Climate Change Initiative
Newsletter

Dear ladies all over the world, reading the CCI newsletter. We are sending you our best spring wishes of beauty, hope and success.

February 2002 (¹20)

Table of Contents

Climate Change Initiative

  1. CCI announces carbon sequestration project competition
  2. Ecolinks winner studies LFG experience
  3. Upcoming Events

    Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine and the Climate Change Initiative are happy to announce the international conference “Investment and Climate Change: Opportunities for Ukraine” that will take place in Kyiv on June 19-20, 2002. The Conference main target is on attracting investments to climate change mitigation activities in Ukraine. For more information on the event please see the CCI special announcement or the website.

    Ukraine Climate Change News

  4. Joint EU – Ukraine Subgroup to Work on Climate
  5. U.s. Climate Change Activity

  6. White House Releases its Climate Plans
  7. U.s. Companies Would Play Kyoto Abroad
  8. More Proof the Climate Does Change
  9. And yet, Kyoto Protocol IS Cost-effective
  10. Plants Won’t Uptake All The Carbon Mankind Is To Emit Over The Coming Century
  11. International Climate Change News

  12. Analysisng GHG Market Promises
  13. EU Parliament Goes For Environmental Resolutions, With Kyoto Support
  14. Buying GHG Credits Could Be Costly for Canada
  15. Canada Electric Industry First to Release Climate Change Plan
  16. Sewage Will Be Incinerated In Austria To Cut GHG Emissions
  17. Netherlands Consider Projects From All Over The World
  18. How The Mankind Combats Global Climate Change
  19. Russia Invites the U.s. to Cooperate with the World
  20. Researchers Hunt for the “Unknown Sink”
  21. Our Future Depends on Each of Us

Climate Change Initiative

1. CCI Announces Carbon Sequestration Project Competition

Climate Change Initiative announces the second round of its competition for CCI free business plan preparation assistance. In this turn, CCI together with à panel of Ukrainian and international experts will select one GHG mitigation project that suggests carbon sequestration activities. CCI has distributed the solicitation letters to all carbon sequestration training seminar participants and it is available from CCI website. All project developers are welcome to submit their projects in the suggested form until March 31, 2002. For more details please contact Anatoly Bobrovitskiy at tel: (044) 253-0708, fax: (044) 253-5068, or email: abobrovitsky@climate.org.ua

top

2. Ecolinks Winner Studies LFG Experience

On Friday, February 8, 2002, the CCI Center hosted à seminar on Landfill Gas (LFG) Recovery and Utilization. The seminar was initiated by the Scientific and Engineering center “Biomass” under the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences and was à prelude to the Ecolinks funded projects to be implemented in Luhansk by the “Biomass” Center. Correspondingly, among the seminar participants there were the Ecolinks specialists, the “Biomass” Center staff as well as the Kyiv and oblast industrialists on landfills, methane recovery and utilization.

Tom Weatherill, of SCF Engineering, à major lector for the seminar, shared his 20-years experience of the landfill gas recovery and utilization. Mr. Weatherill outlined the opportunities of LFG recovery and utilization existing in the U.s. and in the other countries of the world as well as the prospects for Ukraine. A section of the training was dedicated to LFG regulations for stimulating methane emission reduction, including mandatory and voluntary schemes. Most of the seminar was telling about developing and implementing actual LFG utilization projects, including the discussion of the proposed site criteria, possible methane utilization options, initial project appraisal and economic considerations.

top

Ukraine Climate Change News

3. Joint EU – Ukraine Subgroup to Work on Climate

Middle January, Kyiv the Eu-ukraine Subcommittee on “Energy, nuclear issues, environment, networks, science and technology, and training and education” met to discuss strategic cooperation issues, including the climate change.

The EU representatives stated that the global climate change problem is regarded “As one of the major threats to the current world” by the European Commission and announced à plan to ratify Kyoto for it to come into force before September 2002, implying the Johannesburg Sustainability Summit. The Europeans encouraged the Ukrainian side also to accomplish the ratification process prior to the Summit. Europe values Ukraine as an important partner in the course of Kyoto enforcement. In particular, this refers to the joint implementation projects – an effective tool to attract investments to the essential energy conservation and energy efficiency projects. The joint implementation projects were also mentioned by Ukrainian officials as productive and utile mechanism to solve certain urgent projects for both Ukraine and the EU. Joint implementation activities were named realistic in coalbed methane recovery, “green” energy development, energy conservation, waste management biofuel use, transport networks development.

The EU is eager to work closer on climate change with Ukraine. TACIS is one of the most effective tools for such cooperation. Amongst the continued financing of environmental programs in 2003, significant attention will be given to the climate change topic. There will be funds available for environment, as well as adjacent fields with an environmental component, such as energy efficiency.

To reinforce the existing cooperation the Ukrainian and European officials have agreed to establish à work group to foster Kyoto Protocol ratification and implementation. It was agreed that the Ukrainian side designs the terms of reference for the group activities as well as the delegated members. The group is anticipated to hold its all meeting in Kyiv on March 14-15.

top

U.s. Climate Change Activity

4. White House Releases its Climate Plans

On February 14, the U.s. President has spoken on the country climate initiative that is supposed to “clean our skies, bring greater health to our citizens and encourage environmentally responsible development in America and around the world” in reaching the goal of fostering the economic growth in ways that protect the environment. Among other statements, he noted:

“The new approach is based on the common-sense idea: that economic growth is key to environmental progress, because it is growth that provides the resources for investment in clean technologies.

“Today, I call for new Clean Skies legislation that sets tough new standards to dramatically reduce the three most significant forms of pollution from power plants, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury. We will cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 73 percent from current levels. We will cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 67 percent. We will cap emissions of mercury, cutting them by 69 percent. These cuts will be completed over two measured phases, with one set of emission limits for 2010 and for the other for 2018.

“The Clean Skies legislation will reach our ambitious air quality goals through à market-based cap-and-trade approach. Instead of the government telling utilities where and how to cut pollution, we will tell them when and how much to cut.

“I reaffirm Americaús commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention and itús central goal, to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at à level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate. Our immediate goal is to reduce Americaús greenhouse gas emissions relative to the size of our economy.

“My administration is committed to cutting our nationús greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent over the next 10 years. Meeting this commitment will prevent over 500 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from going into the atmosphere over the course of the decade.

“We will challenge American businesses to further reduce emissions. Our government will also move forward immediately to create world-class standards for measuring and registering emission reductions. And we will give transferable credits to companies that can show real emission reductions. We will promote renewable energy production and clean coal technology, as well as nuclear power, which produce no greenhouse gas emissions.

“Overall, my budget devotes $4.5 billion to addressing climate change. This is an increase of more than $700 million over last yearús budget. Weúll devote $588 million towards the research and development of energy conservation technologies. And we will spend $408 million toward research and development on renewable energy. This funding includes $150 million for an initiative that Spence Abraham laid out the other day, $150 million for the Freedom Car Initiative, which will advance the prospect of breakthrough zero-emission fuel cell technologies.

“My comprehensive energy plan provides $4.6 billion over the next five years in clean energy tax incentives to encourage purchases of hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, to promote residential solar energy, and to reward investments in wind, solar and biomass energy production. And we will look for ways to increase the amount of carbon stored by Americaús farms and forests through à strong conservation title in the farm bill.

“My approach recognizes that economic growth is the solution, not the problem. Because à nation that grows its economy is à nation that can afford investments and new technologies.

“The approach taken under the Kyoto protocol would have required the United States to make deep and immediate cuts in our economy to meet an arbitrary target. It would have cost our economy up to $400 billion and we would have lost 4.9 million jobs. As President of the United States, I will not commit our nation to an unsound international treaty that will throw millions of our citizens out of work. The United States will not interfere with the plans of any nation that chooses to ratify the Kyoto protocol.

“My budget includes over $220 million for the U.s. Agency for International Development and à global environmental facility to help developing countries better measure, reduce emissions, and to help them invest in clean and renewable energy technologies.

“The new budget also provides $40 million under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act to help countries redirect debt payments towards protecting tropical forests, forests that store millions of tons of carbon. And, finally, my government is following through on our commitment to provide $25 million for climate observation systems in developing countries.

“To clean the air, and to address climate change, we need to recognize that economic growth and environmental protection go hand in hand. In the coming decades, the world needs to develop and deploy billions of dollars of technologies that generate energy in cleaner ways. And we need strong economic growth to make that possible.”

(White House, February 14)

top

5. U.s. Companies Would Play Kyoto Abroad

Major .S. companies see potential opportunities and pitfalls in the Kyoto Protocol even though the Bush administration vowed not to follow the global-warming agreement last year. With operations all over the world, many U.s.-based multinational corporations are preparing for limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

"If you are à big multinational, youúll have operations in Kyoto countries and have to adapt", said Daniel Bodansky, à professor of law at the University of Washington in Seattle, who has studied the issue for the Pew Center on Climate Change. In spite of the fact United States position on Kyoto, American companies will still have to grapple with the treaty.

For example, Dupont, the Wilmington, Del., chemical giant, manufactures products under well-known brand names like Lycra and Kevlar. Roughly half of Dupontús 85,000 employees work at facilities outside of the United States, many of which are now facing limits on their emissions. In an attempt to get ahead of the game, Dupont settled on à plan to reduce emissions by 65 percent from 1990 levels by 2010. "Kyoto poses à real challenge to all the companies that operate internationally", said Tom Jacob, the companyús senior adviser for global affairs. Mr. Jacob pointed out that Dupont, as an American company, may not qualify for some incentives that other countries use to promote reductions in emissions.

But other American companies stand to gain from the treaty. "We are expanding our presence in Europe", said Richard Rosenzweig, managing director with New York-based Natsource, à privately held emissions-trading company. "For companies in Europe, [Kyoto] is not theoretical anymore." Natsource already has brokered emissions trades in Britain and Denmark, which have programs to reduce emissions. Companies such as Ford Motor Co., power company Exelon Corp. and International Paper are participating in à project for trading the right to emit gases called the Chicago Climate Exchange.

(By Carter Dougherty, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, January 24)

top

6. More Proof the Climate Does Change

NASA researchers, examining 22 years of satellite measurements, have found more sunlight entered the tropics and more heat escaped to space in the 1990s than in the 1980s. Clouds were thought to be the weakest link in predicting future climate change from greenhouse gases, and these new results suggest that current models may be more uncertain that had been previously thought.

The observations capture changes in the balance between Earthús incoming and outgoing energy that controls the planetús temperature and climate. The previously unknown changes in this “Radiation budget” are two to four times larger than scientists had believed possible. The reason why and the degree to which it changed are creating à powerful new test for climate models.

A research group at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) developed à way to compare the satellite-observed changes to other meteorological data. It shows that the rising and descending motions of air that cover the entire tropics appear to increase in strength from the 1980s to the 1990s, suggesting that the tropical heat engine increased its speed. The faster circulation dried out the water vapor needed for cloud formation in the upper regions of the lower atmosphere over the most northern and southern tropical areas. Less cloudiness allowed more sunlight to enter and more heat to leave the tropics.

The results indicate the tropics are more variable and dynamic than previously thought, though some officials say it is still unclear whether it is due to climate change or natural variability. The 22-year radiation budget record, though the longest and most accurate ever compiled, is still too short to pinpoint à cause. So the newly discovered change acts as à standard by which to measure future improvements in cloud modeling.

(Mitsubishi Research Institute, February 14, 2002)

top

7. And yet, Kyoto Protocol IS Cost-effective

Every time in history that society has switched energy sources, from coal to oil, for example, there were widespread claims of disaster from those with vested interests in maintaining the status quo. There was little reason to believe them then and less reason to believe them now.

Plenty of credible expert studies have found that Kyoto will have little negative economic impact. In fact, many show positive economic effects. An economic analysis published in the journal Nature last fall, for example, points out that "... compliance with the Kyoto Protocol would imply lower, not higher, overall costs." And the authors go on to say, "We conclude that any delay in reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not justified."

Another recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that developing à clean energy policy in the United States could save every family about $350 per year while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds and cutting common air pollutants in half. And Industry Canada reports that Kyoto would bring significant investment opportunities for many industries, with an expected growth rate of 40 percent for wind power, 15 percent for alternative fuel for vehicles, and 25 percent for more efficient (and cleaner) natural gas electricity production.

The simple fact is that for 200 years, many industries have used the atmosphere as à free dumping ground. Now the consequences are catching up to us, and we simply cannot afford to do nothing. Most studies indicate that global warming, if left unchecked, will cause substantial disruptions to the ecosystems and economies of many countries.

A recent analysis of 50 scientific studies by Climate Action Network Australia, for example, found that three of Australiaús best known World Heritage Sites, including the Great Barrier Reef, will be significantly damaged by global warming. In Canada, à report by University of Toronto professor Jay Malcolm found that climate change is expected to cause dramatic changes in many of the worldús ecosystems, including Canadaús North. In the United States, à North American Free Trade Agreement–sponsored paper reported that global warming could cause massive flooding in Florida and extensive economic disruption.

(By David Suzuki, Suzuki Foundation, February 20)

top

8. Plants Won’t Uptake All The Carbon Mankind Is To Emit Over The Coming Century

Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide can interfere with plants' ability to incorporate certain forms of nitrogen, dramatically altering the plant life worldwide and forcing significant changes in agricultural fertilizer use, according to à plant physiologist at the University of California, Davis.

"Itús been known for some time that increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere initially boost carbon intake and growth in plants but eventually the accelerated carbon assimilation declines", said Bloom, à professor in the UC Davis vegetable crops department. "The results from our study indicate that carbon dioxide inhibition of nitrate assimilation contributes to this phenomenon and suggest two physiological mechanisms that may be responsible."

For many years, scientists believed these rising levels of carbon dioxide would actually benefit plants because carbon dioxide is one of the essential ingredients in photosynthesis. Further study, however, revealed that the accelerated rate of carbon dioxide assimilation wasnút sustained. In laboratory experiments, plants initially responded to à doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by assimilating 30 percent more carbon. But within à few days or weeks, this accelerated rate of carbon processing dropped back to just 12 percent greater than normal.

Against that backdrop, Bloom and colleagues have been studying how crop plants respond to being fertilized with two different forms of nitrogen: nitrate and ammonium. Nitrogen is an element that is key to producing proteins and nucleic acids such as DNA in plants. Because it is so important to plant growth, farmers and gardeners commonly apply nitrogen-rich fertilizers to their crops.

The researchers discovered that nitrate fertilizer is not nearly as efficient as ammonium fertilizer when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are unusually high. In laboratory experiments they grew wheat seedlings with either nitrate or ammonium under varying concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Bloomús research indicated that elevated levels of carbon dioxide interfered with the overall process of photosynthesis by blocking this vital transfer of nitrite into the chloroplasts.

These data suggest that rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels might diminish the nutritional quality of grain receiving nitrate fertilizer. "We expect that the data from this study will have real-world implications for crop production", Bloom said. This study implies that à shift to increase ammonium availability might be needed."

This published study focused only on wheat, but the UC Davis researchers have since repeated the work using tomatoes and have documented similar results. Bloom added that the study also suggests that plant and tree species in natural ecosystems that depend on nitrate conversion into amino acids in their leaves are likely to be at à competitive disadvantage to those species that are either able to convert nitrate into amino acids in their roots or use ammonium as their predominant nitrogen source. This may result in significant changes in the distribution of plants in the wild as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, he suggested.

(Eurekalert, February 4)

top

International Climate Change NEWS

9. Analysisng GHG Market Promises

Despite the highly charged rhetoric swirling around the debates as to which system is best, some truths emerge: Greenhouse gas concentrations are rising, the earthús climate is changing, human interference can be regulated, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, consumers prefer environmentally aware companies.

The planet population is expected to soar to over 10 billion by 2050 with 90% of the growth occurring in the developing world. Demands for energy are on the rise and the challenge of balancing economic stress with environmental consequences will only fuel the debate.

The emissions market is presently without rules or infrastructure, but companies are finding ways to sell their emission reductions. In order to provide real environmental benefits, à trading system must have mechanisms for verification, reporting and accountability. At the same time, the systems must be designed to be as efficient as possible to result in cost effective reductions. The benefits of GHG trading are too many and varied to be ignored.

Working in tandem with provisions of the Protocol, trading systems would promote ratification of global compliance with Kyoto by making reductions less costly, providing incentives to reduce emissions below target levels and slashing the cost of reducing GHG by allowing the marketplace to identify the most cost effective reductions.

These factors, combined with the rapid pace of today’s trading systems, would serve to quicken the pace at which countries address climate change by creating an emissions market, while fostering the development of new technologies that further reduce emissions.

( by Al Massey, Eeyforenergy, January 24)

top

10. EU Parliament Goes For Environmental Resolutions, With Kyoto Support

Members of the European parliament voted early February by à huge majority of 540 to four with ten abstentions to support EU ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

Under the EU treaty the European parliament has only limited "consultation" powers over the ratification instrument, and in any case the proposal is likely to receive à similar welcome from ministers when they debate it at next monthús environment council. But the parliament resolution accompanying the vote called for more co-decision power in agreeing future EU commitments to deeper cuts in greenhouse gases.

On an adjacent topic, the parliament also adopted without amendment à ministerial common position from last March on an EU directive imposing curbs on air pollution from two and three-wheeled motor vehicles. The law will now enter force as foreseen in that agreement - with vehicles subject to stricter emission limits for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from 2003.

In another vote the parliament also passed à European Commission proposal to add 25 newly classified carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic chemicals to the list of outlawed substances under the 1976 marketing and use directive. They also called for the ban under that law to be extended to include listed substances when they are used in finished consumer products. Currently the ban only applies to chemicals sold individually or in preparations.

(Environment Daily, February 6)

top

11. Buying GHG Credits Could Be Costly for Canada

OTTAWA - Canadians could end up spending $1-billion to $4.5-billion à year to buy credits from foreign countries to meet greenhouse gas emission targets set out in the Kyoto Agreement, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says in à new report on the costs of fighting climate change.

Rick Hyndman, Cappús senior policy advisor on climate change, said the purchase of credits from other countries such as Russia, Ukraine and the Third World will be necessary to close the gap between Canadaús ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the Kyoto targets. Mr. Hyndman presented the new numbers at à climate and energy conference in Toronto.

The Kyoto deal calls for industrial countries like Canada to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 5% below what they were in 1990. Even using technology and creating greater efficiencies, Canada will still fall short by 100 to 150 megatonnes annually in meeting Kyoto targets, Mr. Hyndmanús report says.

"With à national process that now seems to believe more realistically that it will business as usual -- we want à strong oil and gas sector, we want the economy to continue to grow -- we will probably have to buy credits of 100 to 150 megatonnes", he said. A realistic price for reducing greenhouse gases probably ranges between $10 and $30 à tonne. Thus Canadians will be spending $1-billion to $4.5-billion annually as the price of continued industrial activity.

"I donút think anybody seriously thinks Canada, in that time frame [by 2010, under the Kyoto treaty] can get its emissions down to that level", Mr. Hyndman said. "It would just be an unacceptable economic burden." "We should be setting an objective of what we can reasonably achieve technologically and in the way of energy efficiency. Beyond that, all we can do is cut production and shift industrial production out of Canada to somewhere else. But that doesnút get rid of global emissions, it simply moves them somewhere else", he said.

"Before we decide whether or not we are going to ratify Kyoto -- we need to have à plan that would embody some clear objectives of what weúre going to do and what policy principles we would use to achieve those objectives." One key principle the government could take is to state the agreement will not undermine the competitiveness of industry, Mr. Hyndman said.

Canada has indicated it intends to ratify Kyoto, perhaps as early as this year, although the potential costs to the economy are causing some hesitation and re-consideration.

(Financial Post, Canada, February 6)

top

12. Canada Electric Industry First to Release Climate Change Plan

OTTAWA - The Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) became the first Canadian industrial sector to release à climate change action plan. The plan, called "Electricity and Climate Change: Towards à Sustainable Future", combines à long-term framework with both near- and long-term action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Founded in 1891, CEA represents Canadaús electricity industry. Its members produce 95% of Canadaús electricity, and ensure electricity service to Canadians from coast to coast. The electricity sector accounts for approximately 17 per cent of Canadaús total greenhouse gas emissions.

Major elements of à sustainable electricity policy include:

AN EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE EQUIVALENCE STANDARD: Under à negotiated agreement or covenant between governments and the electricity sector, all participating utilities would reduce the net emission rates from oil and coal- fired thermal units to à specific standard. This performance standard would be achieved by investing in capital equipment or purchasing offsets.

GOVERNMENT POLICY THAT PROMOTES INVESTMENT. Canadaús electrical generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure is in need of significant investment. The CEA is calling on government to review tax structures, regulatory policy and incentive rates for transmission to ensure they reflect the economic lives of assets, environmental requirements and competitive conditions between Canada and the U.s. so there is no disincentive to new private sector investment. The association also proposes that Canada develop à comprehensive program of market mechanisms including the use of emission trading, offsets and carbon sinks irrespective of Canadaús ultimate decision on Kyoto.

NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. The CEA believes the research, development and demonstration of new, affordable, 'clean' technology with the time to deploy the technology in the normal capital turnover cycle is central to meeting the climate change challenge. Those public and private sector technology investments should focus on energy efficiency, emerging low- greenhouse gas generation sources, clean coal and ongoing improvements to the environmental performance of all technologies.

INCREASED ENERGY EFFICIENCY. The CEA proposes that electric companies and governments should partner to augment the effectiveness of their energy efficiency programs.

(Canada Newswire, February 21)

top

13. Sewage Will Be Incinerated In Austria To Cut GHG Emissions

The Austrian government is weighing up the environmental pros and cons of burning sewage sludge in coal-fired power stations before à ban on landfilling of municipal and industrial sludges takes effect in 2004. In à report issued middle January, the environment agency estimates that around 150,000 tonnes dry weight of sludge will need the new disposal route.

Trials are to be held to define more clearly the environmental aspects of the new policy. Information is also being gathered from other countries, especially Germany where à large proportion of the 2.2 million tonnes of sewage sludge produced annually is already burned as fuel, or coincinerated.

The report estimates à 30-60,000 tonne per year cut in net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, though this is less than has been promised by utilities. A more substantial expected cut in landfill methane emissions would bring total greenhouse gas emission savings to around 300,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year.

However, the agency has misgivings about other side effects of large-scale sludge burning. According to an official, solid residues from flue gas cleaning might become too contaminated for current uses in the construction industry to continue. There are also concerns over likely heavy metal emissions to air. According to the official, Austria has no plans to stop spreading sewage sludge on agricultural land, in contrast with à recent announcement by Switzerland.

(Environment Daily, January 22)

top

14. Netherlands Consider Projects From All Over The World

Companies from all over the world have expressed interest in the Dutch Carboncredits.nl program. Through this program the Dutch government buys reductions in CO2 emissions achieved in projects in developing countries. More companies than expected have sent in an expression of interest' in the first submission period.

The projects that have been registered are well distributed over the continents. 33 % are located in Central America, 12 % in South America, 41 % in Asia and 14 percent in Africa. The reduction per project ranges from 47,000 to 8 million tonnes of CO2 eq. The average price per tonne of CO2 eq. is, as expected in the EUR 3-5 range.

Most of the projects (65 %) aim to produce renewable energy, primarily regarding hydroelectricity, biomass or wind. A few projects focus on solar and geothermal energy. There are also projects in the fields of waste processing, energy efficiency and gas turbines.

It is hard to say how many tonnes of CO2 eq. reductions will come out of this number because many of the submissions are not complete, e.g. missing à host country Letter of Endorsement or missing one of the compulsory attachments with the Expression of Interest. As à government tendering authority, Senter will strictly adhere to formal procurement rules. Applicants have been given the opportunity to complete their submissions. Over the coming weeks Senter’s project officers will assess the companies and their projects. They will review whether the companies are sufficiently creditworthy and have enough experience to achieve the proposed reductions. This initial assessment is scheduled for completion at the beginning of May, at which point Senter will invite the selected companies to submit tenders.

(Carboncredits, February 15)

top

15. How The Mankind Combats Global Climate Change

HAVING agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto protocol last year, all western countries are coming up with financial, regulatory, policy and market plans to try to get industry and consumers to use less energy.

Denmark, Norway and the US are giving tax credits to generators of renewable energy and are taxing carbon producers higher. Many countries are raising efficiency standards for new buildings, and are subsidizing car makers to develop more efficient engines.

Japan and Germany are heavily funding solar roofs to stimulate the market for photovoltaics, France is subsidizing energy audits and even giving people personal advice on how to travel less. Japan is funding massive research into renewables.

Many governments, including the US and Britain, are hoping that informal free market ideas such as carbon trading will take off. Four countries are now committed to carbon trading and nine others are hoping to come aboard. The World Bank and the European Union are considering adopting it or encouraging the schemes.

Some countries are doing much better than others. Apart from Belgium, Britain has by far the lowest target for renewable energies. Within eight years, it intends to generate 10% of its electricity from sources that will never run out. Yet by then, largely through the use of wind and hydroelectric power, Austria is committed to having 78% of renewable energy electricity, Sweden 60%, Portugal 39%, Finland, Spain and Denmark over 25%. Iceland, rich in thermal energy, has become the first country in the world committed to what they call à hydrogen economy and wants to extract electricity from water.

Meanwhile, business is becoming more aware that if it does not reduce its profligate energy use, it will face legislation from governments. Many have entered voluntary agreements, roughly along the lines of governments' commitments at Kyoto. BP is committed to spending $100m à year on using less, Shell will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 109% on 1990 levels by the end of this year, Dupont says it will hit 65% by 2010. Other industries are preparing targets and timetables.

(BY JOHN VIDAL The Guardian, January 29)

top

16. Russia Invites the U.s. to Cooperate with the World

Moscow welcomes the steps taken by the USA to find solutions to the problem of greenhouse gases emission, the ITAR-TASS correspondent was told today at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We share the US administrationús concern over the state of affairs in this area, and it was therefore with great interest that we studied George Bushús initiative aimed at preventing global climate changes", à spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry noted. The spokesman stressed that Russia was "interested in continuing dialogue and developing cooperation with the American side on all aspects of these issues".

At the same time the Russian Foreign Ministry believes that "Measures aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases will be more effective if integrated in the coordinated efforts of the international community" to resolve the problem of global climate changes. In this context, the Russian side has expressed its hope "for more active cooperation by the USA with other countries in the framework of the Kyoto process."

(BBC Monitoring, February 20)

top

17. Researchers Hunt for the “Unknown Sink”

A multinational research group led by atmospheric scientists at Colorado State University has uncovered new information regarding the Earthús carbon dioxide sources and sinks.

Sixteen leading research teams in carbon transport modeling from the United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia are working on the project.

The group is completing à three-year study aimed at helping to resolve à controversy concerning the mysterious removal of à large amount of carbon dioxide from the Earthús atmosphere known as the missing sink.
In recent years, the missing sink has partially offset the large amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the Earthús atmosphere. "Something on land in the Northern Hemisphere is sucking up carbon", said Kevin Gurney, lead author of the paper and à research associate at Colorado State. "This missing sink is not à new phenomenon, but where it is and how it works has long remained à mystery. Unraveling this mystery is essential if we are to reliably predict future levels of carbon dioxide build-up and the resultant global warming."

The project research team agrees with previous reports that there is à large carbon dioxide sink on land in the Northern Hemisphere. However, contrary to à recent, widely cited study, the group does not believe the sink is entirely in North America. "Our research found carbon uptake over the Northern Hemisphere continents distributed relatively evenly across North America, Europe and temperate Asia", said à group member. "We found the North American sink approximately 60 percent of the size suggested in the earlier study, as well as other large carbon sinks in Europe and Asia."

Another teams conclusion suggests the southern ocean, long considered by oceanographers to be à massive carbon sink, is not as large as what has been suggested.

The research team additionally forwarded two conclusions that could improve future research into carbon dioxide sources and absorption. First, prioritizing where and how to make more measurements needs to be à priority when studying the tropics due to à lack of data in those areas. Second, for more accurately studying the Northern Hemisphere, efforts need to be focused on improving scientific air-flow transport models.

(International Science News, February 11)

top

18. Our Future Depends on Each of Us

Global warming is arguably the biggest environmental problem that we face in the 21st century. The scientific consensus is that human activity is altering the planetús climate. Reports from the International Panel on Climate Change have made it clear that the warming atmosphere will cause dramatic changes that will affect every corner of the earth.

More frequent and extreme weather events can be expected, including floods, heat waves, windstorms, droughts and disruption in water supplies. As à result, serious diseases like malaria and yellow fever will spread. Natural resource industries such as agriculture, fishing and forestry will be impacted. As polar ice caps melt and sea levels rise, entire island nations will disappear. Coastal flooding will leave hundreds of thousands homeless – mostly in poor, developing countries.

While governments attempt to make some progress toward mitigating the impacts of global warming, corporations are beginning to view climate change as à business opportunity. Increasing energy prices are forcing companies to look at ways to cut consumption and new energy technologies are promising to open up business markets for innovative companies.

Car giants Toyota and Honda have invested heavily in producing hybrid cars that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and corporations like IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Polaroid have all committed to reducing their carbon dioxide emissions well below the Kyoto target.

Individually, we can also make à difference. Carbon dioxide emissions from human activity are the largest source of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. The average American is responsible for about 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, à far greater volume per capita than that of any other industrialized country.

Switching to fuel-efficient vehicles, installing energy efficient lighting and purchasing newer, more efficient appliances are all ways that we cut carbon dioxide emissions and fuel the economy. Changing our every day habits can also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Slowing down when we drive, car pooling, cycling or taking public transit to work are all ways to reduce our consumption of fuel fuels. Recycling saves 70 to 90 percent of the energy and pollution – including CO2 - used to created virgin materials. Planting trees around your home can cut cooling costs by up to 40 percent, further reducing our energy needs.

These are all small steps, but collectively they can have à significant impact. Our future depends on it.

(by Suzanne Elston, Environmental news network )


Edited by – Maria Ogorodnyk, Volodymyr Esipenko

For comments and suggestions regarding upcoming newsletter materials please contact us at:
tel. : (38044) 253-0708, 253-7663, 253-5177
fax: (38044) 253-5068
Å-mail: office@climate.org.ua

The Climate Change Initiative is à USAID funded project to provide technical assistance and training in climate change administration, technical methods, project preparation and consensus building