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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