place now. We feel very comfortable talking about direct effects of climate change on health.”
Nick Watts, of the University College London Institute for Global Health and a co-author of the Lancet analysis, in the New York Times’ story Unraveling the Relationship Between Climate Change and Health
Lead stories
Iran Nuclear Deal Is Reached After Long Negotiations
By David E. Sanger and Michael R. Gordon – The New York Times
Iran and a group of six nations led by the United States have agreed to a historic accord to significantly limit Tehran’s nuclear ability for more than a decade in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions against Iran, a senior Western diplomat involved in the negotiations said on Tuesday.
http://jlne.ws/1Hrwp82
Ecological Restoration Is A $25 Billion Industry That Generates 220,000 Jobs
By Kelli Barrett – Ecosystem Market
Powerhouse industries like agriculture and energy along with their supporters in the US legislature lined up to contest the recently-finalized Clean Water Rule.
http://jlne.ws/1CDBQBV
Unraveling the Relationship Between Climate Change and Health
By Sabrina Tavernise – The New York Times
Is climate change a serious threat to human health? Simple logic would suggest the answer is yes, a point that the Obama administration is using to build support for the president’s effort to make climate change a centerpiece of his final months in office.
http://jlne.ws/1RvVTsO
Countries Should Assess Climate Risk The Way They Assess Other Security Risks
By Jay Gulledge – C2ES (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)
National security leaders deal with deep uncertainty on a daily basis about everything from North Korea’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon to the location and timing of the next terrorist attack by non-state actors such as ISIS and al-Qaida.
http://jlne.ws/1UX9RDj
Events
EMA Annual Meeting
October 28-30, 2015
Omni Parker House Hotel
Boston, MA
http://bit.ly/192w3CR
2015 Rising Seas Summit
Association of Climate Change Officers
November 12-13, 2015, Cambridge, MA
http://jlne.ws/1Uxkext
Carbon
Carbon-Trading Program Generates $1.3 Billion in U.S. Northeast
By Alex Nussbaum – Bloomberg News
A cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide generated $1.3 billion in benefits for nine U.S. states, a finding that may win converts elsewhere in the country.
http://jlne.ws/1HZVFUp
***LB: Also in this story “Funding from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative also created more than 14,000 new jobs in the Northeast and saved consumers $460 million in lower electric bills over the past three years, according to a report released Monday by Analysis Group, a Boston-based consulting company. The benefits came mainly from customer rebates and efficiency measures spurred by the program.”
China’s Guangdong to allocate 408 million carbon permits this year
Reuters
China’s biggest carbon market in Guangdong province will allocate 408 million carbon permits to firms to help them comply with emission targets set for the trading year ending in June 2016, the same amount as the previous year.
http://jlne.ws/1Hrz69L
Natural gas/coal
Black Hills Burns for Gas as Power Utilities Hunger for Growth
By Mark Chediak and Jim Polson – Bloomberg News
Black Hills Corp.’s deal to buy SourceGas Holdings LLC for $1.89 billion shows how sales-challenged electric utility owners are on the hunt for natural gas delivery companies that promise better growth.
http://jlne.ws/1SkntUZ
China Shenhua’s Australian coal mine on troubled path (Column)
By Clyde Russell – Reuters
A planned Chinese-owned coal mine in Australia has become the latest example in a long line of mud-slinging trumping sensible debate.
http://jlne.ws/1Jf1ERY
Marathon Petroleum to buy gas processor MarkWest for $15.6 billion
By Shubhankar Chakravorty and Amrutha Gayathri – Reuters
Refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp will expand into natural gas processing with its $15.6 billion acquisition of MarkWest Energy Partners LP.
http://jlne.ws/1HrzpRN
Power
Obama officials: Power plant rule part of a ‘moral obligation’
By Timothy Cama – The Hill
World leaders have a “moral obligation” to fight climate change, and top Obama aides are making good on that obligation with its climate rule for power plants, two administration officials write in a new blog post.
http://jlne.ws/1O36e9q
Abbott government extends renewable energy investment ban to solar power
By Shalailah Medhora – The Guardian
A directive banning the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) from investing in existing wind technology will also apply to small-scale solar projects, a move that will effectively throttle the industry, the Australian Solar Council said.
http://jlne.ws/1gyGfvZ
Solar power industry vows to step up campaign to topple Abbott government
By Daniel Hurst – The Guardian
Australia’s solar power industry has vowed to expand its marginal-seats campaign against the Coalition and aims “to remove this government from office” after ministers directed the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to avoid wind and small-scale solar investments.
http://jlne.ws/1UX6Umc
Solar farms set for record year after 8GW commissioned in first six months
By James Phillips – BusinessGreen
The UK has retained its place as third biggest installer of utility-scale solar projects, after leaping into the bronze position during the first quarter of the year.
http://jlne.ws/1IXftsr
Community solar coming to Xcel Energy customers
By Martin Moylan – MPR
Galen Naber wants the electricity for his home to come from the sun. But he doesn’t think solar panels would look good on his small home and nearby trees likely would cover the panels in shade before long.
http://jlne.ws/1HFWQ6N
Clean tech
What kind of car is the most green, fuel efficient and budget friendly?
By Jerry Hirsch – Los Angeles Times
A decade ago, drivers who wanted to go green had little choice beyond Toyota’s Prius hybrid.
http://jlne.ws/1HFUt3X
Europcar snaps up majority stake in E-Car Club
BusinessGreen
The car club sector has received another vote of confidence after car hire giant Europcar last week announced it has acquired a majority stake in E-Car Club.
http://jlne.ws/1fELkTy
Water
Water rule lawsuits keep flowing
By Timothy Cama and Devin Henry – The Hill
The Deluge Continues: Two giant business groups joined the growing list of organizations and states suing the Obama administration over new water regulations.
http://jlne.ws/1De751c
Miscellaneous
Vivienne Westwood launches celebrity Arctic campaign
The Guardian
Andy Gotts has photographed almost 60 celebrities wearing the Save the Arctic T-shirt designed by fashion icon and activist Dame Vivienne Westwood, in a project that has taken 18 months. Here are more than a few of his pictures.
http://jlne.ws/1GiIEjj