Hill Heat

The House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will hold a field hearing at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

The Energy and Environment Subcommittee’s hearing will investigate how the energy industry and cities like Houston are working to address energy challenges such as energy independence, global climate change, and economic growth that are expected to intensify in the near future. Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX) and Subcommittee Members in attendance will hear testimony from public, academic, and energy industry leaders in Texas and discuss new strategies for tackling these issues.

Witnesses:

• Mayor Bill White, Mayor, City of Houston
• John Hofmeister, President, Shell Oil Company
• Michael Ming, President, Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America
• Dr. Robert Hirsh, Senior Energy Advisor, Management Information Services Inc.
• Dr. Walter Chapman, Director, Rice University Energy and Environment Systems Institute

At the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University

02/29/2008 at 10:30AM

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing addressing the efficiency of a cap-and-trade approach to controlling carbon emissions. The cap-and-trade approach is often set against concerns about its possible impact on industrial competitiveness. These and related concerns led to significant excess allocation of free allowances in the first phase of the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which caps carbon from five major trading industrial sectors, in addition to power generation.

• With the first phase of the EU ETS now complete and the system in its second (Kyoto) phase, what has been learned to date?
• What is now proposed for the future of the EU ETS beyond 2012 – with the recent structure proposed for a third term, right out to 2020?
• And what may the EU ETS experience and future plans imply for the international effort to control climate change?

The EU ETS covers 45 percent of European CO2 emissions. Concerns about the loss of industrial competitiveness and leakage of CO2 emissions remain one of the major barriers to placing more robust CO2 mitigation obligations on industrial sectors in the EU. A January 15 report by Climate Strategies, “Differentiation and Dynamics of EU ETS Industrial Competitiveness Impacts,” analyzes what would happen if Europe presses ahead with strong CO2 prices without waiting for similar policies elsewhere. The study finds that competitiveness and leakage concerns are no threat to the viability of the EU ETS overall, but can be analyzed and addressed for the individual sectors affected. Various policy instruments are available, and the best option can be selected individually for each of the affected sectors.

Speaker:

• Dr. Michael Grubb, Chief Economist, Carbon Trust; Professor, Cambridge Faculty of Economics; and Contributing Author, Differentiation and Dynamics of EU ETS Industrial Competitiveness Impacts

Professor Michael Grubb is Chief Economist at the UK’s Carbon Trust, the $200 million/year public-private partnership established by the UK government and business to kick-start the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy. He combines this with academic positions at Cambridge University and Imperial College London. Prof. Grubb was also recently appointed to the UK government’s Committee on Climate Change, being established under the UK Climate Change Bill, with statutory powers to advise the UK government on future carbon reduction targets and to monitor government progress towards those targets.

This briefing is free and open to the public. No RSVP required. For more information, contact Fred Beck at [email protected] or 202-662-1892.

02/29/2008 at 10:00AM

Witnesses

• The Honorable Stuart Eizenstat, Partner, Covington & Burling, Sustainable Forestry Management, Ltd.
• Heather McGray, Senior Associate, World Resources Institute

02/28/2008 at 02:30PM

02/28/2008 at 10:00AM

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, led by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 3223 (Allen): To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to establish a grant program to ensure coastal access for commercial and recreational fishermen and other water-dependent coastal-related businesses, and for other purposes. (Keep Our Waterfronts Working Act of 2007)
• H.R. 5451 (Bordallo): To reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, and for other purposes. (Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act of 2008)
• H.R. 5452 (Capps): To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize grants to coastal States to support State efforts to initiate and complete surveys of coastal State waters and Federal waters adjacent to a State’s coastal zone to identify potential areas suitable or unsuitable for the exploration, development, and production of renewable energy, and for other purposes. (Coastal State Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2008)
• H.R. 5453 (Capps): To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize assistance to coastal states to develop coastal climate change adaptation plans pursuant to approved management programs approved under section 306, to minimize contributions to climate change, and for other purposes. (Coastal State Climate Change Planning Act of 2008)

02/28/2008 at 10:00AM

Witnesses

• Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Mark D. Myers, Director, U.S. Geological Survey

Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) I know that you all have talked some about the alarming loss of common birds in our country. Alarming it is. I almost can’t believe it. The numbers that I’ve seen are absolutely atrocious. And one thing that I’d like to explore with you real quick, the Audubon Society has stated that the cause of the dramatic decline of birds is the outright loss of habitat due to poor land use, the clear-cutting of forests, the draining of wetlands and sprawl. Now, in light of such a stinging indictment as that, how does the administration justify a 70 percent cut in land acquisition?

Hall I don’t know.

Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) That’s a good answer.

Chandler That’s one of the best answers I’ve heard in a while, because I think that’s accurate. I appreciate that.

02/28/2008 at 10:00AM

02/27/2008 at 02:30PM

Witnesses

Panel I

• Harlan Watson, Ph.D., Special Representative and Senior Climate Negotiator, Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

• His Excellency Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, Permanent Representative of the Independent State of Samoa
• Mason F. Smith, Charge d’affaires, a.i. of the Republic of the Fiji Islands
• Mr. Charles Paul, Charge d’affaires, a.i., Republic of the Marshall Islands
• His Excellency Masao Nakayama, Permanent Representative of the Federated States of Micronesia
• Her Excellency Marlene Moses, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Nauru

02/27/2008 at 02:00PM

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) opening statement:

We are here today to review the Administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Since this is the Bush Administration’s final budget proposal, let’s ask ourselves a simple question:

Is EPA better able today to protect people and communities from serious public health and environmental problems than it was when this Administration took the reins?

The answer is a resounding “No.”

The Bush Administration’s proposed budget for 2009 represents a 26% decline in overall EPA funding since the Administration’s first budget was enacted, when adjusted for inflation. Budgets are about priorities – this shows the low priority that the Bush Administration places on environmental protection.

Witness

• Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

02/27/2008 at 10:00AM

The White House withdrew Stanley Suboleski’s nomination the night before the hearing, saying that Suboleski asked for his nomination to be withdrawn “for personal reasons” Monday afternoon.

02/27/2008 at 09:45AM