E2 Morning Roundup: New poll shows public believes in global warming but economy remains dominant concern, Gulf restoration plan out Tuesday, Interior vows better offshore science, Bond fails to block EPA, and much more

Glass half (maybe a third) full for enviros on climate

A majority of Americans believe global warming exists and is a man-made problem, but environment and energy remain low public priorities in a sour economy.

That’s the upshot of the Ipsos Public Affairs poll slated for release Tuesday. The survey finds that 78 percent believe Earth’s temperatures have been rising over the past century and 58 percent believe that it is due to human activity. 
 


It’s still the economy

But when compared with the economy, jobs and foreign affairs, the environment was rated the most important problem facing the U.S. by only four percent, with energy issues at one percent. The economy was the number one issue at 47 percent, followed by unemployment and jobs at 35 percent and foreign affairs at 10 percent. 
 
Both environment and energy issues also fall far short in head-to-head matchups against job creation, healthcare and education when pollsters ask what’s the more important problem.



What’s a green job worth?

The poll also concludes that on average Americans would pay at most about $20 extra per month in electricity bills if it meant making the U.S. less dependent on energy imports, $13 more per month if it would mean the creation of lots of “green jobs,” and $15 per month if their energy use would be more environmentally friendly.

The biggest percentage of those polled for each scenario, however, would want to pay nothing more to reach those goals. The dollar figures are smaller if those scenarios are not framed within the context of global warming, with still the highest percentage electing not to pay anything more per month. 
 
The telephone poll was conducted from Sept. 16-19 and polled 1,161 adults, with a margin of error of 2.9 percent. Those identifying themselves as Democrats outweighed Republicans, 46 percent to 40 percent, with the rest labeled as independents or not leaning toward either party.

Obama’s Gulf restoration plan set for release, targets BP fines as funding source

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is slated to unveil the long-term recovery plan in New Orleans Tuesday.

Mabus will recommend funding the restoration plan with “some of the billions of dollars in civil penalties that could be collected from companies responsible for the oil spill,” reports AP, which obtained portions of the document. Their piece says the White House has signed off on the idea.

“Dedicating fines levied against BP PLC and other companies involved in the April 20 accident to restoration and directly to Gulf states, which the report also calls for, will require a change in law. Currently, Clean Water Act fines go into a trust fund to pay for oil spill cleanups,” AP adds. “But if successful, it would go a long way to solving what has been a critical problem in past efforts to restore the coast — money.”

Interior, NOAA to sign agreement on marine collaboration

The Interior Department is on the cusp of signing a “memorandum of understanding” with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve collaboration between the agencies, Interior officials said Monday.

The enhanced collaboration follows revelations that NOAA – which is tasked with studying and protecting marine species and ecosystems – was not a major player in the Obama administration’s decision to expand offshore oil-and-gas leasing.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar – appearing before the White House-created panel probing the BP oil spill – said NOAA was consulted in the development of the leasing plan but acknowledged the need for enhanced collaboration. Michael Bromwich, who heads Interior’s offshore energy branch, told the panel that, “we will have something to announce in the not-too-distant future.”

They both testified before the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.

On tap Tuesday: Gulf restoration in focus on Day 2 of spill commission hearing

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling hold a second day of hearings in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday brings a heavy focus on environmental damage and restoration after Monday’s review of drilling policy and the federal spill response. Witnesses will include a broad range of scientists and marine experts from inside and outside the federal government, as well as Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

On tap Tuesday II: Retired military brass urge Senate not to block EPA climate rules

Several retired military officials are in Washington to lobby the Senate on climate change policy. They’re fighting Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s (D-W.Va.) bill that would delay EPA climate change rules for power plants and other big industrial facilities for two years.

The officials and other veterans are part of the group called Operation Free that pushes clean energy as a national security imperative.

Ex-military members including Air Force Lt. General Norman Seip and former U.S. Army Captain Jonathan Powers are holding a 9:30 a.m. press conference on the Capitol.

“In light of the Department of Defense’s decision to identify climate change as a strategic threat to our national security, veterans will address the serious security threats posed by any proposal that would allow carbon pollution and climate change to continue unchecked,” an advisory states.

Bond, Kit Bond, fails to block climate rules

Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) on Monday tried and failed to win lightning Senate approval of Rockefeller’s bill to block EPA’s climate rules.

He tried to move the measure by “unanimous consent,” which means without debate or a roll call vote. Democrats objected and Bond bashed them for it. “If the Democrats are serious about protecting jobs they would have sided with the American people, rather than EPA bureaucrats,” he said in a prepared statement afterward.

In case you missed E2 Wire yesterday . . .

Check out our Monday posts:

Administration releases climate strategy for plants, wildlife

Begich eyes hardball with White House to push Alaska drilling

More than 100 arrested at coal mining protest in front of the White House

Western lawmakers push back on EPA farm-dust regs

Spill panel chief expects federal drilling ban to end early

Oil spill panel chiefs say low oil flow estimates were harmful

Thad Allen: Low-balled oil spill estimates didn’t hamper response

EPA, Transportation Dept. get ball rolling on vehicle mileage, climate rules

Louisiana official on spill: Nobody in charge

On tap Tuesday III: Senate Commerce Committee reviews pipeline safety

A committee panel will probe the fatal natural gas pipeline blast in San Bruno, California earlier this month. Witnesses at the 3 p.m. hearing will include Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Cynthia Quarterman, administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

On tap Tuesday IV: Greens preview China climate talks



The Natural Resources Defense Council will offer a telephone briefing Tuesday morning on expected goals for the next round of international climate talks, beginning Oct. 4 in Tianjin, China.

NRDC officials in their 9:30 call this morning will review unilateral steps China and India have taken to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and implications heading into this winter's United Nations climate talks in Cancun, Mexico. Top U.S. and U.N. officials have downplayed any hope for a climate treaty in Cancun, emphasizing instead financing for developing nations and other incremental steps that could potentially lead to a treaty agreement further down the road.

UN official: Wealthy nations need to step up on climate aid

“International agreements to fight the threat of climate change will not make any further progress unless rich countries deliver on their promises of almost $30bn in short-term funding for developing economies, the UN’s senior climate official has warned,” the Financial Times reports.

“Christiana Figueres, who took over as executive secretary of the UN framework convention on climate change in July, said the climate talks in Cancún in November could make progress on practical measures for tackling global warming, such as holding back deforestation, if the money is forthcoming,” their piece adds.

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