Climate

Climate Change Investment Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2006

Climate Change Investment Act of 2006 - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code allowing: (1) an election to expense the cost of certain liquid fuel processing refineries; (2) accelerated amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures; (3) a tax credit for enhanced oil recovery costs; (4) a tax credit for the production of low sulfur diesel fuel; (5) a tax credit for producing fuel from a nonconventional source; (6) a tax deduction for capital costs incurred in complying with certain sulfur regulations; (7) a tax deduction for intangible drilling and development costs for oil and gas wells and geothermal wells; and (8) tax deductions for certain oil and gas well expenditures. Allows a business-related tax credit for investment in a greenhouse gas intensity reduction project approved by the Secretary of Energy.

EXAMINING CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE MEDIA

United States · United States Senate · 6 December 2006

National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006

National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2006 - Requires the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the Department of Commerce and the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a National Hurricane Research Initiative and to cooperate with other specified federal agencies to carry it out. Requires such Initiative to set research objectives (based on a National Science Board report on the need for such Initiative) to: (1) make recommendations to the Board; (2) assemble the expertise of U.S. science and engineering capabilities through a multi-agency effort focused on infrastructure, the natural environment, and improving understanding of hurricane prediction, intensity, and mitigation on coastal populations; and (3) make grants for hurricane research, including regarding hurricane dynamics, modification, and observation, air-sea interaction, relationships between hurricanes and climate, predicting flooding and storm surge, coastal infrastructure, building construction, emergency communication networks, information utilization by public officials, and sharing computational capability. Directs the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, through the National Science and Technology Council, to coordinate U.S. activities related to the Initiative as a formal program with a well-defined organizational structure and execution plan. Directs the Under Secretary and the Director to: (1) establish a National Infrastructure Database to catalog infrastructure, provide information to improve information public policy related to hurricanes, and provide data to improve researchers' abilities to measure hurricane impacts in order to improve building codes and urban planning; and (2) develop a National Hurricane Research Model to conduct integrative research and facilitate the transfer of research knowledge to operational applications.

Global Warming Reduction Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2006

Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) promulgate regulations necessary to reduce the aggregate net levels of global warming pollution emissions; and (2) establish a market-based emissions cap and global warming pollutants trading program. Establishes the Climate Reinvestment Fund. Requires EPA to: (1) establish, and revise every five years, standards for passenger vehicle emissions; and (2) research global climate change standards and processes. Sets forth requirements for retail electricity suppliers and EPA concerning: (1) energy efficiency and peak load reduction; (2) a related trading system; (3) renewable energy types and sources; and (4) a renewable energy credit program and related penalties. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish standards for accrediting certified reductions in carbon dioxide emission through biological sequestration activities. Requires major stationary sources to report annually to EPA about global warming pollutant emissions. Directs the National Academy of Sciences to report biennially to EPA and Congress about U.S. progress in avoiding dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Replaces specified volumes of renewable fuel required in gasoline for 2006-2012 with benchmarks for 2010, 2020, and 2030 and a requirement that EPA determine the volume for each year not specified annually. Requires the Secretary of Energy to ensure that major oil companies that sell gasoline in the United States through wholly-owned or branded stations provide pumps that dispense E-85 fuel at specified percentages. Creates a related trading program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to double the new qualified fuel cell motor vehicle credit, the new advanced lean burn technology motor vehicle credit, and the conservation credit. Creates a new plug-in hybrid motor vehicle credit and an advanced technology motor vehicles manufacturing credit. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to: (1) require securities issuers to inform investors of financial and economic risks relating to global warming; and (2) declare that U.S. commitments to reduce emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are considered to be a material effect and that global warming constitutes a known trend. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish a National Climate Change Vulnerability and Resilience Program and an Office of Climate Change Vulnerability and Resilience Research.

CLIMATE CHANGE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH: DO WE NEED A ``MANHATTAN PROJECT'' FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

United States · United States House of Representatives · 21 September 2006

American-Made Energy Freedom Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2006

American-Made Energy Freedom Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase tax credits for cellulosic biomass ethanol; (2) extend the energy credit for solar and fuel cell property; (3) extend and modify the credits for residential energy efficient property and for certain liquid fuel derived from coal; and (4) establish the American-Made Energy Trust Fund to implement designated sections of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, including climate change technology deployment. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to repeal the prohibition against production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and any leasing or development leading to such production. Prescribes procedures for: (1) lease sales; (2) grants of leases; and (3) Coastal Plain environmental protection; (4) rights-of-way and easements for the transportation of oil and gas across the Coastal Plain. Directs the Secretary to convey: (1) the surface estate of specified lands to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation; and (2) the remaining subsurface estate of specified lands to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Establishes the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance to specified entities directly impacted by oil and gas production and exploration on the Coastal Plain.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S PLAN FOR CLIMATE CHANGE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 September 2006

American-Made Energy Freedom Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2006

American-Made Energy Freedom Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase tax credits for cellulosic biomass ethanol; (2) extend the energy credit for solar and fuel cell property; (3) extend and modify the credits for residential energy efficient property and for certain liquid fuel derived from coal; and (4) establish the American-Made Energy Trust Fund to implement designated sections of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, including climate change technology deployment. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a competitive oil and gas leasing program that will result in an environmentally sound program for the exploration, development, and production of the oil and gas resources of the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to repeal the prohibition against production of oil and gas from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and any leasing or development leading to such production. Prescribes procedures for: (1) lease sales; (2) grants of leases; and (3) Coastal Plain environmental protection; (4) rights-of-way and easements for the transportation of oil and gas across the Coastal Plain. Directs the Secretary to convey: (1) the surface estate of specified lands to the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation; and (2) the remaining subsurface estate of specified lands to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Establishes the Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund to provide financial assistance to specified entities directly impacted by oil and gas production and exploration on the Coastal Plain.

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the need for the United States to address global climate change through the negotiation of fair and effective international commitments.

United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2006

Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should act to reduce risks posed by global climate change and to foster economic growth by: (1) participating in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and leading efforts in other international fora with the objective of securing U.S. participation in agreements that advance and protect U.S. interests, establish mitigation commitments by all countries that are major emitters of greenhouse gases, establish flexible international mechanisms to minimize the cost of efforts by participating countries, and achieve a significant long-term reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) establishing a bipartisan observer group in the House of Representatives and the Senate to monitor international negotiations on climate change and ensure that the advice and consent function of the Senate is exercised to facilitate timely consideration of any applicable treaty.

CLIMATE CHANGE: UNDERSTANDING THE DEGREE OF THE PROBLEM

United States · United States House of Representatives · 20 July 2006

Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006

Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to set forth provisions concerning global warming pollution emissions. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) set milestones to reduce the aggregate net levels of emissions (authorizes EPA to establish market-based programs to achieve such reduction); (2) require each fleet of automobiles sold by a manufacturer beginning in model year 2016 to meet emission standards; (3) contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study the potential contribution of the non-highway portion of the transportation sector towards meeting the emission reduction goal; (4) require that electric generation units meet an emission standard that is not higher than the emission rate of a new combined cycle natural gas generating unit; and (5) establish a low-carbon generation trading program. Requires covered generators to provide a minimum percentage of the base quantity of electricity produced for sale from low-carbon generation. Requires EPA to: (1) establish a competitive grant program for geological disposal deployment projects; and (2) carry out a global climate change standards and processes research program. Expresses the sense of the Senate that federal funds for clean, low-carbon energy research, development, and deployment should be increased by at least 100% each year for 10 years. Directs: (1) EPA to promulgate requirements concerning the energy efficiency and peak load reduction of electricity suppliers and to establish a renewable energy credit program; (2) the Secretary of Agriculture to establish standards for accrediting certified reductions in carbon dioxide emissions through biological sequestration activities; and (3) major stationary sources to report to EPA on emissions of global warming pollutants. Requires the President to establish the Task Force on International Clean, Low Carbon Energy Cooperation. Authorizes the President to adjust, suspend, or waive any regulation promulgated pursuant to this Act in a national emergency. Requires EPA to require that gasoline contain the applicable volume of low-carbon renewable fuel. Directs EPA to require manufacturers to meet standards for new motor vehicles or engines. Requires executive agency automobiles to be as fuel-efficient as practicable. Requires: (1) the Secretary of Commerce to report on the effects of U.S. failure to adopt measures that require or result in a reduction in total emissions in accordance with the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; (2) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require securities issuers to inform investors of risks relating to global warming; and (3) the SEC to clarify that U.S. commitments to reduce emissions under the Framework are considered to be a material effect and that global warming constitutes a known trend. Directs federal agency environmental impact statements or analyses to evaluate the effects on, and impact of, global warming.

QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE 'HOCKEY STICK' TEMPERATURE STUDIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENTS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 19 July 2006

Safe Climate Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2006

Safe Climate Act of 2006 - Amends the Clean Air Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate: (1) targets for a 2% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions each year from 2010-2050 ; and (2) regulations requiring reductions to meet such targets, including by setting caps on emissions of sources and sectors with the largest emissions or the best opportunities to reduce them, by issuing and authorizing trading of emission allowances, and by imposing penalties for excess emissions. Requires relevant federal agencies to finalize a rule to carry out the National Academies' recommendations for regulatory action needed to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations or explain their reasons for declining to act. Requires the President to submit to Congress a plan for the distribution of emission allowances (including through auctions) and the use of proceeds (to be deposited in a Climate Reinvestment Fund) for specified goals, including mitigating the effects of energy cost increases and climate change. Requires the EPA to ensure that emissions and allowances are accurately tracked, reported, and verified. Authorizes the emission reduction regulations to include: (1) additional requirements for any source or sector; and (2) performance standards, best management practices, and technology-based requirements. Requires such regulations to set standards for the reduction of greenhouse emissions from motor vehicles at least as quickly as the standards adopted by the California Air Resources Board at its September 2004 hearing. Requires the EPA to revise such standards in 2014 and every five years thereafter to further reduce emissions. Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Energy to: (1) require, beginning in 2009, an annual increase in the percentage of electric energy generated from renewable sources that is sold at the retail level in the United States and to require such percentage to be at least 20% of the total electricity sold by 2020; and (2) set end-user savings targets for retail electric-energy and natural gas suppliers. Authorizes DOE to: (1) increase the required percentage of end-user savings for years after 2020; and (2) allow suppliers to achieve the targets through a market-based trading system.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2006

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act - Reestablishes in the Department of Commerce the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), headed by an Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere who shall serve as the Administrator of NOAA. Establishes within NOAA the positions of: (1) Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; (2) Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; (3) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science and Education; (4) up to two additional Deputy Assistant Secretaries; and (5) General Counsel. Maintains within NOAA: (1) the National Weather Service; (2) programs to support efforts, on a continuing basis, to collect data and provide information and products regarding satellites, observations, and coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes information; and (3) programs to conduct and support research and education and the development of technologies relating to weather, climate, and the coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes. Establishes a Science Advisory Board within NOAA. Requires the Administrator to: (1) provide a review of NOAA environmental data and information systems, including recommendations to address any inadequacies identified by the review; (2) develop a strategic plan that responds to such recommendations and sets forth modernization and improvement objectives for an integrated national environmental data access and archive system; and (3) develop a strategic plan for research and development (R&D) at NOAA. Requires the Administrator to: (1) develop a reorganization plan for NOAA; and (2) provide public and congressional notification, and an assessment, of any proposed closing, consolidating, relocating, subdividing, or establishing of a NOAA facility.

New Options Petroleum Energy Conservation Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006

New Options Petroleum Energy Conservation Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to include any climate neutral combustion resource as a qualified energy resource for purposes of the tax credit for producing electricity from renewable sources. Defines "climate neutral combustion resource" as any facility which: (1) captures and uses carbon dioxide released during combustion to recover hydrocarbon fuel; (2) produces no emissions of mercury or greenhouse gases and no emissions that form fine particles, smog, or acid rain; and (3) is owned by the taxpayer and is placed in service after 2006. Extends through 2011 the tax credits for investment in solar energy property and for residential energy efficient property. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to award $1 billion to the first U.S. automobile manufacturer who manufactures and sells in the United States 60,000 midsized sedans which operate on gasoline and can travel at 100 miles per gallon. Authorizes appropriations for the development of advanced lithium ion battery technology. Allows a taxpayer election to expense biofuel refining property

Environment and Public Health Restoration Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006

Environment and Public Health Restoration Act of 2006 - States that it is U.S. government policy to work with states, territories, tribal governments, international organizations, and foreign governments to act as a steward of the environment for the benefit of public health, to maintain air quality and water quality, to sustain the diversity of plant and animal species, to combat global climate change, and to protect the environment for future generations. Requires the President to enter into an arrangement under which the National Academy of Sciences will: (1) study and report to the public, Congress, and implementing agencies on the impact on public health, air quality, water quality, wildlife, and the environment of specified clean water, clean air, and forest and land management regulations, laws, and proposed laws; and (2) make recommendations to maintain, restore, or improve protections for public health or the environment in each of such regulations, laws, or proposed laws. Requires the head of each federal agency that issued or implemented such laws or regulations to submit to Congress a plan describing steps to restore or improve such protections.

PROJECTED AND PAST EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: A FOCUS ON MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL SYSTEMS

United States · United States Senate · 26 April 2006

CLIMATE CHANGE

United States · United States Senate · 4 April 2006