climate change

A Glance at the Inflation Reduction Act

Climate scientists, activists, and politicians agree the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most significant climate bill to date, is a crucial first step to reducing carbon emissions to at least 40% below 2005 levels by 2030. The $740 billion legislation is complex, but from a climate perspective, the overall goals include making the shift to decarbonization an equitable and easier transition and supporting the US clean tech industry. About $375 billion over the next 10 years will be allocated to climate projects.

A key piece of the legislation will strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s role in ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Specifically, the IRA defines carbon dioxide as an “air pollutant.” This definition, New York Times reports, “explicitly gives the E.P.A. the authority to regulate greenhouse gases and to use its power to push the adoption of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.”

COP26 – Success, Failure, or … ?

What should we make of COP26? Protesters and youth certainly had a healthy dose of skepticism that something different would come out of Glasgow (as opposed to the 25 other climate conferences to date).

The sheer imbalance of industry representatives to governments, with fossil fuel companies having more than 500 lobbyists present, more than any country’s delegation, was also deeply concerning.

And then there’s the bombshell report from the Washington Post, calling into question the efficacy of the entire international climate apparatus. It estimates that international climate emissions may be as much as 23% greater than the figure reported by countries, an amount roughly equivalent to the total emissions of China.

Protecting our Coastal Systems to Drawdown Greenhouse Gases

We are facing a climate emergency, and the ocean is a powerful source of solutions that have the potential to provide a fifth of the greenhouse gas emission reductions needed globally to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. Kelp forests and our coastal environments are being hit hard by climate change and other habitat loss impacts and need protection to help combat the climate crisis and drawdown greenhouse gas emissions.

Blue (aquatic) carbon is a very valuable resource to sequester carbon found in salt marshes, eelgrass beds, and tidal wetlands. Restoring blue carbon ecosystems could remove about 0.5% of current global emissions, with co-benefits for local ecosystems and livelihoods. Earlier this month, Oregon released a new Climate Plan that is the first in the United States to account for the blue carbon benefits of coastal habitats.

EAC Supports a Collaborative, Science-based Effort for Climate Adaptation

EAC continues our work on climate adaptation including our support for consistent statewide efforts. In November 2020, we spoke at the California Coastal Commission meeting (Commission), lending our general support for statewide Shared Principles for Adaptation Planning. We are particularly supportive of long-range planning, nature based solutions, the protection of priceless coastal resources, the community character of our coastal villages, and public access.

Marin County Climate Action Plan Update is Finalized

This fall, Marin County introduced a draft Climate Action Plan (CAP), which includes a plan to cut emissions from both existing and new development in the unincorporated areas of Marin County. The CAP contains regulatory, incentive-based and voluntary strategies -- some that build on existing County programs and others that provide new opportunities to address climate change, including strategies developed through the Drawdown: Marin project, which EAC continues to participate in. The county accepted public comments and held a public meeting in October, which EAC’s Executive Director participated in. Last week, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved Marin County’s final CAP update on December 8th. EAC’s Conservation Director provided public comments at the Board hearing following up on our extensive written comments, many of which were incorporated into the final CAP.

Methane and Food Waste

At the close of 2019, Recology Sonoma Marin (Recology), West Marin’s waste hauler, proposed a 30% rate increase that once approved in 2020 increased the cost of a 32-gallon can in West Marin from $9 to $41/month. Recology, who took over the contract from the prior waste hauler, the Ratto Group, justified the increase to bring rates in West Marin up to standard market-rates.

EAC took notice of the dramatic rate increase, as we have been monitoring the rule-making and implementation of the 2016 California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) and understand that rate increases and changes to the way we sort and manage our trash are about to significantly change. The goal of SB 1383 is to reduce short-lived climate pollutants or greenhouse gases (GHG), like methane, from entering our atmosphere from dairy, livestock, and organic waste in our landfills.

EAC supports SB 1383's ambitious goals to achieve a 75% reduction in organic waste by 2025, and we took the Recology rate increase as an opportunity to raise awareness about this key move towards zero waste and other concerns when it was considered and approved by the Board of Supervisors last month.

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