This document summarizes a presentation on environmental and energy policy. It discusses improvements in air quality over recent decades due to technology and regulations. However, it argues that some current policies under the Obama administration impose high costs for little benefit. The document advocates increasing development of domestic energy resources like oil, natural gas and coal to boost supply and lower costs. It is critical of subsidies for renewable energy and arguments for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Fossil fuel divestment and the end of the carbon development paradigm: David ...leavesoflanguage
Presentation at the Climate-Proofing South African Retirement Funds event - 1 August 2019. For details of these events, please visit www.fossilfreesa.org.za.
Mining as an activity has a huge detrimental impact on environment is an undisputable fact. To ensure that this highly profitable commercial venture remain sustainable in the long term, it is vital that the mining companies monitor their environmental impact, report it publically in a transparent manner and take all the necessary steps to mitigate the impact and help restore the environment.
In such an environmentally deteriorating business, it is imperative that diamond miners take responsibility of their enterprising actions and help restore the damage caused to environment, starting with implementing good Environment Management Systems (EMS) and becoming ISO 14001 compliant, which currently only 35% of diamond mines are.
Considering the alarming impact on environment, if no radical changes are made to the existing diamond mining practices it will become utterly difficult to save our planet (forget about spreading the emotions of love and romance)!!
Greenhouse Gas Regulations: Advising Clients in an Uncertain Legal EnvironmentDave Scriven-Young
Presentation to the Chicago Bar Association concerning efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change by Congress, the international community, U.S. federal agencies, and the courts.
Fossil fuel divestment and the end of the carbon development paradigm: David ...leavesoflanguage
Presentation at the Climate-Proofing South African Retirement Funds event - 1 August 2019. For details of these events, please visit www.fossilfreesa.org.za.
Mining as an activity has a huge detrimental impact on environment is an undisputable fact. To ensure that this highly profitable commercial venture remain sustainable in the long term, it is vital that the mining companies monitor their environmental impact, report it publically in a transparent manner and take all the necessary steps to mitigate the impact and help restore the environment.
In such an environmentally deteriorating business, it is imperative that diamond miners take responsibility of their enterprising actions and help restore the damage caused to environment, starting with implementing good Environment Management Systems (EMS) and becoming ISO 14001 compliant, which currently only 35% of diamond mines are.
Considering the alarming impact on environment, if no radical changes are made to the existing diamond mining practices it will become utterly difficult to save our planet (forget about spreading the emotions of love and romance)!!
Greenhouse Gas Regulations: Advising Clients in an Uncertain Legal EnvironmentDave Scriven-Young
Presentation to the Chicago Bar Association concerning efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change by Congress, the international community, U.S. federal agencies, and the courts.
7. CHANGES IN AMBIENT AND
EMISSIONS LEVELS
Ambient Emissions
Pollutant Ambient Emissions
Carbon Monoxide (CO) -79% -58%
Ozone* (O3) -28% -49%
Lead (Pb) -92% -96%
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) -52% -40%
Particulates (PM10) -38% -46%
Fine Particulates -21% -36%
(PM2.5)
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) -83% -56%
* The emission measure here is volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a principal
ozone precursor
Source: EPA
8. AIR QUALITY SUCCESSES
• The improvement in air quality is the greatest
public policy success story of the last generation.
• Almost the entire country has achieved clean air
standards for four of the six criteria pollutants,
with exception of ozone and particulates.
• With ozone and particulates, the areas of the
nation with the highest pollution levels have
shown the greatest improvement.
9. AIR QUALITY SUCCESSES
• The chief factor—technology.
• Regulations also play important role in
innovations, but many are result of market
forces and economic growth.
• EPA’s computer models predict 60% decline in
emissions from cars and trucks over next 20
years from fleet turnover.
10. OBAMA’S EPA
• GHG Regulations—have to use commercially
unavailable carbon capture technology.
• Mercury and Air Toxics Rule (Utility MACT)
and Cross State Air Pollution Rule
• New Ozone Standards--$90 billion in costs and
would force 450 counties into non-attainment
• Boiler MACT.
12. OBAMA’S EPA
• Costs too high for little or no benefit.
• EPA applies “No-Threshold” Standard—all
emissions cause health effects at any level.
• Should use “health-based” standard,
recognizes that a level exists below which
exposure does not pose health risk.
13. ENERGY POLICY
• According to the Congressional Research
Service, U.S. has most fossil fuel resources of
any country, but most of these resources are
off-limits due to federal policies.
• Our energy resources, along with expected
future discoveries, have been calculated to
last us 400 years at current usage rates.
15. ENERGY POLICY
• Restrictions on development of oil, natural gas, and coal
have created energy shortage over last 40 years.
• Obama’s/EPA’s War on Coal: “What I’ve said is that we
would put a cap and trade system in place that is as
aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else’s out
there. So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant,
they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re
going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas
that’s being emitted.”
• “Somehow we have to figure out a way to boost the price
of gasoline to levels in Europe.” [$9-$11/gal.] Steven Chu—
Secretary of Energy
16. ENERGY POLICY
• Obama rescinded Bush executive order
permitting drilling on continental shelf.
• Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar cancelled oil
and gas leases on federal lands.
• Restricted offshore drilling leases.
• Made more federal land designated
wilderness areas and off limits.
• Blocked Keystone Pipeline.
18. NATURAL GAS
• Natural gas production is booming on state
and private lands, but total production on
federal land has fallen more than 30 percent
over the last decade.
• Proportion of gas produced on federal land
has fallen from 35 percent in 2003 to just
above 20 percent today.
• Fracking regulations after election?
22. ENERGY SUBSIDIES
• Total federal subsidies in 2010 were :
• For solar power, $775.64 per megawatt hour
• Wind $56.29
• Nuclear $3.14
• Hydroelectric power $0.82
• Coal $0.64
• Natural gas and petroleum liquids $0.64.
• Electricity costs around $100 per megawatt hour
24. THE MYTH OF “GREEN JOBS”
• 2011 study by the Brookings Institution—more
green jobs, 2.7 million (Clean Economy), than
jobs in fossil fuel industry, 2.4 million.
• 24,294 jobs in wind power (0.9%) and 24,152
jobs in solar power (0.89%).
• Two largest categories of “green jobs” are Waste
Management and Treatment (386,116) and Public
Mass Transit (350,547) (27% of total). Organic
Food and Farming adds 129,956.
25. 80 BY 50
• To meet greenhouse gas stability target—80%
reduction in CO2 emissions by the year 2050 by
the whole world.
• Reduce fossil fuel use in U.S. to 1910 level, when
country had population of 92 million, and was
about 2% of today’s economy.
• By 2050 U.S. will have 400 million people—
meeting emissions reduction target means per
capita emissions would be 2.4 tons of CO2.
• Haiti? Somalia?
26. ENVIRO CRIMES
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
• “Chemophobia”; led to ban of DDT in late
1960s.
• Complete ban unnecessary; contributed to
deaths of millions from malaria in developing
world.
• Never a human carcinogen; damage to wildlife
can be mitigated through careful use.
27. ENVIRO CRIMES
• WHO/ NYT editorial page have called for
reintroduction of DDT in the developing
world.
• Use of DDT eradicated malaria in U.S.
• Why deny the developing world the same
tools?
28. ENVIRO CRIMES
• NYT’s Tina Rosenberg 2004 article “What the
World Needs Now Is DDT”
• Rosenberg: “In her 297 pages, Rachel Carson
never mentioned the fact that by the time she
was writing, DDT was responsible for saving tens
of millions of lives, perhaps hundreds of
millions.”
• “DDT killed bald eagles because of its persistence
in the environment. Silent Spring is now killing
African children because of its persistence in the
public mind.”
29. ENVIRO CRIMES
• WHO: between 250,000 to 500,000 children
become blind every year due to vitamin A
deficiency, half die within a year of becoming
blind.
• Golden Rice—genetically modified form of rice
that contains beta-carotene. BC is converted to
vitamin A; important for eyesight, immune
system, and general good health.
• Developed in 1998; numerous studies show
golden rice can eliminate vitamin A deficiency.
30. ENVIRO CRIMES
• Greenpeace and its allies have successfully
blocked the introduction of golden rice,
claiming it may have “environmental and
health risks.” Pandora’s Box! Trojan Horse!
• Greenpeace co-founder Dr. Patrick Moore
called it “Greenpeace's Crime Against
Humanity.”
Editor's Notes
PM 1985-2008 and 1999-2008
Iconic book for the modern environmental movement;