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June 2003In this issue: Archives of Past Issues
| Subscribe CRC NEWSNew Chair for CRC for Greenhouse Accounting Professor Emeritus John Lovett has accepted an invitation to become Chairman of the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting. Professor Lovett, who is currently Managing Director of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, will take up the role of Chairman from the beginning of 2004. He replaces the CRC’s inaugural Chairman, Sir Rupert Myers, who retires on June 30, 2003. The Deputy Chairman of the CRC, Mr John Buttle, will Chair the CRC until Professor Lovett takes up his appointment. In a statement to CRC partners, members and staff, Sir Rupert said last week that as he looked back over four years of association with the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting he realised that much had been achieved. “The Centre is producing excellent and useful scientific results and there are good prospects that outputs and outcomes in the pipeline will be of major significance,” he said. Non-CO2 greenhouse gases The CRC for Greenhouse Accounting is about to commence its new program of research into emissions of non-CO2 greenhouse gases in agricultural systems. The program, made possible through approval of a supplementary bid submitted by the CRC, offers a coordinated national approach that will improve the efficiency of targeted agriculture systems — grains, cotton and dairy — while reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas account. In the new program, researchers will appraise the effectiveness of an array of options for reducing non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions from dairy, grains and cotton farming enterprises, and contribute to the development of efficient farming systems and best management practices to reduce emissions, particularly of nitrous oxide from soils, fertiliser and urine, and methane from ruminants. The program includes a range of strategies to establish dialogue with agriculture extension providers and to tap into existing industry networks to help in communicating research results and outputs to farmers. Details on the CRC programs: http://www.greenhouse.crc.org.au/ Towards zero emissions CRC for Greenhouse Accounting Chief Executive Dr Chris Mitchell will speak at the Towards Zero Emissions conference on strategies and technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Brisbane and 21 and 22 July, 2003. The conference is supported by the Cooperative Research Centres for Greenhouse Accounting, Greenhouse Gas Technologies, Coal in Sustainable Development, and Clean Power from Lignite, and the National Hydrogen Association of Australia. Dr Mitchell will detail the key factors in biological sequestration, assessing strengths and weaknesses and considering current and future opportunities. Other speakers in the program include Dr Graeme Pearman, Chief Scientist, CSIRO Atmospheric Research; Mr Mark O’Neill, Executive Director, Australian Coal Association; Dr John Wright, Director, Energy Transformed Flagship, CSIRO Energy Technology; Dr Chris Spero, Manager Engineering Technology, CS Energy; and Ms Fiona Nicholls, General Manager – Sustainable Development, Rio Tinto Energy Group. The conference will discuss issues around both geological and biological sequestration, gasification, and moving towards a hydrogen economy. The world’s only operating geological sequestration project and the first coal-based zero emissions electricity and hydrogen power plant will be showcased. Good Practice Guidance The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has developed guidelines to assist nations to account for their greenhouse gas emissions. Known as the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, they are used to bring international comparability to reporting by individual nations. Along with these guidelines, the IPCC produced Good Practice Guidance that identifies good practice in calculation of inventories. The current version of the Guidelines was developed in 1996, before negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. Good Practice Guidance was adopted in 1998. However, due to the then recent negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol and the complexity of accounting for sources and sinks related to land-use, land-use change and forestry, it was decided to develop Good Practice Guidance for these sectors at a later date. The Kyoto Protocol and its interpretation under the Marrakesh Accords introduced a range of new requirements for accounting for carbon fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. With the negotiation of the Marrakesh Accords in November 2001, international negotiators asked the IPCC to develop Good Practice Guidance for Land-use, Land-use Change and Forestry and to elaborate upon the Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories sufficient for nations to be able to undertake their accounting to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. Several members of the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting are directly involved in contributing to the development of the Good Practice Guidance for Land-use, Land-use Change and Forestry as expert authors. The CRC participated in the expert review of the first-order draft, and recently has also responded with about 500 comments on the second-order draft. Following the submission of comments on the second-order draft, the expert author teams will develop a final draft which will be brought to government consideration in October 2003, and then is expected to be adopted later in the year. For more details on the process of developing Good Practice Guidance for Land-use, Land-use Change and Forestry see: http://www.greenhouse.crc.org.au/goodpractice/index.htm
AUSTRALIAN NEWSInternational collaboration Australia, the US, the European Union, Canada, Russia, Japan and several other countries have agreed to collaborate in a cooperative research program to develop mechanisms for the geological storage of carbon dioxide. Details: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/25/international/25CARB.html
Methane plant go-ahead Energy Developments has signed an agreement for the development of a waste coal seam methane power plant 800 kilometres north west of Brisbane, planned to result in greenhouse gas abatement equivalent to 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Details: http://www.infolink.com.au/articles/39/0c017639.asp Increased emissions Greenhouse emissions from electricity generation in Victoria have increased by 41 per cent from 1990 to 2000, according to a State Government report. Details: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/06/05/1054700334492.html Wind farm proposed A $100 million wind farm capable of generating electricity for up to 45,000 households is proposed for Victoria.
WORLD NEWSKyoto and emissionsEuropean bill agreed Negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Union presidency agreed to a bill designed to fight climate change by placing a cap on industrial greenhouse gas emissions and creating the world's first international emissions trading market. Details: http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=2985746
Belgium faces greenhouse challenge Belgium Government negotiators have agreed to invest in meeting the directives of the Kyoto protocol. Details: http://www.expatica.com/belgium.asp?pad=88,89,&item_id=32106 Swiss to ratify The Swiss Parliament has agreed to ratify the Kyoto Protocol Details: http://www.nzz.ch/2003/06/02/english/page-synd3897900.html Russia the key If Russia does not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, “everything must be rethought”, according to the Italian Minister for the Environment. Meanwhile, Japan’s Environment Ministry suggested Russia might ratify as early as November. Details: http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200306251822-0242-RT1-POL-0-
NF82,EU04&page=0&id=agionline-eng.italyonline and Agriculture part of solution Agriculture is 10 per cent of the problem but 20 per cent of the solution, according to the chair of Canada’s expert committee on greenhouse gases and carbon sequestration. Details: http://www.producer.com/articles/20030626/news/20030626news03c.html Verified reductions A run-of-river hydropower project high in the Chilean Andes is the first verified greenhouse gas emission reductions in the developing world intended for the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, according to the World Bank. British-Russian joint venture Environmentalists say a $6 billion joint venture between British and Russian oil companies will be disastrous for the planet unless the Kyoto pact is in place. Details: http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/06/26/britain.putin/index.html Livestock levy Federated Farmers of New Zealand is critical of a government proposal to levy livestock to fund research into reducing farm-based greenhouse gas emissions. Details: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0306/S00198.htm
EPA backs down The US Environmental Protection Agency scrapped a detailed assessment of climate change from an upcoming report after the White House directed major changes and deletions to emphasise uncertainties surrounding global warming. Details: http://www.enn.com/news/2003-06-20/s_5570.asp Focus on developing nations A two-week UN climate conference in Bonn focussed on concrete projects in developing nations designed to reduce emission of greenhouse gases. Details: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1446_A_893730_1_A,00.html Accounting tool The International Aluminium Institute, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute, have announced the development of new tools for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from primary aluminium production, intended to serve as a simple unified industry approach to emissions accounting. Details: http://www.socialfunds.com/news/release.cgi/1898.html US incentives for farmers The US Department of Agriculture is launching a campaign to encourage farmers and other landowners to adopt practices that will store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases. Details: http://www.gcrio.org/OnLnDoc/pdf/usda_ghg_sequestration.pdf
No CDM approvals The Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board declined to approve any of the submitted baseline and monitoring methodologies for initial round CDM projects. Details: http://www.pointcarbon.com/article.php?articleID=2269
and Emissions rising The emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from industrialised countries could grow by 17 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to a United Nations report. Details: http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-09-02.asp
and Americans support Kyoto A survey finds that 88 per cent of Americans support the Kyoto protocol and 76 per cent want the US to reduce emissions regardless of what other countries do. Details: http://www.sustdev.org/industry.news/2003/09.06.03-3.shtml
and States sue Three states have filed a lawsuit against the US Environmental Protection Agency, arguing it is legally required to regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. Details: http://www.enn.com/news/2003-06-05/s_4784.asp
and Deforestation rate increases Satellite imagery indicates 25,500 square kilometres of forests in the Amazon were cleared in the year to June 2002, the highest rate of deforestation since 1994-1995. Details: http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-27-03.asp
Climate changePlant diversity reduced Doubling the amount of carbon dioxide in the air significantly reduces the number of plant species that grow in the wild, according to a newly released study on climate change in California. Details: A ‘greener world’ Climate change during the past two decades has improved conditions for much of the world's plant life and the Earth is now a greener place as a result, according to a study funded jointly by NASA and the US Department of energy. Details: http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-06-10.asp
Alternative TechnologiesEU, US pool research The European Union and the United States have agreed to pool their research efforts into hydrogen fuel cells, despite their widely differing views on what the technology will mean for energy policy. Details: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/17/business/worldbusiness/17ENER.html?ex=
1056427200&en=0934f5d2eb7bbf00&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE
and Hydrogen station opens Shell has opened its first hydrogen station in Tokyo, part of its worldwide push to supply vehicles powered by fuel cells. It opened a hydrogen station in Iceland in April and plans one in Washington DC. Details: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2947063 Canada supports hydrogen Predicting that new hydrogen-fuel technologies will be key to creating future economic opportunities, the Canadian government has announced financial support for three research and development projects. Details: http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/IndustryInformation/
IndustryInformationExternal/NewsDisplayArticle/0,1602,2987,00.html
and Environment fears Leakage of hydrogen could have adverse environmental impacts if fuel cells became a common source of power, according to a study. Details: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2950618 Cheaper hydrogen Organic wastes such as paper mill sludge or cheese whey can be converted into hydrogen using an inexpensive metal catalyst, according to new research which could boost efforts to replace oil and gas fuels. Details: http://www.enn.com/news/2003-06-27/s_5845.asp ‘Green’ power for phone company Vodafone announced it will use “green” electricity generated from hydro or biomass sources for all its antenna installations in the Netherlands. Details: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/9070.shtml Syria plan for renewable energy Syria has approved a plan requiring investment of $US1.48 billion through to 2011 to produce power from environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. Details: http://www.menareport.com/story/TheNews.php3?sid=251823&lang=e&dir=mena Muggles recycled The Canadian edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has been printed on chlorine-free, 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. With a first print run of 935,000 copies, this is by far the largest recycled printing in Canadian history. Details: http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030606/UHARRN/National/Idx
and Ethanol bill The US Senate has approved a Bill requiring a doubling of enthanol use. Details: http://www.enn.com/news/2003-06-06/s_4827.asp Price rises forecast A British power provider estimates that the cost of meeting “green energy” targets will lead to price rises of more than 15 per cent over seven years. Details: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,970497,00.html
TradingInternational market agreed The agreement reached by negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Union presidency includes creating the world's first international emissions trading market. Details: http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20030626/449_5810.asp
Chile qualifies to trade With the building of a new hydropower project, Chile has become the first developing country to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and qualify to sell credits to developed countries under a mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. Details: http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20030618/449_5161.asp Thinking past 2012 The thinking that will shape international cooperation on limiting greenhouse gas emissions after 2012 is already beginning, according to the Australian Emissions Trading Forum. Details: http://www.aetf.net.au/ Standard Agreement The International Emissions Trading Association has developed a standard agreement for the Sale and Purchase of Allowances under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Details: http://www.ieta.org/ Japanese market The Japanese government is set to create a market trading in greenhouse gas emissions rights to enable companies that have curbed their emissions beyond targeted amounts to sell their remaining quotas to firms that have not been able to do so, according to government sources. Details: http://www.iii.co.uk/shares/?type=news&articleid=4677957&action=article
PUBLICATIONSHighlights from recent literature – journals:Sharp, B.R. and Whittaker, R.J., The irreversible cattle-driven
transformation of a seasonally flooded Australian savanna. Journal
of Biogeography: (http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0305-0270)
30: 783-802. Jansens, IA, Freibauer, A., Ciais, P., Smith, P., Nabuurs, G., Folb erth, F., Schlamadinger, B., Hutjes, R.W.A., Ceulemans, R., Sculze, E., Valentini, R., and Dolman, A.J. Europe’s Terrestrial Biosphere Absorbs 7 to 12% of European Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions. Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) 300: 1538-1542. Abstract: Most inverse atmospheric models report considerable uptake of carbon dioxide in Europe's terrestrial biosphere. In contrast, carbon stocks in terrestrial ecosystems increase at a much smaller rate, with carbon gains in forests and grassland soils almost being offset by carbon losses from cropland and peat soils. Accounting for non–carbon dioxide carbon transfers that are not detected by the atmospheric models and for carbon dioxide fluxes bypassing the ecosystem carbon stocks considerably reduces the gap between the small carbon-stock changes and the larger carbon dioxide uptake estimated by atmospheric models. The remaining difference could be because of missing components in the stock-change approach, as well as the large uncertainty in both methods. With the use of the corrected atmosphere- and land-based estimates as a dual constraint, we estimate a net carbon sink between 135 and 205 teragrams per year in Europe's terrestrial biosphere, the equivalent of 7 to 12% of the 1995 anthropogenic carbon emissions. Körner, C. Slow in, Rapid out—Carbon Flux Studies and Kyoto Targets. Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) 300:1242-1243. Plot-based carbon flux measurements cannot produce a realistic picture of a landscape’s contribution to carbon sequestration. The same holds for growth responses of forests to elevated CO2. Dye, D.G. and Compton, C.J. Seasonality and trends of snow-cover, vegetation index, and temperature in northern Eurasia. Geophysical Research Letters (http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/) 30: No 7, 1405 Abstract: We examine seasonal variability in snow-cover, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and temperature in a broad region of northern Eurasia, and the spatial and temporal correspondence among trends in these variables between 1982 and 1999. Our results support the contention that the previously reported springtime “greening” trend in northern Eurasian land areas arises from a combination of: (1) the direct effects of declining snow-cover on surface spectral reflectance and NDVI, and (2) enhanced vegetation growth and green biomass stimulated by warmer air temperatures and potentially greater vegetation absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) during the period of annual peak solar irradiance. Ramakrishna, R.N, Keeling, C.D., Hashimoto, H., Jolly, W.M., Piper, S.C., Tucker, C.J., Myneni, R.B. and Running, S.W. Climate-Driven Increases in Global Terrestrial Net Primary Production from 1982 to 1999. Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) 300: 1560-1563. Abstract: Recent climatic changes have enhanced plant growth in northern mid-latitudes and high latitudes. However, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of global climatic changes on vegetation productivity has not before been expressed in the context of variable limiting factors to plant growth. We present a global investigation of vegetation responses to climatic changes by analyzing 18 years (1982 to 1999) of both climatic data and satellite observations of vegetation activity. Our results indicate that global changes in climate have eased several critical climatic constraints to plant growth, such that net primary production increased 6% (3.4 petagrams of carbon over 18 years) globally. The largest increase was in tropical ecosystems. Amazon rain forests accounted for 42% of the global increase in net primary production, owing mainly to decreased cloud cover and the resulting increase in solar radiation. Paul, K.I., Polglase, P.J., Richards, G.P., Sensitivity analysis of predicted change in soil carbon following afforestation, Ecological Modelling (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolomodel) 164: 137-152. Abstract: A credible and cost-effective methodology is needed to support the use of new tree plantations to offset greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately to form part of an emissions trading scheme. A number of validated models of forest growth are available. However, there has been relatively little validation of models to predict changes in pools of C in litter and soil, and thus suitable for C accounting. A modelling approach is needed to track changes in soil C because direct measurements are currently cost-prohibitive. Modelling approaches also allow for scenario analyses that can be useful for planning purposes. We used a complete C accounting model for forests, GRC3, to simulate patterns of change in soil C following afforestation under four test cases representing typical conditions in Australia. Soil C was predicted to initially decrease (usually during the first 10 years) before a gradual recovery and accumulation of soil C occurred. Sensitivity analyses were used to determine which parameters and inputs potentially cause the greatest uncertainty in calculated change in soil C using GRC3. Taking into account the uncertainties in the values of parameters and inputs, initial (0–10 years) decrease in soil C was predicted to be 0.96–2.35% per year (or 4.16–14.8 t C ha-1) with a standard deviation between 0.10 and 0.43% per year among case studies, whereas the predicted increase in soil C (10–40 years) was predicted to be between 0.49 and 1.80% per year (or 7.57–24.4 t C ha-1) with a standard deviation between 0.18 and 0.69% per year. Results indicated that uncertainty could be greatly reduced by calibration of the fraction of above-ground litter transferred to soil C (i.e. humification), fraction of C lost by respiration during decomposition of litter, dead roots and soil C, and decomposition rates of the soil C pools. It was also important to obtain accurate input data for initial soil C content (including inert soil C), climatic conditions and allocation of net primary production to various tree components. Other publications:Security and climate change Security and Environment in the Mediterranean - Conceptualising Security and Environmental Conflict, includes two original chapters on climate change in the Mediterranean: Climate and Climate History of the Mediterranean Basin, by Hans-Jürgen Bolle, and Impacts of Climate Changes and Sea Level Rise on the Mediterranean Coastal Zone, by Dimitri Georgas. Details: http://www.afes-press.de/html/bk_book_of_year.html Emissions Marketing Association The Emissions Marketing Association's 7th Annual Spring Meeting Summary Report reviews US legislation and regulatory developments related to emissions trading and reports on carbon sequestration projects. Details: http://www.emissions.org/publications/summary_reports/summaryreport2003_spring.pdf Action versus words Action versus words, a study of the implementation of the UNFCCC by selected developing countries. Details: http://www.whrc.org/pubaffair/actionset.htm
CONFERENCESClimate change workshop The seventh PhD workshop of the European Ph.D. network on International Climate Policy will be held at the Hamburg Institute of International Economics on October 10 &11, 2003. Details: http://www.sls.wageningen-ur.nl/enr/ICP/ Energy program evaluation conference A conference on energy-efficiency programs, the Energy Program Evaluation Conference in Seattle, US, from August 20 to 22, includes a pre-conference workshop (August 19) on Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, Verification, and Certification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Energy-Efficiency Projects. Details: www.iepec.org After Marrakech The East-West Center is to hold an International Conference on Climate Policy After Marrakech: Towards Global Participation in Honolulu from September 4 to 6 this year. Details: http://ewcraq1.eastwestcenter.org/~marrakech/ Post-2012 options Post-2012 Climate Policy Options: European Perspectives, on 4 and 5 September 2003, is to be staged by the Hamburg Institute of International Economics. Details: http://www.hwwa.de/Projekte/Forsch_Schwerpunkte/FS/Klimapolitik/
PDFDokumente/hwwa-ws9-03.pdf
© 2003 CRC for Greenhouse Accounting Please notify the Communication Manager, Bruce Wright, if you have public information suitable for this mailing list (or wish to subscribe/unsubscribe). The CRC and its partners cannot accept responsibility for the views contained in public information received and posted on this list. The CRC attempts to reference the origin of the information provided in these news updates as accurately as possible to encourage Internet users to explore primary sources.
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