Posted on August 24, 2011 …

Mismeasuring Methane: Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Upstream Natural Gas Development

IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates / by Mary Lashley Barcella, Samantha Gross and Surya Rjan (free download with registration) http://www.ihs.com/info/en/a/mis-measuring-methane-report.aspx [From a Greenwire article by Nathanial Gronewold, sub. req'd]  U.S. EPA has exaggerated the extent of greenhouse gas emissions from the shale gas industry, an energy research firm says in a report released today… Specifically, … Continue reading »

Volcanic Versus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide

Eos (July 14, 2011, v92, n24 p201-208) / by Terry Gerlach http://www.agu.org/pubs/pdf/2011EO240001.pdf [Real Climate post]  My article “Volcanic Versus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide” appeared in the June 14 issue of the American Geophysical Union’s publication Eos and addresses the widespread mis-perception in the media, the blogosphere, and much of the climate skeptic literature that volcanic CO2 … Continue reading »

The Ethanol Decade: An Expansion of U.S. Corn Production, 2000-09

USDA Economic Research Service / by Steven Wallander, Roger Claassen, and Cynthia Nickerson http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB79/#2011-8-18 [Summary]  The recent 9-billion-gallon increase in corn-based ethanol production, which resulted from a combination of rising gasoline prices and a suite of Federal bioenergy policies, provides evidence of how farmers altered their land-use decisions in response to increased demand for corn. … Continue reading »

Impacts of Higher Energy Prices on Agriculture and Rural Economies

USDA Economic Research Service / by Ronald Sands, Paul Westcott, et al. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR123/#2011-8-18 [Summary] Agricultural production is sensitive to changes in energy prices, either through energy consumed directly or through energy-related inputs such as fertilizer. A number of factors can affect energy prices faced by U.S. farmers and ranchers, including developments in the oil and … Continue reading »

Canadian Regulatory Document Addressing Limitations on Fuel Consumption and GHG Emissions from New On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Engines

aka “Consultation Document for Discussion of the Main Elements of the Proposed Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to Limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Engines” from Environment Canada http://www.ec.gc.ca/lcpe-cepa/default.asp?lang=En&n=A7A02DDF-1 [From Green Car Congress]  Environment Canada recently released a consultation paper on the development of proposed regulations to limit … Continue reading »

DOE Resources to Aid Adoption of Electric Vehicles

US DOE http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/electric_deployment.html [From Green Car Congress]  The US Department of Energy (DOE) launched two online tools designed to help communities better prepare for widespread adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs): a template to help local governments design permits for residential EV charger installations and accelerate the approval process; and a training video to provide … Continue reading »

Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, 4th edition

World Health Organization http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2011/dwq_guidelines/en/index.html [UN Pulse]  WHO has released the Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. This fourth edition of the World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality builds on over 50 years of guidance by WHO on drinking-water quality, which has formed an authoritative basis for the setting of national regulations and standards for water … Continue reading »

Evidence for the Effect of Homes on Wildfire Suppression Costs

Headwaters Economics (“Submitted to the International Journal of Wildland Fire on 7-7-11) / by Patricia H. Gude, Kingsford Jones, Ray Rasker, Mark C. Greenwood http://headwaterseconomics.org/wphw/wp-content/uploads/CAfire_Manuscript_July11.pdf [Abstract]  This paper uses wildfires in the Sierra Nevada area of California as a case study to estimate the relationship between housing and fire suppression costs. Specifically, we investigated whether … Continue reading »

Strategies for Reforestation under Uncertain Future Climates: Guidelines for Alberta, Canada

PLoS ONE / by Laura K. Gray and Andreas Hamann http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0022977 [From Summary]  …More than 50,000 hectares of forests are commercially planted every year in Alberta. Choosing alternative planting stock, suitable for expected future climates, could therefore offer an effective climate change adaptation strategy at little additional cost. Habitat projections for locally adapted tree populations … Continue reading »