Embassy of the United States

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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES DERIVED FROM WETLAND CONSERVATION PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES PRAIRIE POTHOLE REGION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION RESERVE AND WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAMS.
U.S. Geological Survey. Robert A. Gleason et al. Ed. Web posted October 6, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 69 pages]

Implementation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) has resulted in the restoration of approximately 2,200,000 ha (5,436,200 acres) of wetland and grassland habitats in the Prairie Pothole Region. These restored habitats are known to provide various ecosystem services; however, little work has been conducted to quantify and verify benefits on program lands (lands enrolled in the CRP and WRP) in agriculturally dominated landscapes of the Prairie Pothole Region. A study was initiated to develop and apply approaches to quantify changes in ecosystem services resulting from wetland restoration activities funded by the USDA.

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ESTABLISHING RESILIENT MARINE PROTECTED AREA NETWORKS. - MAKING IT HAPPEN.
[World Wildlife Federation]. October 9, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 128 pages]

The world depends upon healthy ocean ecosystems: either as a source of food or revenue, or as a key shaper and regulator of climate and weather. This dependency and the need to embrace sustainable development led nations of the world to agree to a series of high-level political commitments for marine conservation and marine protected areas (MPAs).

The study, which has pooled global experience on MPAs, is intended to be useful to countries and their various organizations in helping them build effective networks of MPAs. It provides real-life examples from around the globe and outlines the steps necessary to turn political ambitions into reality.

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ARCTIC REPORT CARD 2008.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Web posted October 17, 2008.
Full Text: [HTML format, various paging]

Temperature increases, a near-record loss of summer sea ice, and a melting of surface ice in Greenland are among some of the evidence of continued warming in the Arctic, according to the review. One example of these changes in arctic climate is the autumn air temperatures which are at a record 5 degrees C (9 degrees F) above normal, because of the major loss of sea ice in recent years. The loss of sea ice allows more solar heating of the ocean. That warming of the air and ocean affects land and marine life, and reduces the amount of winter sea ice that lasts into the following summer. The year 2007 was the warmest on record for the Arctic, continuing a general Arctic-wide warming trend that began in the mid-1960s.

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ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
National Conference of State Legislature. Web posted October 21, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 2 pages]

The report summarizes the climatic changes affecting each state, the potential fiscal impact, and the affect of any future climate changes. States are taking the lead to implement policies that address climate change and environmental sustainability. The federal government is likely to enact climate legislation within the next few years.

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HIDDEN RESERVOIR: WHY WATER EFFICIENCY IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THE SOUTHEAST.
American Rivers. Jenny Hoffner. Web posted October 25, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 36 pages]

The Southeast can save over $700 million and new water supply for over one million residents by embracing water efficiency solutions like stopping leaks and upgrading old buildings. The report outlines nine proven, timely and cost-effective steps that local leaders can take to save water and help ensure their rivers remain valuable community assets

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THE ARMY'S GREEN WARRIORS.
RAND Corporation. September 23, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 5 pages]

The U.S. Army has much to gain by carefully integrating environmental considerations into operational concepts, plans, and procedures during contingency operations. Evidence from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflicts suggests that a shift to a comprehensive approach to environmental considerations that encompasses policy, culture, planning, training, and investment can boost overall mission success.

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STATE OF THE WORLD'S BIRDS.
BirdLife International, National Audubon Society. Web posted September 22, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, Part 1, 14 pages]
Full Text: [PDF format, Part 2, 14 pages]

The report reveals declines in populations of many of the world's most familiar birds. It highlights avian losses worldwide. A staggering 45% of common European birds are declining, and on the other side of the globe, Australian wading birds have seen population losses of 81% in just quarter of a century. In Latin America, the Yellow Cardinal - once common in Argentina - is now classified as globally Endangered.

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FEDERAL COURT RULES CLEAN AIR, WILDLIFE, QUIET MUST COME FIRST IN AMERICA'S OLDEST NATIONAL PARK.
Greater Yellowstone Commission. Web posted September 16, 2008.
Full Text: Full Text: [PDF format, 3 pages]

A federal court ruled on Sept. 15, 2008 that the Bush Administration's decision authorizing snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park violates the fundamental legal responsibility of the National Park Service to give top priority to conservation of national park resources. The court found that the Administration authorized snowmobile use despite scientific conclusions by the National Park Service that its decision would result in significant increases in disruptive noise, unhealthy exhaust and harm to Yellowstone's animals.

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OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY: CONDITION REPORT 2008.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Web posted September 20, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 76 pages]

The study indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is "fair to good," but identifies several emerging threats to sanctuary resources, such as potential oil spills, invasive species, commercial development, climate change, and underwater noise pollution. The study draws from a wide range of experts in fields including water quality, habitat integrity, oil spill prevention, historic preservation, wildlife populations, and others. Some trends are improving because of reduced bottom-trawling pressure resulting from fishing regulations.

 

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: A GUIDE FOR DECISION MAKERS.
World Resources Institute. Janet Rananathan et al. Web posted October 7, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 96 pages]

Development and the environment have traditionally been managed separately, but the report guides decision makers in how this can be reconciled to increase prosperity and protect the planet. The authors contend that development planners often assume that the natural assets that development depends upon will always be there. Conservationists, on the other hand, are often preoccupied with minimizing the negative impacts of development on nature or putting it off limits to people. The guide uses ecosystem services -

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ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
RAND Corporation. Web posted October 10, 2008
Full Text: [PDF format, 98 pages]

Alternative sources of fossil fuels such as oil sands and coal-to-liquids have significant economic promise, but the environmental consequences must also be considered, according to the study. It provides a review of coal-to-liquids and Canadian oil sands technologies, considers possible impacts on fuel costs from future limitations on carbon dioxide emissions, and compares costs of the alternative fossil fuels to conventional petroleum fuels in 2025. Development of oil sands can also cause large-scale disturbances of land and habitat.

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CHILDREN'S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH: 2008.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web posted October 11, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 32 pages]

The publication outlines national efforts to protect children from environmental risks over the last year. The agency has funded research on how the environment affects children's health, promoted the education of health care providers, published information about how climate change affects children's health, and assembled data to quantify the extent of children's health issues. Issues in the report include childhood asthma, lead poisoning, exposure to the sun, children and chemicals, integrated pest management, Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units and research findings.

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CARBON OFFSETS: THE U.S. VOLUNTARY MAKERT IS GROWING BUT QUALITY ASSURANCE POSES CHALLENGES FOR MARKET PARTICIPANTS.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. Web posted September 29, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 65 pages]

Carbon offsets, reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from an activity in one place to compensate for emissions elsewhere, are a way to address climate change by paying someone else to reduce emissions. In the U.S., there are no federal requirements and offsets may be purchased in the voluntary market. The report examines the scope of the U.S. voluntary carbon offset market, including the role of the federal government, the extent to which mechanisms for ensuring the credibility of offsets are available and used and what, if any, related information is shared with consumers, and trade-offs associated with increased oversight of the U.S. market and including offsets in climate change mitigation policies.

 

PENSIONS IN PERIL: ARE STATE OFFICIALS RISKING PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT BENEFITS BY PLAYING GLOBAL WARMING POLITICS?
National Center for Public Policy Research. Steven J. Milloy and Thomas Borelli. Web posted September 29, 2008.
Full Text: [HTML format, various paging]

Global warming has emerged as an important issue for investors, including state and local pension funds. Although global warming regulation appears likely to cause significant adverse impacts to the broad economy and stock market, a substantial minority of state and local pension funds are nonetheless actively promoting global warming regulation, while the majority of state and local pension funds have yet to promote or oppose such regulation. Compounding this problem is the fact that many of these pension fund systems are dangerously under funded and are relying on predicted investment returns that are unlikely to occur.

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GREEN RECOVERY: A PROGRAM TO CREATE GOOD JOBS AND START BUILDING A LOW-CARBON ECONOMY.
Center for American Progress. Web posted September 12, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 42 pages]

As America confronts the current energy crisis, the report shows that the U.S. can create two million jobs by investing in clean energy technologies that will strengthen the economy and fight global warming. It finds that investing in clean energy would create four times as many jobs as spending the same amount of money within the oil industry. The program could be paid for with proceeds from auctions of carbon permits under a global warming cap-and-trade program that will drive private investments into clean energy and raise public revenue through carbon permit auctions.

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TACKLING MARINE DEBRIS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
National Research Council. Web posted September 19, 2008.
Full Text:[HTML format, 224 pages Full Report]

Current measures to prevent and reduce marine debris are inadequate, and the problem will likely worsen, says the congressionally mandated report. The study recommends the United States and the international maritime community to adopt a goal of "zero discharge" of waste into the marine environment, and a system to assess the effectiveness of existing and future marine debris prevention and reduction actions should be implemented.

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CLIMATE PROJECTIONS BASED ON EMISSIONS SCENARIOS FOR LONG-LIVED AND SHORT-LIVED RADIATIVELY ACTIVE GASES AND AEROSOLES.
U.S. Climate Change Science Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Hiram Levy II et al. September 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 116 pages]

Short-lived gases and particle pollutants, which stay in the atmosphere for just days or weeks, have a greater influence on Earth’s climate than previously thought, according to the report. Such short-lived pollution includes black carbon (soot), low-altitude ozone, nitrates and sulfates. Each type of pollution influences surface temperatures differently, from the cooling influence of sulfate particles, which tend to reflect sunlight, to the warming characteristics of heat-absorbing black carbon. The report also says that while these pollutants are generated locally they will have global climate implications.

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INCREASING VULNERABILITY TO HURRICANES: GLOBAL WARMING’S WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE U.S. GULF AND ATLANTIC COASTS.
National Wildlife Federation. August 21, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 8 pages]

While Florida and Gulf Coast residents bear the brunt of Tropical Storm Fay, the latest science connecting hurricanes and global warming suggests more is yet to come: tropical storms are likely to bring higher wind speeds, more precipitation, and bigger storm surge in the coming decades. The study details how: hurricanes are getting stronger as oceans warm; increasing coastal population and development puts people in harm’s way; hurricanes affect wildlife; wetlands are the first line of defense against hurricanes; and to reduce risks and prepare for future hurricanes.

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HOT OR NOT?: RECOGNIZING AND PREPARING FOR CLIMATE-INDUCED ILLNESS. American Sociological Association. Sabrina McCormick. Web posted August 23, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 40 pages]

According to the report, climate change is detrimentally affecting the lives and health of many people and is resulting in 160,000 annual deaths globally, caused by vector borne diseases, food insecurity, and heat waves. The report presents an analytical framework for the newly recognized and socially-contested category of “climate-induced illnesses.” Illnesses recently recognized as exacerbated by climate change are examined along with illness crisis management.

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CLIMATE RESILIENT CITIES: 2008 PRIMER. World Bank. Web posted August 6, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 176 pages]

Climate change is a current reality when loss from flooding and hurricanes is too frequent occurrence in many countries in the East Asia Region, particularly in cities where people and assets are concentrated. Urban centers need to be prepared with specialized tools to deal with climate change impacts and early warning systems. Moreover, given the potential devastation associated with future climate change-related disasters, it is vital to change the way people build and manage the cities, which account for 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions today. The report is a tool for city governments in the East Asia Region to better understand how to plan for climate change impacts and impending natural disasters through sound urban planning to reduce vulnerabilities.

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UNDERSTANDING AND MITIGATING VULNERABLE BYCATCH IN SOUTHERN AFRICAN TRAWL AND LONGLINE FISHERIES.
World Wildlife Fund. Samantha Petersen et al. Web posted September 4, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 262 pages]

The survival chances of the albatross, now officially the most threatened seabird family in the world, have been improved. At least 28 species of albatross and petrel have been caught by South African fisheries, of which 13 are threatened with extinction. The birds are caught trying to retrieve bait from long line fishing hooks, or are injured or killed during trawling operations. The findings help accurately identify management measures to reduce the wasteful killing of these magnificent birds while not unnecessarily disrupting fishing activities or impacting other vulnerable marine life like turtles and sharks.

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SEA THE VALUE: QUALIFYING THE VALUE OF MARINE LIFE TO DIVERS.
Oceana. Lisa White. Web posted August 29, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 37 pages]

The report shows that scuba divers are willing to pay more to see healthy corals, sharks and sea turtles. Divers are avid participants in ecotourism and show a great willingness to protect all that inhabits the oceans. Scuba divers contribute significant dollars to coastal economies each year through dive-related vacations.

 

ANALYSES AND EFFECTS OF GLOBAL CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH AND WELFARE AND HUMAN SYSTEMS.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Janet L. Gamble et al. Web posted July 19, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 284 pages]

The report discusses the potential impacts of climate change on human health, human welfare, and communities. The factors include the elderly, the poor, children, and people with chronic medical conditions. The report also identifies adaptation strategies to help respond to the challenges of a changing climate and identifies near- and long-term research goals for addressing data and knowledge gaps.

 

FOREST CARBON MARKETS: POTENTIAL AND DRAWBACKS.
Congressional Research Service, RL34560, Library of Congress. Ross W. Gorte and Jonathan L. Ramseur. Web posted July 29, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 22 pages]

Forests are major carbon storehouses and activities that alter forests can release or sequester carbon dioxide (CO2), the most common greenhouse gas (GHG). Some carbon markets have been formed under mandatory GHG reduction regimes, such as the Kyoto Protocol and various regional and state initiatives in the United States. Other markets have formed for voluntary efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Forestry activities are among the largest-volume and lowest-cost opportunities for generating offsets. Afforestation, planting trees on open sites, and reforestation, planting trees on recently cleared sites, are the activities most commonly included for offsets.

 

IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES AND WORLD-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
Center for Immigration Studies. Leon Kolankiewicz and Steven A. Camarota. Web posted August 17, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 12 pages]

The findings of the study indicate that future levels of immigration will have a significant impact on efforts to reduce global CO2 emissions. Immigration to the United States significantly increases world-wide CO2 emissions because it transfers population from lower-polluting parts of the world to the United States, which is a higher-polluting country. On average immigrants increase their emissions four-fold by coming to America.

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CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION AT E-WASTE RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL SITES IN ACCRA AND KORFORIDUA, GHANA.
Greenpeace. Kevin Brigden et al. Web posted August 15, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 24 pages]

The global market for electrical and electronic equipment continues to expand, while the lifespan of many products becomes shorter. Consequently, the waste stream of obsolete electrical and electronic products, commonly called “e-waste”, is also vast and growing, with estimates of 20-50 million tons per year being generated worldwide. Many of the products contain numerous hazardous chemicals and materials, and therefore the recycling and disposal of e-waste poses a threat to the environment and to human health.

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WILDLIFE 2060: WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR FLORIDA?
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Web posted August 15, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 28 pages]

If Florida’s population doubles during the next five decades, as the report predicts, about 7 million additional acres of land could be converted from rural and natural to urban uses. Nearly 3 million acres of existing agricultural lands and 2.7 million acres of native habitat will be claimed by roads, shopping malls and subdivisions. The addition of 18 million new residents to Florida will intensely heighten the competition between wildlife and humans for land and water resources. For the most part, the animals and fish that currently live in these habitats will disappear.

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STRONG AS THE WEAKEST LINK: MEDICAL RESPONSE TO A CATASTROPHIC EVENT.
National Health Policy Forum. Eileen Salinsky. Web posted August 14, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 30 pages]

Natural disasters and acts of terrorism have placed a spotlight on the ability of health care providers to surge in response to catastrophic conditions. The paper reviews the status of efforts to develop the capacity and capabilities of the health care system to respond to disasters and other mass casualty events. Strategies for adapting routine medical practices and protocols to the demands posed by extraordinary circumstances and scarce resources are summarized. Existing federal roles, responsibilities, and assets relative to the contributions of state and local government and the private sector are described, including specific programmatic activities such as the Strategic National Stockpile, the National Disaster Medical System, and the Hospital Preparedness Program.

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AA08278
Rogers, Peter FACING THE FRESHWATER CRISIS, Scientific American, August 2008
Full Text: [html format, 5 pages]

Global freshwater resources are threatened by rising demands from many quarters. Growing populations need ever more water for drinking, hygiene, sanitation, food production and industry. Climate change, meanwhile, is expected to contribute to droughts. Policymakers need to figure out how to supply water without degrading the natural ecosystems that provide it. Existing low-tech approaches can help prevent scarcity, as can ways to boost supplies, such as improved methods to desalinate water. But governments at all levels need to start setting policies and making investments in infrastructure for water conservation now.

 

THREATS FROM ABOVE: AIR POLLUTION IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. Nature Conservancy and Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Gary M. Lovett and Timothy H. Tear. Web posted July 21, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 32 pages]

No ecosystem type in the eastern United States is free of the effects of air pollution, according to the report. From streams and rivers to forests and wetlands, air pollution reduces the benefits these ecosystems provide to society, and damages human health and economies. Sulfur, nitrogen, mercury and ground-level ozone not only contaminate the air we breathe, they also enter the soil and water, causing a complex set of problems, which is widespread.
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PREDATORS AS PREY: WHY HEALTHY OCEANS NEED SHARKS. Oceana. July 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 20 pages]

The report concludes that sharks are invaluable to maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems. It shows that as shark populations decline, the oceans suffer unpredictable and devastating consequences. Sharks have unfortunately fallen victim to the man-hungry “Jaws” stereotype society has created for them. They now represent the largest group of threatened marine species on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.
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TROUBLES FOR TURTLES: TRAWL FISHING IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO. Oceana. E. Griffin et al. July 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 20 pages]

The report concludes that although sea turtles have survived mass extinctions, they are simply ill-equipped to withstand the threats posed by destructive fishing gear, especially in trawl fisheries. It shows that an estimated 770 sea turtles are caught annually in Mid-Atlantic trawl fisheries alone. Without an avenue for escape, sea turtles are likely to drown when captured in trawl gear. Although the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) developed Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to help address this issue, NMFS does not require the use of TEDs in most trawl fisheries despite proof that they lead to a 97 percent reduction in sea turtle entrapment.
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CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE: A STRATEGY FOR U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. Council on Foreign Relations. June 2008. Full Text: [PDF format, 137 pages]

The report recommends that the United States leverage ambitious, comprehensive, and equitable action at home to advance an effective policy abroad. It lays out a U.S. negotiating strategy for a global climate accord, outlining what the U.S. should be willing to offer and what it should expect others, including the rapidly emerging economies, to do in return. However, it also cautions that a comprehensive post-Kyoto climate deal will not be easy to conclude, noting: “Even as the United States pursues ambitious and mandatory policies at home, it should not sign on to an emissions cap as part of any global deal that does not include strong commitments to actions from the major emerging economies.” It recommends creating a Partnership for Climate Cooperation that would focus the world’s largest emitters, including India and China, on implementing aggressive emissions reductions.
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HEAVY RAINFALL AND INCREASED FLOODING RISK: GLOBAL WARMING’S WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES. National Wildlife Federation. July 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 4 pages]

The last few decades have brought more heavy summer rainfalls along with increased likelihood of devastating floods to the Central United States. While no single storm or flood can be attributed directly to global warming, changing climate conditions are at least partly responsible for past trends. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, global warming is expected to bring more and heavier precipitation in the years to come, according to the report.
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TSUNAMI DETECTION AND WARNINGS FOR THE UNITED STATES. Congressional Research Service, RL34506, Library of Congress. Wayne A. Morrissey. Web posted June 22, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 18 pages]

Congress raised concerns about the possible vulnerability of U.S. coastal areas to tsunamis, and the adequacy of early warning for coastal areas, after a strong underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004. Long before the tsunami disaster, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) envisioned “piggy backing” tsunami detection and warning instrumentation on existing marine buoys, tide gauges, and other ocean observation and monitoring systems. Proponents of the NOAA program also called for funding authorization to address long-term needs of the U.S. network, such as maintenance, and to support social programs aimed at disaster preparedness and adaptation to risk.

 

DARK HORIZONS: 10 NATIONAL PARKS MOST THREATENED BY NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS. National Parks Conservation Association. Web posted June 29, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 33 pages]

One in three national park sites have air pollution levels that exceed health standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most of the air pollution marring the parks’ scenic views, harming plants, and risking the health of wildlife and visitors, results from the burning of fossil fuels, especially by coal-fired power plants. Over the objections of its own scientists, and those at the National Park Service, the EPA has proposed regulatory changes that will make it easier to build new, polluting coal-fired power plants near national parks. The report highlights the ten national parks most at risk from air pollution from coal-fired power plants, and calls for action to protect and preserve the national parks.
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SAFER WATER FOR BETTER HEALTH. World Health Organization, United Nations. Annette Pruss-Ostun et al. Web posted June 29, 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 60 pages]

The study, which is the first-ever report depicting country-by-country estimates of the burden of disease due to water, sanitation and hygiene, highlights how much disease could be prevented through increased access to safe water and better hygiene. The overview provides the epidemiological evidence and economic arguments for fully integrating water, sanitation and hygiene in countries’ disease reduction strategies. It also provides the basis for preventive action by all relevant sectors managing critical water resources and services in support of public health efforts. Lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene remains one of the world’s most urgent health issues.
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THE NORTH AMERICAN MOSAIC: AN OVERVIEW OF KEY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Tundi Agardy et al. June 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 66 pages]

In its latest report, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) examines environmental issues facing the NAFTA partners. The report addresses issues related to air and atmosphere, biodiversity and ecosystems, pollutants, and water. Specific topics include climate change, species of concern, including the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, and the quality and quantity of water shared between the North American nations. With the advice of environmental reporting experts from the three countries, the report draws on information from national and international sources for a broad overview of North America’s environment.
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POLICY AND RISK PROCESSES OF TRADE-RELATED BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Michael Springborn et al. June 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 24 pages]

The report summarizes the insights on the risk involved in trade-related introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS). The report analyzes the theoretical relationships between trade, trade policy, in the form of tariffs, and NIS-related damage. The authors characterize the optimal mix of tariffs and inspections and show how the balance depends on trading partner attributes, such as the infection rate of shipments and the marginal NIS damage level. Overall, this collection of research on trade-related NIS introductions highlights the welfare and biological implications of both broad and differentiated policy instruments, and the challenge of empirically supporting the latter.

 

TRENDS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, 2008-2009. Economics & Social Affairs, United Nations. June 2008.
Full Text: [PDF format, 42 pages]

Efforts to reduce poverty and improve food security in developing countries are hampered by declining support for strong agricultural growth, long considered a hallmark of successful poverty reduction strategies, according to the study. The report highlights recent trends in agriculture, rural development, land, desertification and drought – five of the six themes being considered by the Commission on Sustainable Development. Strong agricultural growth is four times more effective than growth in other sectors in benefiting the poorest half of the population, the report finds. However, while many developing countries have posted gains in agricultural production, distribution and exports, people living in areas of high inequality and in isolation from the broader economy typically benefit little from them.
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Jeffries, Elisabeth OCEAN MOTION POWER World Watch, vol. 21, no. 4, July/August 2008, pp. 22-27
Full Text: [Available from the nearest American Library]

Harnessing the power of the seas to produce energy is an emerging technology, even though there’s been speculation about its possibilities for almost a century. Jeffries examines the efforts of several companies working to develop the hardware and the science that might make ocean power possible. The article examines two different approaches: generating power from wave motion or from tidal flows. Several coastal areas off Europe have the greatest potential for development of the technologies, given their wave and tidal patterns. While several groups are working the problem, only one company, the British firm Marine Current Turbines, has produced grid power generated by tidal energy. Jeffries notes that the technology needs a breakthrough in converting wave energy into electricity – developing the right conversion process and building a generating device at a reasonable cost that can survive the elements.

 

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Mooney, Chris CAN A MILLION TONS OF SULFUR DIOXIDE COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE? Wired, vol. 16, no. 7, July 2008, pp. 128-133
Full Text: [HTML format, 4 pages]

Reducing greenhouse gases is the strategy most discussed in political circles as means to address climate change. In scientific circles, however, cooling the planet by “salting” the oceans or the atmosphere with substances that might change the chemistry of global warming is gaining increasing attention. These methods are called geoengineering and might involve a vast dispersal of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays away from Earth. Setting tiny reflectors afloat in the oceans is another planet-cooling strategy that has received some study. Though these ideas sound almost like comic-book plans, serious scientists are weighing the data in the face of the likelihood that humankind can not wean itself from fossil fuels rapidly enough to stop the melting of the glaciers. Mooney focuses on a scientist who has become an unlikely advocate of such strategies. Ken Caldeira was an anti-nuclear activist in the 1980s, but the winding path of his scientific career has led him to the creation of models indicating that spewing millions of tons of sulfur dioxide would deflect enough heat to prevent the melting of ice caps and the resulting sea level rise.

 

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Hohn, Donovan SEA OF TRASH New York Times Magazine, June 22, 2008, pp. 40-45
Full Text: [Available form the nearest American Library]

The author writes that the world's oceans are filling up with enormous quantities of plastic debris, much of it accumulating in subtropical “convergence zones” or brought in by the ocean currents on beaches thousands of miles away. The article features a nonprofit group in Alaska that conducts cleanups of remote beaches, collecting thousands of pounds of trash at a time, and a U.S. federal government effort to clean up the waters off the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, that are at the edge of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, where a flotilla of plastic trash the size of the state of Texas has been accumulating. All involved in the remediation efforts concede that cleanups will not make the problem go away; the only real solution is to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic containers, which would require fundamental change by individuals, corporations and governments worldwide. The author notes, plastic “is a powerful bellwether of our impact upon the Earth” -– not only are millions of marine and sea-going animals killed or maimed by ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic, but plastic polymers do not biodegrade, they merely break down into smaller and smaller fragments, they act as magnets for toxic organic compounds, and are entering the food chain.

 

EXPERT OPINION ON THE ECONOMICS OF POLICY OPTIONS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE
U.S. Government Accountability Office. Web posted June 9, 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 81 pages]

Elevated levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the resulting effects on the earth’s climate could have significant environmental and economic impacts in the United States and internationally. Potential impacts include rising sea levels and a shift in the intensity and frequency of floods and storms. Proposed responses to climate change include adapting to the possible impacts by planning and improving protective infrastructure, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions directly through regulation or the promotion of low-emissions technologies.

 

SQUARING THE DIAMOND MESH: HOW SQAURE-MESHED TRAWL NETS WILL BENEFIT FISH AND FISHERMEN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. [World Wildlife Federation].
Full Text [PDF format, 6 pages]

The report is based on new ecosystem-based management analyses that use computer models to assess the effects of square-mesh nets on marine ecosystems and fishing fleets. It concludes that square-mesh nets will make trawling more selective. The capture of less immature juveniles and non-target species will be reduced. This in turn will allow the Mediterranean's fragile marine life, damaged by years of indiscriminate trawling, to begin recovery. The proposed square mesh nets are also easy to phase in and do not reduce catches of most target species. It may even increase the yield in the long term.

[Note: contains copyrighted material]

 

GREENING THE BLACK SEA SYNERGY.
World Wildlife Fund and Heinrich Boll Foundation.
Full Text [PDF format, 82 pages]

The Black Sea Synergy (BSS) was initiated by the European Union (EU) in 2007. It brings attention on the environmental threats and challenges which the countries of the region are facing. Developing and implementing a sustainable BSS is a major challenge in a context of rapid development of energy and transport infrastructures. Mass industrial development, uncontrolled infrastructure construction, overexploitation of resources like oil and gas, connected to the strong impact of climate change are some of the main problems that threaten the sustainable development of the populations of Romania and Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Turkey, Greece, Belarus and Republic of Moldova. The study provides detailed and concrete proposals addressed to the countries and the EU in the fields of environmental protection, climate change, energy, transport and security

[Note: contains copyrighted material]

 

ENDANGERED AND THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS: DETERMINATION OF THREATENED STATUS FOR THE POLAR BEAR (URSUS MARITIMUS) THROUGHOUT ITS RANGE.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior. Scott Schliebe and Kurt Johnson. May 14, 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 368 pages

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined threatened status for the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 2 amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Polar bears utilize the Arctic sea ice niche and are distributed throughout most ice-covered seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The Service finds that polar bear habitat, principally sea ice, is declining throughout the species’ range. This decline is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, threatening the species throughout all of its range. The special rule for the polar bear sets out the prohibitions and exceptions which apply to the threatened species.

 

TO SLEEP OR NOT TO SLEEP: THE ECOLOGY OF SLEEP IN ARTIFICIAL ORGANISMS.
BioMed Central, Ltd. Alberto Acerbi et al. May 14, 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 39 pages]

The authors, based on their study, suggest that ecological factors can have striking effects on sleep patterns. They used a simple model to produce clear and sensible patterns, allowing it to be used to investigate a wide range of questions concerning the ecology of sleep. They found the patterns to be consistent with evidences from different types of species.

[Note: contains copyrighted material]

 

THE “RED-DEAD” CANAL: ISRAELI-ARAB EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE DEAD SEA.
Congressional Research Service, RS22876, Library of Congress. Jeremy M. Sharp. Web posted May 20, 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 6 pages]

Regional cooperation in halting continued overuse of scarce water resources has been a casualty of the long-running Arab-Israeli conflict. The Dead Sea has been a victim of this neglect, and scientists estimate that it will decrease substantially in the coming decades due to overexploitation of the Jordan River. The governments of Israel and Jordan have been proponents of the “Peace Canal,” from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, to pump sea water into the salt lake while generating hydroelectric power for use in desalination. However, opponents of the canal claim that it may do more environmental harm than good and suggest that the Dead Sea be naturally restored by allowing the Jordan River to flow southward unimpeded. The report investigates the proposed Red-Dead Canal and analyzes its political significance and the debate surrounding its possible construction.

 

TOO FEW FISH: A REGIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE WORLD’S FISHERIES. OCEANA.
B. Freitas et al. May 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 30 pages]

The report concludes that more than 80 percent of the world’s fisheries cannot withstand increased fishing activity. Only 17 percent of the world’s fisheries should be considered capable of any growth in catch at all. Based on data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it finds 58 percent of the world’s fish stocks are being fished at or beyond sustainable levels, 24 percent of the stocks have an unknown status and only 17 percent are considered underexploited or moderately exploited.

[Note: contains copyrighted material]

 

TRADING NATURE.
World Wildlife Fund. Dilys Roe. May 2008.
Full Text [PDF format, 100 pages]

The report finds that well-managed, legal and sustainable trade can have a significant impact on all eight of the Millennium Development Goals, the globally agreed roadmap which targets development assistance and poverty reduction. The wildlife products covered in the report include medicines, food, clothing, ornaments, furnishings, pets, ornamental plants, zoological and botanical display, research, manufacturing and construction materials. However, many of the benefits are threatened when illegal trade is allowed to flourish.

[Note: contains copyrighted material]

 

AA08151
STRENGTHENING GLOBAL WATER INITIATIVES
Varady, Robert G., Et Al.
Environment, vol. 50, no. 2, March/April 2008, pp. 19-31
Article available from the nearest American Library

The growing global shortage of clean fresh water is one of the most serious environmental issues facing the world today, say these authors. They analyze the global initiatives that have been at work for decades to resolve water issues, and suggest ways to improve them. “Proficient at their best and weak and corrupt at their worst, the systems that govern the planning and management of water resources need attention,” the authors write. A 2004 survey of water experts found overlap of purpose, proliferation of organizations, and imprecision of goals to be major problems in this network of organizations that operate regionally and globally to attempt to provide some solutions for water problems. They suggest several means by which these organizations might attempt to address these inefficiencies, even while admitting that the initiatives “elude easy evaluation.” Still, the authors credit these global water initiatives with providing important assistance to nation-states contending with local water issues.

 

AA08171
INCONVENIENT TRUTHS
Power, Matt, Et Al. Wired, vol. 16, no. 6, June 2008, pp. 148-156
Article available from the nearest American Library

If one accepts the premise that climate change is the most urgent problem facing the planet, then one needs to accept the skewering of some sacred cows of the environmental movement. In a series of short articles, Wired Magazine writers serve up arguments debunking some long-held beliefs about the green lifestyle. Pastoral living in the country? Generates far more greenhouse gases than the urban lifestyle, the authors say. Organic farming? The amount of greenhouse gases generated and the amount of land consumed by organic farming exceeds the amounts produced by agri-business when weighed against the amount of yield produced by the two different methods. Even as they attempt to debunk the orthodox thinking, Wired editors allow their own theories to be debunked by Alex Steffen, the editor of the Web site Worldchanging.com. Steffen pops the premise of the Wired package of articles, arguing that focusing all of our environmental concerns on GHG emissions, to the expense of all other issues, “court[s] catastrophe.”

 

AA08110
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING AMAZON RAINFOREST Hirsch, Tim. World Watch, Volume 21, No. 3, May/June 2008, pp. 12-17
Full text available from your nearest American Library

New satellite monitoring data released by the Brazilian National Space Research Agency (INPE) in early 2008 showed an increasing rate of rainforest destruction, in contrast to data from the last several years that showed a steady decline in the rate of deforestation. The data elicited sharp reactions from all quarters in Brazil, even though its reliability and meaning were somewhat suspect, because it was produced by a new monitoring system. Nonetheless, Brazilian President Lula da Silva issued a decree affecting the municipalities where the most deforestation has been occurring over the past several years. The measures include a ban on new forest-clearing licenses and a requirement that landowners re-register their land to prevent deforestation carried out by holders of fraudulent land claims. Hirsch writes that actions could go so far as to shut down credit for landowners deemed to be among the worst offenders. Still, as President Lula takes these steps, he will be urging the developed world to set up a voluntary fund to support forest protection in the tropics.

 

AA08056
A CHANGING CLIMATE: THE ROAD AHEAD FOR THE UNITED STATES
Stern, Todd; Antholis, William. Washington Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 1, Winter 2007-2008, pp. 175-187
Available online

The next U.S. president must adopt an aggressive policy to address global climate change, according to these authors who are with the Center for American Progress and the Brookings Institution respectively. They recommend that the president engage in a “layered diplomacy,” with a focus on a core group of nations responsible for a majority of world emissions. The next American chief executive should also step up the nation’s engagement with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and China, soon to surpass the United States as the world’s greatest emitting nation. The G-8 group is the model for one multilateral forum suggested by the authors to focus on global warming. They recommend the creation of an E-8 to address critical ecological dangers involving executive level representation from Brazil, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. The authors’ most emphatic point is that the threats of global warming are too imperative to ignore: “These daunting risks should impel us to take aggressive action to insure the world against grave harm”, they write. This article is one of a series, CLIMATE POLICY CROSSROADS, in this issue.

 

THE ETHICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, John Broome.
Scientific American, June 2008. Vol. 298, Iss. 6; pg. 96 -102
Article available from the nearest American Library

Climate change raises a number of ethical question. Here, Broome elaborates the ethical nature of the question "What should people do about climate change." According to Broome the present generation must decide with the help of expert advice from economists, whether to aggressively reduce the chances of future harm or to let our richer descendants largely fend for themselves.

 

HUMAN RIGHTS AND NATURAL DISASTERS.
Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, Brookings Institution. Web posted May 12, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 93 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Although disasters could happen suddenly, their consequences can be long to remedy and can linger on for months and years. The effects can increase inequalities in life and society. Therefore, it is important to review how governments and humanitarian efforts integrate human rights into their disaster preparedness and response. Human rights have to be the basis for all humanitarian work pertaining to natural disasters. If humanitarian assistance is not based on a human rights framework, there is a risk that the focus will be too narrow and the basic needs of the victims will not be integrated into a holistic planning process. In order to provide guidance on how to protect the rights of individuals affected by natural disasters, the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) adopted Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters and Human Rights and Natural Disasters is drafted as an accompaniment to the IASC guidelines.

 

OFFSHORE MARINE AQUACULTURE.
U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-08-594. May 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 58 pages]

U. S. aquaculture, the raising of fish and shellfish in captivity, has been confined to near shore coastal waters or in other water bodies, that fall under state regulation. Recently, there has been an increased interest in expanding aquaculture to offshore waters, which would involve raising fish and shellfish in the open ocean, bringing these types of operations under federal regulation. While the offshore expansion has the potential to increase U.S. aquaculture production, no comprehensive legislative or regulatory framework to manage such an expansion exists. The report summarizes results from questionnaires administered to a wide variety of key aquaculture stakeholders and analysis of laws, regulations, and key studies.

 

THE 2010 BIODIVERISTY TARGET IN EU DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION.
World Wildlife Fund. Web posted April 29, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 8 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

The paper strives to provide a brief analysis of the progress made by the European Union (EU) towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target in its external development co-operation policy. The focus is on policies and programs for Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and Asia and Latin America (ALA) countries. Progress made is assessed in light of the political commitments and instruments adopted and their implementations.

 

ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A BUSINESS APPROACH.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Frances G. Sussman and J. Randall Freed. April 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 40 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

The study describes framework which can be used to identify a company's potential risks from climate change. It contends that, while not all businesses need to follow with action, all need to be aware of the possible threats of climate change. The screening, that can be done easily, using currently available information on climate trends and projections, can identify important risks and also possible opportunities for businesses.

 

EPA PROGRESS REPORT 2008: PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION.
Environmental Protection Agency. Wayne Nastri. Web posted April 15, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 44 pages]

Cutting tons of pollution from power plants, turning food waste into energy, preserving threatened waterways, and reducing exposure to toxics in beauty salons - just a few of the issues highlighted in the newly released 2008 environmental progress report. The report takes an in-depth look at many of the important environmental issues facing Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, 146 Indian tribes, and several Pacific Islands.

 

RANKING PORT CITIES WITH HIGH EXPOSURE AND VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE EXTREMES.
OECD Environment Working Papers. R. J. Nicholls et al. April 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 63 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This global study makes a first estimate of the exposure of the world's large port cities to coastal flooding due to storm surge and damage due to high winds. This assessment also investigates how climate change is likely to impact each port city's exposure to coastal flooding by the 2070s. The study focuses on the 136 port cities around the world that have more than one million inhabitants in 2005. The analysis demonstrates that a large number of people are already exposed to coastal flooding in large port cities. Across all cities, about 40 million people are exposed to a 1 in 100 year coastal flood event. For present-day conditions (2005), the top ten cities in terms of exposed population are estimated to be Mumbai, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Miami, Ho Chi Minh City, Kolkata, Greater New York, Osaka-Kobe, Alexandria and New Orleans. The top 10 cities in terms of assets exposed are Miami, Greater New York, New Orleans, Osaka-Kobe, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Nagoya, Tampa-St Petersburg and Virginia Beach.

 

EVERYONE'S BUSINESS: WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND COLLABORATION.
National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. Web posted March 30, 2008.
[pdf format, 68 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

In May, 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked NACEPT for its views on how EPA might advance its efforts on environmental stewardship and cooperative conservation. This report advances five recommendations, supported by specific findings and immediate steps that should be taken by EPA. In brief, NACEPT recommends that EPA should reframe its mission with stewardship as the unifying theme and strive to become the world's premier stewardship model and catalyst.

 

USEPA MTBE PILOT PROJECT REPORT: INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL SOURCES OF MTBE CONTAMINATION ON LONG ISLAND THAT COULD IMPACT WATER SUPPLIES OR ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
Water Compliance Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Web posted April 27, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 54 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was legally used in New York State from 1979 until its ban on January 1, 2004. The use of MTBE in gasoline during that period resulted in significant MTBE impacts to the groundwater resource of Long Island. Between December 2002 and December 2006, with funding provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) conducted a study to better define the extent of MTBE contamination in the Long Island aquifer system. The report showed the presence of MTBE, a toxic fuel additive linked to cancer, saturating the soil beneath the stations. Some environmental experts and community activists are raising questions about the full extent of the pollution, its threat to public health, and how it will be cleaned up.

 

GREENER FUELS, GREENER VEHICLES: A STATE RESOURCE GUIDE.
National Governors Association; Securing a Clean Energy Future Task Force. Web posted March 26, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 36 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This best practices "State Resource Guide" discusses alternative transportation fuels and vehicle technologies available in the marketplace today including ethanol, biodiesel, natural gas, electricity, and hybrid electric. It also provides a brief overview of the economic and environmental implications of an oil-dependent transportation sector and reviews alternative fuels and vehicle technologies in use today, describes innovations coming in the future, and explains their associated benefits and limitations.

 

AA08110
Hirsch, Tim THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING AMAZON RAINFOREST. World Watch, Volume 21, No. 3, May/June 2008, pp. 12-17

Full text available from your nearest American Library

New satellite monitoring data released by the Brazilian National Space Research Agency (INPE) in early 2008 showed an increasing rate of rainforest destruction, in contrast to data from the last several years that showed a steady decline in the rate of deforestation. The data elicited sharp reactions from all quarters in Brazil, even though its reliability and meaning were somewhat suspect, because it was produced by a new monitoring system. Nonetheless, Brazilian President Lula da Silva issued a decree affecting the municipalities where the most deforestation has been occurring over the past several years. The measures include a ban on new forest-clearing licenses and a requirement that landowners re-register their land to prevent deforestation carried out by holders of fraudulent land claims. Hirsch writes that actions could go so far as to shut down credit for landowners deemed to be among the worst offenders. Still, as President Lula takes these steps, he will be urging the developed world to set up a voluntary fund to support forest protection in the tropics.

 

AA08082 Hammer, Joshua
TRIALS OF A PRIMATOLOGIST. Smithsonian, vol. 38, no. 11, February 2008, pp. 82-95
Full Text: [Available online]

Primatologist Marc Van Roosmalen has been a pioneer in understanding the delicate ecology of the Amazon rainforest. In 2000, Time magazine designated him a "hero of the planet." A Dutch native, and a naturalized Brazilian citizen, Van Roosmalen had a long history of cooperative working relationships with Brazil's environmental agencies. Hammer's article describes how this relationship fractured as the Brazilian government is now attempting to prosecute Van Roosmalen for illegal trafficking in rare animals and the theft of government property. The son of the 60-year-old Van Roosmalen finds all sides at fault in the dispute: "We're talking hubris on his side. He really thinks that he's some kind of savior. And on the other side, he's being made out to be an enormous villain. And both versions are exaggerated." Whatever the truth, the case is worrisome for the international community of scientists who work in many countries. The New York Times quoted a scientist emerging from a recent meeting, "If they can get him on trumped-up charges, they can get any of us."

 

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
Government Accountability Office, GAO-08-262, Report to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Web posted March 14, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 139 pages]

Several benefits can result from using collaborative resource management, including reduced conflict and litigation and improved natural resource conditions. This report outlines and evaluates current efforts.

 

FEDERAL POLLUTION CONTROL LAWS: HOW ARE THEY ENFORCED?
Congressional Research Service, RL34384, Library of Congress. Robert Esworthy. February 20, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 48 pages]

This report provides an overview of the statutory framework, key players, infrastructure, resources, tools, and operations associated with enforcement and compliance of the major pollution control laws and regulations administered by EPA. It also outlines the roles of federal (including regional offices) and state regulators, as well as the regulated community.

 

THE BALI AGREEMENTS AND FORESTS.
Congressional Research Service, RS22806, Library of Congress. Ross W. Gorte, et. al., Web posted, February 15, 2008.
Full Text: [pdf format, 6 pages

Climate change is receiving increasing global attention. Negotiations at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007 led to an action plan on slowing the rate of deforestation to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. This report describes the portions of the Bali Action Plan and Decision that relate to forests.

 

TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED MULTI-TRACK CLIMATE FRAMEWORK.
Daniel Bodansky and Elliot Diringer. Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Web posted December 12, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 36 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Greenhouse gas targets in the Kyoto Protocol expire in 2012, and signers are questioning how to advance the international climate effort. A "bottom-up" proposal offered by governments, experts, and advocates envisions an international effort of nationally defined programs on a voluntary basis. Another approach is the "top-down" tactic where governments negotiate explicit and binding international commitments that shape and drive national policies. This paper proposes a middle course called "integrated multi-track approach." This approach suggests that all major economies enter into commitments to reduce or moderate their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the type of commitment varies.

The paper assesses these three models of international climate efforts.

 

ACID RAIN AND RELATED PROGRAMS: 2006 PROGRESS REPORT.
Acid Rain Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Web posted November 16, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 56 pages]

The EPA's Acid Rain Program reported that, for the first time, sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the power sector fell below 10 million tons. This report includes emissions, allowance market and compliance data, status and trends on acid deposition, air quality, and information and implementation of the Clean Air Interstate Rules that govern SO2 and nitrogen oxide NOx.

 

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2007/2008: FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE: HUMAN SOLIDARITY IN A DIVIDED WORLD.
Kevin Watkins. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations. Web posted November 21, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 399 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This report focuses on climate change and builds on the findings of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC report showed that poor countries face more risks in a warming world. This report "rebukes rich countries for failing to deliver on commitments for helping poor countries increase resilience to climate hazards under the Framework Convention on Climate Change . . ." signed in 1992.

 

NATURAL RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT: 2007.
African Development Bank, Oxford University Press. November 10, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 26 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This report attempts to better understand natural resource management in Africa and how these resources contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction. The main objectives of the report are to: This report was generated from the Big Table 2007 Forum organized by the African Development Bank and the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

 

MISSING LINKS: POVERTY, POPULATION, AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN ETHIOPIA.
Mogues Worku. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). October 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 8 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Ethiopia's high population growth, unsustainable land use, and ambiguous land ownership policies have caused a loss of biomass, soil erosion, and desertification. Additionally, climate change has brought drought and famine that caused displacement or death to millions of Ethiopians.

This report describes links between Ethiopia's population and environment and offers recommendations to programs to help the Ethiopian people.

 

A CLIMATE OF CONFLICT: THE LINKS BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE, PEACE AND WAR.
Dan Smith and Janani Vivekananda. International Alert. Web posted November 5, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 48 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

The findings for this report are taken from the Fourth Assessment Review of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. The report looks at the social and human consequences of climate change since many of the world's poorest countries face a double-headed problem of climate change and violent conflict. This report includes twelve recommendations for states and communities to handle climate change and conflict.

 

AA07407
Heinberg, Richard BIG MELT MEETS BIG EMPTY: RETHINKING THE IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND PEAK OIL (MuseLetter, No. 187, November 2007)
Full text [Available from publisher's website]

The author, a prominent educator and author on ecological issues, writes that environmental advocates are focusing on climate change to the exclusion of almost any other issue. The unprecedented melting of the summer ice pack in the Arctic during the summer of 2007 underscored this urgency. Heinberg notes that there are ambitious hopes to enact an equitable program of carbon emissions caps and trading rights. He writes that the developing world, led by China, now has a bargaining chip that in effect amounts to a "global suicide pact" -- they will not reduce their emissions until the West agrees to reduce theirs proportionately to the developing world's increased emissions. However, Heinberg notes that carbon-trading fails to take into account the fact that global oil production is peaking and may soon decline, followed by natural gas and coal in the not-too-distant future; if fuel is in scarce supply, no one will be interested in carbon-trading caps. What he believes is essential is for the industrialized West to set an example and acknowledge the necessity to make fundamental changes in its energy, transportation and agricultural systems. He writes that "ultimately, power holders must be convinced that such policies, if obnoxious to them now, will be far less destructive to their interests than a complete breakdown of society and biosphere -- which is the very real alternative. For a historic example of a similar conversion of elites think of the 1930s New Deal: then the titans of industry had to sacrifice some of their financial power in order to keep from losing it all."

 

GEO 4 [GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOKS]: ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations. Web posted October 25, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 572 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This report is part of a series that analyzes environmental changes, causes, impacts, and policy responses. It provides information to decision-makers build global and sub-global capacity levels. The report also offers options for actions.

 

MEASURING OUR NATION'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: HIGHLIGHTS OF A FORUM.
U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) and the National Academy of Sciences. Web posted October 24, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 38 pages]

The forum participants discussed the "criteria to help in developing environmental accounts, lessons learned from the international community, and strategies for overcoming challenges." Forum participants were officials and experts from federal agencies and national and international organizations.

 

THE U.S. ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE COSTS OF INACTION: A REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.
Matthias Ruth and Roy F. Weston. Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER), University of Maryland. Web posted October 16, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 52 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Policies aimed at curbing greenhouse gases are misunderstood by many including Congress, often resulting in inaction. This inaction is frequently motivated by the perceived high cost of reducing greenhouse emissions while the cost of not taking action is often ignored or not calculated.

This report reviews economic studies and predicts the cost impacts of climate change. The findings are arranged by region and key sectors likely to be effected by climate change are identified.

 

IS EUROPE FULFILLING ITS CBD OBLIGATIONS? AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE NATURA 2000 NETWORK MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAMME OF WORK ON PROTECTED AREAS OF THE CBD.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Web posted October 5, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 26 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Natura 2000 is a network of European protected areas based on EU Birds and Habitats Directives. This report provides an overview of similarities and differences between the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) and the EU Action provisions for the protection of natural areas. The report offers recommendations in Section II, and the Annex provides an outline of additional work needed at the national and/or European level to reach CBD goals.

 

MORE RICE WITH LESS WATER: SRI-SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Web posted October 3, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 49 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Rice is a food staple for more than half of the world's population. In Asia, 60-70 percent of the calories consumed are from rice, and the production and consumption of rice are increasing in Africa. Rice is important for food security in low-income and food-deficit countries. "This report highlights the relationship between rice, food security and water scarcity"; and it "examines the contribution that the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) can make to address various challenges."

 

PRIVATIZING U.S. WATER.
Shiney Varghese. Trade and Global Governance Program, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Web posted October 1, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 7 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This paper assesses the privatization of water services. The author shows that "rather than allocating public funds for investment in public water systems, local governments have removed legal and regulatory restrictions that prohibit private operations of publicly owned utilities." Privatization of public services has also become a global trend especially in middle- and low-income countries.

This paper is divided into three sections. The first section surveys private water utilities in the U.S.; the second looks at the investment gap in water-related services; and the third section examines specific forms of private sector investment.

 

ALL COUNTRIES NEED TO TAKE MAJOR STEPS ON CLIMATE CHANGE: GLOBAL POLL.
Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA). Web posted September 25, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 25 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

According to this poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries, most believe that human activity causes global warming and 90 percent support action to curb global warming. The poll also shows that a majority concur with an agreement that developing countries limit their emission in return for financial and technological assistance.

 

HOW TO AVOID DANGEROUS CLIMATE CHANGE: A TARGET FOR U.S. EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS.
Amy L. Luers, Michael D. Mastrandrea, Katharine Hayhoe, and Peter C. Frumhoff. Union of Concerned Scientists. September 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 34 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Scientific evidence indicates that an increase in the global average temperature of 2ºC or 3ºC (degrees Celsius) will pose severe risks to natural systems and human health. The EU is committed to limiting global warming to 2ºC above pre-industrial levels. The U.S. has agreed to work with more than 180 nations to stabilize greenhouse gases at a level to prevent "human-caused interference." The 110th Congress is considering several bills that would set a target for global warming emissions. This report analyzes these bills.

 

THE POTENTIAL FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
Natalie Tawil. Microeconomic Studies Division, Congressional Budget Office (CBO), U.S. Congress. September 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 32 pages]

Greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), have increased over the past century and have warmed the earth's climate. Methods to lowering the atmospheric concentration of CO2 include reducing emissions, encouraging carbon sequestration-the capture and storage of CO2-and the absorption of CO2 by vegetation and soil.

This report examines the methods, technology, potential, and possible costs of carbon sequestration in the U.S. The report makes no recommendations.

 

CLEAN CITIES ANNUAL METRICS REPORT 2006.
P. Bergeron and V. Putsche. Technical Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Web posted September 28, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 19 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Each year Clean Cities coordinators submit reports on their activities and accomplishments to the Alternative Fuels Data Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL analyzes the data, translates them into gasoline reduction impacts, and then generates a report.

About 375 million gallons of gasoline were displaced in 2006-50% more than in 2005. Alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) accounted for the largest displacement share-71%. Biofuels and low-level blends displaced 128 million gallons. 80 million gallons were displaced by fuel economy impacts; and idle reduction and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technologies displaced an additional 16 million gallons. Clean City coordinators also held 917 outreach activities that reached approximately 21 million people.

 

UNCERTAINTY IN CLIMATE MODEL PROJECTIONS OF ARCTIC SEA ICE DECLINE: AN EVALUATION RELEVANT TO POLAR BEARS.
Eric DeWeaver. U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior. Web posted September 7, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 47 pages]

This report describes the uncertainties in climate model simulations of Arctic sea ice. It proposes a selection criterion for models for polar bear habitat loss projections. Of the 10 models that satisfied the criteria, all lost at least 30% of the September ice; 4 lost over 80% percent; and by the end of the 21st century, 7 are practically ice free.

 

REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC AND POLICY ASPECTS OF BIOFUELS.
Deepak Rajagopal and David Zilberman. Policy Research Working Paper, World Bank. Web posted September 4, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 109 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

There has been a sudden growth in biofuels production especially ethanol and biodiesel. This paper analyzes the environmental, economic, and policy literature to determine the possible effects of these types of biofuels. It also identifies the gaps in understanding and makes recommendations for future works.

The authors drew three major conclusions:

• current biofuels are intensive users of land, water, energy, and chemicals;
• environmental literature is dominated by net carbon offset and net energy gains, while the impact on human health, soil quality biodiversity, and water depletion receive less attention; and
• "there is a fast expanding economic and policy literature that analyzes the various effects of biofuels from both micro and macro perspectives," but there are many gaps.

 

ENERGY STAR® AND OTHER CLIMATE PROTECTION PARTNERSHIPS: 2006 ANNUAL REPORT.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Web posted September 26, 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 76 pages]

In 2006, climate protection partnerships significantly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases; lowered energy costs; helped against the volatility of energy markets; and improved national energy security. More than 11,000 organizations invested in energy efficiency, clean energy supplies, and climate-friendly technologies.

These measures resulted in the following benefits:

• Prevented 70 million metric tons of greenhouse gases with a net savings to consumers of $14 billion;
• Saved consumers and businesses approximately $160 billion over the lifetime of their investments; and
• Invested more than $50 billion in energy-efficient, climate-friendly technologies.

"The greenhouse gas and energy bill savings from the ENERGY STAR program in 2006 are 10 percent greater than those of the prior year and more than double the savings in 2000."

 

CLIMATE CHANGE JUSTICE.
Eric A. Posner and Cass R. Sunstein. AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, Brookings Institution. July 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 47 pages]

Many people believe the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions beyond what is justified because the U.S. is rich. Additionally, they believe that the existing "stock" of greenhouse gases is primarily due to actions by the U.S.; therefore, the U.S. should do more to reduce the problem. The authors' disagree stating that the climate change design is wrong and that "arguments from distributive and corrective justice fail to provide strong justifications for imposing special obligations for greenhouse gas reductions on the United States."

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

ENERGY MARKET AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF S.280, THE CLIMATE STEWARDSHIP AND INNOVATION ACT OF 2007.
Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. July 2007.
Full Text: [pdf format, 92 pages]

This report provides estimates of the economic impact of Senate Bill S.280, the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007. This bill would establish a series of caps on greenhouse gases starting in 2012 and continuing to 2050. The report provides estimates of the effects on energy markets and the economy through 2030.

 

THE PERCEPTION OF AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA.
David Maddison. Development Research Group, Sustainable Rural and Urban Development Team, Policy Research Working Paper, World Bank. Web posted August 6, 2007.
Full Text: [May need to cut and paste URL] [pdf format, 53 pages]

Using a large-scale survey of agriculturalists in 11 African countries, this paper tries to determine farmers' abilities to detect climate change and to adapt to any change that has occurred. The findings show that a significant number of farmers have already witnessed an increase in temperatures and a decrease in precipitation. Additionally, farmers living in different locations adapted to these changes even though they may have encountered institutional obstacles. It was also observed that educated farmers were more likely to implement at least one adaptation.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

AA07302
Trenberth, Kevin E. WARMER OCEANS, STRONGER HURRICANES Scientific American, Vol. 297, No. 1, July 2007, pp. 44-51

Full text available from your nearest American Library

The author, head of the climate analysis section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), reviews how tropical depressions become hurricanes (also called cyclones or typhoons). Heat from the ocean influences a hurricane's wind and rainfall intensity. An increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean since 1994 coincided with an increase in sea surface temperatures greater than expected from naturally occurring cycles. Global climate models developed at NCAR show that warming of the Atlantic since 1994 is related to atmospheric heating caused by human activities. Other scientists have confirmed a similar occurrence in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The author concludes, "global warming has led to more intense storms" and "we all would be wise to plan for more extreme hurricane threats."

 

AA07300
Nash, J. Madeleine CHRONICLING THE ICE Smithsonian, vol. 38, no. 4, July 2007, pp. 66-74
Full Text: [Available from the publisher's website]

Glaciologist Lonnie Thompson has been studying ice cores from mountain glaciers for more than 30 years, long before the public or policymakers learned the term "global warming." But the Ohio State University professor has been able to read the ice cores to create new insights into atmospheric composition and weather patterns from millennia past. He has found how the glaciers contribute to global weather patterns and provide a natural mechanism for neutralizing carbon in the atmosphere. Thompson, a 2006 winner of the National Medal of Science, has also found correlations between what the ice reveals about weather conditions and aberrations of the past and the downfall and what historians know about the disappearance of once-flourishing civilizations.

 

CONFRONTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE U.S. NORTHEAST: SCIENCE, IMPACTS, AND SOLUTIONS.
Peter C. Frumhoff, James J. McCarthy, Jerry M. Melillo, Susanne C. Moser, and Donald J. Wuebbles. Assessment Synthesis Team, Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, Union of Concerned Scientists. July 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 160 pages]

The character and economy of the U.S. Northeast has been shaped by its varied and changeable climate; but climate in this region has already started to change--more frequent days of above 90oF; longer growing seasons; and less snow fall. This assessment report lists the challenges facing the Northeast due to climate change. The authors believe that concerted actions can reduce emissions to 80 percent below the 2000 levels by mid-century.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

COST OF POLLUTION IN CHINA: ECONOMIC ESTIMATES OF PHYSICAL DAMAGES.
Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment Management Unit, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank. February 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 151 pages]

China has achieved rapid economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization; but these improvements have caused environmental pressures and concerns for long-term sustainability. China has become the largest source of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions in the world, and water pollution is a serious concern--about 50 percent of its main rivers are unsafe for human consumption.

This report provides the mortality and morbidity impacts of water and air pollution in China. This information could be used to develop an environmental-health action plan.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

IN HOT WATER: WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO WEATHER THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING.
Barry Nelson, Monty Schmitt, Ronnie Cohen, and Noushin Ketabi. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Web posted July 10, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 90 pages]

"The world's climate is warming-by an average of 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century. Unless current trends are reversed, global warming pollution is projected to keep increasing rapidly, raising temperatures by as much as 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century and compromising our water supply, flood management systems, and aquatic ecosystems."

This report provides a blueprint for action and sets out specific strategies for water managers and other decision makers to incorporate climate change issues into their management decisions.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS.
Economic and Social Council, United Nations. Web posted July 6, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 50 pages]

The report proposes adoption of the UN Forum on Forests, which is a non-legally binding instrument for sustainable forest management. The agreement sets a standard in forest management for international cooperation to decrease deforestation, prevent forest degradation, promote sustainable livelihoods, and reduce poverty for forest-dependent peoples. The text of the agreement is reprinted in the report.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

NATIONAL SECURITY DIVIDEND OF GLOBAL CARBON MITIGATION.
Bryan K. Mignone. AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, Brookings Institution. Web posted June 25, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 19 pages]

Energy and environment security are often joined in political circles and the press. This study, however, shows that policies designed to stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations above ~500 ppm (parts per million) usually do not support policies that curb global oil dependence. On the other hand, policies designed to stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide below ~500 ppm make environment and security objectives possible because this target demands reducing both coal and oil use. The author concludes "that investment in carbon mitigation can yield significant security dividends" and may change the political cost-benefit relationship especially in energy-importing nations.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

RUSSIAN COMPANIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY: TOWARDS COMPETITIVE CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP.
Nina Poussenkova and Elena Solntseva. Trade and Investment Programme, World Wildlife Fund (WWF). May 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 86 pages]

Over the past two decades, Russia has evolved from a closed command-and-control economy to an emerging market. Currently, Russia's economic growth is primarily based on its natural resources.

The WWF conducted a survey of 310 companies in the corporate and financial sectors. The survey shows that companies with an international presence have a higher degree of environmental awareness and responsibility, especially those companies involved in polluting industries or those with a negative environmental situation. Overall, Russian companies could serve as positive role models for other developing or emerging economies "since they provide relevant examples of how environmental activities might be undertaken with very little support in terms of government policy."

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

THE LAST STAND OF THE ORANGUTAN: STATE OF EMERGENCY: ILLEGAL LOGGING, FIRE AND PALM OIL IN INDONESIA'S NATIONAL PARKS.
Christian Nellemann, Editor, Lera Miles, Bjørn P. Kaltenborn, Melanie Virtue, and Hugo Ahlenius. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations. Web posted June 12, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 52 pages]

"Orangutans are native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Their survival is seriously endangered by illegal logging, forest fires . . . illegal hunting and trade." If current logging continues, most of Indonesia's national parks (the last stronghold of the orangutan) will be severely damaged within the next ten years.

A series of national and international initiatives have been developed to address illegal logging. The Ranger Quick Response Units or SPORC [Satuan Khusus Polisi Kehutanan Reaksi Cepat) is a recent Indonesian initiative that promises critical emergency responses to illegal logging. However, this initiative requires the international communities' support for training, arming and equipping these rangers.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

CHEMICAL REGULATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: REGISTRATION, EVALUATION, AND AUTHORIZATION OF CHEMICALS.
Linda-Jo Schierow. Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress. June 7, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 4 pages]

On June 1, 2007, the European Union (EU) implemented a new law: Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). REACH is intended to safeguard human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals while protecting European competitiveness.

The final regulation reduces and coordinates EU regulatory requirements for chemicals, and shifts responsibility for safety from government to the industrial sector. It also encourages the use of less toxic chemicals in various chemical applications. However, the U.S. chemical industry believes that REACH is "impractical" while several public-interest groups urge Congress to adopt similar legislation.

 

GLOBAL OUTLOOK FOR ICE & SNOW.
Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations. Web posted June 4, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 238 pages]

This report investigates the current conditions of ice and snow around the world, and the global significance of any changes. The report was written by teams of experts from different disciplines and from many different countries. "Changes in ice and snow alter the distribution of Earth's heat and water, and influence regional and global ocean circulation." The 4th Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in March 2007, underlined the implications of these changes.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

HOW TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS NOW.
Mary Graham and Elena Fagotto. Policy Brief, Brookings Institution. Web posted June 5, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 6 pages]

The 110th Congress has proposed legislation to counter climate change, but none of the proposals would take full effect for at least five years after passage. The Administration estimates a 19 percent increase in U.S. emissions between 2000 and 2020; which, according to the brief, will contribute to drought, coastal flooding and water shortages. This brief proposes that "Congress legislate product-by-product and factory-by-factory disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions to create immediate incentives for companies to cut those emissions."

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT: THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN GLOBAL WILDLIFE TRADE.
Maylynn Engler and Rob Parry-Jones. TRAFFIC and World Wildlife Fund. June 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 56 pages]

Sustainable wildlife trade can be beneficial to species and habitats as well as contributing to sustainable livelihoods. However, unsustainable and illegal trade is a major driver of biodiversity loss and a serious threat to long-term survival of species.

The European Union (EU) is one of the top global importers by value of wild animal and plant commodities. There is a huge demand in Member States for exotic pets, tropical timber, and other wildlife products. While the EU has accomplished much in wildlife law enforcement, this report offers recommendations to further strengthen its illegal trade laws.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

AA07256
Gelbspan, Ross TWO PATHS FOR THE PLANET American Prospect, vol. 18, no. 7, July/August 2007, pp. 45-48
View article on ProQuest (password required)

Gelbspan, a longtime journalist interested in environmental issues, notes that humanity is facing "an increasingly chaotic future driven by a succession of climate-driven emergencies -- but the good news is that the bad news is at last being taken seriously." Not only is climate change no longer seriously doubted, but many in the private sector now admit that the free-market forces that have helped create the current global environmental crisis are powerless to reverse it. A transition to a more sustainable global economy and way of life will require unprecedented feats of cooperation among governments. Many corporate executives privately admit that government regulation is required to mandate universal adoption of renewable technologies in lockstep, otherwise one company that heavily invests in renewable energy may be undercut by the competition. He notes that the "carbon crisis could be a profoundly transformative opportunity to begin to reverse the growing and unsustainable gap between the world's rich and poor." As the world's biggest energy user, the U.S. can be a global leader in the energy transition, or it can obstruct it. Gelbspan concludes, "the future of the world quite literally depends on whether U.S. leadership rises to the occasion."

 

TRIBAL SUCCESSES: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
Offices of Inspector General, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Interior. May 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 42 pages]

Many tribes have used innovative practices to protect their natural resources and the environment. The intent of this report is to highlight some of the examples of "successful Tribal practices that will inspire and be useful to others in successfully implementing their own natural resource and environmental programs."

Some of these practices are:

• Foster good communications and positive relationships;
• Cultivate community education and outreach; and
• Secure resources for sustainability.

This report is based on observations and examples of innovative practices provided by 14 tribes.

 

GEO: GLOBAL ENVIRONOMENT OUTLOOK: OVERVIEW.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations. Web posted May 24, 2007.
Overview: [pdf format, 42 pages]

Individual Chapters: [pdf format, various pagings]

 

This is the fourth annual GEO Year Book on the changing environment. It is produced by the UNEP and environmental experts. This year's volume includes a global and regional overview, and "linkages among ecosystem health, human well-being, and economic development." It also examines new thinking on ecosystems and the threat of their degradation. The report includes recent research findings and policy decisions that affect responses to global change.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

RESTORING AMERICA'S WILDLIFE LEGACY 2007.
Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE). Web posted April 26, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 14 pages]

The National Wildlife Refuge System is charged with protecting and enhancing habitat areas for wildlife and wildlife-dependent recreation, such as hunting, fishing, and birding. This report documents the legacy of under-funding America's national refuges over the last several years. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis of refuge funding needs.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

TRADE-OFFS IN ALLOCATING ALLOWANCES FOR CO2 EMISSIONS.
Terry Dinan. Economic and Budget Issue Brief, Congressional Budget Office, U.S. Congress. April 25, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 8 pages]

Congress is considering legislation that would impose a "cap and trade" program to reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases. This legislation could motivate businesses and households to reduce emissions in a cost effective manner. This brief examines the pending legislation and how it would affect the "total cost of the policy to the U.S. economy, as well as the distribution of that cost among households in their various roles as workers, consumers, and investors."

 

STATE OF THE AIR: 2006.
American Lung Association. Web posted April 27, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 234 pages]

Air pollution levels in many parts of the U.S. have improved during the years 2002-2004. This report presents information on air pollution on a state-by-state, county-by-county basis. It provides data on the two most pervasive air pollutants--ozone (smog) and particulate pollution (soot). Additionally, the report shows that both pollutants are persistent across large parts of the U.S.; but there are signs that controls on coal-fired power plants have improved air quality in the eastern portion of the U.S.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS: CALIFORNIA ACTION AND THE REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE.
Jonathan L. Ramseur. Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress. April 13, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 21 pages]

California has undertaken several initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eleven other states have adopted California's new vehicle requirements, and eight Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have established a cap-and-trade system to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. "Predicting the precise consequences of these state-led climate change actions is difficult." Some observers suggest that these actions will be a catalyst for federal activity. Industry leaders, on the other hand, are concerned that the states will create a "patchwork of climate change regulations across the nation."

 

BIDDING FOR EXTINCTION: INTERNATIONAL SURVEY.
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). May 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 16 pages]

This study is a follow-up to the 2005 IFAW UK'S international survey that revealed over 9,000 wild animals or animal products were available on eBay during a seven-week period. Following that report, IFAW met with eBay representatives in Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific to improve awareness of wildlife trade and to encourage them to crack down on illegal trading.

This study focuses on ivory traded on eBay. As a result of this new study, it appears that most of the eBay sites paid only lip service to IFAW's previous recommendations. This report provides the result of the survey plus follow-up recommendations.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

WHALES IN HOT WATER: THE IMPACT OF A CHANGING CLIMATE ON WHALES, DOLPHINS AND PORPOISES: A CALL FOR ACTION.
Wendy Elliott. WWF Global; Species Programme, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund. May 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 16 pages]

"There is now unequivocal evidence that climate change is happening." Since 1961 observations show that the average ocean temperature has increased at depths of at least 3000 meters and that oceans absorb 80% of the heat added to the climate system. This report shows that there are two main avenues to address ocean climate change: reduction of emissions and strengthening the resilience of species and ecosystems.

To strengthen the species and ecosystems, we need to do the following:

• Protect adequate and appropriate space including habitats;
• Limit non-climate related stresses; and
• Adapt responsive and flexible management.

Both International Whaling Commission (ICW) and government members need to take appropriate measures to reduce emissions and strengthen species and ecosystems.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

 

AA07204
Weisman, Alan POLYMERS ARE FOREVER. Orion Magazine, May/June 2007
Full text

The world's oceans are accumulating immense amounts of manmade plastic debris, some of it coming from ships, but most of it originating from shore. The author writes that plastic does not biodegrade -- it only photodegrades, becoming more brittle with exposure to ultraviolet light, or being ground down by the mechanical action of waves. Researchers have discovered that plastic is being reduced to microscopic particles, even individual molecules, but no organism is capable of digesting it. Weisman notes that, except for a small percentage that has been incinerated, all the plastic ever made is still present in the environment today, and will eventually be ingested by every living organism. Particles of plastic act as "sponges" for toxic chemicals such as DDT and PCBs, enabling them to enter the marine food chain if ingested by jellyfish and zooplankton. A recent expedition to the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, an oceanic region that is drawing in huge quantities of plastic flotsam from around the PacificRim, found that the amount of plastic exceeded the marine biomass by a factor of six. The author writes that researchers have found that microorganisms have learned to digest oil and other non-natural substances, but there is no way to predict how long it will take for microbes to evolve that can handle polyethylene, PVC and other polymers.

 

AA07222
Motavalli, Jim HERE COME THE CLEANER, GREENER CARS. E: The Environmental Magazine, Volume 18, No. 2, March/April 2007, pp. 26-33
View article on ProQuest (password required)

Motavalli reports on the growing interest in cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The review covers gas-electric hybrids; plug-in hybrid and biodiesel conversion kits; Partial Zero Emission (PZEV) vehicles, which are available in states which use California emissions standards and use sophisticated computer controls and complex catalytic converters to reduce emissions; fuel-cell vehicles; and all-electric cars, such as the Tesla roadster. Sidebars cover the new EPA formula for calculating real fuel economy; an overview of all U.S. hybrids and their performance pros and cons; a reflection on the future of fully electric cars (sufficient driving range and battery storage capacity are major challenges); and a driver review of the advantages and disadvantages of alternative fuels.

 

AA07241
THE TRUTH ABOUT RECYCLING. The Economist, vol. 383, No. 8532, June 9, 2007, p. 24
View article on ProQuest (password required)

This article offers a global survey of the state of materials recycling, weighing the economics, the techniques and momentum of the practice. There are several major concerns in the recycling industry -- first, local governments in the United States and Europe often find that recycling isn't an economically viable practice because the costs of collecting, transporting, and sorting materials outweigh the market price. Another concern is whether recycled materials are bought and used in another manufacturing process which turns out a product that will end up ultimately in a landfill anyway. In some cases, products headed for recycling are disassembled in ways that release harmful gases into the environment, or expose workers to toxins. The most promising trend in the field is adoption of the "closed loop cycle" where materials and packaging are designed from the outset to create no waste, using materials that can be either recycled indefinitely or returned to the earth. Major corporations such as Wal-Mart,Toyota, and Nike have set goals to reach the zero-waste target.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE 2007: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY: SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS.
Working Group II, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations. April 6, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 23 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

"This summary sets out the key policy-relevant findings of the Fourth Assessment of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Assessment is of current scientific understanding of impacts of climate change on natural, managed and human systems, the capacity of these systems to adapt and their vulnerability. It builds upon past IPCC assessments and incorporates new knowledge gained since the Third Assessment."

 

THE CARBON BOOM: STATE AND NATIONAL TRENDS IN CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS SINCE 1990.
Alison Cassady. Education Fund, U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Web posted April 13, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 44 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

"The early effects of global warming are already evident across the U.S. and worldwide." If emissions are not checked, temperatures will continue to rise and global warming will become more severe. This report examines trends in global warming pollution both at a national level and a state level. The paper looks at the carbon dioxide emissions in each state and nationally over a fifteen-year period from 1990 to 2004. The author maintains that the U.S. has the technology to substantially reduce global warming pollution, but the federal government has thus far rejected mandatory limits.

 

TOWARDS AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO LONGLINE FISHERIES IN THE BENGUELA: AN ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS ON SEABIRDS, SEA TURTLES AND SHARKS.
Samantha Petersen, Deon Nel and Aaniyah Omardien, editors. Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem, WWF South Africa Report Series, Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction and Training Programme, Bird Life South Africa, and World Wildlife Fund. April 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 106 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Marine science and fishery management in the coastal countries of the Benguela ecosystem have a long history. The work was strengthened by the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem program started in 2002. Fishery management is now recognized and promoted by national, international, and non-government organizations.

This report concerns the impact of fisheries on the ecosystems. The report consists of papers that are the first region-wide estimates that show the impact of different fisheries on seabirds, sharks, and turtles. These papers offer results and recommendations for the Benguela Current Commission.

 

SCALING UP: GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT TO STABILIZE EMISSIONS.
Fred Wellington, Rob Bradley, Britt Childs, Clay Rigdon, and Jonathan Pershing. Center for Environmental Markets and the World Resources Institute. April 13, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 20 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

"This paper presents an overview, using the wedges framework, on how technology, investment, and policies interact." Its purpose was to alert the policy and investment communities who are the "key enablers of clean technology deployment worldwide." The summary points of the paper are: (1) climate change has become a defining act of economic development; (2) an obstacle of addressing climate change is that there are a vast number of potential solutions; and (3) there are a number of options for reducing emissions by managing energy demands and employing low-carbon energy supplies. The conclusion is that low-carbon technologies can mitigate climate change.

 

AGRICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE: GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION OPPORTUNITIES AND THE 2007 FARM BILL.
Evan Branosky and Suzie Greenhalgh. WRI Policy Note, World Resources Institute. March 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 6 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

The agriculture sector emits large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which is a contributing factor to global warming. The purpose of this paper is to outline some GHG mitigation opportunities for the agricultural sector, highlight some of the potential trade-offs, and offer options for addressing climate change that are contained in the 2007 Farm Bill. This policy note does not go into detail regarding biofuel products nor does it discuss the Forest or Rural Development Title of the Farm Bill.

 

STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLANS: WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT WILDLIFE FROM BECOMING ENDANGERED.
Deborah Richie Oberbillig. Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior. Web posted March 6, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 32 pages]

This report announced the creation of 56 wildlife action plans-one for each state and territory. These plans address the challenges of conserving land and water. The plans share a common framework of eight required elements but differ from state-to-state. The plans are based on agencies' successes in restoring habitats and managing wildlife while working with local conservation groups and private landowners.

 

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? AN EXAMINATION OF THREE ECONOMIC ASSESSMENTS OF CALIFORNIA CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY.
Robert Stavins, Judson Jaffe, and Todd Schatzki. Faculty Research Working Paper Series, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Web posted March 20, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 47 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 limits greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 to their 1990 level. Three studies were released in 2006 that indicated California could meet its 2020 target with "no net economic cost." The authors reviewed these studies and found that "although opportunities may exist for some no-cost emission reductions, these California studies substantially underestimate the cost of meeting California's 2020 target."

 

LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT: APPROACHES USED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES MAY PROVIDE USEFUL LESSONS FOR MANAGING U.S. RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO). Web posted March 22, 2007.
Full Report: [pdf format, 110 pages]

The General Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to examine how other countries manage their low-level radioactive waste (LLRW). GAO surveyed 18 countries and found that:

• Most have a national radioactive waste inventory database that includes information on waste generators, waste types, storage locations, and disused sealed radiological sources;
• Most countries facilitate the timely removal of higher-activity LLRW;
• Most countries have disposal options for LLRW, central storage options, and alternative disposal options; and
• Half the countries impose financial assurance requirements to cover disposition costs.

GAO recommends that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) evaluate and report on adopting these management approaches and develop a U.S. radioactive waste management plan including costs, steps and authorities.

 

AA07181
GONE
Whitty, Julia (Mother Jones, vol. 32, no. 3, May/June 2007)
Full text: [html format]

By the end of this century, it is widely believed by biologists that up to half of all species on Earth may be extinct, due to global warming and fragmentation and loss of habitat. According to the most conservative estimates, species extinctions are occurring at 100 times the natural rate, but Harvard biologist Edward Wilson, the true rate is probably 1000 to 10,000 times the natural rate. From what is known, five extinction events have occurred on Earth in the past 450 million years; we are currently living through the sixth extinction period, that began during the Stone Age as man migrated out of Africa and began permanently altering the landscape with agriculture and animal husbandry. The author notes that many of the stories about newly-discovered species are the result of researchers frantically trying to identify as many life-forms as possible before they disappear. Many scientists believe that mass extinction poses an even greater threat to human existence than global warming.

 

AA07133
Easterbrook, Gregg GLOBAL WARMING: WHO LOSES - AND WHO WINS? Atlantic Monthly, vol. 299, no. 3, April 2007, pp. 52-64
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Long-time environmental writer Gregg Easterbrook discusses potential economic and geopolitical consequences of climate change in the 21st century. Rising sea levels could spell doom for low-lying countries, but warming temperatures could uncover heretofore untouched natural resources in now frozen climes. He notes that a shift in location of crucial natural resources could lead to a new balance of power in which "Russia and America are once again the world's paired superpowers -- only this time during a Warming War instead of a Cold War." An increase in wealth of the already rich northern countries could set back the "quest for world equity." Easterbrook argues that today's globalized economics "have been a positive force for increased equity ... but if climate change increases the value of northern land and resources, while leaving nations nearer the equator hotter and wracked by storms or droughts" there will be less incentive to help build the economies of poorer nations. Worsening situations in already poor equatorial countries could cause major migrations of refugees to the wealthier north. "If the very Earth itself turns against poor nations, punishing them with heat and storms, how could the U.S. morally deny the refugees succor?" He argues that nations should act now to control greenhouse gases because the "cost of controls is likely to be much lower than the cost of rebuilding the world."

 

 

SUSTAINABLE MARINE AQUACULTURE: FULFILLING THE PROMISE: MANAGING THE RISKS: REPORT OF THE MARINE AQUACULTURE TASK FORCE.
Pew Charitable Trust. January 2007.
Full Report [pdf format, 142 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

"According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), most capture fisheries are either fully exploited or have been overfished, while demand for seafood continues to grow." Aquaculture--the farming of aquatic organisms--has been growing at a rate of 9 per cent annually worldwide and has attempted to fill the gap between capture fisheries and seafood demand.

However, aquaculture has environmental impacts which include water pollution, introduction of nonnative species, genetic effects on wild populations of fish, and the increased usage of wild forage fish for aquaculture feeds. "Sustainable development of aquaculture requires that its environmental impact be addressed effectively . . . policy makers are faced with difficult decisions about how to balance the potential benefits of aquaculture to the nation's economy and food supply with its effects on the environment."

 

 

CLIMATE CHANGE 2007: THE PHYSICAL SCIENCE BASIS: SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Web posted February 2, 2007.
Full Report [pdf format, 21 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This report describes the human and natural drivers of climate change. The conclusion drawn from the report is:

"Global atmosphere concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values determined from ice cores spanning many thousands of years (see Figure SPM-1). The global increases in carbon dioxide concentration are due primarily to fossil fuel use and land-use change, while those of methane and nitrous oxide are primarily due to agriculture. {2.3, 6.4, 7.3}"

The final text of this report is not available at this time.

 

 

CLIMATE CHANGE: GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION BILLS IN THE 110TH CONGRESS.
Larry Parker. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. January 31, 2007.
Full Report [pdf format, 19 pages]

"A number of congressional proposals to advance programs that reduce greenhouse gases have been introduced in the 110th Congress. Proposals receiving particular attention would create market-based greenhouse gas reduction programs along the lines of the trading provisions of the current acid rain reduction program established by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. This paper presents a side-by-side comparison of the major provisions of those bills and includes a glossary of common terms."

 

 

RECYCLING: ADDITIONAL EFFORTS COULD INCREASE MUNICIPAL RECYCLING.
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). December 29, 2006
Full Report [pdf format, 51 pages]

Although recycling can generate environmental and economic benefits, the national recycling rate has increased only slightly since 2000, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA and the Department of Commerce (Commerce) have some legal responsibilities for encouraging recycling.

GAO was asked to:

• identify key practices cities are using to increase recycling,
• describe what EPA and Commerce are doing to encourage recycling, and
• identify federal policy options that could help increase recycling.

GAO found out that:

• The three practices they cited most frequently were making recycling convenient and easy for their residents,
• offering financial incentives for recycling, such as allowing residents who produce less waste through recycling to use smaller garbage cans and pay lower fees, and
• conducting public education and outreach.

GAO recommends that EPA establish performance measures and gather performance data on those measures. GAO also recommends that Commerce develop and implement a strategy to help stimulate the development of markets for recycled materials in the United States.

 

 

HYDROLOGIC MODELING OF WATERSHEDS DISCHARGING ADJACENT TO THE MESOAMERICAN REEF.
Lauretta Burke and Zachary Sugg. The International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) Mesoamerican Reef Project, World Resources Institute. December 1, 2006.
Full Report [pdf format, 40 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

The objective of this analysis is to quantify the impact of human alteration of the landscape on land-based threats to the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) and to influence land-use planning, agricultural policy and practice, conservation programs, and risk mitigation efforts. The results provide an overview of regional patterns of sediment and nutrient runoff and delivery. Local regions can use this data to implement more detailed, focused planning.

 

 

QUICK FIXES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: PART OF THE SOLUTION OR PART OF THE PROBLEM?
Sterner, Thomas, Et Al. Environment, Vol. 48, No. 10, December 2006, pp. 20-27
View article on ProQuest (password required)

Political leaders too often deal with environmental problems only when crisis is upon them, the authors note. Too often, governments implement "quick fixes" to address problems rather than looking at environmental issues in their larger contexts. Whether these choices are made from ignorance, lack of political will or resources, these short-term solutions can often exacerbate a problem in the long run. The authors have tracked this pattern in cases around the world, citing the U.S. Gulf Coast damage from Hurricane Katrina as one of many examples. In that case and others like it, their research shows that political leaders will frequently address flooding issues with levee construction rather than enact the environmentally sound choice of allowing the river to return to its natural course. In the case of climate change, the authors point to abatement of carbon emissions as the long-term solution to the problem, and proposals to sequester emissions in the deep ocean as a short-term fix.

 

AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND THE ENVIRONMENT (ACE).
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Updated October 26, 2006.
Table of Contents, sections in html format, various pagings

America's Children and the Environment presents trends in environmental factors related to the health and well-being of children in the United States. America's Children and the Environment brings together in one place quantitative information from a variety of sources to show trends in levels of environmental contaminants in air, water, food, and soil; concentrations of contaminants measured in the bodies of children and women; and childhood illnesses that may be influenced by exposure to environmental contaminants.

The data look at trends in environmental contaminant levels in air, water, food, and soil; concentrations of contaminants measured in the bodies of children and women; and childhood illnesses and health conditions such as asthma that may be influenced by exposure to environmental contaminants.

Children may be more vulnerable to environmental exposures than adults because their bodily systems are still developing; they eat more, drink more, and breathe more in proportion to their body size; and their behavior can expose them more to chemicals and toxic organisms.

The report itself is in the form of an interactive website. This website presents the most recent data and analyses prepared by EPA, including updates to measures in previously published reports. Among the highlights of the report are the following:

• Children under six are now much less likely to be regularly exposed to secondhand smoke at home. This is a decrease from 27 percent of children in 1994 and 11 percent in 2003).
• The concentration of lead in young children's blood has gone down by 89 percent over a period of 25 years.

 

THE ROAD TO A NEW ENERGY FUTURE: ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY: TECHNOLOGIES FOR A CLEANER, MORE SECURE ENERGY FUTURE.
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. October 2006.
Full Report: [pdf format, 36 pages]

This report suggests ways to increase use of renewable energy and to improve energy efficiency. Included among the "Ten Best Opportunities for a New Energy Future" identified in this report are:

• Solar heated water. Using roof-mounted solar collectors to heat household water can reduce energy consumption for water heating by about two-thirds and pay for themselves within four to eight years.
• Capturing the heat of the earth. The natural heat and hot water contained deep in the earth provides a renewable source of energy. More than one million geothermal heat pumps are currently in use in the United States but, say the researchers, there is great potential for expansion in this market.
• "Zero Energy" homes. Build homes that can generate as much energy as they use by combining energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy sources such as solar-panels.
• Harnessing the wind. The wind that blows through the Great Plains of the U.S. could theoretically generate enough electricity to power the entire country. The cost of wind turbines has declined by approximately 90 percent in the last 20 years and wind is now cost-competitive with fossil fuel electricity generation in many parts of the country.

Also on the list are hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, efficient industrial motors, clean bio-fuels, solar power, efficient light bulbs and fewer "vampire" appliances.

 

HOW FEDERAL POLICIES AFFECT THE ALLOCATION OF WATER.
United States Congress, Congressional Budget Office (CBO). August 2006.
Full Report: [pdf format, 32 pages]

The mechanisms that govern the allocation and use of water in the United States are complicated. Nationwide, 40 percent of withdrawals are for agricultural use and 40 percent are for thermoelectric power. Residential, commercial, and industrial entities account for the remaining 20 percent of national freshwater withdrawals.

The water withdrawn for those various uses is allocated on the basis of state laws that determine property rights to use it. Market transfers of water-by sale, lease, or exchange- are constrained by the way states define property rights in water use. In the national economy, markets generally use prices to allocate scarce resources across uses and over time, to maximize the overall net benefits to society. Markets in water-use rights, however, are not widespread. The state laws governing property rights and the pricing mechanisms that conceal opportunity costs make the current allocation of water relatively inflexible.

This study identifies four developments that may significantly affect future water supply and demand:

• The settlement of Indian tribes' claims on water rights currently held by others;
• Environmental laws that require greater amounts of water be retained in natural courses;
• Growing populations in arid states; and
• The recurring impacts of droughts, which may increase in frequency and intensity as a result of shifts in precipitation patterns.

The report suggests constitutional ways in which the federal government might intervene to facilitate the efficiency of water markets by the states.

 

AA06308
Lewis, Joanna LEADING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY REVOLUTION (Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2006, pp. 147-154)
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The author, a senior international fellow at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, points out that "China is a particularly important place in which to examine the opportunities for renewable energy development due to the size of its current energy demand and its projected renewable energy market potential." Already a global leader in solar thermal technology manufacturing and in the production of small hydro and wind turbines, China also has growing solar photovoltaic (PV) and utility-scale wind turbine industries. The world's largest producer and user of coal and the second largest national emitter of carbon dioxide, China is investing in the development of renewable energy options. The most advanced renewable electric technologies have historically come from Europe, the United States, and Japan, but these countries risk losing market share if emerging manufacturers can successfully produce comparatively lower cost technology. Other countries should be watching closely as China's renewable markets start to mature.

 

AA06307
Lugar, Richard G. THE NEW ENERGY REALISTS (The National Interest, issue 83, Summer 2006, pp. 30-33)
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Senator Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says today's energy realists are those who understand that without major changes in the way we get our energy, life in the U.S. will become increasingly difficult. In the coming decades, he explains, oil supplies will be stretched to the limit by economic growth in both the industrialized West and in large, rapidly growing economies. Geology and politics have created petro-superpowers that nearly monopolize the world's oil supply -- which make true "free market" price setting an impossibility, he adds. As economies increasingly compete for insufficient supplies of energy, writes the Senator, oil will become an even stronger magnet for corruption, conflict and military action than it already is. He recommends we should push alternative energy use, expand our energy partnerships abroad and understand that oil will remain an important energy source. Further, he notes, we must recognize that in an energy interdependent world, U.S. efforts to reduce its own petroleum use will not have maximum geopolitical impact if the oil we save is simply consumed by other countries. So, he concludes, the drive towards viable alternative energy sources needs to be a global effort.

 

AA06260
Kamieniecki, Sheldon NAVIGATING THE MAZE: CORPORATE INFLUENCE OVER FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL RULEMAKING (Environment, vol. 48, no. 5, June 2006, pp. 8-20)
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The author, dean of social sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, notes that because of the stalemate in Congress over environmental and natural resource policy in recent years, business interests and environmental groups have made increasing efforts to influence the rulemaking process at federal agencies as a way to change existing policy. Kamieniecki provides an overview of the rulemaking process at several federal agencies, and describes a study of the treatment of several important environmental laws during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. He notes that the study's results do not suggest that business or environmental groups had undue influence over the rulemaking process; better indicators would be the type of rules initially proposed, the ideological and partisan makeup of appointees in federal agencies, and pressure to alter scientific findings. Kamieniecki believes that a stronger effort must be made not to inject politics into scientific data, which would unduly influence public policy.

 

AA06286
GLOBAL WARMING "POINTS OF LIGHT" (E Magazine, Vol. 17, No. 4, July-August 2006, pp. 26-39, 62-63)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Subtitled "The World Wakes Up to Climate Change", this series takes a regional look at successful country-level efforts to combat climate change. For example, the town of Hull, Massachusetts is investing in wind power while in Africa, Nigeria is ending gas flaring in the Niger Delta. Other countries include Domenica, Germany, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, Czech Republic, Estonia, Russia, China, India, Philippines, Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi. Each story comes with a contact for further information. Sidebars cover the trend at U.S. universities to switch to "green" power, a list of the ten "greenest" cities in the U.S. (with Chicago at the top), and a profile of the University of California-Davis Energy Efficiency Center, which tries to commercialize new energy technologies.

 

AA06248
Mallin, Michael A. WADING IN WASTE (Scientific American, Vol. 294, No. 6, June 2006, pp. 52-59)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Rapid and poorly-planned development in recent years along coastal areas of the southeastern United States has resulted in increased pollution advisories and closures affecting beaches and shellfish beds. Most resulted from high counts of fecal bacteria from animal and human waste washed into the water; such pollution can cause liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and infections of the eyes, ears, skin and lungs. The author, an aquatic ecologist at the University of North Carolina, studies the effect of impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots and rooftops on the health of tidal creeks. Reducing impervious surfaces to reduce storm water runoff, creating vegetation buffers along streams, preserving and restoring wetlands, and constructing appropriate sewage and storm water treatment systems are methods that can be used to reduce fecal bacterial contamination of coastal waters.

 

PREVENTING DISEASE THROUGH HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS: TOWARDS AN ESTIMATE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN OF DISEASE
A. Prüss-Üstün and C. Corvalán, World Health Organization (WHO). June 16, 2006.
Download the document [pdf format, 106 pages]

Summary [pdf format, 19 pages]

 

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This report states that health disorders with the largest absolute burden attributable to modifiable environmental factors are the following:

• Diarrhea. An estimated 94% of the diarrheal burden of disease is attributable to environment, and associated with risk factors such as unsafe drinking-water and poor sanitation and hygiene.
• Lower respiratory infections. These are associated with indoor air pollution related largely to household solid fuel use and possibly to second-hand tobacco smoke, as well as to outdoor air pollution. In developed countries, an estimated 20% of such infections are attributable to environmental causes, rising to 42% in developing countries.
• 'Other' unintentional injuries. These include injuries arising from workplace hazards, radiation and industrial accidents; 44% of such injuries are attributable to environmental factors.
• Malaria. The proportion of malaria attributable to modifiable environmental factors (42%) is associated with policies and practices regarding land use, deforestation, water resource management, settlement siting and modified house design.

 

U.S. TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS: FEDERAL AND STATE PARTNERS COLLABORATE TO HELP COMMUNITIES REDUCE POTENTIAL IMPACTS, BUT SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES REMAIN [GAO-06-519]
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). June 2006.
Download the document [pdf format, 65 pages]

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami raised questions about U.S. preparedness for such an event. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) leads U.S. detection and warning efforts and partners with federal and state agencies in the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) to reduce tsunami risks. In 2005, Congress appropriated $17.24 million in supplemental funding to enhance these efforts.

This report:

• Identifies U.S. coastal areas facing the greatest tsunami hazard and the extent to which potential impacts have been assessed;
• Discusses the effectiveness of the existing federal tsunami warning system;
• Describes efforts to mitigate the potential impacts of tsunamis on coastal communities; and
• Assesses NOAA's efforts to develop long-range plans for federal tsunami programs.

NOAA has determined that the Pacific coast states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, face the greatest tsunami hazard. The east and Gulf coasts are relatively low-hazard areas. While high-hazard areas have been identified, limited information exists on the likely impacts of a tsunami in those areas.

The at-risk communities GAO visited have mitigated potential tsunami impacts through planning, warning system improvements, public education, and infrastructure protection, but the level of implementation varies considerably by location. Furthermore, few communities participate in NOAA's preparedness program, according to NOAA officials, because they perceive the threat of a tsunami to be low. While the nationwide expansion of NOAA's tsunami-related activities and NTHMP is under way, the future direction of these efforts is uncertain because they lack long-range strategic plans. NOAA has yet to identify long-range goals, establish risk-based priorities, and define performance measures to assess whether its tsunami-related efforts are achieving the desired results.

 

AA06206
THE TOXIC LEGACY OF HURRICANE KATRINA (E Magazine, Vol. 17, No. 2, March/April 2006, pp. 26-35)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

In a special series on the environmental after-effects of Hurricane Katrina, well-known war correspondent and founder of the Blue Frontier Campaign David Helvarg gives an eye-witness account of the devastation shortly after the disaster in an article and photo essay, THE STORM THIS TIME. E Magazine editor Jim Motavalli reports on the chemical residues left behind in the flood sediments in ARSENIC AND OLD WASTE. He notes that residents have been warned to avoid contact with the sediments deposited by the floodwaters that contain arsenic, dioxin and other chemicals; the sediments have dried and are now wind-blown dust. Some report the existence of the "Katrina cough" and a high-level of respiratory illnesses. Charlie Cray, director of the Center for Corporate Policy, covers clean-up contractors in BUSINESS AS USUAL, in which he reports on several problems with sub-contractors, "no-bid contracts" and price gouging. By December 2005, the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General had already opened 188 cases of potential misconduct. A short side-bar explores the current work of Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Margie Eugene-Richard in trying to get large corporations in the region to help communities to clean-up and rebuild while improving the environmental performance of their own facilities.

 

AA06226
Achenbach, Joel THE NEXT BIG ONE (National Geographic, vol. 209, no. 4, April 2006, pp. 120-147)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

The modern science of seismology was born after the 1906 earthquake that hit San Francisco. Considerable progress has been made in studying earthquakes, yet they continue to take humanity by surprise. The author explores the advances that scientists have made in trying to predict when earthquakes will strike, and the efforts by local and national governments in quake-prone regions of the world in making buildings, utilities, communications systems and transportation infrastructure less susceptible to damage in a quake.

 

AA06227
Warren, Lynn PANDA, INC. (National Geographic, vol. 210, no. 1, July 2006, pp. 42-59)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

The Giant Panda, the world's most famous species atop the endangered list, may finally be getting the boost it needs to become a self-sustaining captive population. The panda business, throughout the world, is an expensive one. The cost for a zoo in the U.S. to keep giant pandas averages USD 2.6 million a year, and if cubs are entered into the equation, that amount climbs even higher. The U.S. is committed to building the relationship with China, not just on a diplomatic level, but on a scientific one as well. Ten years ago, the Chinese government did not have money or knowledge to run a functional panda research and mating habitat, or to pay for increased security and protection for natural habitat lands. With U.S. resources and know-how, China now has a new center that recently produced 16 newborn cubs in 2005/2006. The U.S. also gains panda loans from China to continue to research the fascinating species, and continue the breeding process, as seen in the newborn Tai Shan, born in July 2005 at the National Zoo. Why spend so much money, time and energy on the black and white bears? Because they are so darn cute.

 

PAYMENTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - AN EQUITABLE APPROACH FOR REDUCING POVERTY AND CONSERVING NATURE
WWF. June 2006.
Download the document [pdf format, 20 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

Payments for Environmental Services (PES) is a new market-based approach to conservation, that aims to change incentives for land use in order to maintain or restore natural ecosystems so that they continue to provide the desired environmental service(s). The basic principle is that those who "provide" environmental services should be rewarded for doing so.

There is a variety of arrangements that transfer rewards from those who benefit from an environmental service to those who conserve, restore, and manage the natural ecosystem which provides it. Rewards may be monetary or in kind, may involve private sector or government financing, and can be made at local, national, and global levels. To be effective, the reward to the land manager must make the net benefits derived from maintaining environmental services greater than those derived from alternative land uses. The report provides capsules of PES projects underway in Guatemala, Peru, Philippines, Tanzania, Indonesia and Eastern Europe.

 

AA06147
Doney, Scott THE DANGERS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION (Scientific American, vol. 294, no. 3, March 2006, pp. 58-65)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Global warming and the rise of ocean levels has attracted a great deal of attention recently, but a lesser-known effect of mankind's burning of fossil fuels has been its effect on the acidity levels in the world's oceans. About half of all the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution has been absorbed by the ocean. The absorbed CO2 is turned into carbonic acid, and lowers the pH level, adversely affecting the ability of many forms of marine life, such as coral and shellfish, to build hard parts out of calcium carbonate. The author notes that, within a century, the Southern Ocean will become corrosive to the tiny shellfish that form a key link in the marine food chain. While some species of phytoplankton might benefit from the growing presence of CO2 in the ocean, the increased oceanic acidity levels will have a harmful effect on other forms of marine life.

 

AA06111
Kluger, Jeffrey, et al. BE WORRIED. BE VERY WORRIED. EARTH AT THE TIPPING POINT (Time, April 3, 2006, pp. 28//62)
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In this cover-story special series of articles on global warming and climate change, TIME writers and photographers paint the most alarming picture to date of the changes taking place around the world. The authors note that "the debate is over -- global warming is upon us with a vengeance", writing that climatic disruptions are now feeding off one another; scientists, who have been warning about this for decades, now fear that we may have reached a point of no return. The authors explain how the planet has tipped into this crisis so quickly, and what can and is being done to mitigate the effects of global climate change.

 

CASE CLOSED: THE DEBATE ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING IS OVER.
Gregg Easterbrook, Visiting Fellow, Governance Studies. The Brookings Institution, May 17, 2006
Full Report [pdf format, 22 pages]

"Here's the short version of everything you need to know about global warming. First, the consensus of the scientific community has shifted from skepticism to near-unanimous acceptance of the evidence of an artificial greenhouse effect. Second, while artificial climate change may have some beneficial effects, the odds are we're not going to like it. Third, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases may turn out to be much more practical and affordable than currently assumed."

 

AA06189
Alley, William TRACKING U.S. GROUNDWATER: RESERVES FOR THE FUTURE? (Environment, vol. 48, no. 3, April 2006, pp. 10-25)
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The author, chief of the Office of Ground Water at the U.S. Geological Survey, notes that because groundwater is invisible, it is taken for granted. In recent decades, as the human population and its demands on water suppliers has increased, so has groundwater depletion, spreading from isolated pockets to large regions in many countries around the world. The growing awareness of groundwater suppliers as critical natural resources has raised concerns about better monitoring and management. Alley notes that in the U.S., groundwater management decisions are usually made at a local or state level; however, underground aquifers often cross jurisdictional lines, which drive need for a national or multi-jurisdictional effort. He notes that the general location and size of the aquifers is known, but that insufficient data has been collected, which hampers the decision-making process after problems have materializes. He argues that long-term monitoring of groundwater supplies is essential to ensure that problems can be addressed before they reach the crisis stage.

 

AA06192
Platt, Rutherford URBAN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: SUSTAINABILITY, ONE STREAM AT A TIME (Environment, vol. 48, no. 4, May 2006, pp. 26-42)
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The author, professor of geography at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, writes that modern cities have tended to cut the bonds between human and natural world, at the same time have had a growing adverse impact on their natural surroundings. This has had the greatest impact on regional watersheds, from artificial drainage, channels and floodwalls, to increased impervious cover, which alters the local stream hydrology and increases flood hazards. Platt notes that the urban proportion of the world's population is projected to be 60 percent within generation, overcoming this "human/nature apartheid" is critical in making urban environments more sustainable. The article features successful urban watershed management programs in Washington, DC., Boston, and Portland, Oregon.

 

STATUS OF TROPICAL FOREST MANAGEMENT 2005.
International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). May 23, 2006.
Full Report [pdf format, 305 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

This ITTO report, which probes the state of tropical forestry in 33 countries in Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, shows that the area of sustainably managed tropical forests has expanded from less than one million hectares (2.4 million acres) in 1988 to at least 36 million hectares (87 million acres) in 2005.

The 814 million hectares examined in the ITTO report represent the total area of natural tropical forests that meet the ITTO definition of "permanent forest estate" -- lands whose landowners (mainly governments) intend to manage them for sustainable production or as protected areas. Under sustainable production, timber harvesting and other revenue-generating activities (such as collecting fruits, nuts and medicinal plants) are allowed, but must not destroy the forests. Those forests maintained as protected areas are those where landowners will endeavor to maintain the forest's pristine state. But the report warns that some 95 percent of the forests remain unprotected-and progress will be fleeting unless the international community ensures that nations benefit economically from maintaining their tropical forests.

 

WTO: ANTIDUMPING ISSUES IN THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA.
Vivian C. Jones. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. Updated April 20, 2006.
Full Report [pdf format, 24 pages]

This three-part report analyzes the issue of antidumping (AD) in the context of negotiations in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). The first section provides background information and contextual analysis for understanding why the issue is regarded as controversial. It briefly discusses the Antidumping Agreement, U.S. antidumping laws and how they have worked in practice. Some U.S. stakeholders, including many U.S. industries and workers, believe that U.S. laws are effective and should not be changed or weakened. Others, including many foreign exporters to the U.S. market, U.S. exporters to international markets, U.S. manufacturers dependent on lower-cost inputs for their products, and other domestic importers of goods subject to AD actions, want to change the ways in which they are implemented.

The second section focuses on how antidumping issues fit into the DDA. The author explains the mandate to negotiate and negotiating activity to date. She also describes in general terms the nature of the reforms being considered. Section three provides a more specific overview of major reform proposals. Many proposals attempt to regulate the manner by which countries assess dumping margins. Other submissions call for tightening rules or providing more specific definitions for terminology used in the WTO Antidumping Agreement. These proposals, if implemented, could significantly reduce the number of permissible AD investigations and/or the amount of duty margins assessed, thus reducing significantly the protective impact of the remedies.

 

AA06110
THE HIGH COST OF CHEAP COAL (National Geographic, vol. 209, no. 3, March 2006, pp. 96-123)
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Supplies of oil and natural gas are tight because of skyrocketing worldwide demand, and their cost is soaring. Coal, still in plentiful supply, is making a comeback, but this two-part series of articles notes that there will be a high environmental cost of returning to coal in a big way. In THE COAL PARADOX, Tim Appenzeller writes of the threat that large numbers of coal-fired power plants around the world pose to global climate, and the new "clean-coal" technologies that might reduce or eliminate the emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur and mercury from burning coal. In WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE, John Mitchell describes the environmentally destructive "mountaintop-removal" method of coal mining that has been taking place in recent years in the Appalachian region of the eastern U.S.

 

AGENDA FOR CLIMATE ACTION.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. February 2006
Full Report [pdf format, 24 pages]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]

In its report, the Pew Center develops and articulates a course of action for addressing climate change - which it terms "one of the most complex issues that the world will face in this century." It takes a comprehensive look at a suite of climate, energy, and technology policies that could provide meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions throughout the economy.

The Center recommends fifteen actions it believes the U.S. must take in the following areas:

• Science and technology research,
• Market-based emissions management,
• Emissions reductions in key sectors,
• Energy production and use,
• Adaptation,
• International engagement.

In her foreword, the President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change writes that while many of the Agenda's recommended actions are specific, there is still much room for ongoing refinement and elaboration. She notes that the Center looks forward to building upon the suggestions described in the Agenda through further outreach and consultation.

 

AA06093
Collins, Terrence; Walter, Chip. LITTLE GREEN MOLECULES. (Scientific American, Vol. 294, No. 3, March 2006, pp. 82-90)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Many manufacturing waste products persist in the environment, and some are toxic to animals and people. Health effects from such toxins are widely recognized, spurring efforts to reduce contamination and develop less-polluting processes. The authors, scientists at Carnegie Mellon University, describe their 15-year effort to construct synthetic enzymes to break down toxic compounds into nontoxic constituents. They developed enzyme-like catalysts called TAML activators that combine with oxygen and hydrogen peroxide to destroy compounds such as pesticides and dyes. Also, tests show that TAMLs are very effective in killing bacterial spores similar to anthrax, suggesting potential use against bioterrorist attack. The activators are less complex, easier and cheaper to make, and more versatile than natural enzymes. Although they are considered "green" -- environment friendly -- these activators require more large-scale testing to determine their impact and ensure that they do not create pollution that has no yet been observed.

 

AA06060
Motavalli, Jim. THE OUTLOOK ON OIL. (E Magazine, Vol. 17, No. 1, January/February 2006, pp. 26-38)
View article on ProQuest (password required)

The author notes that the age of cheap oil is over; global demand is soaring, and oil producers are struggling to keep up. World demand for oil is likely to grow 50 percent by 2025, yet Motavalli notes that some experts believe that global oil production may reach a peak in the near future and begin to decline, due to depletion. A debate is raging on whether the world has already reached an "oil peak" and that development of new oil sources will not keep pace with world energy requirements. Some are concerned that Saudi Arabia has already "peaked", and that projections that rely heavily on future Saudi oil production are unrealistic. While there is still plenty of oil, much of the remaining reserves are in hard-to-reach reservoirs, or are difficult to refine. A number of books and websites have recently emerged to dissect peak oil scenarios. While the timing of the oil peak is still disputed, most analysts agree that too little oil is chasing too much demand and that U.S. dependence on cheap oil has dire consequences for every aspect of the U.S. economy. Finding the political will to address future energy challenges is not likely given the influence of the oil companies in Washington. The article contains four sidebars -- on the future of biodiesels (limited); the development of oil sands in Alberta, Canada; the role of energy conservation; and alternatives such as hydrogen, ethanol and electric vehicles.

 

DISMANTLING THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW.
OMB Watch. December 2005
Full Report [pdf format, 16 pages]

Under the Bush administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is slowly dismantling its flagship environmental information tool-the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). The program has been protected and improved for over the last 15 years, since it was put in place during the Reagan administration. The TRI database enables the public to learn about the environmental risks in our workplaces and communities by providing information about hundreds of toxic chemicals released into the environment. Moreover, the TRI program has served as a constant example of the vital role information plays in a democracy, and the importance of the public's right to know. Unfortunately, the program's success has made it a target for those that seek to reduce corporate oversight and accountability.

 

AA06025
Marten, Gerald; Brooks, Steve; Suutari, Amanda ENVIRONMENTAL TIPPING POINTS: A NEW SLANT ON STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTALISM (World Watch, Vol. 18, No. 6, November/December 2005, pp. 10-14)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Fishermen in the Philippines protecting reefs as fish nurseries, farmers in rural India revitalizing rainwater catch basins, and residents of New York City replacing trash-strewn lots with community gardens -- each a small change to correct a local problem. The results have been much larger -- more-sustainable environments, increased community cooperation, and brighter futures. The authors examine how these changes were tipping points that moved eco-social systems from destruction to sustainability. They demonstrate the power of community action to address ecological problems that others regard as too big, too costly, or too complicated to solve. A sidebar offers a series of questions to help find environmental tipping points.

 

AA06045
Hvistendahl, Mara. GREEN DAWN: IN CHINA, SUSTAINABLE CITIES RISE BY FIAT (Harper's, vol. 312, no. 1869, February 2006, pp. 52-53)
View article on ProQuest (password required)

In the next few years China will build Tangye New Town, a seven-square mile "eco-effective" environmental urban design city that will house 180,000 people and support a million more. China has granted Western architects opportunity to bring their most avant-garde visions for a sustainable future. The five- and seven-story apartments will house villagers who were relocated during the demolition process as well as new residents. Tangye New Town will draw energy from the sun, turn waste into fuel and return its water to the ground through natural drainage and irrigation. Bike paths will promote emissions-free transportation and rooftop gardens will insulate buildings and produce oxygen. Even the lower-income areas will be a short walk away from public fields. Although other eco-developments around the world have had trouble attracting residents, the Chinese government will use its imposing will to ensure that its eco-cities are filled. Final approval on Tangye has not been granted yet, however, the central road has been paved and reports state that a first phase of construction will be completed by July.

 

AA06042
Battiata, Mary SILENT STREAMS (Washington Post Magazine, November 27, 2005, pp. 10-17, 24-31)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Urban and suburban sprawl is threatening almost every stream in the country. Notes the author, "the problem is pavement" -- concrete and asphalt prevents rainwater from seeping into the ground, and instead funnels it to the nearest creek. In developed areas where more than 15 percent of the ground is paved, rain is diverted into local streams at a velocity and volume many times greater than they can handle. This relentless scouring washes away stream beds and banks and freshwater fauna and exposes roots, causing trees to topple over; toxic chemicals in the runoff from sewers and storm drains can cause massive wildlife kills. Battiata writes that this is not just a matter of natural beauty -- there is a growing realization that streams are vital to a healthy freshwater system, and that dying streams have dire implications for the supply of clean drinking water. In the last decade, large numbers of local watershed and stream-protection volunteer groups have sprung up around the U.S.; the article features several groups active in the suburban Washington, D.C. area.

 

DRINKING WATER: EPA SHOULD STRENGTHEN ONGOING EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT CONSUMERS ARE PROTECTED FROM LEAD CONTAMINATION. [GAO-06-148]
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). January 4, 2006
Full Report [pdf format, 81 pages]

The report discusses the EPA's data on the rule's implementation; what implementation of the rule suggests about the need for changes to the regulatory framework; and the extent to which drinking water at schools and child care facilities is tested for lead. According to EPA officials, the agency is considering some changes to the lead rule. On the basis of the limited data available, it appears that few schools and child care facilities have tested their water for lead, either in response to the Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988 or as part of their current operating practices. In addition, no focal point exists at either the national or state level to collect and analyze test results. Thus, the pervasiveness of lead contamination in the drinking water at schools and child care facilities--and the need for more concerted action--is unclear.

GAO recommends that EPA improve its data on key aspects of lead rule implementation, strengthen certain regulatory requirements and oversight, and assess the problem of lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities.

 

LIQUID ASSETS: HOW DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES AND WATER MANAGEMENT POLICIES AFFECT FRESHWATER RESOURCES.
Jill Boberg. The RAND Corporation. Web-posted October 2005.
Download the document [pdf format, 154 pages]

Note: Contains copyrighted material.

This monograph examines the interaction between demographic factors and water resources, and how they influence the availability of water at the local level. The monograph focuses primarily on conditions in developing countries, and should be of interest to policymakers, academics and others concerned with the interaction between demographic issues and water and other environmental issues.

The author addresses the question of whether there will be a global water crisis. She concludes that localized problems will undoubtedly continue, and more widespread problems may continue in some areas, depending on local physical, social, economic, and cultural conditions. However, she writes, a global water crisis can be averted, in part, by researching demographic variables that are less understood.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE SPREAD OF BIRD FLU.
Josh Rothstein. Foundation for Environmental Security & Sustainability. September 2005.
Download the document [pdf format, 8 pages]

The report notes that the mobility of today's global economy and society makes prevention of avian influenza in every country an international concern. Moreover, addressing environmental links to the spread of avian influenza may provide essential information to delay, minimize, or even prevent a costly pandemic.

The author identifies several environmental links that should be researched, including:

• Deforestation and other methods of habitat destruction affecting the routes of migratory birds.
• Farming environments that facilitate the spread of bird flu to other animals or humans.
• The human utilization of water sources that contact infected birds or animals.
• Market environments that facilitate the spread of avian influenza to other animals and humans.

The author contends that international cooperation in addressing these issues is essential. He concludes that once a pandemic begins, nations likely will devote their resources to the protection of their own population. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately commence international programs to identify environmental links contributing to the spread of avian influenza, and develop effective and appropriate countermeasures.

 

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A WORST CASE COMBINATION FOR ARCTIC MARINE MAMMALS AND SEABIRDS?
Bjorn Munro Jenssen. National institute of Environmental Health Sciences. October 12, 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 25 pages]

Climate change is likely to pose additional stress to individuals, and since different endocrine systems are important for making animals responding adequately to environmental stress, EDCs may interefere with the adaptations to the increased stress situation. Thus, when taking into consideration the long-range transport of novel EDCs into the Arctic ecosystem, the combination of EDCs and climate change may be a worst case scenario for Arctic mammals and seabirds. However, the knowledge of the responses of animals to multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors is at present time not sufficient to forecast the combined effects of these two stressors, and there is a clear need for more focus on the interacting effects of multiple stressors (natural or anthropogenic) on wildlife.

 

THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT: BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION [RL33152]
Linda Luther. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. November 16, 2005

Full text available from your nearest IRC

This report provides information about NEPA's background and legislative history, provisions of the law, the role of the courts and CEQ in its implementation, how agencies implement NEPA's requirements, how the public is involved in the NEPA process, the means by which NEPA is used as an umbrella statute to coordinate or demonstrate compliance with other environmental requirements, and claims by some stakeholders that NEPA causes delays in some federal actions.

 

ADDRESSING OUR GLOBAL WATER FUTURE.
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Sandia National Laboratories. September 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 134 pages]

Note: Contains copyrighted material.

This White Paper outlines the major conclusions of the Global Water Futures project. Jointly conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Sandia National Laboratories, the project's goal was to generate fresh thinking and concrete policy recommendations on how the United States can:

• Better address future global water challenges;
• More efficiently leverage and deploy available technologies.

The resulting White Paper makes the case for elevating the response to global water challenges to a strategic priority; identifies the most effective responses to global water challenges; and explores U.S. policy options, current and future. Consisting of four sections, the first section describes the nature and scope of the global water challenges that face the world. Sections two and three explore potential areas for innovation and synergy in policy, governance, capacity building, and the application of technologies. The final section examines how the United States should integrate water into its foreign policy.

 

AA05311
Motavalli, Jim et al. CITIES OF THE FUTURE (E Magazine, vol. 16, no. 5, September/October 2005, pp. 26-39)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

The astounding urban growth in the last fifty years means that megacities are home to almost 3.2 billion people worldwide. The article describes how six super populated cities on different continents are facing the environmental, social and economic challenges created by concentrated population centers with local indigenous solutions. A companion article, CAN IMMIGRATION SAVE THE CITIES?, examines demographic shifts caused by increased immigration to the U.S.

 

AA05314
Thevenot, Brian APOCALYPSE IN NEW ORLEANS (American Journalism Review, vol. 27, no. 5, October/November 2005, pp. 1-12)
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Summary: Reporters not only covered the story, but became the story in this first-hand account by reporter Brian Thevenot, of Hurricane Katrina, one of the greatest natural disasters in U.S. history. The author describes the struggles and horrors of a team of New Orleans Times-Picayune writers and photographers, who lived through the carnage and suffering in the days following the hurricane, in the heart of their hometown. The team was determined to continue reporting from anywhere and by any means necessary.

Living in abandoned houses and cars, scrounging for food and communications to get the story to Baton Rouge for print, these reporters influenced and demanded action by all levels of government. Thevenot writes that "in a repeat of the experience all of us had across the city, Russell [a reporter] never felt threatened. By contrast, people cheered the sight of him -- the hometown Picayune reporter -- and grilled him about where they might get a paper." In a time of unprecedented crisis, these reporters became the voice of the people.

 

AA05331
Lovins, Amory MORE PROFIT WITH LESS CARBON (Scientific American, vol. 293, no.3, September 2005, p.p. 74-83)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

The author, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, notes that the energy sector of the global economy is woefully inefficient. Power plants, buildings, motor vehicles and consumer appliances waste huge amounts of energy, costing the businesses and consumers hundreds of billions of dollars. Lovins notes that if nothing is done, consumption of oil, gas and coal will continue to rise, adding to pollution and climate problems. He believes that improving end-use efficiency would be the best way to save energy, as energy-efficient products cost no more than conventional ones. Improvements in efficiency and use of renewable-energy sources would enable the U.S. to phase out oil use by the middle of the century, saving immense amounts of money. This article is one of a special series, CROSSROADS FOR PLANET EARTH, in the September issue of Scientific American.

 

AA05293
Glick, Daniel BACK FROM THE BRINK (Smithsonian, vol. 36, no. 6, September 2005, pp. 54-63)
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The recent reported sighting in a swamp forest in Arkansas of an ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird long believed to have been extinct, has given fresh hope to preservationists. The author writes that a surprising number of endangered-species stories in the U.S. have a happy ending, thanks largely to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), signed into law by President Nixon in 1973. The ESA's supporters decry efforts underway in Congress to weaken the law in favor of property development, noting that the ESA has been the key conservation law for 30 years. The article cites ten success stories of fauna and flora that have made a comeback since the passage of the ESA.

 

LIVING WITH GLOBAL WARMING.
Indur M. Goklany. National Center for Policy Analysis, NCPA Policy Report No.278, September 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 23 pages]

"Should we try to prevent global warming? Or should we use our resources to adapt to the consequences of warming? An argument for the former is that climate change will exacerbate existing problems - specifically, malaria, hunger, water shortage, coastal flooding and threats to biodiversity. This is a particular concern for developing countries, many of which are beset by these problems but lack the economic and human resources needed to obtain and implement technologies that would finesse or cope with them. This paper analyzes costs and benefits of two different approaches. One approach - mitigation - would limit carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere largely by reducing emissions due to human activities. The Kyoto Protocol is an example of this approach. The second approach - adaptation - would reduce society's vulnerability to, or help cope with, the consequences of global climate change due to higher CO2 emissions. The projections underlying this study are from researchers who are sympathetic to mitigation. However, their conclusions show that adaptation is preferable."

 

WIND POWER: IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR REGULATING DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTING WILDLIFE. [GAO-05-906]
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). September 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 64 pages]

Wind power has recently experienced dramatic growth in the United States, with further growth expected. However, several wind power-generating facilities have killed migratory birds and bats, prompting concern from wildlife biologists and others about the species affected, and the cumulative effects on species populations. GAO assessed (1) what available studies and experts have reported about the impacts of wind power facilities on wildlife in the United States and what can be done to mitigate or prevent such impacts, (2) the roles and responsibilities of government agencies in regulating wind power facilities, and (3) the roles and responsibilities of government agencies in protecting wildlife.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: EPS SHOULD DEVOTE MORE ATTENTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WHEN DEVELOPING CLEAR WATER AIR RULES [GAO-05-289]
United States Government Accounting Office (GAO). July 25, 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 57 pages]

When drafting the three clean air rules, EPA generally devoted little attention to environmental justice. While EPA guidance on rulemaking states that workgroups should consider environmental justice early in this process, GAO found that a lack of guidance and training for workgroup members on identifying environmental justice issues may have limited their ability to identify such issues. In addition, while EPA officials stated that economic reviews of proposed rules consider potential environmental justice impacts, the gasoline and diesel rules did not provide decision makers with environmental justice analyses, and EPA has not identified all the types of data necessary to analyze such impacts.

Finally, in all three rules, EPA mentioned environmental justice when they were published in proposed form, but the discussion in the ozone implementation rule was contradictory. In finalizing the three clean air rules, EPA considered environmental justice to varying degrees. Public commenters stated that all three rules, as proposed, raised environmental justice issues. In responding to such comments on the gasoline rule, EPA published its belief that the rule would not create such issues, but did not publish the data and assumptions supporting its belief. Specifically, EPA did not publish (1) its estimate that potentially harmful air emissions would increase in 26 of the 86 counties with refineries affected by the rule or (2) its assumption that this estimate overstated the eventual increases in refinery emissions. For the diesel rule, in response to refiners' concerns that their permits could be delayed if environmental justice issues were raised by citizens, EPA stated that the permits would not be delayed by such issues. Moreover, after reviewing the comments, EPA did not change its final economic reviews to discuss the gasoline and diesel rules' potential environmental justice impacts. Finally, the portions of the ozone implementation rule that prompted the comments about environmental justice were not included in the final rule. Overall, EPA officials said that these rules, as published in final form, did not create an environmental justice issue.

 

TESTING THE WATERS 2005: A GUIDE TO WATER QUALITY AT VACATION BEACHES.
National Resources Defense Council. July 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 280 pages]

NRDC's annual survey of water quality monitoring and public notification at U.S. beaches finds that closings due to bacterial contamination are on the rise nationwide. Across the country, pollution caused nearly 20,000 days of closings and advisories at ocean and Great Lakes beaches last year -- more than ever recorded in the survey's 15-year history. The 2005 survey is based on information reported for 2004." Individual state summaries are available.

 

CLEAN WATER ACT: IMPROVED RESOURCE PLANNING WOULD HELP EPA BETTER RESPOND TO CHANGING NEEDS AND FISCAL CONSTRAINTS [GAO-05-721]
United States Government Accounting Office (GAO). July 22, 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 48 pages]

GAO was asked to determine the extent to which the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) process for budgeting and allocating resources considers the nature and distribution of its Clean Water Act workload and the actions EPA is taking to improve resource planning and the challenges the agency faces in doing so. GAO recommends that EPA identify the key workload indicators that drive resource needs, ensure that relevant data are complete and reliable, and use the results to inform its budgeting and resource allocation. In commenting on a draft of this report, EPA expressed general agreement with much of the report and two of the recommendations. EPA did voice concern that a bottom-up workload assessment contrasts with its approach, which links budgeting and resource allocation to performance goals and results. GAO continues to believe that assessing workload and how it drives resource needs is fully compatible with EPA's approach.

 

U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM: VISION AND FRAMEWORK FOR STRATEGY AND PLANNING.
U.S. Climate Change Technology Program. August 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 52 pages]

The Vision and Framework document is organized around six complementary goals: (1) reducing emissions from energy use and infrastructure; (2) reducing emissions from energy supply; (3) capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide; (4) reducing emissions of other greenhouse gases; (5) measuring and monitoring emissions; and (6) bolstering the contributions of basic science to climate change. The document also outlines actions needed to achieve these goals.

 

ELECTRONIC WASTE: OBSERVATION ON THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ENCOURAGING RECYCLING AND REUSE [GAO-05-937T]
United States Government Accounting Office (GAO). July 26, 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 22 pages]

In this testimony, GAO summarizes existing information on the amounts of, and problems associated with, used electronics. It also examines the factors affecting the nation's ability to recycle and reuse electronics when such products have reached the end of their useful lives.

 

AA05240
Royte, Elizabeth E-GAD! (Smithsonian. Vol. 36, No. 5, August 2005, pp. 82-85)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

The author's difficulty in safely disposing of her late-model computer led her to investigate the challenges of properly recycling high-tech equipment. Despite its reputation as a "clean" technology, computer and high-tech manufacturing requires large quantities of raw materials, including toxic heavy metals and petroleum-based plastics. At least 60 million personal computers are already buried in U.S. garbage dumps, and about 250 million more are expected to become obsolete in the next few years. Approximately 100 million cell phones are discarded in the U.S. each year, many of which also wind up in landfills. Finding solutions to the growing problem of e-waste requires a challenging mix of consumer and business financial incentives and practices, better materials recovery practices, and intensified consumer demand for safe disposal of ubiquitous and easily outdated e-gadgets. Action is urgently needed, the author writes, as ever-increasing amounts of heavy metals from electronic equipment poison the air and contaminate landfills and groundwater in the U.S. and abroad.

 

AA05193
Wockner, Gary SOLAR POWER, LAKOTA EMPOWERMENT (World Watch, Vol. 18, No. 4, July/August 2005, pp. 11-17)
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The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is home to the Oglala Lakota Native Americans. The Lakota have high rates of unemployment, poverty and chronic illness, and many houses are in disrepair. The Colorado-based environmental organization Trees, Water & People (TWP) met with Lakota leaders in 2002 seeking their input to develop a program suitable for the reservation. Learning that some residents spend up to 50 percent of their income for heat, TWP proposed a solar heating program. TWP staff and high school and college students from reservation schools build and install low-tech, low-cost solar panel systems on homes to provide daytime heat. While improving living conditions for the recipients of the panels, both TWP and some Pine Ridge residents believe sustainable solar power will reinforce the Lakota people's traditional connection to nature and the land. The author is an environmental writer and research ecologist at Colorado State University.

 

AA05210
Zeller, Frank BUY NOW AND SAVE (WorldWatch, July/August 2005, pp. 24-29)
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When a U.S. millionaire couple purchased a huge tract of South American wilderness and turned it into a preserve, they joined a small but growing movement. The so-called "eco-philanthropists" are eschewing the incremental methods of environmental advocacy groups and the bureaucracy of land trusts for direct entrepreneurial activism. Privately-owned preserves are proliferating in the United States as well as abroad. But some environmentalists question the effectiveness of this approach, while some local inhabitants and even national governments have mounted opposition. The article presents an overview of the types and use of the preserves, and their impact in the overall environmental protection movement.

 

SPECIAL EVENT ON IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, PESTS AND DISEASES AND FOOD SECURITY AND POVERTY REDUCTION: A BACKGROUND DOCUMENT.
31st Session of the Committee on World Food Security, 23-26 May 2005
Download the document [pdf format, 10 pages]

Climate change threatens to increase the number of the world's hungry by reducing the area of land available for farming in developing countries, FAO said this week in a report presented to the Committee on World Food Security at a special side event.

 

AA05146
Krajik, Kevin FIRE IN THE HOLE (Smithsonian Magazine, May 2005, pp. 52-61)
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Across the globe, thousands of coal fires are burning. Nearly impossible to reach and extinguish once they get started, the underground blazes threaten towns and roads, poison the air and soil and, some say, worsen global warming. The article assesses the efforts by local governments and international geology specialists to contain the fires, and examines the difficulties faced by residents in communities near some of these long-burning conflagrations.

 

AA05145
Koerner, Brendan RISE OF THE GREEN MACHINE (Wired, vol. 13, no. 4, April 2005)
View article on publisher's website

Toyota was the first automobile manufacturer to bring hybrid cars to the United States. The Prius is the best selling hybrid, and Toyota has plans to bring hybrids to the masses, by making the internal combustion engine obsolete. The EPA currently rates these dual electric powered cars as a "Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle". On average, the vehicle can get 60 miles per gallon, and emits 95 percent fewer carcinogens into the atmosphere. The new Prius will get better performance, and will be marketed to middle America as a good investment for the environment, does not need to be plugged in, and will save over 60 percent on fuel costs at the gas pump. With gasoline prices at their highest in years, Toyota wants a hybrid vehicle in every garage in America by 2020.

 

AA05112
Mccloskey, John; Nalbant, Suleyman S.; Steacy, Sandy EARTHQUAKE RISK FROM CO-SEISMIC STRESS (Nature. Vol. 434, March 17, 2005)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

After the massive loss of life caused by the December 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, the possibility of a triggered earthquake on a nearby subduction (a geologic process in which the edge of one crustal plate is forced below the edge of another) zone is a real concern. The authors — at the University of Ulster School of Environmental Sciences in the United Kingdom — calculated the amount of post-earthquake stress on this zone and on another nearby fault, and found that an increase in stress on both structures significantly boosts the existing and considerable earthquake hazard. Considering past activity and the observed structural complexity on the northern Sumatra fault, which generated the December earthquake, they said an earthquake of magnitude 7 to 7.5 on this structure seems to represent the greatest immediate threat. The authors recommended establishing a tsunami warning system in the area as soon as possible.

 

FAMILY RULES ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE TO TOBACCO SMOKE (Families, Systems & Health, 2005, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 3-16)
View the article [pdf format, 14 pages]

Despite health warnings about the dangers of second-hand smoke, a large percentage of families have no rules that limit children's exposure to tobacco smoke. A study involving 1,770 parents and guardians in New York and New Jersey finds that in nearly half of homes and more than half of family cars, children are exposed to secondhand smoke. The research also finds that many parents consistently make no effort to protect their children from secondhand smoke in public places.

 

DESIGNING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: LESSONS FROM THE REGULATION OF MERCURY EMISSIONS.
Ted Gayer, Robert W. Hahn. AEI-Brookings Joint Center April 2005.
Download the document [pdf format, 54 pages]

“The Bush administration faced a difficult challenge. While there were thought to be some identifiable economic benefits from regulating mercury emissions, such as an increase in IQ for children, it was not clear that the benefits of regulation justified the cost. The Bush administration offered two approaches for regulating mercury emissions from power plants. The first was to establish uniform emission rates across utilities, as mandated by the 1990 Amendments. The second was to establish less restrictive emission standards, and to also establish a cap on mercury emissions while allowing emissions trading in order to reduce the cost of achieving the goal. This paper makes two contributions. First, we present the first cost-benefit analysis of this issue that takes account of IQ benefits....Second, we offer some general lessons for policy design and political economy that can be gleaned from this case study.”

 

CONCENTRATING ON CLEAN WATER: THE CHALLENGE OF CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS.
Carol J Hodne, PHD Iowa Policy Project, April 2005
Download the document [pdf format: 49 pages]

Large-scale animal livestock confinement operations generate or pass on water-related costs that must be addressed through public policies that protect producers, consumers and the environment over the long term, according to a new report. The new report for the nonpartisan Iowa Policy Project notes not only manure-management challenges presented by such operations, but potential broader effects on water quality and social and economic impacts in rural communities. Stronger regulations and enforcement are needed to assure environmental protection, according to the report.

 

AA05099
Wright, Karen. OUR PREFERRED POISON (Discover, Vol. 26, No. 3, March 2005, pp. 58-65)

Full text available from your nearest IRC

Mercury occurs throughout the world and is used in products such as dental fillings, pesticides, vaccines, thermometers and batteries. It is released by many industrial processes and coal-fired power plants and accumulates in fish. It can be very toxic to humans, depending on its form and route of exposure. Some studies suggest low levels of exposure may cause cell damage associated with learning difficulties in children and heart disease in adults, and there may be a link to other diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and autism. Methylmercury ingested from contaminated fish has been found in the fatty molecules in the brain, although scientists do not know how it inflicts damage or at what level of exposure. Children appear to be more susceptible than adults because their brains are still developing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has removed mercury as a preservative in most childhood vaccines and advised women of childbearing age to limit their consumption of several species of large fish known to contain high levels of mercury. Scientists urge greater regulation to reduce exposure, whether from consuming contaminated fish or breathing smokestack emissions, while safe levels of exposure are being redefined. Wright is a contributing editor for Discover.

 

FRESHWATER PROGRAMS: FEDERAL AGENCIES' FUNDING IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD.
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). March 11, 2005.
Download the document [pdf format, 71 pages]

As the world's population tripled during the past century, demand for the finite amount of freshwater resources increased six-fold, straining these resources for many countries, including the United States. The United Nations estimates that, worldwide, more than 1 billion people live without access to clean drinking water and over 2.4 billion people lack the basic sanitation needed for human health. Freshwater supply shortages-already evident in the drought-ridden western United States-pose serious challenges and can have economic, social, and environmental consequences. For the purposes of this report, freshwater programs include desalination, drinking water supply, flood control, irrigation, navigation, wastewater treatment, water conservation, water dispute management, and watershed management.

Of the over $52 billion in total financial support provided by federal agencies for freshwater programs during fiscal years 2000 through 2004, about $49 billion was directed to domestic programs and about $3 billion supported programs abroad. Of the estimated $3 billion in total financial support directed toward freshwater programs abroad between fiscal years 2000 through 2004, about $1 billion was recently provided for freshwater projects in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the financial support for international freshwater programs was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Foreign wastewater treatment and watershed management programs were the programs that most of the agencies supported. The vast majority of the U.S. support for international programs was provided through grants. Not included in the $3 billion for international support are the contributions that the United States made to the general budgets of numerous international organizations, such as the United Nationsand the World Bank. The international organizations used some portion of the U.S. contributions to support freshwater activities around the globe.

 

AA05067
Ruddiman, William R. HOW DID HUMANS FIRST ALTER GLOBAL CLIMATE? (Scientific American, Vol. 292, No. 3, March 2005, pp. 46-53)

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Conventional wisdom has it that the start of the industrial era set global warming in motion. Ruddiman, marine geologist and professor emeritus of environmental sciences, University of Virginia, offers his provocative and controversial hypothesis that human-induced global warming began thousands of years earlier. He provides evidence that deforestation and development of agriculture began to increase carbon dioxide and methane (the "greenhouse gases") more than 8,000 years ago. The increased concentrations of these gases offset in part the decline expected from the natural cycle of gas concentrations recorded over millions of years, slowed earth's cooling, and delayed onset of the next ice age. He expects the rapid warming of the industrial era to continue until fossil fuels become scarce in about 200 years, but he states that it is impossible to predict whether the planet will remain warm enough to avoid another ice age.

 

FROM OUTSIDE TO INSIDE: ENVIRONMENTAL MICROORGANISMS AS HUMAN PATHOGENS.
Cangelosi, Gerard A.; Nancy E. Freitag; Merry R. Buckley. American Society for Microbiology (March 2005)
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This new report points out that while many infectious diseases are caused by human-to-human transmission, others are caused by microorganisms that exist in the outside environment. The difference between the two is the ability for environmental pathogens to survive and thrive outside the host. The report recommends that scientists from different fields work together to address the challenges presented by these environmental pathogens.

 

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Halweil, Brian THE IRONY OF CLIMATE (World Watch, vol. 18, no. 2, March/April 2005, pp. 18-23)

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While scientists debate on the pace and effects of global warming and climate change, the author notes that farmers around the world are already dealing with increasing erratic weather, previously unknown pests, desertification, more severe storms and altered growing seasons. Halweil notes that most of the agricultural crops that humanity has bred over the millennia were intended to thrive in a stable climate. To deal with these unexpected climatic changes, farmers may have to diversify their crops to ensure a sufficient food supply and engage in long-term "carbon farming," such as planting trees, to absorb the built-up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Additionally, agriculture will have to become much more energy-efficient, and will very likely need to return to a more localized distribution system, as shipping goods over long distances becomes more expensive and precarious.

 

Per-Olof Busch, Helge Jorgens, Kerstin Tews. THE GLOBAL DIFFUSION OF REGULATORY INSTRUMENTS: THE MAKING OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL REGIME (Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, March 2005, vol. 598, p. 146)

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Program evaluation research provides the means to determine what has and has not worked and thereby to decide whether to retain existing policies or adopt new or modified ones. Here, Bennear and Coglianese discuss the progress of program evaluation of environmental policies.

 

Kwong, Jo. GLOBALIZATION'S EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT (Society, Jan 2005, Vol. 42 Issue 2, p. 21, 8p)

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Kwong examines alternative perspectives about globalization and the environment. The article discusses the role of globalization in economic and social problems; the impact of globalization on the environment; and the relationship between pollution and income.

 

THE COST OF U.S. FOREST-BASED CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
Robert N. Stavins and Kenneth R. Richards.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Web-posted January 19, 2005.
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Cost-effective climate change policies should include storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in U.S. forests, according to this report from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Most analyses of the climate issue have tended to focus on the implications of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from key industrial and transportation sources. Less attention is paid to the potential for storing (or "sequestering") carbon in forests and other ecosystems. Both emissions reduction and carbon sequestration are important strategies for addressing climate change.

Stavins and Richards investigate the potential for incorporating land-use changes into U.S. climate policy. They look at the true "opportunity costs" of using land for sequestration, in contrast with other productive uses. The report also examines the many factors that drive the economics of storing carbon in forests over long periods of time. A sequestration program on the scale envisioned by the authors would involve large expanses of land and significant up-front investment. As a result, implementation would require careful attention to program design and a phased approach over a number of years.

The authors estimate that the cost of sequestering up to 500 million tons of carbon per year-an amount that would offset up to one-third of current annual U.S. carbon emissions-ranges from $30 to $90 per ton. On a per-ton basis, this is comparable to the cost estimated for other options for addressing climate change, including fuel switching and energy efficiency. The authors conclude that sequestration can and should play an important role in the United States' response to climate change.

 

U.S. OCEAN ACTION PLAN. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE TO THE U.S. OCEAN COMMISSION ON POLICY.
Executive Office of the President, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). International Ocean Policy Group. December 17, 2004.
Note: See also the President's Executive Orderestablishing the new Committee on Ocean Policy.
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This Action Plan creates a cabinet-level Committee on Ocean Policy and calls for regional-level governance, planning and coor dination on ocean issues. The plan comes in response to a report released this fall by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy that included hundreds of recommendations and issued an urgent call to action to improve the health and management of marine areas.

Besides the creation of the Committee on Ocean Policy, the report sets out a number of other recommendations, including:

• Work with Regional Fisheries Councils to Promote Greater use of Market-based System for Fisheries Management.
• Build a Global Earth Observation Network, Including Integrated Ocean Observation.
• Develop an Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy.
• Support Accession to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• Implement Coral Reef Local Action Strategies.
• Support a Regional Partnership in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

 

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Foster, Gregory D. A NEW SECURITY PARADIGM (World Watch Vol. 18, No. 1, January/February 2005, pp. 36-46)

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Foster, a professor at the National Defense University, Washington, DC, argues forcefully for a new approach to security which considers environmental changes, not terrorism or weapons of mass destruction, as the most significant threats to global, national and individual security. Experts predict that environmental changes, including climate change, will result in physical and social changes in many countries, which could lead to humanitarian crises and unstable governments, impacting international security. Foster notes the minimal consideration of environmental change in U.S. government and public thinking on security during the past several years and examines the arguments used by opponents of environmental security, many of whom are in the national security community. He asserts that security is more than defense against intentional malevolent threats and should be "the primary overarching strategic aim a democracy such as ours must seek to attain." He concludes with four strategic imperatives to guide a future response to security threats.