What is Shale Gas and Why is it Important?

Energy Information Admin., US Dept. of Energy http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/about_shale_gas.cfm?featureclicked=3 Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations. Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas. Over the past decade, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has allowed access to large volumes of shale … Continue reading »

Stimulating Low-Carbon Vehicle Technologies

OECD International Transport Forum (available only to OECD iLibrary subscribers online; RFFers look on library landing page for username/ID; print version forthcoming) www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/stimulating-low-carbon-vehicle-technologies_9789282102978-en Governments around the world are increasingly intervening in automobile markets to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions of CO2 from new vehicles. This report reviews the rationale for such intervention and examines measures … Continue reading »

Economic Impact of Export Restrictions on Raw Materials

OECD (available only to OECD iLibrary subscribers online; RFFers look on library landing page for username/ID) http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264096448-en Export restrictions on raw materials are applied to achieve a number of policy objectives. However, they can have a significant and negative impact on the efficient allocation of resources, international trade, and the competitiveness and development of industries … Continue reading »

The Security of Energy Supply and the Contribution of Nuclear Energy

OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (available only to OECD iLibrary subscribers online; RFFers look on library landing page for username/ID) http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264096356-en What contribution can nuclear energy make to improve the security of energy supply? This study, which examines a selection of OECD member countries, qualitatively and quantitatively validates the often intuitive assumption that, as a largely … Continue reading »

The Impacts of Nanotechnology on Companies: Policy Insights from Case Studies

OECD | (available only to OECD iLibrary subscribers online; RFFers look on library landing page for username/ID) http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264094635-en Nanotechnology has its origin in the converging abilities of physics, chemistry and materials science.  Its purpose is the manipulation of atoms and molecules in order to create new properties of materials and systems for a wide variety … Continue reading »

Oil Market Report

International Energy Agency http://omrpublic.iea.org/ [Dated: 10 December 2010] Cold winter weather hard on the heels of exceptional 3Q10 global demand growth pushed prices to two-year highs over $90/bbl by early December. Prompt demand strength saw price structures favour the front end of the curve and focus is again firmly on market fundamentals. At writing, benchmark … Continue reading »

Valuation of Environment-Related Health Risks for Children

OECD / by Anna Alberini, Graham Loomes, Milan Scasny, Ian Bateman | (available only to OECD iLibrary subscribers online; RFFers look on library landing page for username/ID; forthcoming in print) http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/content/book/9789264038042-en Is the value of reducing environmental risk greater for children than for adults? If so, what does this mean for policy makers? This report, … Continue reading »

Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Environmental Migration: A Policy Perspective

International Organization for Migration http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/DDR_CCA_report.pdf This paper presents IOM’s efforts to support vulnerable and mobile communities affected by environmental hazards through disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) activities conducive to sustainable development. IOM’s programmes around the world have demonstrated the effectiveness of DRR and CCA for reducing risk exposure and vulnerability and … Continue reading »

World Migration Report 2010

International Organization for Migration www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-8BKJAJ/$file/IOM_Nov2010.pdf?openelement [From an E&E News article by Nathaniel Gronewald, sub. required] Nations must also do more to study both internal and external migration to better determine whether long-term changes to settlement patterns are a result of climate change or due to degradation of the natural environment. That’s the message officials with … Continue reading »