Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R41561/ [From Summary] In the two years since Barack Obama was sworn in as President, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed and promulgated numerous regulations implementing the pollution control statutes enacted by Congress….Many, both within Congress and outside of it, have accused the agency of reaching beyond the authority given it … Continue reading »
Posted on May 22, 2011 …
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R40913/ [Summary] Energy is crucial to the operation of a modern industrial and services economy. Recently, there have been growing concerns about the availability and cost of energy and about environmental impacts of fossil energy use, especially global climate change. Those combined concerns have rekindled interest in energy efficiency, energy conservation, and … Continue reading »
Clean Energy Standard: Design Elements, State Baseline Compliance and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R41720/ [From Summary] During his State of the Union speech on January 25, 2011, President Obama announced an energy goal for the country: “By 2035, 80% of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources.” The White House, on February 3, 2011, released a Clean Energy Standard (CES) framework focused on U.S. … Continue reading »
Earthquake Risk and U.S. Highway Infrastructure: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R41746/ [From Summary] Seismic resilience of the U.S. highway system has improved in recent decades as investments have been made to build new, more resilient infrastructure and to retrofit existing structures. However, not all existing highway infrastructure has been retrofitted, and no infrastructure can be cost-effectively constructed to be immune from the … Continue reading »
TSCA Inventory Update Reporting Modifications
Federal Register http://federalregister.gov/r/2070-AJ43 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will let companies hold off on reporting some information about chemicals while it makes changes that will require companies to report additional information and more frequently. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, companies that manufacture or import any of about 83,000 chemicals are required to report data … Continue reading »
Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority
Urban Land Institute http://bit.ly/l6vXWC Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority assesses the state of infrastructure in the United States and around the world, examines what the next few years are likely to hold, and provides recommendations for moving forward on the infrastructure investments and strategies that are needed for regions and countries to continue to prosper … Continue reading »
Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results
Pew Center on the States http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=85899359655 States spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation in fiscal year 2010, but many cannot answer critical questions about what returns this investment is generating, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation… The report, Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results, … Continue reading »
A System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) to Climate Change
US Forest Service / by Karen E. Bagne, Megan M. Friggens and Deborah M. Finch http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/37850 [Summary] Sustained conservation of species requires integration of future climate change effects, but few tools exist to assist managers. The System for Assessing Vulnerability of Species (SAVS) identifies the relative vulnerability or resilience of vertebrate species to climate change. … Continue reading »
Solar Power Prospects in North Africa’s Sahara Desert
Centre for International Governance Innovation (via Africa Portal) / by Paul Mukwaya http://library.africaportal.org/?itemid=|dspace|31061 [Summary] There is significant potential for generating electricity from solar power in the Sahara desert in North Africa for both domestic use and for export to Europe. The successful implementation of projects to harness solar power could improve standards of living in … Continue reading »
Federal Land Management: Availability and Potential Reliability of Selected Data Elements at Five Agencies
US Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-377?source=ra The federal government manages about 650 million acres, or 29 percent, of the 2.27 billion acres of U.S. land. Four land management agencies–the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Park Service (NPS) in the Department of the Interior (Interior) and the Forest Service, … Continue reading »
