Aussies Feeling the Heat of Global Warming

Australia continues its warming trend and scientists know that this is due to anthropogenic climate change. Even though carbon emissions were flat for the third straight year, 2016 was still the hottest year on record. Sixteen of the 17 hottest years on record have occurred since the dawn of the new millennium. According to the World Meteorological Association, 2016 was 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer on average than temperatures for the preindustrial Earth. That is only .3 degrees Celsius below the upper threshold limit of 1.5-degree-Celsius. Extreme heat is not just a source of discomfort it can be deadly. The Australian Climate Council says that more people have been killed by heat in the last century than any other natural disaster.

The End of Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Providing handouts to the wealthiest corporations on earth does not make much sense, particularly when their activities are the leading driver of climate change. Ending fossil fuel subsidies is the most obvious next step in our efforts to tackle the climate crisis. In the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement forged at COP21, continuing fossil fuel subsidies is an oxymoron.

These subsidies take many forms including, tax breaks, cheap loans, price controls, purchase requirements, purchasing equipment, royalty breaks and direct spending. According to some reports there are over 800 ways that taxpayers support the fossil fuel industry.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Renewable Energy Post COP21 (Infographic)

One of the most important things we can do to curb climate change is to end fossil fuel subsidies.  This would reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned and it would level the playing field for clean renewable sources of energy. Event thought 60 percent of all new investment is going into renewable energy fossil fuels still get the lions share of subsidies. The International Energy Agency (IEA) say that government subsidies for fossil fuels are 12 times greater than those for renewable energy.

Throne Speech Reiterates Canada's Commitment to Climate Action

In his first throne speech, the newly elected Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau reiterated his campaign promises, including his government's commitment to combating climate change. Last month when Trudeau shared his mandate letters he indicated that he would provide more details in this throne speech. The speech outlined the PMO's priorities for the coming session of parliament, it referred to an approach that was, "smart, and caring—on a scale as never before." While the speech confirms that Trudeau is serious about fulfilling his campaign promises, it did not offer much detail.

Canadian PM and Provinces Unified for COP21

On Monday November 23 Canadian premiers met with the Prime Minister to discuss a national strategy on climate change ahead of COP21. Provincial leaders will be attending the December climate talks alongside the Prime Minister. Although emissions reduction is a provincial prerogative, Ottawa will provide powerful incentives to the provinces for their emissions reduction achievements.

Trudeau has repeatedly stated that his government is prepared to ensure that Canada does it part to contain climate change.Trudeau has been making good on his commitments to advance climate action. At the meetings of the G20 and APEC last week Trudeau encouraged members to engage the struggle against global warming. Now the meeting with Canadian premieres prepares the way for Canada to play a constructive role at the forthcoming UN sponsored climate negotiations.

What Canadian Provinces are Doing to Combat Climate Change

Climate action is largely a provincial matter in Canada. This is the view of both the former Conservative government and the newly elected Liberals. This means that provincial and territorial climate plans are crucially important to Canada's collective effort.

Alberta

The newly elected premiere of Alberta is Rachel Notley. Alberta generates 249.3 Mt CO2 per year representing 35.7 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Notley has announced sweeping reforms to the province's energy sector that are intended to balance the economic concerns with climate concerns. The plan includes an economy-wide price on carbon, the phase out of coal, methane reductions l and a commitment to renewables and energy efficiency. The goal is to derive nearly one-third of the province's power from renewables by 2030. The plan also includes a 100-megatonne cap on carbon emissions from the tar sands (it currently emits 70 megatonnes annually).

Alberta's New Climate Plan is a Quantum Leap Forward

The new NDP government in Alberta led by Premier Rachel Notley has announced sweeping reforms to the province's energy sector that are intended to balance the economic concerns with climate concerns. The plan includes an economy-wide price on carbon, the phase out of coal and a commitment to renewables and energy efficiency.

Saskatchewan to Get Half of its Energy from Renewables

Last week Brad Wall the premiere of Saskatchewan announced that his province will get half of its energy from renewables by 2030. This includes a combination of wind, solar and geothermal energy. To achieve this goal the province will have to double its renewable energy production. Saskatchewan currently gets 25 percent of its power from renewable sources, mostly wind and hydro.

This is welcome news from a province that has been repeatedly identified as a climate laggard. In a 2014 report titled "Tracking the Energy Revolution" from the climate think tank, Clean Energy Canada, Saskatchewan was singled out as one of the worst provinces in Canada in terms of its renewable energy efforts.

New Liberal PM's Mandate Letter to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

Canada's new Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released 30 ministerial mandate letters on Friday November, 13th. In these public letters Trudeau gave instructions to his various ministers including the minister of the environment, Catherine McKenna.

Canada's New Minister of Environment and Climate Change is Already at Work

Catherine McKenna is not only Canada's new environment minister she is also the minister of climate change. This is the first time in Canadian history that the environment minister title also includes climate change. McKenna is an international lawyer with a background in trade law who is eminently qualified for the job.

The Liberals Must Deliver on their Environmental and Climate Promises after 10 Years of Conservative Rule

It won't be easy but the newly elected Liberal party has promised that its government will deliver radical change on climate and the environment. Soon after the Liberals won a majority in parliament, Justin Trudeau, the new Canadian Prime Minister went to work put together his cabinet. He has the most diverse cabinet in Canadian history and they may also be the most competent. This includes experienced politicians like Stephane Dion.

Climate Welcome and Gifts for Canada's New Prime Minister

From November 5th – 8th, Canadians will be welcoming Justin Trudeau the new Prime Minister of Canada. This welcome calls for climate action including freezing the tar sands and accelerating a transition to a clean energy economy. The ‘Welcoming Committee’ will convene outside the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa to remind him that the people expect leadership on climate change. Canadians will deliver a series of "gifts" to the new Prime Minister

On Thursday November 5th, the PM will be provided with scientific reports explaining why we must keep tar sands under the ground (Canada will need to leave 85 percent of the tar sands in the ground if the country is to meet its global climate obligations). There will also be a "basket of broken treaties" and documentation of the hundreds of violations of Indigenous rights associated with the tar sands.

Dion to Lead Canada's New Environment, Climate Change and Energy Cabinet Committee

The inclusion of Stephane Dion to head a new cabinet committee indicates that climate action is more than just an empty campaign promise for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party. Canada's new environment, climate change and energy committee signals a radical shift in Canadian politics. The inclusion of energy in the committee's title speaks to the interrelationship between energy, climate,  the environment and energy. It definitively puts an end to Conservative rule defined by the fossil fuel powered leadership of Stephen Harper. It is also a repudiation of a decade of failed climate leadership.

Canada's New Government and Hopes for Climate Action

On October 19th 2015 Canadians rejected the Conservative's corrupt fossil fuel pipedream and voted for change. The Liberal party of Canada led by Justin Trudeau now has a solid majority in the Canadian parliament and a solid mandate to alter the nation's direction. A new day has dawned in Canada but to realize the promise of a cleaner future we need to see concrete climate actions.

Canadians have successfully ousted the climate averse Conservatives but now the real work begins. During the debates leading up to the election Trudeau criticized outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative party for having done nothing to address climate change during their 10 years in office. Now, the Liberals must prove that this critique was more than just campaign rhetoric. They must use their mandate to steward a new course and move beyond the 19th century energy obsession of their predecessors.

The New Liberal Government's Climate and Energy Promises

To live up to their campaign promises to do our share to keep temperatures below the 2 degree Celsius upper threshold limit, the Liberals will have to get serious about climate action, particularly as far as Canada's energy infrastructure is concerned. To quickly reduce emissions we will need to see the Liberals put a price on carbon, manage the tar sands, kill pipeline projects and contribute to adaptation finance.

The Liberals have promised to establish a new climate change framework by February 2016 that includes phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies as well as investment in climate resilience, clean technology and low-carbon infrastructure. The party has also promised to put $2 billion into emissions-reducing projects through a new Low Carbon Economy Trust.

Obama Clean Energy Budget and Republican Opposition

Here is a summary of the green elements in President Obama's $4 trillion budget for 2016 which he sent to Congress on Monday February 2. Republicans are already expressing their opposition to a number of proposals contained in the budget. This includes higher taxes on wealthier Americans and corporations as well as a number of climate oriented mitigation and adaptation initiatives.

GOP Denial and President Obama's Climate Legacy

Republicans continue to resist the veracity of anthropogenic climate change despite an endless stream of scientific warnings. The GOP response to President Obama's State of the Union address was given by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and she did not mention climate change once. The only time she mentioned the environment was in the context of her party's support for the Keystone XL.

Video - Stop the Republican Environmental Assault

Republicans were planning their assault on environmental protections even before they won big in the 2014 midterms. It did not take them long to identify targets in their anti-climate/anti-environment crusade. No single agency is more maligned by the GOP than the EPA.

Cromnibus Bill Foreshadows the GOP's Legislative Agenda

In the December budget bill, Republicans gave themselves and their friends a number of Christmas gifts. The so called Cromnibus bill is a pale reflection of what Republican legislators will do when they have even greater control in 2015.

After the House voted in favor of a 1.1 trillion government funding bill, the Senate followed suit and passed the bill on Saturday night (December 13) with a vote of 56 to 40. To avoid a government shutdown, Republicans demanded some non-germane amendments that amount to big gifts for themselves and their friends in the oil industry and on Wall Street.

Anti-Environmental Tidings in a Bill to Keep Government Running

A pre-Christmas bill contains some bad tidings for the environment. Republicans had an extortion list to avert a government shutdown that included blocking environmental protections. The so called Cromnibus bill, narrowly passed in the House with a vote 219 to 206, it will keep the government running until next September. The $1.01 trillion, 1,603-page spending bill is chalked full of pork including a number of anti-environment provisions.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and many of her colleagues were particularly displeased with two attached riders that would significantly increase the ceiling for political donations from wealthy patrons while scaling back the Dodd Frank Wall Street reform act designed to reign-in the kind of Wall Street activity that sparked the financial crisis of 2008.