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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) uses the 'bathtub curve' model to analyze nuclear plant risks, identifying high failure rates during the initial 'break-in' phase and the final 'wear-out' phase. The report argues that the NRC's reliance on flawed risk assessments and its failure to consistently enforce technical specifications have increased the risk of catastrophes. It specifically highlights the Davis-Besse plant as a case of regulatory failure and recommends excluding new reactors from Price-Anderson liability protection, requiring prototype testing, and overhauling aging management programs for plants seeking license renewals.

The report argues that California can significantly reduce its global warming impact by mandating the adoption of existing and near-term vehicle technologies. Modeling shows that currently available improvements in engines, transmissions, and air conditioning could reduce fleet average heat-trapping emissions by 20%, while advanced technologies available within five years could achieve a 40% reduction. These improvements are presented as cost-effective, with fuel savings offsetting initial costs within a few years, and would provide a model for other U.S. states and Canada.

The document provides legal arguments to support the legitimacy of California's MTBE ban in the arbitration between Methanex Corporation and the United States. It contends that international law, including the precautionary principle and the right to potable water, mandates deference to government health and environmental regulations. The authors argue that foreseeable impacts on foreign investors or the existence of alternative measures do not prove discriminatory intent under NAFTA Chapter 11.

The document examines the intersection of land use and energy efficiency, proposing a framework based on 'how' and 'where' we build to reduce fossil fuel dependence. It advocates for 'energy smart' growth, which combines compact, mixed-use development with green building standards and renewable energy. The author provides recommendations for funders to support this merger through research, integrated planning tools, policy incentives, and innovative financing like location-efficient mortgages.

The document outlines a hierarchy for space cooling, prioritizing the minimization of heat gain through passive measures before investing in mechanical systems. It details various cooling technologies, including fans, evaporative coolers, heat pumps, and air conditioners, providing guidance on their efficiency, costs, and appropriate climatic applications.

The document outlines strategies for reducing home heating expenses, emphasizing that a well-insulated home is the primary step toward efficiency. It compares various heating systems, including furnaces, boilers, in-space heaters, heat pumps, and active solar heating, detailing their efficiencies (AFUE), costs, and maintenance requirements. It also provides guidance on sizing new equipment and calculating potential savings when upgrading systems.

The document outlines EPA's proposed options for implementing the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), focusing on the legal tension between Subpart 1 and Subpart 2 of Part D of the Clean Air Act. The EPA's preferred approach seeks to maximize flexibility for states by applying the more stringent Subpart 2 requirements only to areas failing both the 1-hour and 8-hour standards, while placing 'gap' areas under the more lenient Subpart 1. The proposal includes options for nonattainment area classifications, attainment deadlines, the revocation of the 1-hour standard, and new source review (NSR) flexibilities, including a 'Clean Air Development Community' concept.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) graded U.S. states on their commitment to renewable energy, finding that 34 states received failing grades (D or F) and only 16 passed. While 19 states have enacted standards or funds projected to add 15,215 MW of capacity by 2017, the gains are highly concentrated, with California and Texas accounting for nearly 60 percent of forecasted new development. The report argues that current state-level efforts are insufficient compared to the technical potential of wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, and landfill gas, and advocates for a national renewable electricity standard to achieve more equitable and cost-effective energy generation.

The report evaluates U.S. state commitments to renewable energy, finding that while technical potential is vast, most states lack binding policies. It grades states based on renewable electricity standards (RES) and funds, noting that a small number of states, led by California and Nevada, drive most projected gains, while 34 states received failing grades. The authors argue for a national renewable electricity standard to ensure equitable and cost-effective growth.

The report argues that hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) can bridge the gap between current conventional vehicle technology and the long-term adoption of hydrogen fuel cells. It categorizes hybrids into mild, full, and plug-in types based on technological steps like regenerative braking and electric-only drive. Modeling suggests a passenger fleet using advanced full hybrids could reach an average of 60 mpg, significantly reducing oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while remaining cost-effective for consumers over the vehicle's lifetime.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) submits that GM field trials should be halted based on the precautionary principle. The submission highlights risks including the potential for GM genes to reduce soil fertility, the toxicity of GM pollen to insects, and the increased use of toxic herbicides. It further criticizes the lack of independent monitoring and data transparency in trials and provides evidence from North America regarding the pervasive and 'disastrous' contamination of organic crops and seeds by GM varieties.

The report details how power plant emissions—including particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and mercury—disproportionately harm children due to their developing physiology and higher activity levels. It links these pollutants to asthma, stunted lung growth, neurological deficits, and infant mortality, while advocating for nationwide emission caps and a transition to cleaner energy.

The report evaluates the emissions of US school bus fleets, finding that the vast majority rely on high-polluting diesel engines that pose significant health risks to children. It advocates for a transition to cleaner alternatives, specifically natural gas, and calls for federal and state funding to replace aging fleets.

On August 5, 2002, a NAFTA Chapter 11 tribunal issued an interim ruling in the Methanex vs. United States case, determining that it lacked jurisdiction over the original claims because there was no "legally significant connection" between California's MTBE ban and Methanex, which only supplied a component (methanol) for the regulated product. The tribunal rejected the notion that indirect economic impacts are sufficient to establish jurisdiction under Article 1101. However, it left open a narrow path for jurisdiction if Methanex can prove a specific "intent" to discriminate against the company in favor of a domestic competitor. The author notes that while the ruling does not exempt public welfare measures from challenge, it limits the range of potential claimants by excluding those only indirectly affected.

The document argues that proactive action on climate change can reduce costs, mitigate risks, and create competitive advantages. It outlines short-term strategies like emission tracking and 'no-regrets' energy efficiency, and long-term investments in clean technology and carbon trading. It emphasizes 'whole-systems thinking' to achieve radical resource efficiency and provides case studies of companies like BP, Dow, and Interface that have integrated sustainability into their business models.

The Clean Energy Blueprint proposes a comprehensive set of policies to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy in the US. By 2020, the plan aims to have non-hydro renewables provide 20% of electricity, reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by two-thirds compared to business-as-usual, and save consumers $440 billion. The report argues that these measures would eliminate the need for 975 new power plants and significantly reduce reliance on coal and natural gas.

The report argues that the US can significantly reduce its oil consumption and environmental footprint by aggressively raising Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. It proposes a path to 40 mpg by 2012 and 55 mpg by 2020 using evolutionary conventional technologies and hybrid electric vehicles. The analysis suggests these improvements would save consumers billions of dollars, create over 100,000 automobile industry jobs by 2020, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 888 million tons by 2020. Furthermore, the report contends that these fuel savings would far exceed the potential oil supply from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and that safety can be maintained or improved through better design and the reduction of weight disparity between light trucks and passenger cars.

Amory Lovins argues that the California electricity crisis was caused by botched restructuring and concentrated market power rather than a shortage of generating capacity or soaring demand from the Internet. He provides data from the California Energy Commission to show that per-capita electricity use remained flat for twenty-five years and that peak loads in 2000 did not show a general upward trend. Lovins asserts that the crisis was exacerbated by dominant suppliers strategically withholding power to maintain high prices, and he defends his advocacy for energy efficiency and decentralized renewables as successful policies that would have forestalled the disaster had they not been abandoned in the mid-1990s.

The authors argue that U.S. energy policy mistakenly focuses solely on imported oil while ignoring the extreme vulnerability of centralized domestic energy infrastructure. They contend that the only effective protection against asymmetric warfare and terrorism is to redesign the energy architecture to be inherently resilient through efficiency, diversity, and distributed renewable options, rather than relying on hardening targets or intelligence.

The document presents a case study of Green Island Cement (Holdings) Ltd., a company within the Li Ka Shing group in Hong Kong, as it debates the utility of ISO 14001 certification. The narrative contrasts the perspective of the public affairs director, who views certification as a necessary 'cost of doing business in the 21st century' to maintain the firm's image as an environmental leader, with that of a cost accountant who argues that the standard is a 'waste of money' on paperwork that does not guarantee actual pollution reduction. The text provides a detailed overview of the ISO 14000 series, the environmental impacts of the cement industry—including its contribution to global warming and local air pollution—and the specific atmospheric challenges facing Hong Kong due to industrial emissions from Guangdong Province.