Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09219.pdf?source=ra [Summary] To help meet increasing transportation demands, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) created three programs to invest federal funds in national and regional transportation infrastructure. As requested, this report provides (1) an overview of the goals, funding status, and types of projects and … Continue reading »
Posted on February 6, 2009 …
A Review of Events that Expose Children to Elemental Mercury in the United States
Environmental Health Perspectives (available online 12 January 2009, doi: 10.1289/ehp.0800337) / by Robin Lee, Dan Middleton, Kathleen Caldwell, Steve Dearwent, Steven Jones, Brian Lewis, Carolyn Monteilh, Mary Ellen Mortensen, Richard Nickle, Kenneth Orloff, Meghan Reger, John Risher, Helen Schurz Rogers, and Michelle Watters http://www.ehponline.org/members/2009/0800337/0800337.pdf [Abstract] Concern for children exposed to elemental mercury prompted the Agency … Continue reading »
greenercars.org
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy http://www.greenercars.org/highlights.htm [Website]… the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today released environmental ratings for model year 2009 vehicles. The flurry of activity failed to dislodge the reigning champion of the Greenest Vehicles list. This year’s greenest title goes once again to Honda’s natural gas-powered Civic GX. The Toyota Prius … Continue reading »
The Cost and Effectiveness of Policies to Reduce Vehicle Emissions (ITF Roundtables)
OECD / by European Conference of Ministers of Transport http://www.sourceoecd.org/9789282102121 Subscription required. RFFers can access full-text on-site. If prompted for a username and password (and you likely will be) look on the library’s homepage upper left side. [Abstract] Transport sector policies already contribute to moderating greenhouse gas emissions from road vehicles. They are increasingly designed … Continue reading »
Report of the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Climate Change and Official Statistics
UN Statistical Commission http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc09/2009-2-ProReview-E.pdf
Report of the Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting
UN Statistical Commission http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc09/2009-7-EnvEcoAccounting-E.pdf The report of the Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting has been issued for the consideration of the Statistical Commission (E/CN.3/2009/7). The Commission website has links to the documentation before the Commission at its upcoming 40th session.
Coal Initiative Series: Positioning the Indian Coal-Power Sector for Carbon Mitigation: Key Policy Options
Pew Center on Global Climate Change / by Ananth P. Chikkatur and Ambuj D. Sagar http://www.pewclimate.org/white-papers/coal-initiative/india-policy [Website] The domestic and international steps outlined in this paper could greatly advance the development and implementation of a GHG-mitigation strategy in the Indian coal-power sector, while allowing the sector to contribute suitably to the country’s energy needs. The … Continue reading »
On Population Growth Near Protected Areas
PLoS ONE / by Lucas N. Joppa, Scott R. Loarie and Stuart L. Pimm http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0004279 [From Nicholas School press release] In 2008, a study in the journal Science reported that the creation of international parks and protected areas as a conservation strategy was backfiring, because it increased population density around the areas’ edges – isolating … Continue reading »
Carbon Control in the U.S. Electricity Sector: Key Implementation Uncertainties
Congressional Research Service http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/24486/Carbon_Control_in_the_US_Electricity_Sector_Key_Implementation_Uncertainties.html [PEN-e posting] This Report by the Congressional Research Service (7-5700) finds that from the policy research and technical studies that substantially reducing CO2 emissions in the U.S. electricity sector over the next few decades would likely require every key carbon mitigation measure at the nation’s disposal. However, it is also clear … Continue reading »
Letter: Issues Involving the Use of the Futures Markets to Invest in Commodity Indexes
Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09285r.pdf?source=ra [From summary] …we also are providing information on the results of our review of studies analyzing the impact that index traders and other futures speculators have had on commodity prices. Through our literature search, we identified eight empirical studies and three qualitative studies. (See the bibliography for a list of the … Continue reading »
