Preparing for Resettlement Associated with Climate Change

Science (28 October 2011: v334 n6055 p456-457) / by A. de Sherbinin, et al. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6055/456.short (fee-based article available to RFFers on site or using VPN) [Abstract]  Although there is agreement that climate change will result in population displacements and migration, there are differing  views on the potential volume of flows, the likely source and destination areas, the [...]

Communicating Climate Change Risks in a Skeptical World

Climatic Change (Published online Aug. 18 2011; DOI 10.1007/s10584-011-0189-3) / by John D. Sterman http://www.erb.umich.edu/Research/ColloquiaDocs/StermanClimaticChange2011.pdf [Abstract]  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been extraordinarily successful in the task of knowledge synthesis and risk assessment. However, the strong scientific consensus on the detection, attribution, and risks of climate change stands in stark contrast to [...]

New EIA Site: Electricity Monthly Update

US DOE, Energy Information Information http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/update/ Yesterday, EIA launched a new web-based report called the Electricity Monthly Update, replacing the Monthly Flash Estimates for Electric Power Data. This new product introduces a feature story, interactive graphics, a new presentation flow, and new electricity industry data sources.

Who Owns America’s Oil and Natural Gas Companies

American Petroleum Institute / by Robert J. Shapiro and Nam D. Pham http://bit.ly/vcTNTB [Abstract] This report shows that the ownership of the U.S. oil and natural gas industry is broadly distributed, with only very small portions of its shares held by corporate management. Across all U.S.-based oil and natural gas companies, less than 3 percent [...]

The Greenhouse Impact of Unconventional Gas for Electricity Generation

Environmental Research Letters v6 n4 (doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/044008) / by Nathan Hultman, Dylan Rebois, Michael Scholten and Christopher Ramighttp://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/4/044008 [Abstract] New techniques to extract natural gas from unconventional resources have become economically competitive over the past several years, leading to a rapid and largely unanticipated expansion in natural gas  production. The US Energy Information Administration projects that [...]

A Review of Solar Energy: Markets, Economics and Policies

World Bank / by Govinda R. Timilsina, Lado Kurdgelashvili, and Patrick A. Narbel http://bit.ly/t2IeC1 [Summary] Solar energy has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years due to both technological improvements resulting in cost reductions and government policies supportive of renewable energy development and utilization. This study analyzes the technical, economic and policy aspects of solar energy [...]

DR-CAFTA and the Environment

World Bank / by Barbara Cunha and Muthukumara Mani http://bit.ly/sb7Y5r [Summary] The Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States aims to create a free trade zone for economic development. The Agreement is expected to intensify commerce and investment among the participating countries. This paper analyzes the changes in the production and trading [...]

Analysis of Impacts of a Clean Energy Standard as requested by Chairman Hall

US DOE, Energy Information Admin. http://www.eia.gov/analysis/requests/ces_hall/ [Introduction] This report responds to a request from Chairman Ralph M. Hall for an analysis of  the impacts of a Clean Energy Standard (CES). The request, as outlined in the letter included in Appendix A, sets out specific assumptions and scenarios for the study. [From an E&E News story by Hannah [...]

Harvesting Clean Energy: How California Can Deploy Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects on Appropriate Farmland

UCLA and University of California, Berkeley Schools of Law http://cdn.law.ucla.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Media%20Press/Harvesting%20Clean%20Energy.pdf [From Press Release]  California’s ambitious goal of 33 percent renewable energy by 2020 could receive a significant boost if the state built large-scale solar plants on degraded farmland, according to a new report. Harvesting Clean Energy: How California Can Deploy Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects on [...]

Has the Magnitude of Floods Across the USA Changed with Global CO2 Levels?

Hydrological Sciences Journal (Published online October 24, 2011; DOI:10.1080/02626667.2011.621895) / by R. M. Hirsch and K. R. Ryberg http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02626667.2011.621895 [From an E&E News PM article by Paul Quinlan, sub. req'd]   A new study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists is significant for what it didn’t find: a clear link between greenhouse gas levels and floods. That [...]