Snow study shows California faces historic drought

A new survey of California winter snows on Thursday showed the most populous state is facing one of the worst droughts in its history, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said.

The state, which produces about half the United States' vegetables and fruit, is in its third year of drought and its main system supplying water to cities and farms may only be able to fulfill 15 percent of requests, scientists said.

The snowpack on California's mountains is carrying only 61 percent of the water of normal years, according to the survey by the state Department of Water Resources. Last year the snowpack held 111 percent of the normal amount of water, but spring was the driest ever recorded.

"California is headed toward one of the worst water crises in its history, underscoring the need to upgrade our water infrastructure by increasing water storage, improving conveyance, protecting the (Sacramento) Delta's ecosystem and promoting greater water conservation," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

"We may be at the start of the worst California drought in modern history," added Water Resources Director Lester Snow in a separate statement.

Schwarzenegger has pushed for new dams and reservoirs to catch melting snow which feeds rivers, although environmentalists have opposed the measures. The Sierra snowpack alone provides two thirds of California's water supply.

December through January tend to be the wettest months but thus far the Sierra has only received one third of its expected annual snowfall.

"A third of normal is devastating," said Elissa Lynn, a meteorologist with the state. "January is the biggest month for precipitation in the Sierra."

"Climate change does indicate the possibility of more frequent droughts," said Lynn, "but it's hard to tell over a short time span."

This year ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are cooler than normal in a weather system called La Nina. In northern California, that means less precipitation. Last year was also a La Nina year, but precipitation didn't slow until March and April.

"This could be a crisis situation," said Lynn. "In addition to conservation and rationing we could be paying higher prices for produce." Lynn said that some farmers have left fields unplanted based on expected lack of water.

The state's largest irrigation district, Westlands Water in the major farming counties of Fresno and Kings, told growers on Wednesday to brace for zero water supply this year.

"We thought it was a critical time to tell them, being that it is time for planting tomatoes and a lot of other crops," Westlands Water spokeswoman Sarah Woolf told Reuters on Thursday. "They need to make decisions right now whether they put seeds in the ground."

Twenty-five local water agencies are already mandating rationing. The state Department of Water Resources is arranging water transfers through its Drought Water Bank program and expects to release a full snowpack runoff forecast in two weeks.

Source:
Reuters, "Snow study shows California faces historic drought", accessed January 30, 2009

Gore urges passing stimulus deal to aid climate

Climate crusader Al Gore said the first step toward restoring U.S. "economic and moral leadership" is to pass President Barack Obama's stimulus package -- and the second step is putting a price on carbon.

"For years our efforts to address the growing climate crisis have been undermined by the idea that we must choose between our planet and our way of life," the former U.S. vice president told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at its first hearing in the new Congress on Wednesday.

"In fact, the solutions to the climate crisis are the very same solutions that will address our economic and national security crises as well," Gore said.

He praised Obama's stimulus plan for its investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, cars that emit less pollution and the construction of a national power grid to harness alternative energies.

This is the kind of bold action required "to repower our economy, restore American economic and moral leadership in the world and regain control of our destiny," he said.

Gore, who won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change and starred in the Academy Award-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," said the next move after enacting the stimulus package should be to institute a cap-and-trade system for carbon in 2009.

This would allow the United States to go to international climate change talks in December in Copenhagen "with renewed authority to lead the world in shaping a fair and effective treaty," Gore said.

ACTION ON CAP-AND-TRADE?

The Copenhagen talks are meant to reach agreement on a follow-on pact to the carbon-capping Kyoto Protocol, which runs out in 2012. The Bush administration rejected the Kyoto pact as damaging to the U.S. economy and unfairly favoring fast-growing economies like China and India.

By contrast, Obama has stressed his commitment to a U.S. cap-and-trade system and the need for international engagement on this matter.

Without participation by the United States, one of the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, global agreement to include developing countries will be difficult to reach.

Many environmental activists in Washington believe reaching agreement on a U.S. carbon trading plan will be hard to do this year, but Gore said it is possible and necessary.

Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker, who has faulted Europe's cap-and-trade program for what he called a lack of transparency and substance in its early phases, concurred that a U.S. plan could be hammered out this year.

"We're now firing with real bullets," Corker said. "I think the stars have lined up and my sense is that this year something may really occur."

Gore's presence as the sole witness at the committee's first substantive hearing was intended to send a message that Congress is "deadly serious" about moving forward on policies to limit climate-warming emissions, according to Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the committee.

Gore offered a video slideshow with updated graphics on melting Arctic sea ice, disappearing glaciers and the projected consequences of a rise in world temperatures. An earlier slideshow was the basis for "An Inconvenient Truth."

Kerry said he had spoken to Obama after December climate meetings in Poland.

"(Obama) understands the implications of it, he's committed to making something happen," Kerry said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "He's going to exert his leadership and spend some capital on it."

Source:
Reuters,"Gore urges passing stimulus deal to aid climate", accessed January 29, 2009
Cable Network News, Video Library, accessed January 29, 2009

From the Inbox - Are you safe from dirty coal?

No matter what state you live in, you may be at a greater risk of coal sludge spills than you think. More than 50 percent of Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Tell Congress that there is no such thing as "clean coal" The recent coal ash waste spill in Tennessee only highlights what many energy experts already knew; coal-fired power plants are hazardous to our environment. Tennessee's spill released a billion gallons of waste containing harmful toxins that seeped into water supplies. And the worst part, this spill was an entirely man-made disaster! Coal ash waste spills cause both ground and air pollution that contribute to the alarming acceleration of global warming. Despite what advertisers say, clean coal does not exist. Even still, there are plans to build even more coal-fired plants. Tell Congress to support a federal moratorium on new coal-fired power plants Take action link: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AEvYY/YO8x/147Z Sincerely, Jessica Care2 and ThePetitionSite P.S. Check out Care2's new Cause Channels for all the latest information on global warming, politics and other hot issues. Connect with other Care2 members and find out how you can make a difference. Visit the Causes section

End the Myth of "Clean Coal" Forward to a friend Read the petition

IT industry joins energy efficiency push

The IT industry is joining the push toward energy efficiency by developing new power management technology to curb the sector's harmful contribution to climate change, operators say.

The global computing industry has recently been criticized for the high carbon dioxide emissions of its data centers and energy consumption.

The sector contributes 2 percent of global carbon emissions, equaling that of the aviation industry, according to U.S. research firm Gartner.

In moves toward clawing back some of that damage, a number of IT companies are developing or upgrading power management technology which can turn off computers and other devices automatically, saving money and the planet.

Network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc plans to launch technology called EnergyWise in February. It says the software can monitor the energy consumption of electronic devices in the workplace and switch them off when idle.

The potential savings for companies could be huge.

"A bank branch could save nearly 40,000 euros ($53,020) just by turning off phones and wireless access points outside business hours," David Frampton, VP general manager of Cisco's LAN switching business unit, told Reuters.

The software will be applied to phones, laptops and access points, then computers, before ramping up to manage heating, air conditioning, elevators, lights and security systems by 2010.

In a similar push, British software provider 1E estimates that its technology could reduce the same amount of carbon dioxide as banning cars from a city the size of Liverpool.

1E's software can turn computers on and off and is already used by government departments, large banks and other businesses.

"The government wants a 1 million ton reduction in carbon emissions from large companies. We can achieve 85 percent of that just from our UK pipeline -- just from turning off computers," Sumir Karayi, 1E's chief executive, told Reuters.

"Half of the computers in the UK, U.S. or Germany are not switched off. That equates to potential savings of 115 million pounds in the UK," he added.

Lighting and consumer electronics producer Philips is also carrying out research with Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories to develop an intelligent lighting control system which would respond to people's movements, events and external daylight levels.

Source:
Reuters, "IT industry joins energy efficiency push", accessed January 29, 2009

Endangered Species Need Your Voice Under regulations pushed through by the Bush Administration, America’s vanishing polar bears would be denied crucial protections and important scientific reviews would be eliminated on federal projects. Urge your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor H.J. Res. 18, a resolution that would overturn the Bush administration’s 11th-hour attempt to undermine the Endangered Species Act. Before leaving office, the Bush Administration rammed through a regulatory change to the Endangered Species Act that threatens efforts to save polar bears, wolves, manatees and nearly 1,200 other species from extinction. Now it’s up to Congress to clean up the mess left by the Bush/Cheney Administration. Will you help? Please urge your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor H.J. Res. 18, a resolution that would overturn the Bush Administration’s 11th-hour attempt to undermine the Endangered Species Act. The Bush regulations would… Allow America’s threatened polar bears to drown in a sea of inaction by preventing the Endangered Species Act from protecting the bears from the threat of global warming; and Let federal agencies in charge of building highways, dams and other projects decide whether those projects might drive rare plants and animals to extinction, without ever checking with the expert biologists in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. Members of Congress can overturn these awful regulations, but they need our support to do it. Please write your Representative now and urge him or her to stand up for America’s endangered wildlife by co-sponsoring H.J. Res. 18. The Endangered Species Act is the single most important law protecting our wildlife. Each day that the Bush regulations are in place our imperiled wildlife are at greater risk of extinction. Please take action now to erase the stain left by the Bush Administration’s callous disregard for the laws that protect our polar bears, wolves and other imperiled wildlife. With gratitude for your efforts, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

Long Droughts, Rising Seas Predicted Despite Future CO2 Curbs

Greenhouse gas levels currently expected by mid-century will produce devastating long-term droughts and a sea-level rise that will persist for 1,000 years regardless of how well the world curbs future emissions of carbon dioxide, an international team of scientists reported yesterday

Top climate researchers from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Switzerland and France said their analysis shows that carbon dioxide will remain near peak levels in the atmosphere far longer than other greenhouse gases, which dissipate relatively quickly.

"I think you have to think about this stuff as more like nuclear waste than acid rain: The more we add, the worse off we'll be," NOAA senior scientist Susan Solomon told reporters in a conference call. "The more time that we take to make decisions about carbon dioxide, the more irreversible climate change we'll be locked into."

At the moment, carbon concentrations in the atmosphere stand at 385 parts per million. Many climate scientists and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have set a goal of stabilizing atmospheric carbon at 450 ppm, but current projections put the world on track to hit 550 ppm by 2035, rising after that point by 4.5 percent a year.

The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, projects that if carbon dioxide concentrations peak at 600 ppm, several regions of the world -- including southwestern North America, the Mediterranean and southern Africa -- will face major droughts as bad or worse than the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

Global sea levels will rise by about three feet by the year 3000, a projection that does not factor in melting glaciers and polar ice sheets that would probably result in significant additional sea level rises.

Even if the world managed to halt the carbon dioxide buildup at 450 ppm, the researchers concluded, the subtropics would experience a 10 percent decrease in precipitation, compared with the 15 percent decrease they would see at 600 ppm. That level is still akin to mega-droughts such as the Dust Bowl. The already parched U.S. Southwest would probably see a 5 percent drop in precipitation during its dry season.

Mary-Elena Carr, associate director of the Columbia Climate Center, called the new projections "very sobering." She noted that while societies can try to adapt to reduced precipitation with better farming techniques and other measures, there is a limit to the ability to cope with severe drought.

"When it's drought, that is hard, because we have a finite amount of water and a growing population we need to feed," Carr said, adding that the severe storm surges associated with higher sea levels also pose a dangerous challenge to large populations.

The rising sea levels anticipated under a conservative projection, the authors wrote, would cause "irreversible commitments to future changes in the geography of the Earth, since many coastal and island features would ultimately become submerged."

The scientists noted that the world's oceans are already absorbing an enormous amount of carbon, but over time this will reach a limit and they will no longer absorb as much. As this happens, the atmospheric temperature will remain nearly constant.

Most previous scientific analyses, including the U.N. panel's summary report for policymakers, have assessed climate change impacts on a 100-year time scale. A few researchers, such as Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, have argued that it makes more sense to look at a time scale of at least 500 years.

In an e-mail yesterday, Caldeira wrote that he had debated this point with other contributors to the U.N. reports in 2001, adding, "If you took our long term climate commitment seriously, you would not use 100-year [global warming projections] to compare effects of different gases."

Carbon dioxide emissions account only for about half of human-induced global warming, but the several other gases that play a role, including methane, dissipate more quickly. Solomon said policymakers could take this into account when deciding how best to reduce greenhouse gases overall.

"We ought to be extra careful about how much carbon dioxide we put out in the future," she said, adding that politicians often focus on the less certain but potentially disastrous impacts of climate change but would do well to focus on the more predictable consequences. "The parts that we don't know, that are possible but very uncertain, shouldn't get in the way of what we do know."

A separate study in the same journal yesterday suggests that the iconic emperor penguins of the Antarctic could be headed to extinction by 2100 if the sea ice shrinks by the predicted amounts. That paper -- written by scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo., and France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique -- projects that the number of breeding pairs in a colony in Terre Adelie, Antarctica, will decline from about 6,000 to 400 by the end of the century because the animals depend on sea ice for breeding, foraging and molting habitat.

Emperor penguins would have to migrate or change the timing of their growth stages to avoid extinction, the authors write, but "evolution or migration seem unlikely for such long-lived species at the remote southern end of the Earth."

Source:
Washington Post, "Long Droughts, Rising Seas Predicted Despite Future CO2 Curbs", By Juliet Eilperin, accessed January 28, 2009

Emperor penguin 'marching to extinction by end of the century'

Emperor penguins, whose long treks across Antarctic ice to mate have been immortalized by Hollywood, are heading towards extinction, scientists say.The Emperor penguin is marching towards extinction because the Antarctic sea ice on which it depends for survival is shrinking at a faster rate than the bird is able evolve if it is to avoid disaster, a study has found.

Based on predictions of sea ice extent from climate change models, the penguins are likely to see their numbers plummet by 95% by 2100. That corresponds to a decline to just 600 breeding pairs in the world.

The latest assessment of the future size of the Emperor penguin population is based on the projected increase in global temperatures and subsequent loss of sea ice due to the changes in the Antarctic climate that are expected in the 21st Century, the study found.

Scientists based their pessimistic outlook on the long-term changes to the number of Emperor penguins in a colony living in a part of the Antarctic Peninsula called Terre Adelie, which has been surveyed regularly since 1962 and has experienced regional warming over the past 50 years.

The study by Stephanie Jenouvrier and Hal Caswell of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts concluded that there is at least a 36 per cent probability of “quasi extinction” of the Emperor penguin -- when the population declines by at least 95 per cent -- by the year 2100.

“To avoid extinction, Emperor penguins will have to adapt, migrate or change the timing of their growth stages,” the scientists report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“However, give the future projected increases in greenhouse gases and its effect on Antarctic climate, evolution or migration seem unlikely for such long-lived species at the remote southern end of the Earth,” they say.

Emperor penguins, the largest species, are unique in that they are the only penguins that breed during the harsh Antarctic winters. Colonies gather far inland after long treks across sea ice, where the females lay just one egg that is tended by the male.

The males are left to incubate the eggs on the sea ice through the long Antarctic winter while the females return to the sea to feed. That means that the ice plays a major role in their overall breeding success.

In August, at the end of the Antarctic winter, the females return to feed the newly-hatched young as the males go to fatten up -- they lose 40 per cent of their body weight during the winter months.

In the next few weeks, both parents take it in turns to feed until the chick is old enough to join other chicks that huddle together in groups to keep warm. In December, with the winter sea ice breaking up, the entire family march together to the open sea to feed.

The extent of sea ice not only impacts the reproductive cycle of the penguins but its cover influences the abundance of krill and the fish species that eat them - both food sources for the penguins.

Fluctuations in sea ice during the 1970s, and the effect that it has on the penguin population, were used as a model of what could happen on a larger scale during the next 100 years or so of climate change.

"The key to the analysis was deciding to focus not on average climate conditions, but on fluctuations that occasionally reduce the amount of available sea ice," said Dr Caswell, an expert in mathematical ecology.

"This analysis focuses on a single population, that at Terre Adelie, because of the excellent data available for it. But patterns of climate change and sea ice in the Antarctic are an area of intense research interest now. It remains to be seen how these changes will affect the entire species throughout Antarctica," Dr Caswell said.

Dr Jenouvrier said that if future climate change happens as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the penguin population in Terre Adelie will probably decline dramatically in the coming decades.

The results suggest that by the year 2100, emperor penguins in the region are likely to experience a reduction in their numbers by 95% or more. The likelihood of this occurring, according to the researchers, is at least a one-in-three chance and possibly more than eight out of 10.

Penguins could avert disaster by shifting their breeding patterns with the climate, but the study's lead author Stephanie Jenouvrier said that was unlikely.

"Unlike some other Antarctic bird species that have altered their life cycles, penguins don't catch on so quickly," she said. "They are long-lived organisms, so they adapt slowly. This is a problem because the climate is changing very fast."

The penguins serve as a species that particularly draws attention to the crisis in their region. They are to Antarctica what the polar bear is to the Arctic. This study takes our knowledge, puts it together, gives us some insights, arouses concern and suggests that we ought to be understanding this situation a lot better.

Source:
The Independent, "Emperor penguin 'marching to extinction by end of the century'", accessed January 29, 2009
BBC News, "Emperor penguins face extinction", accessed January 28, 2009

From the Inbox - First Test of 2009

Today, I will be testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about repowering America and the need for us to resume global leadership on the climate crisis. As you know, it's a critical time in our country and we all have a role to play. I've recorded a short video message to share my perspective on what's at stake right now. Take a moment and please watch it. In Congress, our leaders are debating an economic recovery package. It includes unprecedented support for putting Americans back to work building a clean energy economy. But entrenched interests in Washington will be working hard to weaken the legislation -- opposing funding for clean energy programs that support things like wind, solar, energy efficiency and a new national electric grid. As members of Congress work out the details of a bill that can pass both the House and the Senate, it's important that you let each of your elected representatives know that you want the recovery to be about repowering America. You and I know that continuing with the status quo will not revitalize the U.S. economy. Please make sure your elected officials know, too. Watch the video and send a quick note to Congress: http://www.RepowerAmerica.org/RecoveryVideo Today, we can start to get America back on track. Thanks for everything, Al Gore www.RepowerAmerica.org

From the Inbox - We've got great news about our national parks

Write to Congress Today! We have some great news. Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have proposed a big boost for national parks in the economic recovery package. How big? $2.25 billion in job-creating, ready-to-go projects for the national parks! This is great news for our economy and our national parks. This proposal is a bold, significant step toward revitalizing our national parks for our children and grandchildren and creates jobs today in rural and urban communities across the country. This boost in our national parks is an investment in our quality of life, our heritage, and our future. Can you write a letter to your congressional representative in support of the $2.25 billion national park investment? If this funding is included in the final economic recovery bill passed by Congress, it would bring immediate economic benefits and lay a strong foundation for restoring our imperiled national park heritage by 2016, the centennial of the National Park Service. It's not often we are presented with such an opportunity, so let's be sure to let our representatives know how much we need their commitment to our national parks. Send your letter today! Thanks for all you do, Craig Obey, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs NPCA P.S. This proposal presents a tremendous opportunity for our national parks. Over the next few weeks, NPCA and our allies will be working hard to make sure this proposal remains a part of the final economic recovery package. But we can't do this work without you. Reinforcing the importance of national parks with your representatives will let them know how much you care- and thank them for their hard work as well. Don't wait, a vote could happen TODAY. Write your representatives today!

Iceland says to allow whaling for another 5 years

Iceland said Tuesday it would allow whaling of fin and minke whales -- a practice opposed by conservationists -- for another five years.

Iceland, in crisis after its ruling coalition collapsed, ended a 20-year ban on commercial whaling in August 2006, issuing quotas that ran through August 2007. After a temporary halt, the country resumed whaling in May last year.

"Today the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture published a regulation setting a quota for the next five years," the fisheries and agriculture ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the total allowable takes would be according to recommendations of the Marine Research Institute.

Iceland is in crisis after the collapse of its ruling coalition and the resignation of its prime minister due to the effects of the global credit crunch. Talks are under way to form a new government.

Many countries and environmental groups oppose whaling, saying stocks are low after decades of over-hunting that only ended with the 1986 moratorium by the International Whaling Commission.

Icelandic supporters of whaling have said they seek to cultivate tradition in a responsible way.

Conservationists have argued that the whale-watching industry is equally, if not more, lucrative than hunting the animals.

Source:
Reuters, "Iceland says to allow whaling for another 5 years", accessed January 28, 2009

Japan group launches "toilet poems" to save paper

Poetry in the loo can cut down on paper use too, says a Japanese group campaigning to save toilet paper as part of the country's battle against global warming.

Simply pasting a "toilet poem" at the eye level of a person seated in the cubicle can help cut toilet paper use by up to 20 percent, a study by the research center Japan Toilet Labo showed.

"That paper will meet you only for a moment," reads one poem. "Fold the paper over and over and over again," says another. Or just: "Love the toilet."

Now the group is looking to have its posters displayed in 1,000 public toilets.

"We asked ourselves what we could do for the environment in the toilet?" said Ryusuke Nagahara of the Japan Toilet Labo. "The answer is to save toilet paper and save water."

Toilet paper use in Japan has been increasing in recent years, according to an industry body, possibly because of a rise in the number of public toilets, where people tend to use more paper.

"It's because it's free," said an official at the Kikaisuki Washi Rengokai. "At home, people are more inclined to scrimp."

Source:
Reuters, "Japan group launches "toilet poems" to save paper", accessed January 28, 2009

Obama begins reversing Bush climate policies

U.S. President Barack Obama began reversing the climate policies of the Bush administration on Monday, clearing the way for new rules to force automakers to produce more fuel-efficient and less polluting cars.

The president told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider immediately a request by California to impose its own strict limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, blamed for contributing to global warming.

Obama, a Democrat, took over from former President George W. Bush last Tuesday.

Bush's Republican administration had denied the request, prompting California and other states to sue.

"The federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Obama said at the White House, taking a stab at his predecessor's policies.

"The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts, we will be guided by them. We cannot afford to pass the buck ... onto the states."

Obama's directive, which is likely to result in a formal change in the coming months, could prompt as many as 18 states to follow California's lead by putting into effect tailpipe emissions standards that are tougher than federal mandates.

The president also directed the Department of Transportation to set boost fuel efficiency standards for automobiles by March 30 for model year 2011, giving manufacturers 18 months to prepare.

The rules are part of a 2007 law that calls for automakers' fleets to reach an average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The Bush administration left Obama to finalize the standards because of the uncertainty gripping car companies.

Obama's decisions piled pressure on the ailing industry, struggling to survive in a deepening recession with the help of federal bailouts.

General Motors Corp said it is "working aggressively" to develop better hybrids and electric cars to reduce emissions and improve mileage, but policymakers must weigh in economic factors when making their decision.

"We're ready to engage the Obama administration and Congress on policies that support meaningful and workable solutions and targets," the company said in a statement.

Their plight may worsen as the U.S. recession deepens. Economists polled by Reuters in advance of Friday's Gross Domestic Product report think GDP contracted at a 5.4 percent rate on an annualized basis in the fourth quarter, which would be the worst performance since 1982.

SIGNALS ON ENVIRONMENT

Obama's steps were likely to be well received in Europe, which saw the United States under Bush as a roadblock to global action on climate change and hopes for greater U.S. efforts to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions.

They drew praise from environmentalists, who supported Obama's election, but could annoy labor unions, another key constituency, whose members are upset about auto job losses.

Obama said the policy shift would help carmakers in the long run. "Our goal is not to further burden an already struggling industry, it is to help America's automakers prepare for the future," he said.

California's Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who urged the Obama administration to review the emissions decision, welcomed the move. "It is clear that California and the environment now have a strong ally in the White House," he said in a statement. At a news conference later he said the whole country should follow California's lead.

Democratic EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Obama's move signaled a "sea change" in U.S. action on climate change.

But top Republicans accused the president of piling on the struggling auto industry and threatening jobs.

"Millions of American jobs will be placed in further jeopardy if automakers are forced to spend billions to comply with potentially dozens of different emissions standards in dozens of different states," said U.S. House of Representatives minority leader John Boehner, a Republican whose state of Ohio has been hard hit by automotive factory closures.

The moves followed similar actions by Obama to reverse Bush decisions on foreign and domestic policy and signaled his desire to proceed quickly with campaign promises to fight climate change and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Obama laid out broad principles that he said his administration would follow. It was time for the United States to lead on climate change, he said, and dependence on foreign energy sources was a threat to U.S. security.

"It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil," he said, adding previous administrations had made similar goals.

"We need more than the same old empty promises. We need to show that this time it will be different," he said.

The State Department also announced Todd Stern, a senior White House official under former President Bill Clinton, will be the administration's principal adviser on international climate policy and strategy and its chief climate negotiator.

Source:
Reuters, "Obama begins reversing Bush climate policies", accessed January 27, 2009

Clinton climate change envoy vows "dramatic diplomacy"

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named a special envoy on Monday to lead U.S. efforts to fight global warming and forge new international accords on reducing carbon emissions and developing clean energy.

The appointment -- which accompanied other energy policy steps announced by President Barack Obama -- signaled a break from the Bush administration's climate policies, and Clinton's pick promised "vigorous, dramatic diplomacy."

Todd Stern, a senior White House official under former President Bill Clinton, will be the administration's principal adviser on international climate policy and strategy and its chief climate negotiator.

"With the appointment today of a special envoy we are sending an unequivocal message that the United States will be energetic, focused, strategic and serious about addressing global climate change and the corollary issue of clean energy," Clinton said at a State Department ceremony.

Stern's appointment came as Obama announced moves to force auto makers to produce more fuel-efficient and less polluting cars, including telling the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider a California request to impose strict limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions.

"As we take steps at home, we will also vigorously pursue negotiations, those sponsored by the United Nations and those at the sub-global, regional and bilateral level, that can lead to binding international climate agreements," Clinton said.

"No solution is feasible without all major emitting nations joining together and playing an important part," she said.

Stern coordinated climate change policy from 1997 to 1999 in her husband Bill Clinton's administration, acting as the senior White House negotiator in the Kyoto talks.

About 190 countries are trying to craft a broader climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol that binds wealthy nations to emission targets between 2008 and 2012. The new deal is supposed to be wrapped up in Copenhagen by December.

"The time for denial, delay and dispute is over. The time for the United States to take up its rightful place at the negotiating table is here," Stern said.

"We can only meet the climate challenge with a response that is genuinely global," he said. "We will need to engage in vigorous, dramatic diplomacy."

From 1999 to 2001, Stern advised the U.S. Treasury secretary on economic and financial issues and supervised the department's anti-money laundering strategy. He is a partner in a Washington law firm and a senior fellow at Center for American Progress think tank, which is home to many veterans of the Clinton administration.

Source:
Reuters, "Clinton climate change envoy vows "dramatic diplomacy"", accessed January 27, 2009

From the Inbox - Obama moving on Global Warming

Stop Global Warming Virtual March 01/27/09 OBAMA MOVES ON WARMING AS PUBLIC COOLS President Obama will reverse the policy of the Bush administration and allow states to limit the level of greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, and will direct the EPA to approve a request by California to impose its own strict limits. The new administration will also ask the EPA to move forward on new fuel-efficiency guidelines for 2011 model-year cars. While global warming is a top priority for the new administration, a disturbing new poll suggests the general public is cooling on the climate change issue. Declining interest may not be shocking as focus shifts to the immediate troubled economy, but without vigilant attention to stopping global warming our long-term economic and security health is at serious risk. For a perspective on how much we are underestimating the global warming problem, read the essay "Think Again: Climate Change" by author, environmentalist and Virtual Marcher Bill McKibben. POWERSHIFT '09 In the middle of the new administration's first 100 days, Power Shift 2009 will bring 10,000 young people to Washington to hold our elected officials accountable for rebuilding our economy and reclaiming our future through bold climate and clean energy policy. From February 27 - March 2, 2009, young people from across the country will converge on D.C. to demand that the President and Congress pass climate and energy policies that prioritize renewable energy, green job creation, and an aggressive cap on carbon emissions. To learn more and get involved, visit PowerShift09.org. GLOBAL WARMING THREATENS FORESTS Forests in the West are dying twice as fast as they were 17 years ago, and scientists blame warming temperatures, according to a new study utilizing data gathered over a 50-year period. California had the highest tree death rate, with pines dying at the fastest rate. The research also showed that new trees often are not replacing dying ones, and that as trees die, they actually emit more carbon than they absorb. Click Here for more on the story TIME MAGAZINE: TOP GREEN STORIES OF 2008 Check out Time Magazine for their review of the Top Ten Green Stories of 2008. Included in the list is the election of Obama; new rules putting a freeze on coal plants; the first carbon auction; and the driving technique "hypermiling." GREEN DRINKS Every month in 461 cities worldwide (and growing) people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks. It's a great way to meet like-minded people and make new contacts. Help spread the message by joining a Green Drinks group in your city, or set up a new group. Visit GreenDrinks.org for more info. Keep Marching! Laurie David Founder StopGlobalWarming.org

From the Inbox - 50 Wolves Dead in Alaska - New Hope to Stop Sarah Palin

How Far Will Sarah Palin Go? Under Governor Sarah Palin’s out-of-control wolf-killing program, mothers and newborn pups can be savagely killed in their dens. Please donate now to help us stop Sarah Palin’s senseless wolf slaughter on the ground in Alaska and in Congress. As America looks toward a new era in Washington, DC, I'm feeling hopeful that we can finally turn the page on a dark chapter for America's wildlife. That's why I'm especially saddened and angered that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is continuing her anti-wildlife policies. Governor Palin -- along with the wealthy trophy hunting lobby -- is still seeking to expand the brutal aerial wolf slaughter program that has already claimed the lives of more than 860 wolves. Her wolf-killing frenzy is out-of-control. Palin's Department of Fish & Game recently approved an aggressive policy allowing for the killing of wolf mothers and the savage shooting of newborn pups in their dens. It's simply maddening! But we will not give in. We stopped her from reaching the vice presidency -- and we can stop her in Alaska. With your ompassionate support, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund can fight Palin’s wolf-killing program and expose her determined efforts that will harm wolves, polar bears, belugas and other imperiled species. Governor Sarah Palin’s aerial wolf-killing program is on a record deadly pace. Airborne sharpshooters have already gunned down 50 wolves this season. Now Sarah Palin is joining forces with the Alaska Outdoor Council (AOC) and other wealthy hunting lobby groups as they plan their push for legislation to expand the bloody wolf slaughter. They’ve already committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to expand the state-sponsored aerial wolf slaughter -- even into Alaska’s pristine federal wildlife refuges. With your generous support, we can save the lives of Alaska’s wolves. Please donate now to support our campaign to end Palin’s senseless slaughter of wolves in Alaska. With the incredible contributions from caring people like you, we were able to expose Palin’s terrible record on wolves as she took to the national stage in last year’s election -- helping to prevent Sarah Palin from becoming Vice President of the United States. Now we need your support to end Sarah Palin’s ghastly aerial wolf-killing program. Defenders Action Fund will forcefully oppose Governor Palin and her Board of Game’s plans to kill wolves to artificially boost game populations for out-of-state trophy hunters and fight the Palin/AOC-supported legislation to gun down even more wolves. We stopped her last year, and with your help, we can defeat her again. But we’re not stopping there. With a new leadership in Washington, DC comes real hope for wolves. In Congress, we can pass the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act to end Governor Palin’s aerial wolf slaughter -- and prevent programs like it from spreading to places like the Greater Yellowstone region. We’ll work with the Obama Administration to close the deadly loophole that Palin exploits to kill more wolves. And we’ll continue to bring the fight nationwide by keeping Palin’s wolf-slaughter program in the national spotlight. This year, Governor Sarah Palin is aiming to slaughter more than 600 wolves in what could be the bloodiest aerial wolf-killing season ever-- now, with the help of wealthy special interests, she wants to expand the brutal program even more. We can’t let that happen. Please donate now to end Sarah Palin’s wolf slaughter. We can only save these wolves with your generous support. Sincerely, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund P.S. As she prepares for a rumored run for the U.S. Senate -- and possibly for president in 2012 -- Sarah Palin will undoubtedly try to stay on the national stage. With your help, we’ll soon launch a new website to spotlight Palin’s brutal wolf-killing record and other anti-wildlife policies. Please support our efforts with a secure online donation or call (800) 425-4632 to donate by phone.