A Race Against Time: Kick off Climate Week and spotlight the global choice on climate by watching (and sharing) A Race Against Time – a six-minute short featuring Years of Living Dangerously correspondents Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gisele Bündchen, Harrison Ford and others on locations all over the world highlighting the urgency of climate change action.
Momentum Builds Ahead of Climate Week: United Nation officials expressed confidence that the Paris Agreement would enter into force by the end of 2016, with 20 countries expected to join the deal at a September 21 UN event. European Union leaders also announced over the weekend that all members stand ready to ratify the agreement “as soon as possible” with a possible fast-track approval occurring by October 7. On the refugee crisis, all eyes are now on Tuesday’s summit by President Obama, with its own climate component (the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants’ draft declarationrecognizes that climate change creates refugees). (News: Guardian, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Bloomberg, Climate Home, Irish Times, AP , NPR, Washington Post $, BusinessGreen $, AP. Commentary: Huffington Post, Morgan Johansson op-ed; Guardian, Alexander Betts op-ed; GreenBiz, Noah Deich op-ed)
Report: Most States Suing Over CPP On Track to Meet Goals: Most of the states that have challenged the Clean Power Plan in court as being too strict already appear on track to meet the rule’s early emissions targets. While the Obama administration’s climate rule faces an appeals court this month to decide its fate, states such as Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Dakota have been aided by changes in the power market and favorable policies towards clean energy. The full US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear oral arguments over the case on September 27. (Reuters)
MA Gov. Orders Carbon Caps: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, signed an executive order directing officials to establish caps on greenhouse gas emissions along with a statewide adaptation plan by next summer. The order follows a court ruling that held Massachusetts had not done enough to meet its carbon reduction goals. A new studyprojects that the number of below-freezing days in the state could decline by two-thirds to just 20 by the year 2050. (News: Boston Globe, Politico Pro $, AP, WBUR, State House News Service. Commentary: Daily Hampshire Gazette editorial)
Relief for Existing NV Home Solar: Nevada regulators approved a deal to grandfather existing 32,000 rooftop solar customers under original, more favorable rates for 20 years. The settlement between NV Energy, SolarCity and the Public Utilities Commission does not roll back the higher charges for future home solar users. The decision coincided with a State District Court ruling that overturned the PUC’s rate hike for existing solar customers. (Bloomberg, Greentech Media, UtilityDive, Forbes, Motley Fool, Las Vegas Now, Las Vegas Review-Journal, PV-Tech, Reuters) |