Karen Harbert, President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, tells the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a hearing Tuesday that efforts to reduce global tariffs and non-tariff barriers on clean energy goods and services is essential in ensuring that alternative energy technologies can penetrate the global marketplace. (0:25)
Karen Harbert, President and CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, tells the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a hearing Tuesday that a climate agreement that focuses on technology will offer a path that both developed and developing countries can utilize. (0:24)
By Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
As if melting glaciers, higher sea levels and unpredictable weather weren’t enough, because of global warming, the human race faces the potential spread of infectious diseases. A panel of climate experts on Monday discussed the possibility of this occurring in North America.
“Climate change will likely alter the current distribution of vectors and/or pathogens,” said Mary Hayden, a scientist with Centers for Disease Control. “Two major climate factors that promote the reproduction of infectious mosquitos are precipitation and temperature.”
Hayden predicts that by 2050, Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, will likely migrate from areas in Mexico to U.S. cities along the Eastern seaboard. Additionally, outbreaks of Dengue fever have already been reported in Key West, Florida.
“Unfortunately, we’re seeing that Dengue Fever is increasing in number and severity. In Mexico alone, since 2005, there has been a 600 percent increase in cases, with no known vaccine,” said Hayden.
The panel used years of data that shows correlations between increased rainfall accumulations in Africa and the reproduction of water-thriving mosquitoes, with the spread of diseases including Dengue Fever, Malaria, Cholera and Hantavirus.
According to the World Health Organization’s website: “Change in world climate would influence the functioning of many ecosystems and their member species. Likewise, there would be impacts on human health. Some of these health impacts would be beneficial. For example, milder winters would reduce the seasonal winter-time peak in deaths that occurs in temperate countries, while in currently hot regions a further increase in temperatures might reduce the viability of disease-transmitting mosquito populations. Overall, however, scientists consider that most of the health impacts of climate change would be adverse.”
The panel on Monday urged Congress to develop a comprehensive disease control and monitoring system that will help combat the onset of diseases that have increased in recent years.
“I believe Congress should be focused on our ability to monitor and track diseases generally, but particularly with diseases related to climate change,” said panelist Lynn Goldman, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Right now we are doing a good job, but certainly monitoring can be very much improved.”
The Washington bureau will be covering:
- A joint discussion with the UN Correspondents Association and the American Moroccan Institute on “Women Leaders in the Arab World.”
- A pen and pad briefing with Senators Lamar Alexander and Jim Webb on bipartisanship in furthering national clean energy technology.
- A stakeout following Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George Casey Jr. and Secretary of the Army John McHugh’s testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on circumstances surrounding the Ft. Hood shootings.
- The Coalition for Religious Freedom’s news conference held to “condemn [the] Stupak-Pitts Amendment”
- A Natural Resources Defense Council discussion on “President Obama’s Trip to China and Climate Issues.”
- The American Enterprise Institute and National Chamber Foundation discussion on “Challenges to Creating 20 Million New Jobs.”
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion on “Restoring the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
- A discussion hosted by the Center for American Progress on unifying diplomatic, development and military strategy under the Obama administration.
- and the AAAS and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research hosts a discussion on “Climate Change: Health and Policy Implications.”
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says at a press conference with Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that the stakes are “too high” to delay drafting climate change legislation. (0:31)
By Laura Smith – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated Tuesday during an address to a joint session of Congress that the international community should show no tolerance toward a nuclear armed Iran.
“Zero tolerance needs to be shown when there is a risk of weapons of mass destruction falling, for example, into the hands of Iran, infecting our security,” said Merkel.
“Iran needs to be aware of this. Iran knows our offer. But Iran also knows where we draw the line. A nuclear bomb in the hands of an Iranian President who denies the Holocaust, threatens Israel and denies Israel the right to exist, is unacceptable,” she added.
The Chancellor also urged support for Israel.
“Not just Israel is threatened, but the whole of the free world is threatened. Whoever threatens Israel, threatens us.”
She said Germany has shared former president George W. Bush’s view on terrorism after the attacks on September 11, 2001 and Germany felt they had to prevent Afghanistan from harboring a threat again. Germany has been on the ground in Afghanistan since 2002, and they hold the third largest troop contingent.
Merkel’s address to Congress comes just a few days before the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
She is the second German Chancellor to address Congress, but the only to address a joint session. The first Chancellor to address Congress was Konrad Adenauer, who addressed separate sessions in 1957.
Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Republican Senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee Tuesday are boycotting the first session of the committee’s markup of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, or Kerry-Boxer bill, in an effort to urge the committee to submit the legislation to the Environmental Protection Agency for economic analysis.
Democrats on the committee expressed their displeasure with the absence of the Republican members, with Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) dubbing the missing Republican members as being “AWOL.”
“Frankly, I’m shocked these Republicans have evaded this markup,” Lautenberg said.
The only Republican Senator who appeared with the committee was Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio). The Senator spoke as a “mock spokesman,” as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) put it, explaining that he, along with his Republican colleagues, are ready to work with the committee and the EPA in a bipartisan fashion under proper circumstances.
“As the leader of this committee, I hope you will make the right decision, for the sake of my constituents, for the sake of bipartisanship and for the future of this country,” Voinovich told Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
Voinovich stressed the importance of putting the bill through a full economic evaluation with the EPA before the markup process continues.
“While I believe that S.1733 will likely move forward with policies that I oppose, I can’t imagine why we would move ahead without the best information possible from the agency that will be charged with implementing the legislation,” said Voinovich.
At the close of Voinovich’s remarks, in a sign of bipartisanship, Voinovich shook hands with Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and offered to work with the majority party through the markup process.
Boxer reiterated throughout the markup that Republicans will be more than welcome to join the committee later today and through the rest of the process.
“The door will be open, and I encourage the Republican members to join us at work to get the job done,” said Boxer
The committee will stop the markup at 2:30 to allow testimony to be heard from EPA officials.
London think-tank E3G Chief Executive Nick Mabey says during a conference call Monday that a focus in the EU-US summit will be the urgency for a need for reduced greenhouse gas emissions. (0:08)
By Leah Valencia – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
In Barcelona, policy makers are awaiting a commitment from the U.S. to cut greenhouse gas emissions during preliminary agreements being made ahead of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen next month.
Nick Mabey, CEO of E3G, a nonprofit think tank that promotes green solutions, said Monday that key players have began to advocate ambitious commitments, noting that China and India have discussed lofty international abatement commitments. Mabey said that all that remains is a commitment from the U.S to reduce emissions.
“With the major countries moving on finance and on commitment, this really sets up for the EU-US summit…to see the U.S. come forward and make a very positive statement about its intentions,” Mabey said during a conference call hosted by the U.S. Climate Action Network.
The U.S., which is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world – China is the largest – has yet to commit to a goal to reduce emissions by 2020. This has made it difficult to gain commitments from other developing countries. In contrast the European Union has vowed to cut 1990-level emissions by 20 percent in the next decade.
“The principle for supporting developing countries is committing to finance, as Europe has, and a strong agreement that we can build on in the future,” Mabey said. “This is really an important time where U.S. leadership has to come to the full.”
The current preliminary discussions taking place in Barcelona represent the final negotiating sessions before the United Nations meets in Copenhagen on Dec. 6 for the EU-US climate conference. There, 190 nations will draft an agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu says in his testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that the Kerry-Boxer bill would be the first step to drive clean energy investments. (0:21)
