Download key developments activities events scientific studies

KEY DEVELOPMENTS
UNEP and cartoonist Jim Toomey release video
series on oceans // 5th Global Environment
Outlook launched // Green cities lauded at panel
EVENTS
Climate change replaced as top environmental
concern among Americans // USDA reports on
unpredictable effects rising temperatures have on food
supply // 10-year low reported for U.S. air pollution //
Record high summer temps sizzle the States
Republicans deny funding for Obama Ocean
Policy // Drought grips North America, threatens
global food markets // Canadian scientists protest
research budget cuts // Rio outcome raises
questions on value of high level U.N. meetings
ACTIVITIES
World Oceans Day 2012 // Washington D.C.
hosts North American World Environment Day
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
NEWSLETTER
SUMMER
2012
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR NORTH AMERICA
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
EPA PROPOSES STIFFER BLACK CARBON STANDARDS
On June 15, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed to tighten
standards governing fine particles, commonly known as soot. Released by
sources like diesel trucks and power plants, the microscopic specks can
lodge in the lungs and bloodstream and cause respiratory and heart ailments.
While resisted earlier by industry, 13 states and various environmental groups
challenged the old standards as too weak. Following the advice of its scientists,
the EPA is recommending a standard between 12 and 13 micrograms, with the
final number to be set in December 2012.
U.S. APPEALS COURT SUPPORTS EPA ON GREENHOUSE GAS RULES
A Federal appeals court on June 26 upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding
that greenhouse gases contribute to global warming and are a threat to public health.
It was a major victory for the U.S. Administration and a setback to groups that oppose
government regulations on carbon emissions. The court ruled that EPA’s interpretation
of the Clean Air Act provisions “is unambiguously correct.”
U.S. HOUSE DENIES FUNDING FOR PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL OCEAN POLICY
The Republican-led House of Representatives
voted on 9 May in favor of a measure which
prohibits funding to be used from the 2012
Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations
Bill for the National Ocean Policy, which
President Obama issued in the summer of 2010.
Critics of the Policy claim that it adds another
layer of bureaucracy and could have far-reaching
adverse effects on land management and
farmers. Proponents of the Policy argue that it
is intended to streamline the U.S. Government’s
management of the oceans, the Great Lakes, and the country’s coastlines. The measure
may significantly hinder implementation of the Policy. In addition to various ongoing public
engagement efforts by the White House-led National Ocean Council, several environmental
NGOs, such as the Sierra Club and the Surfrider Foundation, have undertaken initiatives to
inform the public about the Policy and to build political support for its implementation.
02
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
EFFORTS TO RATIFY UNCLOS DEFEATED
Hopes that the UNCLOS would be ratified in the current Senate session appeared dashed on July 16 when two
more Republican Senators signaled their opposition to the treaty, bringing the number of declared opponents
to 34—high enough to block a required two-thirds vote of 67 for ratification. Despite the fact that major industry
groups, such as the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association
of Manufacturers, testified before Congress in favor of the treaty, the majority of Republican Senators opposed
ratification on grounds that the treaty would restrict U.S. sovereignty and wrongly empower international
tribunals in mitigating disputes between treaty signatories. In light of developments, Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Chairman John Kerry (Democrat from Massachusetts) will not schedule a vote on the treaty until
after the November general election.
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON U.S. FY 2013 BUDGET
APPROPRIATIONS POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER ELECTION
No appropriations bills will be passed by Congress in advance of Fiscal Year 2013, which begins on
October 1. Leaders in the House and Senate, in consultation with the White House, have agreed that they
will pass a Continuing Resolution in early-Fall, allowing the government to continue operations roughly
based on FY2012 commitments. This resolution would likely operate until February or March of 2013.
NORTH AMERICAN DROUGHT LIKELY TO UPSET WORLD FOOD MARKETS
The drought, gripping the North American corn belt and more than
half the U.S., has reached proportions not seen in more than 50
years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on 16 July.
The Agriculture Department declared more than 1,000 counties in
26 states natural-disaster areas. The likely cutback in grain crop
production is likely to increase crop prices and threatens to drive
up the cost of food in North America and globally. Corn is among
the most valuable of U.S. crops, and its price has multiple economic
ripple effects, reaching into food and energy markets. China recently
announced plans to increase corn imports by 40 per cent, much of
which was expected to come from the U.S.
CANADIAN SCIENTISTS MARCH TO
PROTEST GOVERNMENTAL RESEARCH BUDGET CUTS
Several hundred scientists marched in white coats and delivered eulogies in front of the Parliament
building in Ottawa on 10 June to “mourn” the drastic cuts in needed science programs. Among the
protesters were some of the country’s prominent climate scientists criticizing the budget bill that recently
moved through Parliament and weakening the Fisheries Act, speeding up oil sand approvals, increasing
penalties on environmental charities and eliminating a law that would have required the environment
Minister to publish an annual climate plan. Canadian officials have strongly defended the budget cuts as
necessary tools to streamline governmental operation and promote job growth.
03
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AFFECTED
THROUGH CANADA’S BUDGET BILL
Under its Conservative majority, the Canadian Parliament on 29 June passed an omnibus budget bill, Bill
C-38, making significant changes to legislation and budgets concerning environmental impact assessments,
protected species, greenhouse gas measurement and reporting, marine protected areas, and other areas. The
laws affected include the Environmental Assessment Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Fisheries Act,
the Environmental Assessment Agency, the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the National Energy Board Act,
the Species at Risk Act, the Canadian Oil and Gas Operations Act, and the Nuclear Safety Control Act. The
bill repeals the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act and terminates the National Round Table on Environment
and Economy, the Municipal and Wastewater Survey and several agricultural, monitoring and water programs.
SPECIAL REPORT: RIO+20
HIGH-LEVEL U.S. OFFICIALS PRESENT POSITIVE ASSESSMENTS OF RIO+20
AND G20 OUTCOMES AT WELL-ATTENDED WASHINGTON, D.C. EVENT
HOSTED BY THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
On Rio+20, Ambassador Carlos Pascual, U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for
International Energy Affairs, touted the concrete commitments made in Rio outside of the
official negotiations, noting that sometimes it is harder to get agreement on words than
actions. Of the $2 billion the U.S. pledged as part of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative,
Pascual said $850 million would go to policy and technical assistance, $50 million to energy
partnerships (such as the Clean Energy Ministerial), and the remainder to the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) for energy development loans and investments.
RIO OUTCOME RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT USEFULNESS OF MAJOR UN
ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCES VIS-À-VIS SMALLER,
MORE FOCUSED, FORUMS
A recent article in the National Journal polled U.N. conference “Insiders”, finding that just slightly more than half (53%
of respondents) favored forgoing the larger high-profile U.N. conferences. Reasons included the lack of meaningful
agreements and seemingly intractable divisions that make such meetings unmanageable. Approximately 47% of
respondents, however, continued to see value in such conferences—not in the official outcomes per se, but in the
platforms they provide and attention they bring to specific issues. According to the article, such conferences compel
governments and other stakeholders to take stock of what has been accomplished and what more needs to be done.
They allow for civil society to hold governments accountable and help shape the international environmental agenda.
RIO+20 MEDIA BRIEFING
On 14 June, RONA participated in a Rio+20 media teleconference, which drew more
than 20 reporters from major news outlets such as the New York Times and Reuters.
04
RONA ACTIVITIES
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
UNEP LAUNCHES OCEAN VIDEO SERIES ON WORLD OCEANS DAY
UNEP RONA has partnered with Jim Toomey, one of North
America’s premier syndicated cartoonists and leading ocean
advocates, to develop Two Minutes on Oceans with Jim
Toomey—a series of six short videos aimed at raising awareness
of the importance of oceans and the coastal environment. Using
animation and humor, the videos address in clear and simple
language cutting-edge science and policy issues regarding
our oceans, the challenges they face, and their importance to
human well-being. The series was launched on June 8 in the
Sant Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural
History in Washington, D.C. This first installment in the series UNEP RONA’s Carla Friedrich, Amy Fraenkel and Monika
focuses on “Blue Carbon”, highlighting the role oceans and Thiele and Jim Toomey and his children at the launch
coastal ecosystems play in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Over the coming months, five additional oceanrelated videos will be released addressing the following topics: the true value of our oceans, nutrient runoff, ocean
acidification, marine litter and climate change. Each video ends with an action-oriented call for what viewers can do to
help advance ocean causes. For more information or to watch the videos, go to: www.rona.unep.org/toomey.
LIFE WEB WORKSHOP ADDRESSES CHALLENGES OF TRANSBOUNDARY
MARINE MAMMAL MANAGEMENT
RONA Programme Officer, Monika Thiele attended an Inter-regional Workshop on “Broad-scale Marine Spatial
Panning and Transboundary Marine Mammal Management” in Panama on 21-24 May 2012. As part of the UNEP
LifeWeb planning team, RONA contributed significantly to the organization and execution of this first-ever interregional workshop. The Spain-UNEP LifeWeb project is coordinated by the UNEP DEPI Marine and Coastal
Ecosystem Branch in cooperation with two UNEP Regional Offices and programmes. Participants included
national planners and decision-makers from 22 government ministries and agencies in the Caribbean and
Southeast and Northeast Pacific. Also participating were representatives from inter-governmental organizations,
NGOs and universities, as well as experts and scientists. With the support of UNEP, a two-day training on the
application of Marine Spatial Planning tools to transboundary marine resource management processes was
provided by the locally-based MarViva NGO. At the training, participants examined LifeWeb distribution maps
for migratory routes of whales in the eastern Pacific and whales and dolphins in the wider Caribbean. Other
activities included developing scenarios for the management of marine mammals alongside human activities
such as tourism, fishing and maritime transport.
05
RONA ACTIVITIES
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
RONA DIRECTOR PARTICIPATES IN ANNUAL
COLLOQUIUM OF THE IUCN ACADEMY OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
On 1–5 July, RONA Director Amy Fraenkel participated in a panel for the opening plenary of the 10th Annual
Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, hosted by the University of Maryland’s School of Law
in Baltimore. The Colloquium addressed "Global Environmental Law at a Crossroads". The opening plenary
asked What Happened at Rio+20 and Where Do We Go From Here? Other panelists included Scott Fulton,
General Counsel for USEPA and Antonio Herman Benjamin, Brazil’s Justice of the High Court.
RONA LAUNCHES FIFTH GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
OUTLOOK REPORT (GEO-5) IN WASHINGTON D.C.
On 6 June, UNEP RONA launched the fifth Global Environment Outlook report
(GEO-5) at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington
D.C. The release of GEO-5 served as a substantive contribution to the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which took place in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012. The key findings of the report
and the global recommendations were presented by UNEP RONA Director
Amy Fraenkel and James Dobrowolski, one of the lead authors of the GEO5 report. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray also spoke at the event, and provided
examples of sustainable activities that are being taken in his city. The press
conference, attended by some 40 members of the media and civil society,
was moderated by Head of Communications, Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox.
Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, RONA Head of
Communications (standing), GEO-5 lead
author James Dobrowolski, RONA Director
Amy Fraenkel and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
World Environment Day (WED) was celebrated
throughout North America on 5 June, with more
than 100 registered events, many of which were
in Washington D.C.—the North American host city.
WED activities led by RONA included the launch
of the Global Environment Outlook report, a panel
discussion on cities, a film premiere, an interactive
workshop for high school students, the UNEP International Children’s Painting Competition award
ceremony and a Fair and Expo on the environment.
06
RONA ACTIVITIES
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
PANEL ON CITIES HELD ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
A WED Panel on cities, co-organized by UNEP RONA,
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the World
Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD),
featured the release of a report entitled Advancing the
Transformation to a Green Economy through Green
Buildings and Resource Efficient Cities: Key Messages
from North America. The report synthesized the
stakeholder perspectives from the Road to Rio+20 – an
initiative of USGBC, WBCSD and UNEP RONA. RONA
Director Amy Fraenkel and USGBC Vice President of
National Policy Jason Hartke presented the findings of the
report. Kerri-Ann Jones, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
for the U.S. Department of State, made the opening remarks. In her remarks, Dr. Jones noted that the government’s
role in promoting a green economy is to create the “enabling environment where the green economy can take hold”,
and that in turn fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. She underlined the importance of cities, saying “the role
of greening cities will get a lot of attention and it is richly deserved.” The discussion that ensued, moderated by
Roger Platt, USGBC Senior Vice President of Global Policy and Law, included presentations by Christophe Tulou,
Director of DC’s Department of Environment, Dr. Lilia Abron, CEO of PEER Consultants, Jordan Doria, Manager of
Stakeholder Engagement at Ingersoll Rand, Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director of Energy and Climate at the
United Nations Foundation, and Jessica McGlyn, Director of WSBCSD.
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY FAIR AND EXPO:
SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS AT AN EDUCATIONAL EVENT
On June 3 and 4, 2012, the D.C. Department of Environment
and Earth’s Natural Force hosted the WED Fair and Expo at
Woodrow Wilson High School for students, their families, and the
general public. Some 100 environmental organizations and green
businesses displayed their products, initiatives and achievements.
UNEP RONA’s booth provided attendees with an opportunity to say
how they bridged the gap between Earth Day on 22 April to WED on
5 June. In addition to the booths, performers entertained guests and
numerous speakers, including D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and UNEP
RONA Director, Amy Fraenkel, gave remarks.
D.C. Mayor, Vincent Gray (center) surrounded by WED Committee members (L to R) Allen Burriss, Chair of WED Committee,
Maria Rodriguez, President of Vanguard Communications, Sharon Cooke, D.C. Department of Environment WED focal point,
George Nichols, Director of D.C. Sustainable Utility, Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, UNEP RONA Head of Communications, Deanna
Troust, Vice-President of Vanguard Communications and Kathy Arnold, former Secretary of the City, D.C.
07
RONA ACTIVITIES
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
BAYER GOODWILL AMBASSADOR DR. MAE JEMISON MAKES
SCIENCE MAKE SENSE AT WED WORKSHOP
In celebration of WED, an interactive workshop entitled Green Living, Green Working was held for
60 students at Woodrow Wilson High School. Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the first African-American female
astronaut in space, worked with the students to identify key regional environmental issues and
concerns and offer solutions and recommendations for these problems with the help of experts
in the field. At the end of the session, students gave presentations on their respective topics. The
workshop was organized in partnership with UNEP RONA and sponsored by Bayer Corporation’s
“Making Science Make Sense” program which promotes science literacy in young adults.
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL HOSTS WORLD
ENVIRONMENT DAY RECEPTION ON GREEN ROOF
On the occasion of World Environment Day and to celebrate the
release of the report, Advancing the Transformation to a Green
Economy through Green Buildings and Resource Efficient Cities:
Key Messages from North America, a reception was held on the
green roof of the U.S. Green Building Council building.
RONA Director, Amy Fraenkel, speaking at WED reception.
NORTH AMERICAN NAMED GLOBAL WINNER OF
UNEP INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S PAINTING COMPETITION
In partnership with Bayer, UNEP RONA hosted the 21st International Children’s Painting
Competition award ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in downtown Washington,
D.C. On display were the paintings of the global winner 13-year-old Diana Fan of the United
States (see photo), as well as those of the top two North American winners, Michelle Lai and
Vellia Zhou, and those of D.C.’s Best, Luka Boadle and Laine Holman. The winners received
their award from Dr. Mae Jemison, Amy Fraenkel and Lauren Trocano, Bayer’s Director of
Communications who spoke about the connection between science and the arts. In addition
to the winning entries, 45 paintings from this year’s submissions remained on display at the
Martin Luther King Jr. Library until 31 August.
RONA PARTNERS WITH GREEN LIVING PROJECT ON FILM PREMIERE
On 30 May, as part of WED, the award-winning film production company Green Living Project held the
premiere of its film series in Washington, D.C. Each of the six short films highlighted a destination in which
communities learned about and became directly involved with important global and local initiatives that
brought about positive change to their people. One film was about a local garden in Illinois (Angelic Organics
Learning Center); another about a group of people restoring and donating bikes in Chicago (Working Bikes
Cooperative); another about a group trying to better the lives of women in Nicaragua through self-sustaining
practices such as selling pottery (Potters for Peace); and another about a nature reserve in Belize that farms
cocoa, thus providing working opportunities (Spanish Creek Rainforest Reserve).
08
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
CLIMATE CHANGE NO LONGER FIRST ON LIST OF WHAT AMERICANS
SEE AS WORLD’S BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Despite raging heat waves in the country’s east and wildfires sweeping the west, a Washington PostStanford University poll found that just 18 per cent of those polled name climate change as their top
environmental concern. That compares with 33 per cent who said so in 2007. Today, 29 per cent identify
water and air pollution as the world’s most pressing environmental issues. Still, Americans continue to see
climate change as a threat, caused in part by human activity, and they think government and businesses
should do more to address it, the poll said. As the number and impact of extreme weather events becomes
more evident, indications are that public, if not political, concerns about climate change may rise.
USDA STUDY FINDS WIDE-RANGING EFFECTS
OF RISING TEMPERATURES ON FOOD PRODUCTION
Modeling the effects of climate change on agriculture between now and 2030, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service predicted that rising temperatures
would have complex effects on production varying from region to region and crop to crop.
It found alterations would come from the numerous ways that climate change is likely
to impact agriculture, including increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns,
influencing pest distributions, changing soil fertility and increasing the frequency of
extreme weather events. According to the report, which studied large commodity crops
such as corn and soybeans, climate change will likely decrease crop yields, shift locations
of production and increase prices by up to 22 percent for soybeans and 6 percent for corn.
At the same time, the yields of several other crops, including cotton, could increase.
REPORT FINDS U.S. AIR POLLUTION AT A 10-YEAR LOW
The air quality in the U.S. is at its highest level in a decade,
according to a report on May 2 by the American Lung
Association, which has been collecting data since 2000. The
non-profit attributed the findings to the Clean Air Act, which
sets tougher environmental standards for smog and soot.
Ozone levels across the country have dropped 13 percent since
2000, while particulate pollution is 24 percent lower. However,
the report said 127 million Americans—more than 40 percent of
the population—still live in areas graded with an F for air quality.
WARMING WILL RELEASE CARBON FROM FORESTS SAYS NEW STUDY
Huge amounts of carbon trapped in the soils of forests will be released into the air as the planet warms, contributing
to a “vicious cycle” that could accelerate climate change, according to a recent study by the Lawrence Berkeley
National laboratory and the University of California. Temperatures that were increased by 20 degrees Celsius
resulted in carbon dioxide production from the topsoil of U.S. forests increasing eight-fold, the study found.
09
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
U.S. EXPERIENCES WARMEST 12-MONTH PERIOD IN 117 YEARS
NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center released a report on 8 May that
finds that the U.S. experienced its warmest 12 straight months from May
2011 to April 2012. The Center said the overall average temperature for
the country was 2.8 degrees F above the 20th century average.
COMINGS & GOINGS
UNEP RONA NEWSLETTER // SUMMER 2012
RONA BIDS FAREWELL TO ITS AFMO
UNEP RONA bade a sad farewell to Leanne Rios, its temporary
Associate Fund Management Officer, who joined the office in July
of last year. Leanne left on the 10th of August for a post with UNDP
in Afghanistan. We wish her every success in her new endeavor.
LEANNE
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR NORTH AMERICA
900 17th Street, NW Suite 506, Washington, D.C. 20006
Telephone: +1 202 785 0465 | Fax: +1 202 785 2096 | E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.unep.org/rona