Climate news this week: Gustav, Arctic meltdown, cash rewards & more -- 8/29

This week we saw alarming news about the current and potential effects of climate change, but also encouraging news in the fight to curb carbon emissions.

On the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in southern Louisiana three years ago, Gulf Coast residents are bracing for another potential disaster as Tropical Storm Gustav moves steadily towards the Gulf region:

Determined to avoid the mistakes made when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, federal and state officials began preparations for massive evacuations if it becomes clear that Tropical Storm Gustav will sweep over the region with the same force as Katrina.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, in New Orleans to meet with Mayor C. Ray Nagin (D) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), said that as of Thursday afternoon, most estimates projected that Gustav, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane, would strike between Texas and Florida early next week, "with a real possibility of getting an impact in Louisiana."

Authorities cautioned that the worst effects of a major hurricane would be felt as far as 150 miles to the east of landfall, because of the rotation of wind and waves.

"We could anticipate a Category 3 hurricane," Chertoff said, "So we're talking about a very serious storm and one that should be hitting the area perhaps Monday into Tuesday."

While no one hurricane or even hurricane season can be directly linked to climate change, scientists have established a connection between global warming and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events in general.

In the Arctic region, meanwhile, scientists continue to detect tell-tale signs of global warming as the Arctic Ocean sea ice continues to melt down to alarming levels:

Arctic Ocean sea ice has melted to the second lowest minimum since satellite observations began, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Sea ice melt recorded on Monday exceeded the low recorded in 2005, which had held second place.

With several weeks left in the melt season, ice in summer 2008 has a chance to diminish below the record low set last year, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Environmental groups said the ice melt was another alarm bell warning of global warming.

"It's an unfortunate sign that climate change is coming rapidly to the Arctic and that we really need to address the issue of global warming on a national level," said Christopher Krenz, Arctic project manager for Oceana.

And as we all know, the highly sensitive Arctic region is global warming's canary in the coal mine.

In the face of persistent federal inaction, the states continue to look for ways to deal with climate change. This week, Maryland is mulling its options in the face of a new report on the effects that climate change will have on the state, while Virginia follows suit:

Climate change could profoundly alter the weather, animal life and even the very shape of Maryland over the next century, making heat waves deadlier and leaving one corner of the Eastern Shore under water, a state-appointed commission said yesterday.

To head this off, the state must eliminate most of the greenhouse gases coming from tailpipes and smokestacks, the Maryland Commission on Climate Change said in a report. That will be a tall order because Maryland's emissions are on the rise.

In Richmond yesterday, environmentalists were pressing a Virginia climate-change panel to recommend emissions cutbacks.

The states are in similar positions: Both are starting to gauge the threat from rising temperatures and making response plans.

Countries all over the world are looking for creative ways to deal with the energy crisis and climate change. One such country is South. Korea, which is trying to promote energy-efficient products by using tactics we would associate more closely with the credit card industry: points and cash rewards:

South Korea will introduce a "carbon cashbag" system aimed at getting ordinary consumers to use more energy-efficient products, the government said Monday.

The system, which goes into effect in October, awards carbon points to consumers for every high-efficiency electronic and electrical appliance they buy, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said. These points can then be used for discounts on public transportation, basic utilities charges, buying other appliances or when attending cultural events.

The ministry said by giving back carbon points that are de facto cash rewards, the system will get ordinary people to be more aware of the importance of energy conservation and boost demand for high efficiency products.

"Ordinary people can receive points by using their OK Cashbag cards, which have been issued to 30 million people so far, or they can apply for a new card that is specifically for accruing carbon points," an official said. Both cards are operated by SK Marketing & Company.

Finally, some good news in the fight to hold dirty coal polluters accountable. Xcel Energy has agreed to "come clean" to investors, so to speak, about how global warming could affect the bottom line:

One of the country’s largest builders of coal-fired power plants will give investors detailed warnings about the risks that global warming poses to its business under a deal with New York’s attorney general.

The agreement Wednesday between the attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, and the company, Xcel Energy of Minneapolis, is the first of its kind in the country. It could open a broad new front in efforts by environmental groups to pressure the energy industry into reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Until now, advocates have largely relied on shareholder resolutions as a way of pushing the companies to reduce their carbon dioxide output and invest more aggressively in renewable energy sources like wind or solar power.

That effort has picked up pace, according to Ceres, a coalition of investors and environmental groups, with dozens of shareholder resolutions filed during the 2008 financial reporting season.

“This really takes it another step, by making it a settlement agreement that should have an impact across the industry,” said Dan Bakal, the director of electric power programs at Ceres.

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