Congressional Inaction on Climate and Energy Legislation in 2013 and Forecasts for 2014

While President Obama has been using his executive powers to move forward on efforts to address climate change, his legislative agenda was stymied by Republicans last year. In 2013 Congress set a record for doing nothing and the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the GOP. The Republican's ongoing campaign of obstructionism extends far beyond energy and climate legislation and puts political posturing ahead of the national interest. Congress passed a total of 64 bills in 2013, that is less legislation than any Congress in modern American history.

UN's Global Development Goals are Important for the US

Despite the resistance of many Americans, UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) should matter to the US. This is the conclusion of a report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center. This non-profit, non-partisan, research group released a report at the end of May 2013 titled “Do UN Goals matter to the United States?” This report is relevant because many Americans have questioned the effectiveness of the UN and the value of global development goals for the US. In recent years the US has has an increasingly ambivalent relationship with the UN and Congress even withheld its dues from the organization. In the last decade the UN has also figured less prominently in US foreign policy than in previous decades.

A March 2013 Gallup Poll indicates that two thirds of Americans believe the UN is needed. Resistance to the UN comes largely from Republicans and older Americans. Only 46 percent of Republicans indicated they believe the UN is necessary compared to 80 percent of Democrats. The split between older and younger Americans is less pronounced but there is still a 20 point spread. A total of 76 percent of young Americans (18 - 29 years of age) feel that the UN is necessary, while only 56 percent of Americans over 65 share that view.

Using Trees to Generate Electricity is Not Green Energy

Despite the value of trees to human and planetary health, an increasing number of American companies are cutting down forests to convert trees into pellets for electricity. It is tragically ironic that trees are being destroyed in the name of renewable energy. It is often said that trees are the Earth's lungs, they sequester carbon, produce oxygen, prevent erosion and are one of nature's most aesthetic creations. While coal is widely understood to be environmentally destructive, many do not understand that burning wood for electricity is even more harmful.

According to a Dogwood Alliance article, "burning trees for electricity will actually result in increased carbon emissions, when compared to coal." While it is good that European utilities are transitioning away from coal, it is a travesty that they are adopting wood based biomass as a replacement. 

Newsweek's Dirtiest Companies in America

As reviewed in the Daily Beast in 2011, Newsweek ranked the most environmentally unfriendly companies based on ecological impact and corporate management. The companies with the lowest scores in Newsweek’s Green Rankings are in the energy, food and beverage, materials, and utilities sectors.

There are even a few financial services companies at the very bottom of the list. This reflects the fact that some of these companies have investment portfolios which include firms with environmentally damaging activities, such as coal mining or gas drilling. 

Video on the Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), launched on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit, assessed 90 of the most-important environmental goals and objectives and found that significant progress had only been made in four.

Video on the Hopeful Elements in the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), assessed environmental goals and objectives. Despite the fact that nations have fallen far short of the pledges they have made, there are some glimmers of hope. GEO-5 also reveals which strategies work best and policies that offer real solutions. Some of the successes involve community based conservation efforts, biological corridors, new farming methods, recovery of degraded lands, market based mechanisms, wetlands conservation, marine protected areas, sustainable fishing, recycling, feed in tariffs, and adaptation strategies. If these initiatives were scaled up they could help put economic and social development on a sustainable footing.

Montreal Protocol - Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates that the Montreal Protocol has been very effective in elimination the use of Ozone depleting substances. The world has nearly eliminated the production and use of ozone depleting substances, under the Montreal Protocol.

It is estimated that implementation of the Protocol will result, in the United States alone, in 22 million fewer cases of cataracts in people born between 1985 and 2100, and 6.3 million fewer skin cancer deaths by mid-century.

Air Pollution in the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO 5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates there are major issues related to air pollution. Air pollution is among the main causes of premature deaths and health problems, especially in children.Indoor air pollution from particulate matter is responsible for nearly 2 million premature deaths annually - including 900,000 deaths in children under the age of five.

Out-door particulate matter may be responsible for around 3.7 million deaths annually. Ground-level ozone is responsible for 700,000 respiratory deaths, over 75 per cent of which occur in Asia.

Biodiversity Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates there are major issues related to biodiversity. The world failed to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Around 20 per cent of vertebrate species are under threat. The extinction risk is increasing faster for corals than for any other group of living organisms, with the condition of coral reefs declining by 38 per cent since 1980. Rapid contraction is projected by 2050.

Key Findings of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

The fifth edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. Some to the reports key findings include projections that see substantial GHG and temperature increases. The report also covers air and water pollution, economic implications, agricultural impacts, extinction risks, and fishing. Here are some key facts and figures from the report:

Under current models, greenhouse gas emissions could double over the next 50 years, leading to rise in global temperature of 3 degrees Celsius or more by the end of the century.

Whats the Fracking Problem?

Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has been associated with water contamination, global warming-causing air pollution, health problems, falling property values and even earthquakes. Each year fracking pumps billions of gallons of water and chemicals deep underground under high pressure to force open cracks and release natural gas.

According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the chemicals used in fracking fluids include over 750 different chemicals. Some are innocuouse (salt, gelatin) while others pose significant human health hazards (methanol, isopropanol and 2-butoxyethanol). About 650 of the 750 chemicals used in fracking operations are known carcinogens, according to the report filed with the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2011. They include toxic chemicals like benzene and tholuene.

Natural Gas is Not Clean Energy

Natural gas has garnered a lot of attention, but the research reveals it is anything but clean. To increase domestic energy production and reduce reliance on coal, there is a natural gas boom in the U.S. and elsewhere. However, reliance on natural gas is not a panacea to our energy woes. According to a February 2012 study published in Nature, extracting and producing natural gas releases enough methane into the atmosphere to negate any greenhouse gas advantages that its somewhat cleaner burning chemistry provides.