Solve Climate:

The U.S. State Department issued an international proposal jointly with the governments of Canada and Mexico this week to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) starting as early as 2011.

The move represents a welcome breakthrough for the administration, whose HFC policy has been delayed since May when interagency disagreements stalled U.S. action on the super greenhouse gases.

HFCs, found in small amounts in air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, have a climate warming impact many thousands of times greater than CO2.

Here is the State Department’s Press release:

The U.S. Department of State announces a joint North American proposal between the Governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This North American proposal represents a significant down payment on efforts to be pursued at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December. The joint effort addresses the mounting threat of global climate change and represents a new resolve by the three governments to address shared environmental problems collectively.

Once adopted, the proposal would make great strides to achieve President Obama’s call to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 as well as contribute to multilateral efforts to reduce global emissions 50% by 2050. Together with our colleagues in Canada and Mexico, the U.S. government endorses phasing down HFCs under the Montreal Protocol as it has proven an effective and efficient instrument for tackling such problems in the past.

This North American proposal builds on the amendment package put forward this spring by Mauritius and the Federated States of Micronesia for consideration by Montreal Protocol Parties. The proposal calls on all countries to take action to reduce their consumption and production of HFCs, although developed countries would take the lead in this effort, as they have consistently under the Montreal Protocol.

The problem of HFCs is closely linked to the accelerated phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). As the demand for air conditioning and refrigeration increases globally, and as countries accelerate their efforts to phase out HCFCs to protect the ozone layer, producers of such products will turn increasingly to HFCs unless suitable alternatives can be identified. Although HFCs pose no threat to the stratospheric ozone layer, they risk exacerbating the problem of climate change as potent greenhouse gases. Phasing down consumption and production of HFCs will send an important signal about the need for alternatives that pose no problem either for the ozone layer or for the climate system.

The U.S. government looks forward to working with our partners in the run up to the 21st Meeting of the Montreal Protocol Parties in November in Egypt and in the run up to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December in Denmark to make the most effective use possible of the tools available to safeguard the ozone layer and protect the global climate system.

Click image for full size:

Click Green:

People living in urban areas in developing countries could be driven into poverty by climate change, a new study has shown.

Climate change can harm agricultural crops and drive up the price of food, according to researchers at Purdue University in Indiana. People in urban areas in countries such as Mexico, Bangladesh and Zambia spend a high proportion of income on food and a rise in prices could push them into poverty.

Press release below the fold.

Read the rest of this entry »

Associated Press:

North American leaders say they will work together to fight swine flu and climate change.

In a joint statement, U.S. President Barack Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper say they will work to promote global competitiveness in the region.

Whitehouse.gov:

We, the leaders of North American reaffirm the urgency and necessity of taking aggressive action on climate change. We stress that the experience developed during the last 15 years in the North American region on environmental cooperation, sustainable development, and clean energy research, development, and deployment constitutes a valuable platform for climate change action, and we resolve to make use of the opportunities offered by existing bilateral and trilateral institutions.

We recognize the broad scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees C, we support a global goal of reducing global emissions by at least 50% compared to 1990 or more recent years by 2050, with developed countries reducing emissions by at least 80% compared to 1990 or more recent years by 2050.

We share a vision for a low-carbon North America, which we believe will strengthen the political momentum behind a successful outcome at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC meeting this December, and support our national and global efforts to combat climate change. To achieve our low-carbon development goals, and consistent with our respective circumstances and capacities, we agree to the following:

• We will work together as we set and implement our own ambitious mid-term and long-term goals to reduce national and North American emissions;
• We will work together to develop our respective low-carbon growth plans;
• We underscore the importance of developing and strengthening financial instruments to support mitigation and adaptation actions and welcome in this regard the proposal by Mexico of a Green Fund. We will conduct further work on the proposal and will consider other views presented for scaling-up financing from both public and private sources;
• We will cooperate and exchange experiences in climate change adaptation in order to better integrate adaptation into national, sub-national, and sectoral planning to reduce vulnerabilities to climate change;
• We will develop comparable approaches to measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions reductions, including cooperating in implementing facility-level greenhouse gas reporting throughout the region;
• We will build capacity and infrastructure with a view to facilitate future cooperation in emissions trading systems, building on our current respective work in this area; and
• We will collaborate on climate friendly and low-carbon technologies, including building a smart grid in North America for more efficient and reliable electricity inter-connections, as well as regional cooperation on carbon capture and storage.
• Working in key sectors can help accomplish our emission reduction goals. With this in mind, we will:
  • Work together under the Montreal Protocol to phase down the use of HFCs and bring about significant reductions of this potent greenhouse gas;
  • Cooperate in sustainably managing our landscapes for GHG benefits, including protecting and enhancing our forests, wetlands, croplands and other carbon sinks, as well as developing appropriate methodologies to quantify, manage and implement programs for emission reductions in this sector;
  • Reduce transportation emissions, including by striving to achieve carbon-neutral growth in the North American aviation sector in the context of global action;
  • Pursue a framework to align energy efficiency standards in the three countries in support of improved national energy efficiency and environmental objectives; and
  • Work to reduce GHG emissions in the oil and gas sector, and promote best practices in reducing fugitive emissions and the venting and flaring of natural gas.

In order to facilitate these actions, we will work cooperatively to develop and follow up on a Trilateral Working Plan and submit a report of results at our next North American Leaders Summit in 2010.

Solve Climate: Swine Flu Raises More Questions About Industrial Livestock Production

Primate Diaries: Priming the Pump of a Swine Flu Pandemic

Grist: Jumping to Conclusions in Health Matters may have Adverse Side Effects

High Plains Journal: Swine Flu Causing Sweating and Nausea in Washington, D.C.

BBC: Egypt Presses Ahead with Pig cull

Democracy Now: The “NAFTA Flu”: Critics Say Swine Flu Has Roots in Forcing Poor Countries to Accept Western Agribusiness (video below)

Several political dynamics are running immediately beneath the surface of news coverage of the swine flu outbreak. First and foremost, the confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary is being held up by GOP Senators because she is – GASP – pro-choice. More importantly, a growing chorus of bloggers and Mexican media outlets are pointing to an American-based company, Smithfield, as 50% owner of the Mexican farm where the swine flu is believed to have originated.

Sebelius Confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary

This story will receive significant attention today as the Senate prepares to vote sometime in the afternoon or evening. Joe Sudbay has the text of the unanimous consent agreement, which indicates that we could see a vote by 6pm today. Sudbay’s critique of the GOP obstructionism on this is a thing of beauty. SEIU has a petition running and I’m assuming that won’t be all we’ll hear from them on this. Greg Sargent has a bit of a back and forth between spokespeople for Senators Reid and McConnell, and his conclusion hits the mark: “The filibuster over an abortion controversy is still throwing a hurdle in the way of this nomination, despite the flu epidemic.”

Read the rest of this entry »

From WhiteHouse.gov

—

President Obama and President Calderon today announced plans to strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation by establishing the US-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change. During their first conversation in January 2009, then President-elect Obama and President Calderon discussed the need for joint efforts to reach our common goal of achieving a low carbon future and a clean energy economy. This framework builds on that discussion.

Read the rest of this entry »