Complete list of press releases

(COLUMBUS, OHIO—April 11, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund Senior Policy Advisor for US Climate and Energy Program, Scott Anderson, responds to Ohio’s decision today to enact tougher conditions to limit hydraulic fracturing activities near faults after recently reported earthquakes.

“EDF commends Ohio for putting public safety first. The steps announced today to protect communities from seismic events are reasonable precautions. Although there is much uncertainty regarding what causes earthquakes and how dangerous small and medium quakes may be—and therefore this is a policy that may well evolve in the future—the state’s decisive action is based on the best information available. This approach should serve the citizens well.”

 

(Baton Rouge, LA – April 10, 2014) The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, an appointed body of state and federal fishery managers for the region’s federal fisheries, voted in favor of an emergency measure today that will limit the recreational red snapper season to 11 days with a two fish per day, per angler limit. This decision comes after a federal judge ruled the current management of the recreational fishery illegal. 

The Council faced a May 15, 2014 deadline by the court to adopt adequate “accountability measures” that must ensure the recreational fishery will not exceed its harvest limit. According to its own data, the failed recreational management policies implemented by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Council led to overharvesting of red snapper during six of the last seven recreational fishing seasons. The shortening of the 2014 season is a result of the Council applying a buffer to ensure that landings remain within the fishery’s sustainable limit. 

“As the overfished red snapper population rebuilds, it is important for the Council to keep the fishery within a sustainable limit set by scientists. We can understand the time limits the Council faced for the 2014 season, but closures and limited seasons are never going to work, they haven’t worked for years, and it is time for the Council to step up,” said Pamela Baker, Gulf of Mexico Director for Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans program. “The Council needs to examine new ideas that can give anglers the flexibility to fish year-round and for-hire businesses the freedom to take customers out for red snapper when it makes sense for them – and do all of this while conserving the red snapper population for generations to come.”

The Council’s vote will need to be approved by the Secretary of Commerce in order to take effect for the 2014 season, which is set to start on June 1^st.  A decision today by the state of Louisiana to adopt a year-round recreational fishing season in state waters, a move that will make the state fishery inconsistent with federal regulations, will likely decrease the length of the red snapper season even further.

“Until the Council adopts long-term solutions to the shortened seasons recreational fishermen are facing, this chaos will continue throughout the Gulf,” said Baker.

The red snapper fishery faced this kind of turmoil in the commercial sector several years ago before implementing a year-round individual fishing quota program that has kept commercial fishermen within their sustainable limit since 2007.  “It is time for the Council to overhaul management as it did when it fixed the commercial fishery.  There is no reason to continue the chaos and economic and ecological waste of the current system,” said Baker. “This outdated and misguided approach directly prevents recreational fishermen from reaping benefits of the rebuilding red snapper fishery, like longer and more predictable seasons.”

There were positive steps made this week by the Council through its support of a pilot project for Alabama charter for-hire operators. The pilot would test an allocation-based management program for charter for-hire boats that is similar to a pilot already underway with 17 headboat operators in Florida, Alabama and Texas. The Council also moved forward in developing an individual fishing quota management plan for the Gulf’s recreational for-hire fleet. This would be a permanent management change using a similar approach to both of these pilots.

“Fixing management for the recreational for-hire industry should remain a priority for the Council.  These pilots and the proposed management plan are important steps toward solving the problems facing anglers in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Baker. “The Council should apply this same urgency to fixing failed management for the entire recreational fishery.”

Unfortunately, the Council took a step back by continuing to pursue the distraction of Amendment 28, a proposal that would take a portion of the commercial red snapper fishery and give it to the recreational fishery. The Council voted by a one-vote margin to attach must-pass accountability measures to Amendment 28.  This move was a clear attempt to force support for a controversial reallocation scheme that is opposed by every restaurant association in the Gulf as well as the National Restaurant Association, many fishermen, seafood businesses, and Environmental Defense Fund.   

“The Council needs to move beyond the distraction of reallocation and focus on management changes that can actually improve fishing for recreational fishermen,” said Baker. “Management changes like tags and for-hire quota programs could provide longer seasons and better fishing opportunities while conserving fish populations for future generations.  Reallocation will do none of these things over the long-term.”

The next meeting of the council will take place June 23 through 27 in Key West, Florida. Further debate on new management ideas for recreational fishermen, reallocation of red snapper, and other issues will likely be on the agenda. 

(AUSTIN, Texas – April 4, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund today applauded Ohio Governor John Kasich and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for adopting nationally leading requirements to reduce air pollution from oil and gas operations. The rules target so-called fugitive emissions (leaking valves, connectors and other equipment) at unconventional oil and gas well sites.

Ohio is the third major oil-and-gas producing state in recent months to adopt policies requiring operators to perform regular inspections to pinpoint equipment leaks and quickly repair them. When left unaddressed, fugitive emissions can be a major source of smog-forming VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas.

“This is just the latest example of leadership from the Kasich administration in minimizing risk around oil and gas development. It reflects a fast-growing recognition that, if we’re going to develop this resource, we have to do it right. It’s essential we maintain an unblinking vigilance in driving down harmful emissions,” said EDF President Fred Krupp.

Under the Ohio policy, operators will be required to scan all the equipment at a well site on a quarterly basis using an infrared camera or other hydrocarbon detection device. A first attempt at fixing any found leaks must be made within five days, and operators will be required to submit detailed leak detection and repair reports to state regulators on an annual basis. The Ohio program comes on the heels of similar programs being rolled out in Colorado and Wyoming.

“This is what leadership looks like,” said Matt Watson, national director of state programs for EDF’s natural gas work. “There are parts of the policy we would have written differently, but this unquestionably puts Ohio among the national leaders in tackling fugitive emissions.”

 

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 3, 2014) Environmental Defense Fund and five oil and natural gas companies are calling all engineers and technology developers to submit a proposal for the Methane Detectors Challenge. A collaborative between industry and environmental groups, this competition is designed to invent next-generation technologies that will ultimately help reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations. Methane emissions are both an economic and environmental challenge for the oil and natural gas industry. There is a market need for cost-effective technologies that provide continuous detection of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that can escape to the atmosphere during production, transportation and delivery of natural gas. The goal is to spur development and commercial marketability of cutting-edge, new technologies that could detect methane emissions, and make it easier for oil and natural gas companies to rapidly find and fix leaks.

The Methane Detectors Challenge offers technology developers a unique opportunity to have their innovation undergo rigorous, independent testing, at no cost, in Southwest Research Institute’s state-of-the-art laboratory in Texas. The most promising technologies, that meet required specifications, will advance to pilot field trials at facilities run by many of the participating companies. Recent scientific studies and analyses point to the environmental and economic value that can be derived from improved methane detection, and the collaborators anticipate a growth opportunity in the technology market for solutions that deliver rapid leak detection. 

“Apache is committed to expanding the use of natural gas as a replacement for less environmentally friendly fuels. Achieving this goal will require the support and confidence of all stakeholders,” said Jon. A. Graham, Apache Corporation’s vice president of health, safety, security and environment. “But we know there is more work to do in order to be good stewards of this resource. Apache is participating in this effort because we believe tapping innovators to help create tomorrow’s advances is another way industry can help meet this challenge.”

Apache joins companies BG Group, Hess Corporation, Noble Energy and Southwestern Energy in this effort to help catalyze new technology for continuous methane detection of oil and natural gas operations. A group of representatives from EDF and each company will select the technologies to be tested by Southwest Research Institute, one of the largest and most prestigious, independent applied research organizations in the country. The group will be advised by independent experts from Clean Air Task Force, Harvard University and the University of Houston, in addition to others. In 2015, EDF and the five oil and natural gas companies will select the top performing technologies that met required specifications during field tests for trial deployments and pilot purchases in the U.S. and abroad.

“The Methane Detectors Challenge presents a tremendous opportunity for innovative and environmentally conscious engineers and scientists,” says Chuck Kolb, President of Aerodyne Research. “Not only is this a chance to test their innovations in a well-controlled setting and receive practical feedback on real-world deployment, the Challenge may accelerate technology that will have positive global impacts on our current and future environment, economy and energy supply.”

Natural gas is an abundant energy resource that offers promise from a climate perspective. When burned, natural gas produces about half the carbon dioxide of coal, and far fewer conventional pollutants. However, the cleaner-burning advantage of natural gas can be undermined by equipment that vents or leaks methane, the primary ingredient in natural gas and a powerful greenhouse gas if it reaches the atmosphere. Reducing methane emissions is important to ensuring that the potential climate advantage of natural gas is not lost. Industry, academic and government technical authorities agree that cost-effective, dependable detection technologies can promote meaningful reductions in methane emissions.

“EDF initiated this Methane Detectors Challenge to jumpstart the market in finding solutions that could cut emission detection time from months to minutes,” said Ben Ratner, manager in the EDF natural gas program. “We’re collaborating with leading companies, researchers, and other experts because we all see the promise of unlocking emerging technology to help the climate in a big way.” 

Full details on the Methane Detectors Challenge, including the Request for Proposal and downloadable Application Form, can be found at www.edf.org/methanedetectors

“The Climate Credit is a perfect example of climate policy working for every Californian – from their wallets to the health of their communities. Today’s announcement is a direct result of statewide action to fight climate change, cut pollution, and help California usher in a clean-energy economy.  We must continue to unlock opportunities that provide people with cleaner, cheaper energy and educate Californians on the vital role they can play in achieving a low-carbon future. When everyone does their part, everyone benefits.”

- Lauren Navarro, California Senior Manager, Clean Energy, Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – March 31, 2014) The just-released report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that climate change is now affecting every part of the Earth, and that both mitigation and adaptation will be necessary for a sustainable future.

The report is IPCC’s latest comprehensive look at climate change research. Like all IPCC reports, it is the result of hundreds of scientists around the world who volunteered their time for the project – including EDF’s own Senior Scientist Rebecca Shaw. She is a Lead Author of Chapter 16, Adaptation, Opportunities, Constraints and Limits.

“It’s not a choice between cutting emissions and building resilience anymore. We need to do both, and we need to do them fast,” said Shaw, who is also a Contributing Author for Chapter 4, Terrestrial and Inland Water Systems, and an author of the technical summary, which synthesizes the report’s 30 chapters.

The IPCC has been publishing assessment reports on climate change since 1990. This is the Working Group 2, Fifth Assessment Report. It focuses on the worldwide impacts of climate change on people, species and ecosystems, on our vulnerability to climate change, and on adaptation.

The final report was released just hours ago, after having been approved by representatives from 195 nations. (You can find the report and all related documents here.)

Here are some of the most striking findings:

• The impacts of climate change are now everywhere. They have been found on every continent and in all oceans.
• The impacts are widespread, unequivocal, consequential and growing – for both people and nature.
• Confronting climate change is now an issue of managing risks, and those risks are greater if we continue to pollute the atmosphere.
• Both adaptation (dealing with the direct effects of climate changes) and mitigation (reducing emissions to prevent further changes) are essential to climate policy.
• Climate change will increasingly negatively affect global agriculture, food prices and water supplies.
• Climate change will increase the frequency and severity of many types of extreme weather, and will cause increased risks from sea-level rise.  
• Major increases in health problems are likely, including more food and water-borne diseases.
• Climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’ and poses an increasing threat to peace and security in the world. (This is the first time the IPCC has addressed the link between climate change and violence.)

The report does offer some hope as well.

“We found that individuals, communities, businesses and governments around the world are innovating adaptation actions, plans and policies,” said Shaw. “We’re also working to improve the health of our ecosystems, and healthy ecosystems can — and should — be our front line of defense against the worst climate change impacts.”

The report also identified countless opportunities for adaptation planning and implementation around the globe to address major risks to food security, water resources, human health, ecosystems, and the economy.

“The good news is that we can accomplish both of these goals,” said EDF climate scientist Ilissa Ocko. “Improving energy efficiency, using cleaner energy sources, greening cities, and recycling water all build resilience while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions.”

(You can read more about our efforts to fight climate change and our work to protect ecosystems on EDF’s website.)

The next IPCC report, which will focus on ways to stop warming, is expected to be released on April 14^th.

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 28, 2014) The White House today announced its Interagency Methane Strategy, which outlines a series of steps and a timeline that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Departments of Energy and Interior will follow to reduce emissions of this potent greenhouse gas and threat to public health. The announcement is an important step that follows through on President Obama’s June 25 creation of a task force charged with developing a comprehensive plan to control methane from multiple sectors, including the oil and gas sector — the largest industrial source of methane pollution in the United States. EDF experts will hold a teleconference today at 2:15pm Eastern to comment on the new strategy. For call-in information, see below.

“This announcement is the most recent development in a year where both the impacts and solutions from methane emissions have come into clearer focus, creating new momentum for action. Methane pollution is an intense contributor to global climate change, and the White House methane strategy is  a smart roadmap for taking on the biggest sources of emissions, including natural gas leaks from the oil and gas sector,” said Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund.

Krupp added, “This strategy has the potential to deliver the federal regulatory oversight that is needed to complement state efforts and make sure that all of the oil and gas industry meets basic, commonsense standards to deploy readily available technologies. The most important work of turning this strategy into action lies ahead, but we are confident that the case for action is strong and will prove out in the end.

“A federal strategy to reduce venting, flaring, and leaks of natural gas is good for the environment and good for national energy security. We have the cost effective solutions. Now it’s imperative we employ these to stop wasting natural gas. A federal policy that establishes a  level playing field will ensure that all of industry does its part to reduce pollution and waste at a time when making the most of domestic energy resources is critically important. This is a challenge where both federal and state action is needed,” said Krupp.

Why Methane Matters

The White House announcement comes at time of heightened awareness of methane’s role in global climate change. More than one-third of today’s human-caused global warming comes from highly potent, short-lived climate pollutants that include methane, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This special class of greenhouse gas and aerosol pollution (which also includes black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs) contributes to extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and more intense storms. And these emissions are on the rise. IPCC data suggests that about 30 percent of the warming we will experience over the next two decades as a result of this year’s greenhouse gas emissions will come from methane.

The last six months have brought an improved scientific understanding of methane emissions from the oil and natural gas supply chain. Four major scientific studies, some of which EDF was a partner and in others where we have been a supportive observer, have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, all emphasizing the critical need to reduce emissions. EDF initiated an extensive and collaborative scientific project in 2012 to better understand from where and how much methane is lost across today’s U.S. natural gas supply chain. Additional studies within this series will be completed and submitted for scientific peer-review in 2014.

This announcement is also the most recent development in a year where both the challenges and solutions from methane emissions are beginning to crystalize. In February, Colorado adopted the nation’s strictest oil and gas air pollution rules that for the first time directly regulate methane. This month, ICF International released an economic analysis that shows companies can reduce methane emissions by 40 percent over the next five years for less than a penny per thousand cubic feet of gas produced, saving enough gas to cook more than 10 billion home cooked dinners. The ICF analysis also found that 90 percent of the reduction opportunity for industry comes from existing sources, where current EPA regulations only focus on new sources and a limited subset of all oil and gas activity.

EDF has been working since 2010 to reduce the environmental impacts associated with unconventional oil and gas development, including water and local air pollution, harm to ecosystems, communities and public health, and the climate impact of methane emissions. Learn more about EDF’s natural gas work here.

EDF Media Call on New Federal Methane Strategy

On Friday, March 28 at 2:15pm Eastern, Mark Brownstein, Associate Vice President and Chief Counsel of EDF’s US Climate & Energy Program, and Jeremy Symons, EDF Senior Director, Climate Policy, will comment on the new White House Interagency Methane Strategy. To attend the call dial 1-800-755-1805. 

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially listed the lesser prairie-chicken as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act.

“It’s a sad day when a species has to get listed. The bright spot is that the service has opened the door to innovative approaches for species conservation, as demonstrated by its commitment to range-wide planning. By sharing the responsibility for species protection with the states and private landowners, the Service has increased the potential for recovery of the lesser prairie-chicken. This is a big evolution in how the Act gets implemented.

“We believe more can, and should, be done to engage private landowners. I am hopeful that through modern species conservation measures like habitat exchanges currently under consideration with the service, we can meet the challenge of feeding and fueling a growing population without harming the planet in the process.”

(WASHINGTON – March 27, 2014) The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled in favor of a group of Gulf of Mexico commercial fishermen in a case against the Department of Commerce over its long-standing mismanagement of the region’s prized red snapper fishery.

Below is a statement from Pamela Baker, Director of the Gulf of Mexico region for the Environmental Defense Fund’s Oceans Program:

“The court’s ruling in the Guindon v. Pritzker case confirms that federal management of the Gulf’s red snapper recreational fishery is broken and punishes sportsmen and the local seafood industry alike. After years of short and unpredictable fishing seasons, which frustrate anglers and allow too many fish to be killed, the judge decided that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) violated the law and failed to pursue management options that can work better and ensure continued recovery of the red snapper population.

“Several years ago commercial red snapper fishermen faced similar frustrations with NMFS’ broken regulations. A successful overhaul of commercial fisheries management has helped keep red snapper in seafood counters year-round, while fishermen comply with limits and contribute to conservation. The court’s decision makes crystal clear that the time is now for similar transformational change in management of the recreational sector.

“The way to avoid shorter recreational seasons and ensure long-term conservation is for the agency to roll up its sleeves, bring together Gulf fisheries stakeholders, and immediately start work to overhaul recreational management. NMFS should now lead a process to guide stakeholders, potentially engaging credible mediators if necessary, toward a common vision and practical solutions that benefit fishermen, communities and the fish population.

“The good news is that countless reform ideas have already been put forward by Gulf anglers, conservationists, charter captains, seafood providers and others. EDF is committed to playing its part to make those ideas a reality. A ‘business as usual’ response to this judgment—one that keeps a discredited management system in place and further shortens the recreational season—would represent a complete failure to learn the real lessons of the ruling.”

Additional summary and analysis on the ruling:

On using short seasons to manage the fishery: The federal fisheries law (the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) section 407(d)) requires the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to set and enforce recreational and commercial fish landing quotas and manage them for the public benefit. For the recreational fishery, NMFS’s misguided system uses ever-shorter seasons to control landings, which fail year after year and frustrate fishermen. Judge Rothstein concluded that the 2013 recreational red snapper seasons violated the law, noting that NMFS does not have “a license to engage in Einstein’s definition of folly – doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

On using the best scientific information: Judge Rothstein held that NMFS’ decision to disregard recent and improved data in favor of projections could not be squared with National Standard 2, which requires the agency to use the best available science. The court concluded that “‘Superior or contrary data’ is precisely what NMFS ignored” in this case.

On long-term conservation: NMFS defied National Standard 4, according to Judge Rothstein: “When an agency blinds itself to the high likelihood that its actions will cause overharvesting, the Court cannot characterize those actions as reasonably calculated to promote conservation” as required by law. The court also declared that NMFS’ reliance on “a dogged belief that somehow 2013 would be different than previous years defies logic” and did not meet statutory standards.

(March 27, 2014) Today, policymakers, water agencies and conservation organizations from the United States and Mexico are gathered at Morelos Dam, which straddles the U.S.–Mexico border, to witness the Colorado River “pulse flow,” and to celebrate the culmination of years of negotiations to restore the Colorado River Delta.

The pulse flow – a temporary release of water designed to mimic the river’s natural spring floods – began on Sunday, March 23, when the gates at Morelos Dam were opened to begin releasing 105,392 acre-feet of water – approximately 0.7% of annual Colorado River flows – downstream into the long depleted Colorado River Delta. The pulse flow is expected to peak at its highest flow rate today through March 30, and is expected to last nearly eight weeks total, bringing much needed relief to the habitats and communities in the delta region.

“This is a very exciting day for both countries,” said Osvel Hinojosa, Water and Wetlands Program Director at Pronatura Noroeste, a Mexican non-profit conservation organization. “Especially for those of us who have worked in the delta for decades, waiting and preparing for this moment.”

Pronatura Noroeste is a member of Raise the River – a coalition of conservation organizations working to protect and restore the Colorado River Delta. Other participating organizations include Environmental Defense Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Redford Center and Sonoran Institute.

“We have worked hand-in-hand with our partners over the years to achieve the best results possible for the delta,” said Francisco Zamora Arroyo, director of the Colorado River Delta Legacy Program at Sonoran Institute. “We are working together to monitor the pulse flow to determine its impacts on the delta and to inform future efforts to stimulate river health.”

The pulse flow is just one component of a multi-faceted policy agreement formally known as Minute 319 – negotiated between the U.S. and Mexico in 2012 to provide multiple benefits for water users on both sides of the border. In addition to the pulse flow, this policy framework more broadly allows the U.S. and Mexico to share surpluses in times of plenty and reductions in times of drought, provides incentives for leaving water in storage, and conserves water through joint investments in projects from water users in both countries.

“Today we are witnessing what appears to be a paradigm shift in the way we manage water,” said Jennifer Pitt, Colorado River Project Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “Historically in the West, everyone has approached water with an ‘us against them’ mentality. Now we’re talking about how we can share water, conserve water, and invest in new water projects and the health of the river itself. It’s truly refreshing.”

“The pulse flow is a sign of good things to come,” said Taylor Hawes, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program. “By minimizing the impacts of drought on any one user, providing incentives for leaving water in storage, and including the environment’s needs in the equation, the U.S. and Mexico are setting a new precedent for water-sharing agreements in the Colorado River Basin and beyond.”

“Our hope is that people all across the Basin will look back at this event and see it as one of the great steps forward in ensuring a healthy Colorado River and Delta far into the future,” said James Redford of the Redford Center.  “It’s truly remarkable what governments, communities and NGO’s can accomplish when we work together.”

In addition to the eight-week pulse flow, some 52,696 acre-feet of “base flow” will also be delivered over the next four years to support key restoration sites in the river’s riparian corridor, thanks to NGO commitments under Minute 319. The NGO coalition launched a “Raise the River” campaign to raise funds for habitat restoration projects as well as the Colorado River Delta Water Trust, which acquires base flows through the purchase and lease of water rights from willing sellers throughout the Mexicali Valley.   

“The base flows acquired by the Trust will help to nourish and maintain any new growth that appears this spring as a result of the pulse flow and other on-the-ground restoration investments,” said David Yardas, director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Southwest and Interior Water Programs. “The delta ecosystem’s response should demonstrate the incredible value of these companion restoration strategies, and the importance of bringing water back to the delta over the long term.”

###

Raise the River is a unique partnership of six U.S. and Mexican non-governmental organizations committed to restoring the Colorado River delta. Members include Environmental Defense Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Pronatura Noroeste, Redford Center, Sonoran Institute, and The Nature Conservancy.

To learn more about Raise the River, visit www.raisetheriver.org. 

(New York, NY – March 27, 2014) Today, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Citi, Elevate Energy and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati are hosting “Innovations in Energy Efficiency and Distributed Generation Finance III,” a conference convening some of the utmost experts in the United States to explore innovative ways to fund energy efficiency projects across the country, focusing on the energy performance of the built environment such as homes, office buildings, factories and schools.

Over 240 attendees from the public, private and non-profit sectors will hear keynote remarks from Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance for the State of New York and Chairman of NYSERDA, and Marc Ferzan, Executive Director, New Jersey Governor’s Office of Recovery & Rebuilding, among others. The event is being held at Citi’s office in lower Manhattan.

“Today’s packed conference, which brings clean energy experts from the private and public sectors together in one room, reflects the incredible momentum in the energy efficiency and solar finance markets. Over the past six months, we have seen groundbreaking transactions in residential and commercial clean energy finance,” said Brad Copithorne, Environmental Defense Fund’s Financial Policy Director.

“Citi is committed to developing and providing solutions that enable energy efficiency projects to tap into the capital markets for financing,” said Marshal Salant, Head of Citi’s Alternative Energy Finance Group. “We know there is a huge pipeline of energy efficiency projects, but financial barriers are preventing many of them from being completed. Convenings like today’s are important in bringing the various stakeholders together to help solve these challenges and exchange ideas.”

To date, building energy efficiency has largely been pursued on a piecemeal, case-by-case basis, and mostly in public properties. This convening, the third of a series of conferences hosted by the organizers on the issue, is an effort to help overcome the barriers that have precluded capital markets involvement, including transaction size and credit quality. There is growing demand for financing activity at scale and across all property types, and capital markets solutions for portfolios of retrofits that in the aggregate can begin to profitably realize significant benefits, like lowering greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs.

“As an energy efficiency program implementer in the residential multifamily market, we know firsthand the challenges to financing this important work,” said Ann Evens, CEO of Elevate Energy. “CDFIs like Community Investment Corporation are invaluable partners in making multifamily housing more energy efficient. Together we’re pushing innovative tools such as on-bill refinancing and on-bill repayment to side-step barriers that prevent efficiency from reaching scale in this important building stock.”

“We are thrilled to see the progress that is being made in implementing and financing more energy efficiency and other clean energy projects at scale, and to continue to help develop practical solutions to the often complex legal issues that arise,” said Charlotte Kim, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. “As today’s gathering of thought leaders and innovative movers shows, momentum is building in this important sector with each step forward we take together.”

(Austin, Texas – March 24, 2014) Below is a statement from Doug Rader, Ph.D., Chief Ocean Scientist for Environmental Defense Fund on the oil spill that took place in Galveston Bay, Texas on March 22, 2014.

“Galveston Bay is one of America’s greatest estuaries and an important home to Texas seafood providers and recreational fishermen as well as the entry point to the Port of Houston. While the area has long dealt with many pollution concerns, this spill is significant. Since the first report of the spill on March 22, 2014, there have already been reports of fuel oil traveling more broadly into the rest of Galveston Bay.

“The spill not only threatens the birds and other large animals residing in the bay, but also important seafood species like shrimp, blue crab, menhaden and oysters. It could also impact populations of popular recreational fish like red drum and speckled sea trout. 

“In the early stages of this spill much remains unknown, but for shrimp, blue crab, menhaden and other marine life, which rely on the bay as an essential nursery, further investigation and long-term monitoring within the footprint of this spill is necessary.  

“We hope that authorities, with the help of local fishermen and others, can help to limit as much damage as possible and work to repair any lasting impact to one of the nation’s greatest marine resources.

“Our thoughts are with our many fishermen partners and other residents of Galveston and the surrounding areas as they deal with the spill.”

 

A statement from Elena Craft, Ph.D., Toxicologist and Senior Health Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund: 

“The quality of the air we breathe has a direct impact on our health, and it’s impossible to know the long-term health effects that will arise from the oil spill in Galveston. Unfortunately, Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel have a long history of serious pollution events that have contributed to deterioration of the air shed and water quality in the region, thus impacting human health as well as the health of Texas coastal communities.” 

“At this time, it is crucial for state leaders and experts to develop the most effective and efficient pollution control plan to safeguard the well-being of local residents.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joaquin McPeek, 916-492-7173, jmcpeek@edf.org

(Los Angeles, CA – March 19, 2014) Today the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation announced the newest version of the “Los Angeles Solar and Efficiency Report (LASER)” a breakthrough climate mapping tool designed to help local leaders identify opportunities to invest in clean energy jobs and strengthen climate resiliency in vulnerable communities.  

The maps are a response to President Obama’s new Climate Data Initiative, a call to action to leverage climate data in order to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in support of national climate change preparedness. EDF and UCLA are now adding additional data layers to the LASER maps and plan to expand it to include other geographic areas. The expanded version will be launched in April.

“EDF is proud to answer President Obama’s Climate Data Initiative call to action, and along with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, we look forward to joining a national movement that leverages data-driven insights to help communities effectively prepare for the impacts of climate change,” said Jorge Madrid, Coordinator, Partnerships and Alliances, Environmental Defense Fund.

“Data mapping tools like LASER provide powerful visualizations of the harmful effects that climate change can have on our most vulnerable communities, while also highlighting opportunities for economic growth, job creation, and increased resiliency,” Madrid continued.

Using data from multiple climate models and other public data, LASER maps illustrate what climate change is going to look like in the Los Angeles region in just a few decades, with a special focus on the impacts to the 36% of Los Angeles County residents (3.6 million people) living in environmentally vulnerable communities already burdened by air pollution and other environmental hazards.  The study also finds nearly half of the state’s most vulnerable population lives in LA County.

LASER maps also highlight the region’s clean energy investment potential – in the form of rooftop solar and energy efficiency - which can reduce energy use and decrease greenhouse gases, while creating jobs and saving money.

The study also concludes:

• Nearly 29,000 local jobs in solar panel installation could be created if merely 5 percent of the rooftop solar energy generating potential in LA County was realized.

• Capturing this 5 percent of solar capacity would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.25 million tons annually, equivalent to taking 250,000 cars off the road.

The new Climate Data Initiative is consistent with the President Obama’s May 2013 Executive Order on Open Data, which recognizes that freely available open government data can fuel entrepreneurship, innovation, scientific discovery, and public benefits.

What Others Are Saying about LASER:

“The LASER maps help visualize not only the stark challenge we face in preparing the LA region for the impacts of climate change, but also the enormous opportunity we have to create good jobs and economic opportunity while meeting that challenge.”

• Kate Gordon, Vice President, Next Generation

“In its efforts to identify energy efficiency opportunities and create jobs, the Labor Management Cooperation Committee of IBEW Local 11 and Los Angeles Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association have found Profiles of Clean Energy Investment Potential in LA County to be a very valuable tool.  The profiles have helped us target our marketing efforts, provide data to local political leaders and identify job growth opportunity.”

• Joe Sullivan, Director of Energy Solutions, IBEW/NECA/LMCC

“It’s critical that leadership in Greater Los Angeles build resilient communities as the region prepares for the impacts of climate change. The clean energy potential profiled in the LASER maps can serve as a guide to the leaders looking to achieve a cleaner, more prosperous future.”

• Krista Kline, Managing Director, LA Regional Collaborative

“In our work providing solar to low-income families, the Atlas is a welcome and helpful tool. It is striking to so clearly see the large opportunities in LA County for clean energy investment both in terms of potential solar capacity and the region’s environmental and economic needs.”

• Michael Kadish, Executive Director, GRID Alternatives-Greater Los Angeles

“These maps will give new urgency to the discussion about how we adapt to climate change at the neighborhood level.  They will help us organize for more energy efficiency programs that keep our homes cool during extreme heat days, while creating jobs and helping us transition away from dirty energy.”

• Jessica Goodheart, RePower LA Project Director, LAANE

(San Francisco, CA) – Today the American Carbon Registry (ACR) listed a first-of-its-kind project aimed at rewarding rice growers for voluntarily reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Emission Reductions in California Rice Management Systems project is the first aggregated agriculture project in the U.S. covering key rice growing areas in the Sutter, Colusa, and Glenn Counties of California’s Sacramento Valley. Participating farmers implement voluntary management practices on their fields to reduce methane emissions and will generate carbon offset credits.

Once independently verified under the ACR carbon accounting methodology Voluntary Emissions Reductions in Rice Management Systems, this project will reward farmers for positive environmental outcomes by generating carbon offset credits which they can sell on the voluntary, and eventually the compliance, market.

This initial project covers 5,000 acres and paves the way for broader adoption in California and the Mid-South. It is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 6,700 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂ e), which equates to taking about 1,400 cars off the road for a year. With the listing of this project, we expect other rice producers to participate in both California and the Mid-South (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas). Experience from this project will also help spur the implementation of projects using other agriculture offset protocols including fertilizer optimization and rangeland management, which are being piloted by EDF and its partners with generous support from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“This voluntary emission reduction project is precisely the type of innovation we need to combat climate change,” said Robert Parkhurst, Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Markets Director for the Environmental Defense Fund. “It paves the way for future agriculture offset protocols and underscores the amazing potential of agriculture as a climate solution.”

“This project shows that through good collaboration and innovation, conservation truly can generate a win-win.  In this case, California rice growers can maintain their yields of food production while also voluntarily providing other benefits for their neighbors and communities, such as reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jason Weller, NRCS Chief. “This groundbreaking partnership is blazing a trail for rice growers throughout the country to benefit from the power of ecosystem service markets to diversify their on-farm income.”

The ACR carbon accounting protocol under which this project is listed is one of the voluntary protocols the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is using to develop a compliance offset protocol. The Rice Cultivation Projects Compliance Offset Protocol is expected to be considered by the Board at its September meeting. Once adopted, this protocol will allow both California and Mid-South rice growers to adopt practice changes to reduce their GHG emissions and sell those reductions as carbon offset credits to regulated California companies for compliance under California’s cap-and-trade program.

Terra Global Capital, LLC, an agricultural offset project developer, has been working with Environmental Defense Fund, the California Rice Commission and White River Irrigation District with funding support from a USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant and private funders, to develop the rigorous protocols and promote these ground-breaking initial projects for U.S. agricultural producers. “The listing of this rice project is the first step in building a robust pipeline of agricultural offsets for voluntary and future compliance programs by promoting and rewarding farmers for the production of environmental assets,” said Leslie Durschinger, Founder and Managing Director of Terra Global.  

“We commend this partnership between the rice industry and EDF. It’s a great example of the multiple benefits that come from well-managed farmland,” said Amrith Gunasekara, Science Advisor for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “This is the type of work we are working to recognize and encourage through CDFA’s Environmental Farming Science Advisory Panel, which reviews and documents agriculture’s positive environmental impacts and provides recommendations for assessing and promoting beneficial practices.”

”California rice growers have a long history of environmental leadership,” said Paul Buttner, Manager of Environmental Affairs at the California Rice Commission. “We are pleased to have assisted in the development of technical tools useful to other agricultural commodity groups that may also be interested in protocol development. We are hopeful that this rice protocol will successfully encourage our growers to participate in more projects. We greatly appreciate the funding provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to enable this project to ultimately be realized.”

(Washington, D.C. – March 13, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to improve its methane emissions data collection methods has now been published in the Federal Register.

That step moves the country one step closer to ensuring that data from the oil and natural gas sector is more rigorous. Rigorous data will help provide the American public and its policy-makers with a clearer and more reliable picture of the largest man-made source of climate-destabilizing methane pollution.   

“Methane is a potent climate-destabilizing pollutant so it’s vital that we address it, and we can only do if we have accurate and reliable information about the largest sources of methane pollution” said Peter Zalzal, staff attorney at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). “We urge EPA to swiftly finalize these long-overdue improvements to the way we gather oil and natural gas methane emissions data.”

EPA’s proposal would eliminate non-standardized measurement methodologies – known as “Best Available Monitoring Methods” or BAMM – in its greenhouse gas emissions inventory and reporting requirements for the oil and natural gas sector.

BAMM now allow facilities to use almost any means to collect data, making comparisons among facilities more difficult and thwarting transparency in the collection and reporting of data from this important source of methane. 

In March of 2013, Environmental Defense Fund petitioned EPA to eliminate these problematic methodologies.

Eliminating BAMM will strengthen public transparency and accountability with regards to emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. It will also inform action to reduce methane emissions from these sources using commonsense and cost-effective clean air measures. 

EPA’s proposal would take effect January 1, 2015, at which time facilities in the oil and gas sector will have had a total of four years to transition to these more rigorous and transparent methods of data collection and reporting.  

You can read the full proposal in the Federal Register.