As the World’s Poor Struggle with Climate Change, U.S. Politicians Struggle with Blocking Climate Action
Article first published on www.energyandclimatenews.org
On August 3, 2015 President Barack Obama announced the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) long awaited, finalized Clean Power Plan (CPP), which, under the authority of the Clean Air Act (CAA) Section 111(d), regulates carbon pollution from new and existing power plants. This announcement represents the first time that the United States has placed limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants, which are the nation’s largest source of emissions, accounting for 31 percent of our GHG footprint.
This Friday, the historic rule was finally published in the Federal Register, and within the day, 26 states had filed lawsuits against it. While the Administration touts the CPP as the most significant U.S. action against climate change ever taken, West Virginia’s Attorney General, Patrick Morrisey, argues, “The Clean Power Plan is one of the most far-reaching energy regulations in this nation’s history.” Morrisey’s state, and others that are heavily dependent on coal, claim that the CPP will devastate the US economy. However, predictions regarding the impact of this rule are all over the place. Some studies have shown it will hurt the economy, create a net job loss, and raise electricity prices for American consumers, while others, have shown the exact opposite.
With the politically loaded nature of these studies, it is hard to discern truth, but perhaps there is some hidden in each side’s argument — only time will tell. However, the environmental impact of this regulation is not up for debate. Beyond the significant emissions reductions, the CPP’s greatest environmental benefit is in the strong signal it sends to the global community: that the US, the world’s greatest historic GHG emitter, is finally getting serious about climate change. As the world prepares to create a strong international deal on climate in Paris this December, the importance of this signal cannot be understated.
Though, with 26 states challenging the rule in court, opponents are clearly doing everything they can to undermine that signal. Unsurprisingly, Republican presidential candidates have also jumped on the bandwagon of those working to delegitimize the Administration’s efforts. Marco Rubio released his energy plan this week, “Powering the New American Century,” in which he writes, “Without question, the Obama Administration’s mandate for existing power plants is one of the most expensive and costly regulations ever created . . . As president, I will stop this massive, illegal mandate that will raise costs for Americans.” Republican candidates Jeb Bush and Bobby Jindal have included similar statements in their energy plans as well, while nearly all other candidates have agreed informally.
These regressive actions from US states and Republican presidential candidates are completely ignorant to the impact that climate change is already having, and will continue to have, in developing nations. Ethiopia is currently experiencing its worst drought in over a decade, 8.2 million Ethiopians are in need of food assistance, and with 80% of the population working in agriculture, many citizens are struggling economically, as well. The UN predicts that by 2016, 15 million Ethiopians will need food aid. With a warmer climate, droughts such as these will plague the nation with greater frequency. In northern Pakistan, temperatures have increased 1.9?C over the past century, causing glacial melt and severe heat waves, which threaten the country’s freshwater resources, food security, and public health.
Many other nations across the world are suffering because of climate change, and increasingly, they are calling out for the developed world to help them respond to this problem they did little to create. Recently the V-20 group, a collection of 20 nations highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, was created to advocate for the needs of the world’s poor. Cesar Purisima, Secretary of Finance of the Philippines, says of the group, “Unified in our vulnerability, the economic threats and difficulties arising from climate change, and a heightened sense of urgency on the issue, we stand together on the front lines of a battle we most certainly cannot afford to lose.”
While many in the US are trying to prevent global climate equality by fighting progressive actions like the CPP, others throughout the world are recognizing and trying to meet the needs of groups like the V-20. Climate aid to developing nations has been a big topic in international climate negotiations over the past decade, and will play a crucial role in crafting an international climate deal in Paris this December. However, many poor nations have expressed anger over the most recent draft of the Paris deal.
Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, speaking as a representative of the 130 developing nations involved in the negotiations, stated, “We find ourselves in a position where in essence we are disenfranchised,” going on to compare the current draft to South African apartheid. In addition, a group of African nations said of the draft, it “cannot be used as a basis for negotiation, as it is unbalanced, and does not reflect the African Group positions, and crosses the group’s redlines.” One of the biggest issues with the draft is money. Developed nations have committed to provide $100 billion annually to developing nations by 2020 through the Green Climate Fund, but they refuse to make any commitments following that year.
While agreeing on parameters for global climate finance is a challenging task, it has not prevented action from individual entities. Two business giants, Google and Apple, have taken it upon themselves to encourage clean energy in developing nations. On October 20, Google announced that they will invest in the largest African wind farm, a 310 MW project located in Kenya. This comes in addition to Google’s 2013 investment of $12 million in the largest African solar plant, a 96 MW project in South Africa. The following day, on October 21, Apple announced it was working to install 2.2 GW of solar power and other renewable energy in China.
Also on the 21st, Britain signed an agreement with Nigeria and Sierra Leone to launch the Energy Africa Alliance, “a global campaign to bring solar power to the 620 million people on the continent who must still use kerosene, candles and wood to light their homes and cook.” 12 other African nations are expected to join the alliance shortly. Thus far, Britain hasn’t actually offered any funds, but has pledged to “use its offices throughout Africa to help cut red tape, unlock new sources of finance and promote policies to expand household-level solar electricity.”
On October 22, and despite their struggles with the CPP domestically, the Obama Administration announced the continuation of the US – Pakistani Clean Energy Partnership, which has provided over $1 billion in clean energy financing to Pakistan since 2009. According to a White House Fact Sheet, the project’s continuation will “add at least 3,000 megawatts (MW) of clean power generation infrastructure to Pakistan’s national electricity system, benefitting 30 million Pakistanis.”
In the face of short sighted and singularly minded actions of those in the US who oppose efforts to tackle climate change, Obama has demonstrated a unique ability and willingness to utilize existing regulations and new executive actions to develop programs like the Clean Power Plan, and to provide international climate aid to struggling nations like Pakistan. The President’s ability to forge forward in addressing one of the world’s greatest challenges, despite opposition at every step in the road, is admirable, and the reason that world leaders like French President Fran?ois Hollande have commented, “We have to do as if President Obama were here forever.