PLoS ONE / by Christopher P. Kempes, Geoffrey B. West, Kelly Crowell and Michelle Girvan http://bit.ly/nTzbx0 [Abstract] Terrestrial vegetation plays a central role in regulating the carbon and water cycles, and adjusting planetary albedo. As such, a clear understanding and accurate characterization of vegetation dynamics is critical to understanding and modeling the broader climate system. … Continue reading »
Posted on July 19, 2011 …
Drinking Water: Unreliable State Data Limit EPA’s Ability to Target Enforcement Priorities and Communicate Water Systems’ Performance
Government Accountability Office http://bit.ly/p0jfuq [From a Greenwire story by Paul Quinlan, sub. req'd] States often fail to report incidents of drinking water contamination, limiting U.S. EPA’s ability to safeguard public health, according to a Government Accountability Office… The report, requested and released by California Rep. Henry Waxman, the top Democrat on the House Energy and … Continue reading »
EPA Health Risk Assessments: Sustained Management and Oversight Key to Overcoming Challenges
Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-824T This testimony discusses our prior work on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program and database…We are currently undertaking a review of EPA’s revised 2009 IRIS assessment process and the agency’s progress in implementing it and plan to issue a report later this year. The testimony today … Continue reading »
Abandoned Mines: Information on the Number of Hardrock Mines, Cost of Cleanup, and Value of Financial Assurances
Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-834T The General Mining Act of 1872 helped foster the development of the West by giving individuals exclusive rights to mine gold, silver, copper, and other hardrock minerals on federal land. However, miners often abandoned mines, leaving behind structures, safety hazards, and contaminated land and water. Four federal agencies…fund the cleanup of … Continue reading »
Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment
Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2011/0713_clean_economy.aspx (website) http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Programs/Metro/clean_economy/0713_clean_economy.pdf (report) “Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment” concludes that: The clean economy, which employs some 2.7 million workers, encompasses a significant number of jobs in establishments spread across a diverse group of industries. The clean economy grew more slowly in aggregate than … Continue reading »
“Putting It All Together: The Real World of Fully Integrated CCS Projects”: A Study of Legal, Regulatory and Financial Barriers in Phase III of the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships Program
Harvard Univ., Kennedy Center, Belfer Center / by Craig A. Hart http://bit.ly/oN6ZT3 The Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSP) program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the United States’ leading effort to assess the performance, cost and risks of geologic carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) over a broad range of geologic conditions in order … Continue reading »
