Land Use
The Ebb and Flow of Eastern American Forests
As today’s WaPo explains, “Between 1630 and the nadir of Eastern forests in the late 1800s, the East lost about 1,000 acres of forest a day.” Over the course of the 20th Century, the forests came back. But now they are under threat again from invasive insects, uncontrolled deer populations, and other ecological imbalances. “Already, …
Continue reading “The Ebb and Flow of Eastern American Forests”
CONTINUE READINGCalifornia’s Delta & Water Reforms: Now the Hard Work Begins
Last fall’s passage of landmark California legislation to “fix” the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and reform California water law was big news. But key, recent events demonstrate that the devil is truly in the details, and that while legislation certainly matters, it is the manner and means of executive branch implementation that ultimately spell success or …
Continue reading “California’s Delta & Water Reforms: Now the Hard Work Begins”
CONTINUE READINGIf not at Yucca Mountain, then where?
Cross-posted at CPRBlog. Last August, Dan announced “The Death of Yucca Mountain,” pointing to a news story in which Senator Harry Reid ( D – Nev.) declared that he had dealt a fatal blow to plans to store high-level radioactive waste in a repository there. The Department of Energy sought to pull the plug on …
Continue reading “If not at Yucca Mountain, then where?”
CONTINUE READINGHealth Care Reform could help the environment
As Streetsblog noted, the newly-passed health care reform contains some grant money for nonprofits, Indian Tribes, and state and local governments to promote increased physical exercise and to create “the infrastructure to support active living.” Overall, this provision could provide local governments with extra money they desperately need to create more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly land …
Continue reading “Health Care Reform could help the environment”
CONTINUE READINGCan California handle high-speed rail?
Count me in as a high speed rail enthusiast. Who wouldn’t want to sit in a train car, sipping an ice-cold ginger ale, while traveling at speeds of up to 220 mph through the Central Valley? As Rick described last month, the potential benefits to our quality- and way-of-life, by encouraging more pedestrian-focused neighborhoods and …
Continue reading “Can California handle high-speed rail?”
CONTINUE READINGCul de Sacs are a Dead End
Cul de Sacs are a familiar feature of suburbia. They are also coming under increasing attack, according to TNR: So, for instance, one study of the city of Charlotte found that places where the streets weren’t very well connected (thanks, in part, to the heavy use of cul-de-sac) required a lot more fire stations to …
Continue reading “Cul de Sacs are a Dead End”
CONTINUE READINGSingin’ the California Delta Blues (Muddy Waters Ahead?)
But there really is a California Delta, and it’s vitally important to the state’s water supply. It also raises major environmental issues. The struggle to manage the Delta has also given rise to one of the most ambitious experiments in collaborative governance anywhere — an experiment that had some successes but ultimately seemed to hit a brick wall.
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 …
Continue reading “A new forest planning rule blog”
CONTINUE READINGCEQA thresholds of significance for greenhouse gas emissions: a strange but good process
Way back in the old days, before 2006 and AB 32 (California’s landmark law limiting greenhouse gas emissions statewide), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was the critical tool to limit greenhouse gas emissions from projects around the state. CEQA is the law that requires state and local agencies to assess the significant environmental impacts …
CONTINUE READINGOil Shale, Greenhouse Gas, and Federal Lands
Back in 2005, a Rand report assessed the merits of pursuing oil shale (a rock formation particularly prevalent in the U.S.) as an option for extracting liquid transportation fuel. The authors said: “Heating oil shale for retorting, whether above ground or in situ, requires significant energy inputs. Over at least the next few decades, this …
Continue reading “Oil Shale, Greenhouse Gas, and Federal Lands”
CONTINUE READINGJoin Our Mailing List
Climate policy is changing rapidly. Stay in the loop with expert analysis via email Monday - Friday.
