Monday, March 31, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/31/14

National / International News

 

<> IPCC Report: A changing climate creates pervasive risks but opportunities exist for effective responses – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report today that says the effects of climate change are already occurring on all continents and across the oceans. The world, in many cases, is ill-prepared for risks from a changing climate. The report also concludes that there are opportunities to respond to such risks, though the risks will be difficult to manage with high levels of warming.

<> White House FACT SHEET: Climate Action Plan - Strategy to Cut Methane Emissions - With an all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids' health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable. . . 

<> ACORE Releases Outlook for Renewable Energy in America: 2014, Jointly Authored by U.S. Renewable Energy Trade Associations - Report Forecasts Industry Growth and Highlights Policy; details on specific market drivers for the biofuel, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, waste, and wind energy sectors.

<> Five states and the Gulf of Mexico produce more than 80% of U.S. crude oil - (Mon, 31 Mar 2014) Five states and the Gulf of Mexico supplied more than 80%, or 6 million barrels per day, of the crude oil. . .

<> How Can US Natural Gas Reduce Europe's Dependence on Russia? - Russia's annexation of Crimea has drawn new attention to Europe's reliance on energy supplies from Russia. Lacking the means to force Russia's president to back down, US politicians and leading newspapers have latched . . .

<> USDA Explores Feasibility of Alternative Energy Production at Airports - March 29, 2012--A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) highlights the potential for alternative energy

<> Dow says US shouldn't bail out Europe with natural gas - Jim Fitterling, Dow Chemical's executive vice president for feedstocks, performance plastics and supply chain, said if Europe wants to reduce its need for Russian natural gas, it should produce it on its own.

<> Governors' Wind Energy Coalition and AWEA to host conference calls on economic importance of renewable energy tax credits to states, manufacturers - On Monday, March 31st, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition will host two brief teleconference calls on the importance of extending the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

<> Sidelined Science: Let's Get the House Science Committee Back on Track - The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in the U.S. House of Representatives should lead the way in bringing science into federal legislation and public policy. But, analysis from Union of Concerned Scientists of the witnesses the committee is hearing from reveals some troubling trends.

<> Toxic Morale Grips Forest Service Law Enforcement - The law enforcement arm of the U.S. Forest Service is stumbling backward beset by incompetent leadership, a poisonous culture and scant resources that are often misdirected, according to a new employee survey released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Monday, March 31, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today