Preview Newsletter
PM ACC Clips Report - November 20, 2018
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(ACC Mentioned) Trade Letter: Tariffs Have Caused ‘Significant Harm to Manufacturers’
Nov 20, 2018 | Industry Week
Automotive, equipment, food and beverage and metal fabrication manufacturing associations are among the signees of a letter to U.S. trade officials. -
(ACC Mentioned) US EPA Withdraws Rulemaking For 28 Snurs
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
The US EPA has withdrawn 28 TSCA significant new use rules (Snurs) due to adverse comments. -
SC Johnson Sets Galaxolide Phase-Out Timeline For 50% Of Products
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Lisa Martine Jenkins
Consumer products conglomerate SC Johnson is aiming to phase out the synthetic musk galaxolide from half of its product formulations "over the next three years". -
Alternatives Assessment Gathers Steam With Launch Of Dedicated Organisation
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Lisa Martine Jenkins
An organisation has been set up in the US to drive the science, practice and policy of alternatives assessment and informed substitution of hazardous chemicals. -
Hard Brexit 'Not Yet Averted' – Germany's VCI
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
The danger of Britain crashing out of the EU with no agreement has not been averted and there is still risk of a "serious impact" on chemical supply chains, the head of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) has said. -
New Fortress Energy Planning Two LNG Plants in Northeast Pennsylvania
Nov 20, 2018 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Jamison Cocklin
New Fortress Energy LLC is developing plans for two facilities that would liquefy natural gas produced in the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania, according to a recent filing with federal regulators. -
Dems Ask Wheeler For Documents on EPA Rollbacks
Nov 20, 2018 | E&E GReenwire
By Nick Sobczyk
In a preview of what acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will face come January, three Democratic leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are demanding information from him about EPA's greenhouse gas rollbacks. -
House Dems Demand Records On Trump’s Climate Rollbacks
Nov 20, 2018 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Timothy Cama
Leading House Democrats, weeks away from taking over as the new House majority, are demanding records and information from the Trump administration’s rollbacks of numerous climate change policies at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). -
Warming Affects Society In 467 Ways — Study
Nov 20, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Nick Sobczyk
Climate change is already affecting humanity in hundreds of different ways, and the impacts of unchecked greenhouse gas emissions in the future could be cataclysmic, according to new research. -
Balancing Climate Goals And Energy Poverty
Nov 20, 2018 | E&E Energywire
By Kelsey Brugger
As governments and oil majors wrestle with how to reduce global energy use to fight climate change, Rachel Kyte wants to produce more energy for the 3 billion people who still burn firewood to cook dinner.
Industry and Association News
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(ACC Mentioned) Trade Letter: Tariffs Have Caused ‘Significant Harm to Manufacturers’
Nov 20, 2018 | Industry Week
Automotive, equipment, food and beverage and metal fabrication manufacturing associations are among the signees of a letter to U.S. trade officials.
Thirty-three organizations, most of them related to manufacturing, signed on a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer yesterday, asking for the lifting of Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and steel, specifically on imports from Canada and Mexico.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows tariffs on goods as a matter of national security.
Here is the text of the letter:
The undersigned organizations represent a broad array of U.S. manufacturers, retailers, technology companies, farmers and agribusinesses, and other supply chain stakeholders. We are writing to express our strong recommendation that the Section 232 tariffs, which have been in place with respect to steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico since June 1, 2018, be removed.
These tariffs, which significantly affect our relationships with our most important trading partners, should be removed for a number of reasons:
First, the recent conclusion of the negotiations for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), provides a chance for all sectors of the U.S. economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, services and technology, to benefit from continued regional economic integration, higher North American standards and enhanced regulatory cooperation. Tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum are entirely inconsistent with the overall goals of the USMCA.
Second, the USMCA already requires that a certain amount of steel and aluminum of North American origin be used in automotive production in order for the resulting vehicles to be compliant with the rules of origin under the agreement.
Third, Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum (and the related absolute import quotas) have caused significant harm to American manufacturers, consumers and workers. They have raised costs significantly for a wide array of industries – including autos, machinery and equipment, chemicals, energy production, construction, medical devices, food products and household goods. This endangers the jobs of millions of workers in those industries, who collectively represent a far greater share of the American workforce than those who benefit from the restrictions. Many manufacturing industries rely on imported inputs to produce goods competitively in the United States. The tariffs raise the costs of manufacturing in the U.S. and place our manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage with respect to finished products which are made outside of the U.S. and imported without being affected by the tariffs. Further, consumers are starting to feel the pinch of higher prices across the board, as evidenced by recent increases in the CPI. Using economic models, economists have correctly predicted these effects, and have warned that the effects will only deepen over time.
Fourth, the continuation of these tariffs with respect to Mexico and Canada will create impediments to Congressional passage of the USMCA implementing bill given concerns expressed by members of Congress about the use of these tariffs with respect to our two closest allies. The business community supports the removal of this potential impediment to Congressional approval of the USMCA.
Finally, Canada and Mexico have responded to these tariff actions and have imposed billions in tariffs on U.S. exports in response. These retaliatory measures, which many of us predicted, target a broad range of U.S. exports, including agricultural and chemical products. They are hurting American exporters, putting additional American jobs at risk and further harming our global competitiveness in some of our most successful export sectors.
Tariffs are taxes, both those imposed by the Administration and those our trading partners apply. In the end, they will only hurt our long-term economic growth and competitiveness, reduce our overall output of goods and services, negate the benefits of tax reform and raise costs for American businesses and families throughout all 50 states.
It is our understanding that the Administration is giving consideration to the idea of removing the steel and aluminum tariffs for Mexico and Canada but replacing them with the type of absolute quota regimes that are currently in place for South Korea, Brazil and Argentina (for steel) and Argentina (for aluminum). We strongly oppose this plan. Absolute quotas administered in the way that has been used with respect to imports from these countries have placed severe supply constraints on U.S. manufacturers and created even more business uncertainly than tariffs regarding exports from these countries.
We recognize that there are significant problems with overcapacity in the steel and aluminum sector caused mainly by Chinese subsidies and state-owned activities. We strongly support appropriate measures to deal with this problem more effectively, including continued application of our unfair trade laws to Chinese exports and negotiation of global arrangements to deal with overcapacity. However, imposition of national security restrictions on our North American partners should not be part of that solution.
For all the reasons outlined above, it is time to remove the Section 232 tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum exports from Canada and Mexico and allow the U.S. to realize the potential benefits of the USMCA. Our industries want to support this new agreement when it faces Congressional review, but that depends heavily on having an overall package that benefits, rather than harms, our long-term ability to survive in a global economy. We strongly urge you to take these concerns into account and to remove these restrictions prior to signing the final USMCA. (function(){window.viewReq=[];window.vu=function(b){var a=new Image;a.src=b.replace("&","&");viewReq.push(a)};}).call(this);vu("https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/view?xai\u003dAKAOjsv7WM5hhSg52sPKM0nd4QeTmpjVa4wTnDweA4Zz7YJ7wXlEm9CjBHcXuoCC0s43hVhhSjSPZilw0Yn2gquVJeEy5Wl8nVJoV4Pa_Wu_6aHqRs8Qafkd3Hek25zQTUXRNicUCWTz2Wuw7_jgsIIsFhwwAiYuhsorEQ7bcCA5xfKzDlnhho6TxUnE_lVbLxEoC2fzJEGWwevKHWIW80t1u9UbcGmT4IwUNFMUwM1ZRTesnpgLmyL-8NOBJW193ZTW9BZ0i_8XiqFgodwtv9bl7pk\u0026sai\u003dAMfl-YS7B8eqSZCHNXHJj_Lqk6goz-PBzfpWbSd6xKF4viNbxZJxyM5e2bL4Q-194J1XUnUIE9lyPqwHq2ZX8ME1Ee1KPkEzBYI-N2g7Hd2KzJYVuiHZRGgatvzEsmM7\u0026sig\u003dCg0ArKJSzN7JAlYUs0PIEAE\u0026urlfix\u003d1\u0026adurl\u003d")osdlfm(-1,'','BXEsi7kH0W9OVEIbA1fAPm9-PgAgAAAAAEAE4AcgBCcACAuACAOAEAaAGFtIIBwiA4YBwEAE','',359036958,true,'ud\u003d1\u0026la\u003d0\u0026alp\u003dxai\u0026alh\u003d1543269712\u0026',3,'CAASPeRoudNbwRAV_mbwjMAhM1GSLI9aDqRzDvxlJWeotHTn_JvvgC3aE8zc0e1oYPHNkbhxYjdvmNdeLio7JXo','https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pcs/activeview?xai\u003dAKAOjsuqHur0tP887XZRo7eK8cvzIh81fWQtSOxYfPbz04P9iT-QGsYkWxo-cuKlkkdLoEmdGhMAP0xlio33FQwty9dN70GNzKUbgQZId4I\u0026sig\u003dCg0ArKJSzO19ijERZbubEAE','');if (window.top && window.top.postMessage) {window.top.postMessage('{"googMsgType":"adpnt"}','*');} {"uid":1,"hostPeerName":"https://www.industryweek.com","initialGeometry":"{\"windowCoords_t\":0,\"windowCoords_r\":1707,\"windowCoords_b\":920,\"windowCoords_l\":0,\"frameCoords_t\":3789.333335876465,\"frameCoords_r\":1700.3333740234375,\"frameCoords_b\":4039.333335876465,\"frameCoords_l\":1400.3333740234375,\"styleZIndex\":\"auto\",\"allowedExpansion_t\":0,\"allowedExpansion_r\":0,\"allowedExpansion_b\":0,\"allowedExpansion_l\":0,\"xInView\":0,\"yInView\":0}","permissions":"{\"expandByOverlay\":true,\"expandByPush\":false,\"readCookie\":false,\"writeCookie\":false}","metadata":"{\"shared\":{\"sf_ver\":\"1-0-31\",\"ck_on\":1,\"flash_ver\":\"0\"}}","reportCreativeGeometry":false,"isDifferentSourceWindow":false,"goog_safeframe_hlt":{},"inFakeDecryptionExperiment":false}" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="300" height="250" data-is-safeframe="true" sandbox="allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" data-google-container-id="g" style="box-sizing: inherit; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: bottom;">
Sincerely,Alliance of Automobile ManufacturersAmerican Automotive Policy CouncilAmerican Beverage AssociationAmerican Chemistry CouncilAmerican Exploration & Production CouncilAmerican Wind Energy AssociationAssociated Equipment DistributorsAssociated General Contractors of AmericaAssociate of Equipment ManufacturersAssociation of Global AutomakersAuto Care AssociationBeer InstituteCar Manufacturers InstituteCoalition of American Metal Manufacturers and UsersFlexible Packaging AssociationFreedom Partners Chamber of CommerceGrocery Manufacturers AssociationHands-On Science PartnershipIndustrial Fasteners InstituteMidwest Food Products AssociationMotor & Equipment Manufacturers AssociationNational Automobile Dealers AssociationNational Foreign Trade CouncilNational Pork Producers CouncilNational Retail FederationNational Tooling and Machining AssociationNorth American Die Casting AssociationPrecision Machined Products AssociationPrecision Metalforming AssociationShelf-Stable Food Processors AssociationSpecialty Equipment Market AssociationTruck and Engine Manufacturers AssociationU.S. Chamber of CommerceWorld Trade Center Kentucky
cc:Honorable Wilbur Ross, Secretary of CommerceHonorable Orrin G. Hatch, Chairman, Senate Committee on FinanceHonorable Ron Wyden, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on FinanceHonorable Kevin Brady, Chairman, House Committee on Ways and MeansHonorable Richard Neal, Ranking Member, House Committee on Ways
https://www.industryweek.com/economy/trade-letter-tariffs-have-caused-significant-harm-manufacturers
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(ACC Mentioned) US EPA Withdraws Rulemaking For 28 Snurs
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
The US EPA has withdrawn 28 TSCA significant new use rules (Snurs) due to adverse comments.
The rules were initially issued on 17 September, with a comment deadline of 17 October. The EPA received more than a dozen responses from NGOs, industry representatives and others, and a request to extend the comment period.
The chemicals covered are varied, but include substances intended for use as a flame retardant for textiles, paint, urethane foam, and as an aromatic polyester polyol for rigid foam.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible for Medicine (PCRM) said the proposed rule includes 12 substances that PMN submitters are prohibited from manufacturing beyond specified time or volume limits, unless they conduct testing on vertebrate animals. They asked the EPA to explain the requirement in each case with "details of any specific alternative approaches considered". This mirrors PCRM’s comments on previous batches of Snurs.
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) said the agency has deviated from its persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic new chemical testing policy without providing an explanation. And it had used generic use descriptions for the proposed Snurs that were "unacceptably broad or vague and do not comply with the EPA's own instructions for PMNs".
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which represents the US chemical industry, sought clarification on scope and the extent that the proposed and direct final Snurs are "based on concerns with excess or residual isocyanate monomers in mixture with the Snur chemical". They also asked the EPA to delete record-keeping provisions, noting that the requirements have been burdensome to downstream chemical users and of little utility to the agency.
As of publication, the agency has not extended or reopened the comment period for the batch of 28 Snurs. They have previously done so after withdrawing a rulemaking.
https://chemicalwatch.com/72169/us-epa-withdraws-rulemaking-for-28-snurs
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SC Johnson Sets Galaxolide Phase-Out Timeline For 50% Of Products
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Lisa Martine Jenkins
Consumer products conglomerate SC Johnson is aiming to phase out the synthetic musk galaxolide from half of its product formulations "over the next three years".
"We anticipate [in that time] more than 50% of our fragrance formulations will no longer contain galaxolide," wrote Michelle A Johnson, SCJ director of reputation management, in an October letter to the NGO Women’s Voices for the Earth.
However, the remaining formulas will take additional time to phase out. "For example, some of our registered products, such as antibacterial or pest control, require regulatory registration and have a longer development timeline."
The company started transitioning away from the chemical — which is used in perfumes — in 2016, but has not until now provided any timescale for doing so.
The transition came after months of pressure from NGO Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), which repeatedly called on the company to stop its use. The NGO says galaxolide is a threat to the environment and human health; it asserts studies have found the substance in the Great Lakes and human body, and it is a potential endocrine disruptor.
The US EPA does not consider it persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT), but the agency’s assessment of the substance found it to be moderately persistent and bioaccumulative, especially for aquatic organisms.
After initially defending its use and questioning the science of WVE’s claims, SCJ said new data released in recent years gave it the reassurance to move toward certain alternatives. It is the only major fragrance manufacturer to commit to a phase-out.
The company has removed galaxolide from the SCJ acceptable chemical palette, which means it can no longer be used to formulate a new product or update an existing one.
However, products that were already in development when the phase-out was announced will not be subject to ingredient changes. The Glade Limited Edition collection is one of these, as WVE noted in their initial request for a transition update.
SCJ’s ingredient disclosure website will continue to list products "long after they’ve left the marketplace, to ensure that consumers have access to ingredient information for products they may have in their homes," wrote Ms Johnson. New and reformulated products will enter the market in early 2019.Competitors’ progress
Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research for WVE, pointed out that SCJ’s move comes as overall galaxolide use increases worldwide. The cause is unclear, but she speculates that it could be attributed to the general regulation in Europe of synthetic musks. This has led to the substitution of polycyclic musks like galaxolide for nitro musks, some of which have been restricted or banned.
However, Ms Scranton qualified, "the fragrance industry tends to be very secretive about how they do things."
The release of the EPA’s chemical data reporting (CDR) results revealed that nine major companies are using the substance, including international fragrance giants Givaudan, Symrise and International Flavors and Fragrances. The names of several other users remain confidential.
Major consumer products companies Procter & Gamble and Unilever both use galaxolide. This is revealed through the publication of their 'fragrance pallets' — a product transparency initiative that SCJ also released. However, the two multinationals have not yet disclosed which products contain which ingredients; WVE intends to share this information publicly once it is released. It is not clear whether P&G and Unilever intend to follow in SCJ’s footsteps and initiate a phase-out as well.
Procter & Gamble and Unilever did not respond to Chemical Watch’s request for comment by the time of publishing.
https://chemicalwatch.com/72171/sc-johnson-sets-galaxolide-phase-out-timeline-for-50-of-products
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Alternatives Assessment Gathers Steam With Launch Of Dedicated Organisation
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
By Lisa Martine Jenkins
An organisation has been set up in the US to drive the science, practice and policy of alternatives assessment and informed substitution of hazardous chemicals.
The Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4) officially launched at the second annual International Symposium on Alternatives Assessment, held earlier this month in Sacramento and hosted by California’s EPA.
Researchers and practitioners from government agencies, academia, industry and NGOs, who cover a broad range of scientific disciplines, including toxicology, exposure science, engineering, chemistry, lifecycle assessment, law and policy, and economics are involved.
According to the A4 website, it is the first organisation to bring together the multiple disciplines involved in both the methodological development and practice of alternatives assessment and informed substitution.
It adds that professionals building these fields have, over the last decade, been loosely connected through a community of practice.
"However, to achieve the goal of supporting the transition to safer chemicals while minimising unintended consequences, a more formalised community is needed," it continues.
"A4 is the logical outcome of the symposium," said Meredith Williams, deputy director of California state’s Safer Consumer Products progamme. The mission says it all. It aims to ‘enhance the science of alternatives assessment, advance informed substitution, and support a vibrant, effective community of practitioners.’ A professional society provides an avenue for continued collaboration."
Alternatives assessment, as defined by the US National Research Council, is the process of "identifying and comparing potential chemical and non-chemical alternatives that could replace chemicals of concern on the basis of their hazards, comparative exposure, performance and economic viability." The concept has only been embraced globally in recent years.
In the short term, A4’s plan is to focus on consistency and best practices, as well as education and networking; eventually, there is talk of providing training and certification.‘Crosses disciplines’
"Alternatives assessment crosses boundaries," said Dr Williams. "It allows us to tackle human health, climate, water, natural resource use, and waste generation with one framework. It crosses scientific disciplines (economics, chemistry, toxicology, ecology). And it’s valuable for regulators, product designers and environmental protection advocates."
Dr Williams’ department, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), uses AA to guide its regulatory response under its Safer Consumer Products programme, which is "designed to shift the chemicals management paradigm and break the cycle of substituting one harmful chemical for another." A final version of its guidance for carrying out an AA was released in June 2017.
The symposium emphasised creating and utilising tools to streamline these processes, both in the US and internationally. While the methodology is still being polished, AA is already driving policy.
For instance, Andreas Lüdeke of Germany's Federal Institute for Occupational Health and Safety explained in his presentation that it is a part of substance evaluation under the EU’s REACH Regulation.
Europe's chemical authorisation process aims to substitute substances of very high concern (SVHCs) for those that are less hazardous. Companies wishing to import, manufacture, or use SVHCs must use an AA to show that no suitable alternatives exist.
Working with others to establish A4 is Joel Tickner, professor at UMass Lowell and executive director of the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council. In 2016, Mr Tickner worked closely with the EPA to establish a Center of Excellence for AA. However, he said, that plan was short-lived: "EPA put out a proposal for funding such a centre but withdrew it in the current administration."
Heading up A4 as president is Pam Spencer, senior director of regulatory and product stewardship at US-based the Angus Chemical Company.
https://chemicalwatch.com/71988/alternatives-assessment-gathers-steam-with-launch-of-dedicated-organisation
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Hard Brexit 'Not Yet Averted' – Germany's VCI
Nov 20, 2018 | Chemical Watch
The danger of Britain crashing out of the EU with no agreement has not been averted and there is still risk of a "serious impact" on chemical supply chains, the head of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) has said.
Utz Tillmann’s comments come after the UK and the EU agreed a draft Brexit withdrawal agreement last week. While he welcomed this, Mr Tillmann stressed that until the deal is ratified by both UK and EU parliaments "there is no all-clear".
Without ratification, he said, there is no transitional phase, and it is in this period that negotiations that are important for the industry "only really start".
The 585-page draft Brexit document sets out clauses of Britain’s exit but does not include finer detail around chemicals legislation.
Mr Tillmann called for a "concrete arrangement" for the future relationship and said industry will only see this as "a good agreement" if tariff barriers are avoided and the same standards for product and chemical safety are maintained.
These should be included in the guidelines for the future relationship that the European Commission expects to adopt next week, he added.
The warning on Brexit is VCI's second in less than three months. At the end of August it urged companies to prepare for a 'no-deal' Brexit – a scenario it said would bring chemicals trading between the UK and EU to a "complete standstill".
Germany and the UK are major trading partners. German chemical exports to the UK totalled €11.2bn in 2017, while imports from the UK were €6.5bn, the VCI said.
Last week, Cefic and UK Chemical Industries Association (CIA) welcomed the draft Brexit deal, but said the UK's desired 'associate membership' of Echa, and what this entails in terms of access to data, still needs to be agreed.
https://chemicalwatch.com/72178/hard-brexit-not-yet-averted-germanys-vci
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New Fortress Energy Planning Two LNG Plants in Northeast Pennsylvania
Nov 20, 2018 | Natural Gas Intelligence
By Jamison Cocklin
New Fortress Energy LLC is developing plans for two facilities that would liquefy natural gas produced in the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania, according to a recent filing with federal regulators.
Access to full text unavailable – subscription required. Full story can be found here: https://www.naturalgasintel.com/articles/116533-new-fortress-energy-planning-two-lng-plants-in-northeast-pennsylvania
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Dems Ask Wheeler For Documents on EPA Rollbacks
Nov 20, 2018 | E&E GReenwire
By Nick Sobczyk
In a preview of what acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will face come January, three Democratic leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are demanding information from him about EPA's greenhouse gas rollbacks.
In a letter sent today, the lawmakers asked for documents and explanations on EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan replacement, freeze of vehicle economy standards, and oil and gas methane rule rollback.
"The tragic human and financial costs of unchecked climate change are high and increasing fast, and unfortunately the Administration's actions for the last two years are only exacerbating these conditions," wrote Reps. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, Diana DeGette of Colorado and Paul Tonko of New York.
The letter is an early indication of what Wheeler will face with Democrats in control of the House in the next Congress.
Pallone is in line to chair the full E&C panel, and he's already plotting a series of hearings to address the Trump administration's actions on climate change, alongside the incoming leaders of the Natural Resources and Science, Space and Technology committees (Greenwire, Nov. 14).
DeGette, the ranking Democrat on E&C's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, is also interested in diving into the administration's regulatory rollbacks. Tonko, too, will have authority over EPA if he takes the gavel of the Subcommittee on Environment, where he is currently the top Democrat.
In the letter, the Democrats ask for memos and briefings used to inform EPA's proposed new vehicle fuel efficiency standards, as well as information on the potential climate and health effects of its proposed changes to oil and gas methane standards.
They also want materials related to changes to the New Source Review program in the Affordable Clean Energy rule, the agency's proposed Clean Power Plan replacement.
The goal, they wrote, is to "help us understand how these decisions were made and how these actions will affect the environment and human health," especially given ongoing climate and weather disasters across the country.
The lawmakers cite last month's landmark U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which warned of drastic consequences without a quick effort to stem global greenhouse gas emissions.
"Combined, the Administration's rollbacks willfully turn a blind eye to the dangers of climate change, putting American communities at risk and diverting EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment," they wrote.
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/20/stories/1060107119
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House Dems Demand Records On Trump’s Climate Rollbacks
Nov 20, 2018 | The Hill - E2 Wire
By Timothy Cama
Leading House Democrats, weeks away from taking over as the new House majority, are demanding records and information from the Trump administration’s rollbacks of numerous climate change policies at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), slated to become chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter Tuesday to acting EPA chief Andrew Wheeler seeking answers as to why the agency is weakening or eliminating rules meant to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, cars and oil and natural gas drillers.
The letter is likely an opening salvo to more extensive investigations that the Democrats are planning after Jan. 3, when the new Congress is sworn in and they have the majority of the seats.
The majority will give Pallone the committee leadership, as well as the ability to set the agenda, compel witnesses to testify and demand documents with subpoenas.
For now, however, Pallone and the top Democrats on two subcommittees — Reps. Paul Tonko (N.Y.) and Diana DeGette (Colo.) — are just asking questions.
Despite dire climate warnings like a recent United Nations report, “EPA has engaged in the systematic dismantling of critical climate initiatives and public health protections,” they wrote.
“Furthermore, EPA continues to champion policies that would result in massive increases in greenhouse gas emissions with no regard for the associated climate or public health impacts,” the lawmakers continued.
“Combined, the administration’s rollbacks willfully turn a blind eye to the dangers of climate change, putting American communities at risk and diverting EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.”
The letter also provides a window into the EPA policies that the Democrats are likely to focus their attention on. It scrutinizes the proposals to repeal the Clean Power Plan and replace it with a far weaker alternative that environmentalists say could increase greenhouse gas emissions, to repeal future plans to increase car fuel efficiency standards and to repeal methane emissions standards for oil and natural gas drillers.
Pallone and the likely chairmen of the Natural Resources and Science committees announced last week plans to hold two days of hearings on climate change early next year.
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/417615-house-dems-probe-trumps-climate-rollbacks
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Warming Affects Society In 467 Ways — Study
Nov 20, 2018 | E&E Greenwire
By Nick Sobczyk
Climate change is already affecting humanity in hundreds of different ways, and the impacts of unchecked greenhouse gas emissions in the future could be cataclysmic, according to new research.
A study published yesterday in the journal Nature Climate Change found that global warming affects society in 467 different ways, touching everything from human health and water to infrastructure and security.
The authors analyzed thousands of peer-reviewed papers to put together a rare comprehensive look at climate effects that are often studied individually.
With emissions left unchecked, some coastal areas could be hit by as many as six climate-related events at once by the end of the century, the study says.
"It's seriously mind-blowing," said lead author Camilo Mora, an associate professor of geography in University of Hawaii, Manoa.
"I think that people really need to read this paper, man, because it's just crazy some of the impacts that have already happened to people," Mora said.
Researchers looked at how a list of 10 climate impacts — including fires, sea-level rise and floods — affect human health, food, water, infrastructure, economy and security.
Greenhouse gas emissions can ripen conditions for those impacts, and taken together, their effects on society could be sweeping, according to the study.
Floods and heat waves can lead to death, disease and even mental health problems. Drought leaves massive populations without enough drinking water, including more than 200,000 people in Puerto Rico in 1997 and 1998.
Problems tied to climate change would get worse with unchecked greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2100, the findings suggest, New York would face four climate-related hazards at once. Los Angeles, meanwhile, would face three, while coastal Brazil could see five.
The research team put together an interactive map to measure out global impacts under different emissions scenarios. The authors noted, however, that the impact would likely vary depending on the country.
"The largest losses of human life during extreme climatic events occurred in developing nations, whereas developed nations commonly face a high economic burden of damages and requirements for adaptation," the authors wrote.
What's most striking, Mora said, is how many people are already experiencing impacts. While most climate research is forward looking, examining the future impacts of climate change, the goal of this paper was to "show me the money," Mora said.
"What we decided to do is look at the cumulative understanding of how bad this already is," Mora said.
The study does list some limitations. Because it is largely a review of literature, for instance, it suffers from biases in existing research, which generally focuses on the negative impacts of climate change.
There's also the fact that researchers could not measure the exact impact climate change has had on each past natural disaster, and Mora said the team "went through the whole debate of attribution."
But, he said, the argument goes that in the last two decades, climate change was a factor in most natural hazards, even if it wasn't the driving force.
And climate change will ultimately make those hazards worse if greenhouse gas emissions are left unchecked.
"It's like having a sleeping lion," Mora said. "And one of the things we don't want to do is to be poking that lion."
https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/11/20/stories/1060107121
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Balancing Climate Goals And Energy Poverty
Nov 20, 2018 | E&E Energywire
By Kelsey Brugger
As governments and oil majors wrestle with how to reduce global energy use to fight climate change, Rachel Kyte wants to produce more energy for the 3 billion people who still burn firewood to cook dinner.
In a talk at the Brookings Institution yesterday, Kyte, chief executive officer of Sustainable Energy for All, raised the balancing act between curbing global warming and alleviating energy poverty. She reminded the audience that a billion people in the world do not have electricity.
Kyte explored a number of issues raised by these contradictory goals and how to finance the energy sector in the developing world. She said international investors have fallen short of raising the $52 billion annually it would take to reach universal electricity access. Financing for coal-powered energy in underdeveloped nations has nearly tripled in recent years, she said.
"At the heart of the Paris Agreement is the notion we won't leave anybody behind," she said. "You can't strike a climate deal if Africa is not at the table."
She noted that India has achieved success in providing electric power supplies to every village because of policy reforms inside the country. In addition, an increasing number of coal plants there are closing. The question becomes, she said, what about the country's approach is worth replicating?
As for fossil fuels, Kyte said she believes oil companies should become carbon molecule management companies. That means they still extract the natural resource from the earth but don't allow the carbon to get into the atmosphere and warm the planet.
"We can't just go cold turkey on the fossil fuel side," she said.
Kyte said the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report underscored the urgency of the global problem.
Asked whether Americans were missing from the discussions since President Trump announced he would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, Kyte said no. "They are present everywhere" — particularly on the science and technology fronts, she said.
https://www.eenews.net/energywire/2018/11/20/stories/1060107079
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