Posted on May 24, 2010 …

The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation

American Public Health Association http://tinyurl.com/2adatmz [Press release] The American Public Health Association (APHA) today released “The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation,” a new publication that addresses how our nation’s current transportation system contributes to today’s soaring health costs and impedes progress toward improving public health. Chief among those costs are U.S. traffic fatalities and injuries, … Continue reading »

Business Support for Energy and Climate Change Legislation by the Numbers

American Businesses for Clean Energy http://tinyurl.com/2arjs5d [ClimateBiz.com] In its analysis, ABCE found that the 6,000 business supporters of climate change legislation employ an estimated 3.5 million workers, represent more than $2.6 trillion in market capitalization, and totaled $3.5 trillion in estimated revenue in 2009. Twenty-one Fortune 100 companies and 49 Fortune 500 companies are represented … Continue reading »

Energy Regulations in the States: a Wake-up Call

Institute for Energy Research http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/states/ [Press release] Affordable energy is under assault. The President and some in Congress are promoting a number of policies that will increase the price of energy for all Americans. The challenge to affordable energy is not just happening at the federal level but also at the state level. Over the … Continue reading »

Valuing Central Park’s Contributions to New York City’s Economy

AppleSeed for the Central Park Conservancy http://www.appleseedinc.com/reports/centralpark-may2009.pdf Highlights:  The Park’s value to the City’s economy can be viewed from several perspectives. Central Park is: – A cluster of enterprises, events and activities connected to the Park that together generated $395 million in economic activity in 2007, and 3,780 full-time-equivalent jobs; – A public space around … Continue reading »

The Green Economy

UN Environment Programme http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=628&ArticleID=6628 Investing around US$8 billion a year in rebuilding and greening the world’s fisheries could raise catches to 112 million tonnes annually while triggering benefits to industry, consumers and the global economy totalling US$1.7 trillion over the next 40 years…The investment, some of which can be covered by phasing down or phasing … Continue reading »

Facilitating Trade in Selected Climate Change Mitigation Technologies in the Energy Supply, Buildings, and Industry Sectors

OECD / by Ronald Steenblik and Joy Kim (Available to RFFers through OECDiLibrary/SourceOECD. If prompted for a userID/password, use the ones on the library landing page, top left.) http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/oecd/content/workingpaper/224036730873 [Abstract] It is in every country’s interest that the deployment of carbon-change-mitigation technologies (CCMTs) be accomplished at the lowest possible cost to society and that their … Continue reading »

Differentiated Intellectual Property Regimes for Environmental and Climate Technologies

OECD working paper / by Keith Maskus http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/oecd/content/workingpaper/5kmfwjvc83vk-en [Abstract]  …Expanding effective international technology transfer (ITT) is central to meeting needs for acquiring and adapting environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) in poor nations. Policymakers in developed economies generally view IPRs, particularly patents and trade secrets, as positive and critical inducements to ITT, while those in developing countries … Continue reading »

Applying Decommissioning Experience to the Design and Operation of New Nuclear Power Plants

OECD Nuclear Energy Agency report 6924 http://tinyurl.com/2fzd4d7 From foreword: This report provides an overview of the current approaches and views in applying experience from decommissioning to the design and licensing of third generation reactor systems.  The study on which it is based was undertaken due to the increased level of interest in several OECD countries … Continue reading »

OECD Reports on Nanomaterials: Report on Regulatory Regimes

OECD Environment Directorate Report http://tinyurl.com/29lkoyr From foreword:  As a follow-up [to a 2005 meeting on the human health and environmental safety implications of nanotechnology], the Joint Meeting decided to hold a Workshop on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials in December 2005, in Washington, D.C. The main objective was to determine the “state of the art” … Continue reading »