After Gutenberg

Full Disclosure: This blog lives over a part of the Marcellus Shale Appalachian Basin. While the energy companies have yet begun to drill in my backyard, nearby (about 10-15 miles away) they have been drilling for shale gas. Recently, there was news that my Pennsylvanian neighbors are concerned about fracking fluid found in their water supplies. Also on the scanner from the HuffPo News Team, there was concern expressed in my state, New York, about what to do with the radioactivity they find in what comes from drilling.

O.K.? So on with news of a “Very exciting day here in Beijing. There’s enormous interest in both governments working together to fight climate change. The package announced today is far-reaching and can make a real difference in cutting emissions.”

In Beijing a comprehensive plan for U.S.-China cooperation on clean energy and climate change has been announced by President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao.

Climate Progress relays word of the joint U.S. and China announcement of a “positive, cooperative and comprehensive” plan for collaboration on clean energy and climate change.

Climate Progress also tries a positive spin on “shale gas, which appears to exist in abundance in China and could allow re-powering of existing Chinese coal plants and more rapid medium-term reductions than people have thought possible.”

CP commentator Canada Guy reflects my sentiments: “This doesn’t look very encouraging. Lots of measuring and planning, and lots of focus on coal and shale. There is no clean coal, it is a fairy tale. Where are the actual *cuts* in emissions?”

Well, no cuts in emissions promised from the 2 biggest emitters, rather some efforts at cooperation in the following areas: GHG monitoring, joint research, China has EVs to sell US, Energy Efficiency*, Renewable Energy*, further perpetuating the Clean Coal lie, drilling for shale gas, more Nuclear Power, public-private partnerships*.

* Note: Energy.gov provides fact sheets. Still it might be wise to have your decoder rings handy.

From information about 200 of the World’s Dirtiest Power Plants, one can see why the United States and China are the two largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world; 60% of the dirtiest coal-fired electric power plants are in the US & East Asia.

1. Greenhouse Gas Inventory. A memorandum of cooperation between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and China’s National Development and Reform Commission sets out avenues for collaboration on capacity building in climate change, with an initial focus on helping China to develop a robust, transparent and accurate greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

2. Joint Clean Energy Research Center. Originally announced this July, more details were provided on the joint center that will “facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by teams of scientists and engineers from the United States and China, as well as serve as a clearinghouse to help researchers in each country.” Financial support from public and private sources of at least $150 million over five years, split evenly between the two countries, will be provided. The Center’s research will initially focus on building energy efficiency, clean coal including carbon capture and storage, and clean vehicles. (Factsheet)

3. Electric Vehicles. Those initiative will “include joint standards development, demonstration projects in more than a dozen cities, technical roadmapping and public education projects.” (Factsheet)

4. Energy Efficiency. Building on the Ten Year Framework on Energy and Environment Cooperation, government officials of both countries will “work together and with the private sector to develop energy efficient building codes and rating systems, benchmark industrial energy efficiency, train building inspectors and energy efficiency auditors for industrial facilities, harmonize test procedures and performance metrics for energy efficient consumer products, [and] exchange best practices in energy efficient labeling systems.” (Factsheet)

5. Renewable Energy. The two countries will develop roadmaps for wide-spread renewable energy deployment in both countries. The Partnership will also provide technical and analytical resources to states and regions in both countries to support renewable energy deployment and will facilitate state-to-state and region-to-region partnerships to share experience and best practices. (Factsheet)

6. 21st Century Coal. The two countries will “launch a program of technical cooperation to bring teams of U.S. and Chinese scientists and engineers together in developing clean coal and carbon capture and storage technologies.” The Presidents also welcomed a package of announcements on public-private partnerships in advanced coal technologies. (Factsheet)

7. Shale Gas. Under a new Shale Gas Initiative, the U.S. and China will “use experience gained in the United States to assess China’s shale gas potential, promote environmentally-sustainable development of shale gas resources, conduct joint technical studies to accelerate development of shale gas resources in China, and promote shale gas investment in China through the U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum, study tours, and workshops.” (Factsheet)

8. Nuclear. The two countries reaffirmed the goals of the recently-concluded Third Executive Committee Meeting of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership to promote the peaceful use of civilian nuclear energy, and “ agreed to consult with one another in order to explore such approaches—including assurance of fuel supply and cradle-to-grave nuclear fuel management so that countries can access peaceful nuclear power while minimizing the risks of proliferation.”

9. Public-private partnerships on clean energy. A new U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP) will “leverage private sector resources for project development work in China across a broad array of clean energy projects, to the benefit of both nations.” The ECP, consisting of at least 22 founding member companies, will work on collaborative projects in renewable energy, smart grid, clean transportation, green building, clean coal, combined heat and power, and energy efficiency.

Politics As Usual plus Business As Usual And Above All Else equals Destruction of Life on the Planet as We know It

In a joint statement, President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao agreed on a common approach to achieve a successful outcome in international climate negotiations (CP emphasis is in bold):

Regarding the upcoming Copenhagen Conference, both sides agree on the importance of actively furthering the full, effective and sustained implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in accordance with the Bali Action Plan. The United States and China, consistent with their national circumstances, resolve to take significant mitigation actions and recognize the important role that their countries play in promoting a sustainable outcome that will strengthen the world’s ability to combat climate change. The two sides resolve to stand behind these commitments.

In this context both sides believe that, while striving for final legal agreement, an agreed outcome at Copenhagen should, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, include emission reduction targets of developed countries and nationally appropriate mitigation actions of developing countries. The outcome should also substantially scale up financial assistance to developing countries, promote technology development, dissemination and transfer, pay particular attention to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable to adapt to climate change, promote steps to preserve and enhance forests, and provide for full transparency with respect to the implementation of mitigation measures and provision of financial, technology and capacity building support.

So, for any AG scorekeepers out there in cyberspace, we have 3 issues that rate above ground (#1, #2, & #3) , 3 that require a code book (#4, #5, & #9), and 3 that definitely are below ground (#6, #7, & #8).

#1 GHG Inventory

Good.

#2 Joint Research

Sounds good. Who is going to argue with more study, eh?

#3 Electric Vehicles

Good, as far as it goes. I have yet to winter mine because it has been warm during the day in Upstate New York.

#4 Energy Efficiency

Look, Amory, Lip Service

#5 Renewable Energy

Does that mean China wants to sell us solar panels to power our Chinese made EVs?

#6 21st Century Schizoid Plan More Coal

Man, you sure got some dirty air here in Beijing.

#7 Shale Gas

(Editor’s note: Did you read the Full Disclosure? Fine.)
You’re in the Pickens Army now
You’re not behind a plow
You t’ain’t the one getting rich, biatch
Might as well move to Love Canal.

#8 Mo’ Nuklar

Uranium future(s), anyone?

#9 BAUAAAE

Nuff said.

No longer can we claim ignorance. Denial equates to death on a planetary scale.

O.K., enough snarkiness, where is the compassion? Greenwashers need to make a living, too, what with the cost of Washington Theater these days and trying to save for the kid’s college, it has to be exceptionally tough when the boss says, “Have I got a great plan or what?” So, the last word for now on the shale gas proposal will go to JR.

China has massive energy needs. CSP and wind with gas (plus the nuclear they are building) can cover a lot of new generation, but we need to replace existing plants to. So shale gas instead of coal is NOT business as usual. It can re-power existing coal plants — and in China we’ll need to replace existing coal plants with something with far lower emissions. Also, one can do CCS with gas, and probably to much greater effect. A gas plant with 50% CCS equals a coal plant with 80% CCS. China is will need to slash emissions at all those coal plants it built in the last two decades. Gas could play a key role for China.

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• More important than Copenhagen? U.S.-China deal on energy and climate (scientificamerican.com)