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OECD: governments should make better use of energy taxation to address climate change; “meaningful” increases limited to road sector

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Tax rates were below the low-end estimate of climate costs (EUR 30/tCO 2 ) for 97% of emissions. The report assesses the magnitude and coverage of taxes on energy use in 2015, and considers change between 2012 and 2015. Comparing taxes between 2012 and 2015 yields a disconcerting result.

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PCAST suggests 6 key components for climate change strategy to President Obama; adaptation and mitigation

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The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a letter to President Obama describing six key components the advisory group believes should be central to the Administration’s strategy for addressing climate change. —PCAST letter to the President. The six key components are: 1.

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MIT report finds China’s actions on climate change crucial; argues for global economy-wide greenhouse gas tax

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A new report from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change shows the importance of all major nations taking part in global efforts to reduce emissions—and in particular, finds China’s role to be crucial. C change by the end of the century. Without China, we miss that mark by about 1 °C. 2012.04.007.

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California ARB releases final version of proposed update to Climate Change Scoping Plan; LEV IV

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the final version of the proposed First Update to the Climate Change Scoping Plan (First Update). Achieving our long-term climate goal and 2032 ozone standards will require a much deeper penetration of ZEVs into the fleet. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released. The draft version was released in February.

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Study projects thermoelectric power in Europe and US vulnerable to climate change due to lower summer river flows and higher river water temperatures

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Projected changes in summer mean usable capacity of power plants in the US and Europe for the SRES A2 emissions scenario for the 2040s (2031–2060) relative to the control period (1971–2000). A study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that thermoelectric power plants (i.e., Source: van Vliet et al. Click to enlarge.

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State Department issues Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline: climate change impacts

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The US Department of State (DOS) has released its Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in response to TransCanada’s May 2012 application for the Keystone XL pipeline that would run from Canada’s oils sands in Alberta to Nebraska. TransCanada submitted a new application for the Keystone XL Project on 4 May 2012.

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Scientists call for careful use of time scales, reference dates and statistical approaches in analyzing climate change trends to avoid distortion and hampering of response

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Demonstrating that the use of different time scales, reference dates, and statistical approaches can generate highly disparate results in climate reports, scientists at the University of Alaska Anchorage argue that careful use of these tools is critical for correctly interpreting and reporting climatic trends in Alaska and other polar regions.