Summary
In today’s edition, the world’s energy infrastructure is at risk from the extreme weather expected to result from climate change, a group of prominent energy companies has warned. Also, discover what will be the next big discovery in the energy sector. And finally, green policy pays for businesses! Indeed, PepsiCo saved $375m through green schemes.
Quote of the day
“Current estimates for the cost of energy system adaptation do not fully account for the additional financing required to accommodate these new emerging risks.”
Christoph Frei, secretary-general of the World Energy Council (WEC), in the Guardian’s story World’s energy systems at risk from global warming, says industry group
Lead stories
E.P.A. to Unveil New Limit for Smog-Causing Emissions
By Coral Davenport – The New York Times
The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a major new regulation on smog-causing emissions that spew from smokestacks and tailpipes, significantly tightening the current Bush-era standards but falling short of more stringent regulations that public health advocates and environmentalists had urged.
http://jlne.ws/1Rit3bp
India is all set to submit its ‘climate action plan’ within UN deadline
By Vishwa Mohan – TNN
India will on Thursday submit its post-2020 ‘climate action plan’ to a UN body in Bonn, specifying what the country will do to fight the threat of climate change. Hours after its submission within the ‘informal’ deadline of October 1, the country will announce the plan on Friday (October 2) — coinciding it with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
http://jlne.ws/1j3DJQ0
TransCanada changes tack in seeking Nebraska Keystone approval
By Nia Williams – Reuters
TransCanada Corp said on Wednesday it will seek approval from the Nebraska Public Service Commission to build its long-delayed and controversial Keystone XL crude oil pipeline route through the state.
http://jlne.ws/1jATMVy
Live Q&A: What will be the next big discovery in the energy sector?
By Anna Leach – The Guardian
“I was told it could be a little better than an incandescent bulb, but that was about it,” said General Electric engineer Ed Hammer, who invented the spiral compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) in the mid-70s. In fact, his invention uses just 25% of the power of an old-fashioned, incandescent bulb and lasts around ten times longer.
http://jlne.ws/1O6fcVw
World’s energy systems at risk from global warming, says industry group
By Fiona Harvey – The Guardian
The world’s energy infrastructure is at risk from the extreme weather expected to result from climate change, a group of prominent energy companies has warned.
http://jlne.ws/1iOWXYV
***LB: Also in this story “Energy systems, including fossil fuel power stations, distribution grids, and the networks that reach to people’s homes, are all at risk from effects such as flooding, severe storms and sea level rises, according to a new report from the World Energy Council, which brings together energy companies, academics and public sector agencies.”
A zero waste business policy is now easier to implement than you think
By Alison Moodie – The Guardian
The notion of a circular economy – where almost everything is reused and little is discarded – once seemed like little more than a futurist’s pipe dream. But with everything from a plane made of trash to a zero waste office park, businesses small and large are increasingly turning the fantasy into reality.
http://jlne.ws/1RitzGz
PepsiCo saves $375m through green schemes
By Jocelyn Timperley – BusinessGreen
PepsiCo estimates it has saved more than $375m since 2010 through environmental sustainability programmes, including initiatives to reduce waste levels and slash water, energy and packaging use.
http://jlne.ws/1VsCqFX
Ex-French minister aims to launch $3 billion renewables fund for Africa
Reuters
France’s former energy minister hopes to raise $3 billion from Western donors by next year to help cash-strapped African nations fund renewable energy projects, in a bid to tackle pollution and spur development.
http://jlne.ws/1KXpXUO
Events
19th Annual Environmental Markets Association Meeting
October 28-30, 2015
Boston
http://jlne.ws/1m8VwTV
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
Call For Nominations: Environmental Markets Association
The Environmental Markets Association is calling for nominations for two (2) openings on the Board of Directors for 2015/2016.
If you are interested in running or would like to nominate someone, please call the EMA Headquarters at 202-591-2465
or email lauren@emahq.org
Carbon
Aviation industry calls for more support to ready emission reductions for take-off
By Jocelyn Timperley – BusinessGreen
The aviation industry has this week pledged to take more action to tackle climate change, calling for the introduction of a market-based mechanism to help curb airline emissions across the sector.
http://jlne.ws/1jASSYZ
Albertans support strong action on climate change, including carbon tax: poll
By Sheila Pratt – Postmedia News
The NDP government’s push to phase-out coal-fired electricity has strong support among Albertans, who also want to see more renewable power, says a new poll commissioned by the Pembina Institute, an environmental think-tank.
http://jlne.ws/1KPvlN1
Natural gas / coal
Judge Blocks Obama Administration Rules on Fracking
By Coral Davenport – The New York Times
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Obama administration’s first major regulations on hydraulic fracturing, a technique for oil and gas drilling that has led to a boom in American energy production but has also raised concerns about health and safety risks.
http://jlne.ws/1L7lVh6
China ‘highly polluting project’ decision to spur coal subsidy talks
By Barbara Lewis and Valerie Volcovici – Reuters
China’s promise to curb public funding of “highly polluting projects” has isolated Japan and increased the pressure to close a deal to phase-out coal export subsidies after months of wrangling.
http://jlne.ws/1VsAHAo
Fracking company Ineos to woo SNP at conference
By Kiran Stacey and Mure Dickie – Financial Times
The company hoping to frack across large parts of Scotland has booked a stand at the Scottish National party conference for the first time as it looks to soften Holyrood’s resistance to the controversial gas drilling method.
http://jlne.ws/1KPxI2g
Balcombe ‘fracking village’ gets green light to go 100% solar
By Emma Howard – The Guardian
Balcombe, the Sussex village that saw the UK’s biggest anti-fracking protests so far, is set to be powered entirely by the sun, after residents won planning permission on Thursday to build a nearby solar farm.
http://jlne.ws/1LTUpEy
Power
House’s chief Clean Power Plan critic heads for the exits
By Jean Chemnick and Jennifer Yachnin – E&E
The architect of the House Republican strategy to kill U.S. EPA’s carbon rules suggested yesterday that he is not seeking another term because his enthusiasm for fighting policies he opposes is waning.
http://jlne.ws/1VqAkvC
(UK ‘s) Solar power industry braces for 98 per cent feed-in tariff spending cut
By Jessica Shankleman – BusinessGreen
The government is set to slash support for the rollout of solar panels by 98 per cent over the next three years, from £70m a year to just £2m a year, according to a stark new industry analysis.
http://jlne.ws/1RiwO0w
Intelligent Energy to provide clean power for India’s telecom industry in £1.2bn deal
By Jessica Shankleman – BusinessGreen
UK clean tech start-up Intelligent Energy has inked a landmark deal to power thousands of phone masts in India using its hydrogen fuel cell technology, in an effort to boost India’s notoriously unreliable power grid while curbing carbon emissions.
http://jlne.ws/1LmJ6pK
Clean tech
Boom! China Adds 333 Fuel Cell Electric Buses
By Tina Casey – The Guardian
Like the US, China has been slow to adopt fuel cell electric vehicles, but it looks like things are stepping up in a big way.
http://jlne.ws/1JHb1cA
***LB: Also in this story “The cities of Foshan and Yunfu are jumping into the lead with a $17 million order for 300 fuel cell electric buses, just announced by the Canadian company Ballard Power Systems through its Chinese licensee, Guangdong Synergy Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd.”
Water
California surpasses mandate to save water for a third consecutive month
Associated Press
State officials say Californians have surpassed a mandate to save water for a third consecutive month, using nearly 27% less in August than the same month in 2013.
http://jlne.ws/1FL6Q4v
Surge in tech investment shows the days of cheap water are over
By Ucilia Wang – The Guardian
US baseball team the Seattle Mariners has been putting its grounds on a water diet for the past three years.
http://jlne.ws/1N5wd3u