Roscommon/Crawford Chapter

Climate Change News

 

The biggest news on the climate change front just now is in two parts:

1. Our newly unfolding plan from President Joe Biden about climate change remedies

2. The Canadian government’s revised climate plan released this past December.

 The Canada news takes a bit of explaining: In 2018, the Canadian government decided to implement a price on pollution by requiring cash payments to the government from fossil fuel companies according to the type and amount of the fossil fuel to be supplied to consumers. Sound familiar? Here is the language from Canada.

 “A price on carbon pollution is an essential part of Canada’s plan to fight climate change and grow the economy. It is one of the most efficient ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate investments in clean innovation. It creates incentives for individuals, households, and businesses to choose cleaner options.”

 However, it is a little more complicated since the Canadian requirement is implemented not by the federal government, but instead by each of its provincial governing entities so long as they meet the baseline federal standards that have been formulated. Note that provincial requirements need not be identical. In the far north requirements have been relaxed, for example, for aviation fuel in cases where airplane travel is the only feasible means for local travel. Their system of allowing local controls with flexibility for unique circumstances seems like a good approach to prevent inordinate hardships on those who use fuels under extraordinary circumstances.

 This past December, Canada made a few key changes to its carbon pricing policy and the changes are largely those that Citizens’ Climate Lobby groups in Canada have advocated for. Under the latest provisions Canada will now: Extend their national carbon price through to 2030, rising at $15 per ton after 2022, Give the proceeds to Canadian households on a quarterly basis, rather than annually, starting as early as 2022. Citizens Climate Lobby groups across Canada are celebrating their revisions to the Canada plan that are closely aligned with the proposals now being put forth in the US in House Bill 764. 

 In other good news, because of the pandemic, emissions from global car sales experienced an unprecedented drop in 2020, affecting all vehicle types, except for one – SUVs. The reason: Sales of fuel-hungry sport utility vehicles grew to a record 42% of the global car market in 2020. Since SUV’s are typically larger and heavier, their fuel economy is poorer, leading to more carbon emissions per mile than other vehicles.

 The cure for this and the change that the Biden plan calls for is expanded use of electric cars. In fact, electric car sales last year exceeded expectations. Backed by existing policy support and additional stimulus measures, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) preliminary estimate is that electric car sales worldwide climbed to over 3 million and reached a market share of over 4%, making 2020 a record-breaking year for electric mobility. This is equivalent to a growth of over 40% in global sales from the 2.1 million electric cars sold in 2019 and marks a return to the double-digit growth rates observed in the period 2010-2018.

The New York Times weighed in on this news and noted that electric vehicles may offer more value than most people think when they first see the relatively high purchase price for electric vehicles. Electric cars have lower maintenance costs because battery powered electric engines have fewer moving parts that can break (compared with gas-powered engines) and they don’t require oil changes. Electric vehicles also use regenerative braking, which reduces wear and tear and improves overall efficiency of the vehicle.

 Our new President Joe Biden announced the ambitious plan of replacing the entire fleet of autos owned by the federal government with electric vehicles as his administration takes steps to embrace clean energy. He also pledged that these new electric vehicles will be made in the U.S., increasing domestic job growth.

 

The federal government owns some 645,000 vehicles total, according to a 2019 General Services Administration with 225,000 of those belonging to the U.S. Postal Service and 170,000 belonging to military agencies. Currently, only 4,475 are electric vehicles.

 

In a recent announcement, GM says they are planning for production of electric vehicles (EV’s) that will displace 100% of their current product line up. They say that by 2035, 100% of their product line-up will focus on electric vehicles. Their technical people report this will be accomplished by new battery designs that are manufactured in-house in cooperation with a supplier. The new batteries will be built around a core of manganese, cobalt and nickel. Recent developments have proven that the amount of the high-cost cobalt used in the new battery will be reduced by 20% with the addition of lower cost aluminum. They also report that their new battery provides 50% more energy capacity in a smaller space than current batteries, and it will offer an expected range of 460 miles per charge for some of their planned vehicles.

 

Ford seems a bit less enthusiastic about the future of electric vehicles than does GM. Their message on the internet seems to treat electric vehicles as an add-on their existing line as they advertise that  “Ford hybrid and electric vehicles feature advanced fuel-saving technology. Whether they’re operating in electric mode, gas mode or a combination of both, these vehicles optimize efficiency and simplicity. The plug-in hybrid vehicles can be recharged in under three hours using a 240-volt outlet. And now, there’s an all-electric SUV in the family—meet the Mustang Mach-E”

 

And on a final note, in my section called ‘Talk about mixed messages,’ you should know that on 29 Jan, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) approved permits sought by Canada’s Enbridge Corp. in seeking to build an oil pipeline tunnel to replace Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinac. EGLE took this unprecedented action shortly after our Governor Whitmer announced that she had decided not to approve the permits needed. In one more instance of irony, President Biden just cancelled a similar project for oil delivery, the Keystone Pipeline. EGLE’s recent decision seems to be a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing…

 

So, what else is new?

 

 

 


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