Robert Stavins’ Blog — An Economic View of the Environment http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/analysis/stavins/?p=400 As we approach the beginning of the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December, international negotiations are focused on developing a climate policy framework for the post-2012 period, when the Kyoto Protocol’s … Continue reading »
Posted on December 2, 2009 …
Energy Access Situation in Developing Countries
UN Development Programme, World Health Orgazization http://content.undp.org/go/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=2198998 [UN Pulse] “about 1.5 billion people in developing countries lack access to electricity and about 3 billion people rely on solid fuels for cooking”. The report looks into energy access sutuation in the LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa, what fuels and stoves are used for cooking, the impact of … Continue reading »
Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/SCAR_ssg_ps/ACCE.htm [British Antarctic Survey webpage] The first comprehensive review of the state of Antarctica’s climate and its relationship to the global climate system is published this week (Tuesday 1 December) by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The review — Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment — presents … Continue reading »
The Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values in the United States : a Multi-Site Hedonic Analysis
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, US DOE http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/re-pubs.html (PDF) http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/emp-ppt.html (Powerpoint) [From press release) A major new Berkeley Lab report finds that proximity to wind energy facilities does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on the property values of nearby homes…The new report, funded by the DOE, is based on site visits, data collection, … Continue reading »
Surface Transportation : Efforts to Address Highway Congestion through Real-Time Traffic Information Systems Are Expanding but Face Implementation Challenges
General Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10121r.pdf [From summary] State and local government agencies and private companies disseminate real-time traffic information to help travelers decide whether to use alternative, less congested routes. Legislation enacted in 2005 required the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish the Real-Time System Management Information Program, in order to provide states the capability … Continue reading »
Energy-Water Nexus : Many Uncertainties Remain about National and Regional Effects of Increased Biofuel Production on Water Resources
General Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10116.pdf [Summary] In response to concerns about the nation’s energy dependence on imported oil, climate change, and other issues, the federal government has encouraged the use of biofuels. Water plays a crucial role in all stages of biofuel production—from cultivation of feedstock through its conversion into biofuel. As demand for water from … Continue reading »
Comparison of Climate Change Adaptation Provisions in S. 1733 and H.R. 2454
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R40911/2009-11-12/?24169 [Summary] Overall, while the two bills would authorize similar adaptation programs, they differ somewhat in scope and emphasis, and they also differ in the distribution of emission allowance allocations over time. Both bills contain provisions that address international climate change adaptation; domestic climate change adaptation programs, including the U.S. Global Change … Continue reading »
