Hill Heat

John Dingell’s second global warming town hall in Michigan’s 15th District.

University of Michigan – Dearborn Social Sciences Building 4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn, MI 48124

Chris Mooney, Author of “Storm World” and Washington, DC correspondent for Seed Magazine

Are hurricanes getting stronger, or more frequent? And what role does climate change play in the weather patterns that shape them? Join us as science journalist Chris Mooney, author of a new book on the subject, explores those questions and the scientific and political issues that surround them.

At The Front Page, 4201 Wilson Blvd, Arlington VA 22230

• 6:00-6:30 Buy your drink/meal if you so desire
• 6:30-8:00 Short presentation, followed by Q&A

Cafe Scientifique flourished first in the U.K. (see http://www.cafescientifique.org) as a way for the public and scientists to mingle and discuss science issues in an informal setting. At least 35 cafés now exist in the U.S.

ABOUT THIS CAFE: The National Science Foundation initiated Café Scientifique (Arlington) and its occasional cousin in Washington D.C. in April 2006 to make science more accessible and accountable by featuring speakers whose expertise spans the sciences and who can talk in plain English. Generally held on first Tuesdays at the Front Page in Arlington. To suggest topics or speakers, complete a survey on-site.

FIND OUR MORE: To hear about upcoming cafés sponsored by NSF, subscribe to the NSF e-mail list. Send a message to [email protected] . In the text, write “subscribe cafesci.” Don’t add a signature. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

During a Global Warming Town Hall meeting in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, August 7, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) will take questions regarding a carbon tax bill he intends to introduce as part of a multi-tiered approach to reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions.

Under Dingell’s leadership, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed energy efficiency legislation that would remove from the atmosphere more than 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions (through the year 2030), which is more than the annual emissions of all cars on American roads today. The legislation is expected to pass the full House this week.

In the fall, Dingell also plans to develop a comprehensive, mandatory, economy-wide program with the goal of achieving as much as an 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. He is a co-sponsor of the Hill-Terry bill, HR 2927, which would mandate separate car and truck standards to meet a total fleet fuel economy standard between 32 and 35 mpg by 2022; increases up to 40 percent over current standards.

Pioneer High School Schreiber Auditorium 601 W. Stadium Blvd Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Field hearing on Reducing Barriers to growth of Emerging Energy Technologies – Relationships between Federal, State and Local Governments.

The House will consider amendments to HR 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, and HR 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007, in preparation for the votes on these bills.

The Committee on Rules is expected to meet Thursday, August 2, 2007 to grant a rule which may structure the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007, and H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act.

Any Member wishing to offer an amendment to H.R. 3221 must do so by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, August 1, 2007.

At 10:30 am on Thursday, August 2, in the hearing room of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (Dirksen 406), Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and John Warner (R-VA), the Chairman and Ranking Republican, respectively, of the Senate Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection, will unveil the particulars of the agreement that they have reached on economy-wide climate legislation. This agreement synthesizes ideas contained in other climate change proposals while also incorporating new thinking. It will form the basis of a bill that the two Senators will introduce when the Senate reconvenes in September.

• S.1054 and H.R.122, bills to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Inland Empire regional recycling project and in the Cucamonga Valley Water District recycling project,
• S.1472, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a Bureau of Reclamation partnership with the North Bay Water Reuse Authority and other regional partners to achieve objectives relating to water supply, water quality, and environmental restoration,
• S.1475 and H.R.1526, bills to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program,
• H.R.30, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study andFacilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System Pressurization and Expansion Project,
• H.R.609, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study andFacilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and
• H.R.1175, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study andFacilities Act to increase the ceiling on the Federal share of the costs of phase I of the Orange County, California, Regional Water Reclamation Project

Recent advances in clean coal technology, including the prospects for deploying these technologies at a commercial scale in the near future.

Witnesses

• Carl Bauer, director, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Energy Department
• Jerry Hollinden, senior vice president, URS Corp., National Coal Council
• Jeffrey Phillips, program manager for advanced coal generation, Electric Power Research Institute
• Don Langley , vice president and chief technology officer, Babcock and Wilcox
• Andrew Perlman, CEO, Great Point Energy
• Frank Alix, CEO, Powerspan
• Jim Rosborough, commercial director, Dow Chemical Co.
• Bill Fehrman, president, PacifiCorp Energy

The Subcommittee on Energy will receive testimony on how to improve our renewable fuels infrastructure to accommodate the increasing volumes of renewable fuels in the transportation sector.

Witnesses

• Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
• Alexander Karsner, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, Department of Energy

• David Terry, project coordinator, Governors’ Ethanol Coalition
• Charles Drevna, executive vice president, National Petrochemical and Refiners Association
• Jonathan Lehman, advisor, VeraSun Corp.
• Deborah Morrissett, vice president of regulatory affairs/product development, Chrysler Technology Center
• Phillip Lampert, executive director, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

2:44 PM Klobuchar Ethanol and biodiesel are near and dear to Minnesota, but I believe this is also an issue of national security. I’m glad the energy bill requires auto manufacturers to have 50% of their vehicles be flexfuel by 2015. Minnesota ranks first in E85 infrastructure.

2:56 PM Karsner An E85 infrastructure should be a goal but not an exclusive goal. We see no technical reason why flexfuel vehicles cannot be more ubiquitous across all markets.

Dorgan Do you think the marketplace will solve this problem?

Karsner I think the question is whether we have the proper stimulus.

Dorgan I’ve talked about the gas company impediments.

Karsner I had lunch with Gov. Pataki. On a state by state basis those issues are being addressed. On E85 we have a need to address it.

Dorgan Franchises are barred from listing E85 on their signs.

Karsner I can’t speak for the position of the franchise owner, but the New York model may be something we need to examine.

Dorgan Conoco Phillips will not allow sales on the primary island. Should we just wait for the states to deal with it?

Karsner The New York example has been tested. I’m not an expert on contract law. Is it an impediment? Obviously, yes.

Dorgan When we see this kind of restraint on the sale of E85, should we act, or say so be it?

Karsner Something needs to be done. Some policy stimulus. I don’t start with the premise that the oil companies are necessarily an adversary to the outcome.

Dorgan It appears to me their actions are adversarial to the sale of E85.

Karsner Were I a franchisee I likely would see it that way.

Dorgan What about as a policy maker? Keep it off the main island, don’t allow credit cards, don’t allow advertising.

Karsner I understand your meaning. Fundamentally you have a conflict between the national imperatives and the law. The problem is that this is private contract which both parties have joined freely with.

Dorgan You seem to suggest the intermediate blends might get faster adoption.

Karsner Intermediate blends goes as low as anything above E10. All pumps are certified for E15. In theory you could aggressively pursue E85 and E15 at the same time.

Dorgan Our goal is 36 billion gallons. If we don’t market it, we won’t get there.

3:22 PM Under questioning from Tester: Karsner It may be that the oil companies’ agreements are not aligned with the national security imperative.

Tester There’s a lot of misinformation out there about ethanol. Is there action on the part of the DOE to solve that problem?

Karsner It’s not a one-time story.