The Indian Style of Climate Policy
If India ever does something about its growing carbon emissions, this is the book that tells you how it will happen. Rob Jenkins' Democratic Politics and Economic Reform in India is the best source I have seen so far that really gets into the guts of how the country's political economy works. And that's what makes it so valuable, even if it doesn't have a word about environmental policy. Jenkins asks: how is it that economic reform has continued in India so many y...
CONTINUE READINGUS-India Climate Dialogue Agenda I: A TRIPS Protocol
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away -- well, no, actually two months ago in Washington, DC, President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Singh inked something called the US-India Climate Dialogue. It was a pretty transparent attempt to salvage something from the fact that India would never agree to binding emissions cuts (and probably the US wouldn't, either). And what was this Dialogue supposed to do? Your guess is as good as mine, but here's one place to start: ...
CONTINUE READINGA Smart Grid Requires Smart Planning
Two-way instant communication, ever-changing electricity prices, lightning-fast micro-switches – the smart grid is all the rage. In fact, a report just issued by a firm called Pike Research contains the prediction that worldwide expenditure on smart grid stuff will exceed $200 billion over the next five years. The hope is that a smarter grid will save money by lowering peak electricity demand, improving reliability, and providing greater environmental protection. ...
CONTINUE READINGA new forest planning rule blog
Sharon Friedman, Director of Strategic Planning for the Rocky Mountain Region, USDA Forest Service, and Martin Nie, Professor of Natural Resource Policy, University of Montana, have launched a blog called A New Century of Forest Planning. It's intended as a discussion forum for issues around the new forest planning rule, which the Forest Service recently declared its intent to develop. Here is how Friedman and Nie describe their blog: The University of Montana’s Colle...
CONTINUE READINGMapping EPA Enforcement
EPA has posted a new google map of its enforcement efforts. It's pretty easy to use -- for example, with a few clicks, I found a $117,000 fine against California Waste Solutions in Berkeley for a water pollution violation. Check it out, and learn what's happening in your neighborhood....
CONTINUE READINGEPA Announces Action Plans for Four Existing Chemicals
EPA closed out 2009 by issuing “chemical action plans” for four chemicals: phthalates, long-chain perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in products, and short-chain chlorinated paraffins. For each chemical, the action plan provides a summary of existing hazard, exposure, and use information, an outline the risks that the chemical may present, and a description of the specific steps that the agency plans to take to address those ris...
CONTINUE READINGNYT editorial: right headline, half-right story
The New York Times has an editorial today urging Congress to "build on [local and state] actions to fashion a national response to climate change." That sentiment is welcome, but the Times still doesn't quite get it. The editorial rightly lauds widespread state planning and emission reduction efforts, citing as particular examples renewable energy requirements, California's new energy-efficiency rules for televisions, and New York City's new mandate for energy audits on ...
CONTINUE READINGSalmon woes continue
The Sacramento Bee reports this morning that contrary to expectations the Central Valley fall-run chinook salmon had another weak run this year, probably no better than the record-low return a year ago. That's bad news because the hatchery-boosted fall Chinook is the main target of the commercial salmon fishery off the California and Oregon coasts. The low return suggests that we are in for a third consecutive year of little or no commercial fishing and severe restrict...
CONTINUE READINGClimate Models Still on Track
As this graph from RealClimate shows, temperature trends are well within the envelope of model predictions, and not too far off the average of the predictions. Even during the recent temperature dip that has received so much attention, temperatures stayed inside the envelope. No evidence that the models are missing something fundamental at this point....
CONTINUE READINGA look at the interim federal Delta plan
As I pointed out three months ago, the federal government has awakened from its 8-year Bush administration slumber to notice that the SF Bay-Delta is an important environmental and economic resource whose management requires federal input. On December 22, the Obama administration issued an Interim Federal Action Plan for the California Bay-Delta. The best news about the plan is simply that it was issued. It's one more sign that the feds are serious about joining in the ...
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