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How Alaska Benefits from Federal Fuel Economy and Vehicle Emissions Standards
The document asserts that federal light-duty vehicle standards set by the EPA and NHTSA in 2012 increase fuel efficiency, reduce oil dependence, and provide financial savings to consumers. In Alaska, these standards have resulted in $90 million in savings to date, with an estimated $4,000 increase in wealth per household by 2030. Environmentally, the standards in Alaska eliminate global warming emissions equivalent to three times those produced by providing electricity to Fairbanks. Nationally, the standards are projected to increase GDP by up to $30 billion and create 650,000 full-time jobs by 2030.
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Document type: Fact sheet
10 key signs of climate change
The document outlines twelve key signs of climate change, including rising global, ocean, and soil temperatures, increasing ocean acidity, and rising sea levels. It attributes these phenomena to the buildup of heat-trapping gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of tropical forests. The text highlights specific regional impacts, such as the rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine and the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic, and notes the resulting increase in extreme weather events and shifts in species ranges.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Assessment of SSC Labelling and Sourcing Codes
The assessment found that 89% of 80 reviewed products were sourced in alignment with the SSC Sourcing Code, and 85% of 52 products with environmental claims adhered to the Labelling Code. While SSC members generally showed high compliance, non-members were more likely to use misleading terminology or lack verifiable sourcing data. The report notes a 15% improvement in the prevalence of misleading claims since 2011, though it recommends better on-pack catch area and method information to help consumers use seafood guides.
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Document type: Report
Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017
The Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017 argues that building resilience in the Arctic requires an integrated understanding of social-ecological systems and coordinated action across local, national, and circumpolar scales. While the primary drivers of change are global, the document emphasizes that resilience-building must occur within the Arctic through integrated monitoring, knowledge integration—specifically bridging Indigenous and scientific knowledge—and increasing the capacity of local communities to shape their own development. It identifies 19 instances where climate change and other drivers could trigger abrupt, irreversible shifts and proposes a roadmap via the Arctic Resilience Action Framework to coordinate these efforts.
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Document type: Executive summary
Greening the Pot Industry
The legal marijuana industry in the US creates significant electricity demand due to high-intensity lighting and climate control, with Colorado's industry consuming 300 GWh in 2015. To mitigate the impact on carbon goals and grid stability, the document recommends that utilities support LED adoption through rebates and on-bill financing to overcome capital limitations. It further suggests using time-varying rates to shift lighting schedules to periods of low net load—such as midday in California for solar or nighttime in Colorado for wind—to avoid peak demand and reduce reliance on fossil fuel generation.
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Document type: Briefing
U.S. Deep Freeze December 2016
The December 2016 cold air outbreak in the United States was found to be a common winter occurrence and not evidence that global warming is increasing the extremity of cold weather. Analysis of stations in Boulder, Colorado, and New Orleans, Louisiana, indicates that cold extremes are generally decreasing in intensity, particularly in New Orleans where the coldest day of the year is 3.2°F warmer than a century ago. The study concludes that while northerly wind patterns show no significant trend, the Arctic source regions for this cold air are warming rapidly, leading to a general decrease in the intensity of such outbreaks in both observations and climate models.
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Document type: Research paper
Hooked for Life
The report examines the prevalence of added sugars in early childhood diets and the failure of US federal regulations to protect children under five. It highlights how the food industry exploits children's biological preferences for sweetness through aggressive marketing and political lobbying to maintain low transparency in labeling. The authors argue that current guidelines and supplemental food programs are insufficient, contributing to higher obesity rates, particularly among low-income and minority children, and call for science-based policy reforms.
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Document type: Report
It’s Time to Phase Out Heavy Fuel Oil Use for Shipping in the Arctic
The document advocates for a regional phase-out of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) in the Arctic, noting that 96 percent of large ships in the region use this toxic fuel. It highlights the role of black carbon emissions in accelerating Arctic ice melt and the extreme difficulty of cleaning up HFO spills in remote, cold environments. The author calls on the Obama administration to use the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address these risks, specifically by submitting a comment paper by September 2, 2016.
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Document type: Statement
Shielded from Oversight
The report details the technical specifications, deployment history, and systemic failures of the US Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) and its associated kill vehicles. It highlights a pattern of deploying hardware and software before adequate flight testing, resulting in numerous design flaws, manufacturing errors, and failed intercept tests across multiple versions of the kill vehicle (CE-I, CE-II, and CE-II Block 1). The document also outlines future development plans for the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) and Multi-Object Kill Vehicles (MOKV), while discussing the kinematics of SM-3 interceptors as potential alternatives.
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Document type: Report
Shielded from Oversight
The report analyzes the testing history of the Ground-based Midcourse (GMD) missile defense system, highlighting a low success rate and a lack of tests against realistic ICBM-range targets, salvo modes, and multiple targets. It notes that both CE-I and CE-II interceptors were deployed before successful intercept demonstrations and compares GMD's slow testing pace and high costs to the more rigorous testing of the Aegis BMD and THAAD systems.
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Document type: Report
WESTERN WILDFIRES
Climate Central's analysis of U.S. Forest Service records shows that the average annual number of large wildfires in the western U.S. more than tripled between the 1970s and 2010s, with the area burned increasing more than six-fold. The report attributes these trends to rising temperatures, decreased snowpack, and earlier snowmelt. Projections using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) suggest that high-risk fire days will increase substantially by 2050, particularly in Southwestern states. The report also highlights the growing risk to populations living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and the health impacts of wildfire smoke.
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Document type: Report
Offshore Wind
The document provides a comprehensive overview of offshore wind energy as of early 2016, contrasting the advanced capacity in Europe with the nascent industry in the United States. It details the technical advantages of offshore wind over onshore wind, such as stronger and more consistent winds and proximity to coastal population centers. The text outlines U.S. government initiatives, including Department of Energy funding and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing, while highlighting the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark as global leaders. It also discusses the economic impact of the sector, specifically the 'additional employment effect' in European ports and shipyards.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Improving utilization of associated gas in US tight oil fields
The report identifies and assesses nine technologies to reduce the flaring of associated gas in US tight oil fields, concluding that Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) recovery, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucking, and Gas-to-Power (for local loads) are the most mature and scalable options. It highlights that flaring in the Bakken and Eagle Ford basins reached approximately 125 billion cubic feet per year by 2013. The analysis emphasizes that while technical solutions exist, robust regulations are necessary to eliminate routine flaring. A case study on Alaska's Shublik formation suggests that while the region has high potential, its remoteness and harsh climate necessitate early infrastructure planning to avoid future flaring.
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Document type: Report
BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE CONSUMERS UNION OF UNITED STATES, INC., VERMONT BUSINESSES FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, and BEN & JERRYS HOMEMADE, INC.
The brief, submitted by Consumers Union of United States, Inc., Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, and Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., supports the denial of a preliminary injunction against Vermont's Act 120. It contends that GE food labeling is a global norm, adopted by over 60 countries and sanctioned by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The authors argue that the law serves substantial state interests, including public health and environmental protection, and that compliance costs—specifically through nationwide relabeling—are minimal, one-time expenses that do not constitute irreparable harm.
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Document type: Legal commentary
Opposition to “H.R. 1734, Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015”
A coalition of 290 organizations and individuals opposes H.R. 1734, asserting that the bill would weaken the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2014 coal ash rule. The signatories argue the legislation would delay health protections, eliminate public access to information, and remove national standards for drinking water protection, thereby increasing risks to vulnerable communities and the environment.
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Document type: Statement
From Cell Phones to Sodas, How New Truck Standards Can Improve the Way America Ships Goods
The document asserts that the fuel economy of U.S. tractor-trailers has remained stagnant since the 1970s, averaging around 6 miles per gallon. It argues that implementing stronger standards could improve the efficiency of new trucks by 40 percent by 2025, raising average fuel economy from 6.3 mpg to 10.7 mpg. Such improvements would reduce petroleum consumption by over 570,000 barrels of oil per day and prevent over 110 million metric tons of global warming emissions annually. Economically, the report claims these standards would save truck owners $30,000 in fuel costs per vehicle annually and could reduce freight rates by nearly 10 percent, potentially providing households with $135 in annual savings.
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Document type: Executive summary
Engines for Change
The report examines the environmental and economic impacts of heavy-duty truck fuel efficiency in the U.S., arguing that standards increasing efficiency by 40% by 2025 would save billions in costs and reduce millions of metric tons of emissions.
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Document type: Report
The Last Climate Frontier: Arctic Council Leadership on Methane and Black Carbon Must Start at Home
The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the U.S. must regulate domestic methane and black carbon emissions from oil and gas activities to lead the Arctic Council effectively. It calls for the EPA to cut methane emissions by 50% in five years, for the BLM to implement a 'waste' rule prohibiting unnecessary flaring on Federal lands, and for BOEM to overhaul outdated air regulations in the Alaskan Arctic.
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Document type: Statement
To drill or not to drill? Obama’s offshore drilling dilemma
The document criticizes the Obama administration's 2017-2022 planning process for offshore oil and gas exploration, arguing that such activities contradict climate goals and threaten marine ecosystems. It highlights the potential for 60 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions from undiscovered reserves and the risk to marine mammals from seismic surveys. The author calls for a total moratorium on new offshore leasing to ensure the transition to low-carbon energy and to avoid the economic and environmental risks associated with oil spills.
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Document type: Statement
Few Americans Very Worried About Global Warming
A 2014 survey of 1,013 U.S. adults found that while 55% of Americans are at least 'somewhat worried' about global warming, only 15% are 'very worried'. The data suggests a gap between the increasing physical evidence of climate impacts and public perception, with many Americans viewing global warming as a distant threat rather than a personal risk.
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Document type: Briefing