[GWSG] US-China climate agreement; US gvt on agreement; fossil subsidies; ground water loss; pollen increase

[Tilley, Al]

1.  The US and China have reached an agreement on emissions cuts.  China will produce 20% of its power renewably by 2030 in order to begin reducing overall emissions by 2030, and the US will cut emissions by 26-28% by 2025, on a 2005 base.  (The former US goal had been 17%.)  The agreement should lead to a productive round of talks at the UN climate conference in Paris next year.  http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-and-china-reach-deal-on-climate-change-in-secret-talks/ar-AA7GkjC?ocid=AARDHP  Boy does this make my morning.  An associated agreement on information technology tariffs should help the transition economically.  The Guardian provides reactions to the agreement.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2014/nov/12/united-states-and-china-reach-landmark-carbon-emissions-deal-live#block-54631e0ae4b04484e857936b  The NY Times lists further reactions.  http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/politicians-and-climate-experts-react-to-u-s-china-emissions-deal/?emc=edit_tnt_20141112&nlid=43628374&tntemail0=y

2.  The White House announcement of the agreement makes explicit the goal of limiting warming to 2°C and the intent to move toward that goal.  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/11/us-china-joint-announcement-climate-change  Secretary of State John Kerry takes a well-earned victory lap.  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/opinion/john-kerry-our-historic-agreement-with-china-on-climate-change.html?emc=edit_tnt_20141111&nlid=43628374&tntemail0=y

3.  The amount wealthy countries spend on exploration for new sources of fossil fuels continues to grow year by year.  It now equals about four times the amount spent supporting development of renewable energy.  The freshly discovered fossil fuels must be left in the ground if we are to avoid disastrous climate disruption.  http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/11/rich-countries-subsidising-oil-gas-and-coal-companies-by-88bn-a-year  The total of all subsides for fossil fuels looks to be about ten times the subsidies for explorations.  If negative externalities such as impacts of burning fossil fuels on health and climate are included the figure doubles.  http://priceofoil.org/fossil-fuel-subsidies/  One implication is that we have resources to apply to the robust transition to renewable energy promised in the new agreement with China if we can break them free.

4.  Ground water is being depleted worldwide, most alarmingly in agricultural areas.  90% of violent conflicts occur in regions of water scarcity.  http://climatecrocks.com/2014/11/10/groundwater-rapidly-depleting-world-wide/

5.  A doubling of CO2 would mean a 200% increase in pollen.  http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/09/climate-change-increase-pollen-levels/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=aaf481d334-Top_News_11_10_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-aaf481d334-85965093
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