Review of the Research Program of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership – Third Report

National Academies Press / Committee on Review of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Research Program, Phase 3 http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12939 (free with registration) Since the creation of the FreedomCAR program in January 2002, it has  undergone significant changes in Partnership members, with five energy companies added in September 2003 and two electrical power companies in 2008. Even though [...]

Unlocking Investment to Deliver Britain’s Low Carbon Future

Green Investment Bank Commission http://tinyurl.com/387zajb [From Reuters article] Britain needs a green bank to meet its 2020 goals to slash carbon emissions and curb use of fossil fuels, a report commissioned by the Conservative Party said on Tuesday. A “green bank” funded by new consumer levies; the sale of emissions permits to industry; and institutional [...]

Arab Environment: Impact of Climate Change on Arab Countries

Arab Forum for Environment and Development / Mostafa Tolba and Najib Saab (eds.) http://www.afedonline.org/afedreport09/Full%20English%20Report.pdf [From executive summary] The world is once again at a crossroads; as the scientific basis behind climate change is becoming more solid, the imperative for strong and collective action is becoming increasingly urgent. This urgency is one shared by all countries [...]

Paying for the “American Power Act”: an Economic and Distributional Analysis of the Kerry-Lieberman Cap-and-Trade Bill

Chamberlain Economics, LLC for the Institute for Energy Research (Policy Study No. 2010-06) / by Andrew Chamberlain and Feliz M. Ventura http://tinyurl.com/2ukmd8d [From IER press release]  In an effort to better understand the broad consequences of the Kerry-Lieberman American Power Act on the U.S. economy, the Institute for Energy Research commissioned Chamberlain Economics, L.L.C to [...]

Potential Impacts of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Sea Turtles

Oceana http://tinyurl.com/36oaw8p Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean conservation organization, released a new report today that finds the Deepwater Horizon oil spill extremely dangerous for sea turtles inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, sea turtles can become coated in oil or inhale volatile chemicals when they surface to breathe, swallow oil or contaminated prey, and [...]

Financing the Residential Retrofit Revolution

Milken Institute http://www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/FILab_Res_Retrofit_April_20.pdf [From press Release] Our homes produce 20 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and study after study finds that efficiency measures are the cheapest way to save energy. Residential upgrades would pay for themselves by reducing home energy usage by 40 percent and creating green jobs. Unfortunately, no one has figured [...]

The Deepwater Horizon Disaster : Insurance Market Impacts

Insurance Information Institute http://www.iii.org/presentations/Deepwater-060210/ This PowerPoint report by Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, reviews the insurance issues relating to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Loss. Slides show the types of coverage that might apply and the number of parties that might be involved. The liability factor and legal ramifications are discussed and [...]

EU Fisheries Management

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (UK) http://tinyurl.com/2ukwrdg The existing Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has not delivered sustainable fisheries for Europe. In addition to lost fisheries productivity, there have been unwanted impacts on the marine environment and economically inefficient fisheries that are more vulnerable to financial shocks. The recent European Commission (EC) Green Paper on [...]

Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the OCS : National Notice to Lessees and Operatives of Federal Oil and Gas Leases, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

US Interior Dept. Minerals Management Service http://tinyurl.com/33too9g The Department of the Interior today issued a directive to oil and gas lessees and operators on the Outer Continental Shelf implementing stronger safety requirements that Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recommended in his 30-day safety report to the President. The Notice to Lessees focusing on safety [...]

High-Impact, Low-Frequency Event Risk to the North American Bulk Power System

US DOE, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation http://www.nerc.com/files/HILF.pdf Today, however, we are focused on a class of rare risks with the potential to cause long-term, catastrophic damage to the bulk power system: High-Impact, Low-Frequency (HILF) events. Examples of these events include a pandemic illness, coordinated cyber, physical, or blended attack on the system, extreme [...]