Search Climate Insights Directory
101 results
Federal Funding for U.S. Transit and Roadway Infrastructure
This policy brief examines the funding crisis facing the U.S. Highway Trust Fund (HTF), noting that federal fuel taxes have not been adjusted since 1993. It details the resulting infrastructure deterioration, the reliance on General Fund transfers to maintain solvency, and various proposed solutions including inflation indexing, fuel tax increases, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
More deadly, destructive wildfires in today's news: can we prevent this being the new normal?
This statement from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute argues that U.S. forests are increasingly transitioning from carbon sinks to carbon emitters due to climate change, droughts, and wildfires. It highlights a critical funding gap for hazardous fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration, suggesting that expanding markets for wood products and bioenergy could provide a sustainable financial model for forest management.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
Codes to Cleaner Buildings
This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the effectiveness of residential building energy codes in the United States from 1986 to 2008. Using econometric analysis of state-level energy consumption data, the study finds that building energy codes are associated with a reduction in primary energy use and greenhouse gas emissions per household, while also influencing fuel choice by shifting consumption toward natural gas and away from other fuels like fuel oil.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
High‐Performance Manufactured Housing
This policy brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the potential for high-performance manufactured housing to provide sustainable, affordable housing in the United States. It highlights the energy inefficiency of older mobile homes, the advantages of factory-built construction, and recommends federal actions to update energy standards and improve financing options.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
Moving Away from Oil: Biofuels and Biobased Products
A statement from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute advocating for a transition from petroleum to biofuels and biobased products to reduce national oil dependence, improve climate outcomes, and create jobs.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
US Clears Test of Genetically Modified Trees in Southern US - Center for International Environmental Law
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) comments on the testing of cold-resistant genetically modified eucalyptus trees in the Southern US, using the controversy over 'gene flow' to argue for the restoration of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to provide independent scientific evaluations of climate-related technologies.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
Developing an Advanced Biofuels Industry: State Policy Options for Lean and Uncertain Times
This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the state of the advanced biofuels industry in the United States following the 2008 economic recession. It analyzes national policy trends, identifies critical barriers to commercialization—including technological hurdles, market volatility, and regulatory uncertainty—and provides ten specific policy recommendations for state governments to support sustainable, local biofuel development during periods of limited fiscal capacity.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Heads above water
This fact sheet presents GIS-based estimates of populations in the conterminous United States living in coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise and storm surges, specifically those residing within 1 km of the coast or below 3 meters in elevation.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Con la cabeza fuera del agua. ¿Cuánta gente vive en las zonas costeras vulnerables de EE.UU.?
This fact sheet describes research by the Louisiana State University and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) using GIS to estimate the population of the continental United States living in coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise and storms.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Climate Change Adaptation: A Case for Preventative Action and Risk Transfer
This research paper by Andreas Spiegel of Swiss Re argues for a balanced climate adaptation strategy that combines cost-effective risk prevention measures with risk transfer mechanisms, such as insurance. Using data from the Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) working group, the author demonstrates that a significant portion of climate-related losses can be averted through preventative action, while residual risks should be managed via public-private partnerships and innovative financial instruments to protect vulnerable economies, particularly in developing nations.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
State Actions on Climate Change: A Focus on How Our Communities Grow
This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) analyzes how state climate action plans in the United States incorporate land use, transportation, and green building policies as of July 2009. It finds that while transportation and green building are common, specific 'smart growth' land use practices are the least frequent component of these plans.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Jobs from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the employment potential of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors globally and within the United States. It compiles various studies and reports to argue that clean energy transitions can provide quality, long-term jobs and economic growth, contrasting these trends with the decline of traditional fossil fuel employment.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Energy Use in Mobile Homes
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the energy inefficiency and poor living conditions of approximately 2 million mobile homes built before 1976 in the United States. It argues that because these structures are in such disrepair, they cannot be weatherized and must be entirely replaced with energy-efficient units to reduce carbon footprints and utility costs for low-income residents.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Food and Crop Waste: A Valuable Biomass Feedstock
This 2009 fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the potential of unharvested crops and food processing waste as biomass feedstocks for biofuels. It argues that these resources can provide renewable energy and chemicals without competing with food production, highlighting specific waste streams from the potato, orange, and tomato industries and the economic benefits of recycling these materials.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: FLORIDA
A 2009 fact sheet by the World Resources Institute detailing energy consumption sources, electricity generation, and greenhouse gas emission trends in Florida based on 2005-2008 data.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: MISSISSIPPI
This 2009 fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides data on energy consumption, electricity generation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trends in Mississippi, based on 2006 and 2005 data.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Energy by the Numbers: VIRGINIA
This 2009 fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides data on energy consumption, electricity generation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Virginia, based on 2006 and 2005 data.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Local Clean Power: FLORIDA
This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute outlines the renewable energy generation potential in Florida, comparing various power resources across economic and environmental metrics and proposing policy priorities to increase renewable electricity adoption.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Power of Efficiency
A fact sheet detailing the potential economic, employment, and environmental benefits of implementing a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) in Florida.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Water and Watts
This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the interdependent relationship between water and energy resources in the Southeastern United States. It highlights how electric power production relies heavily on freshwater for cooling, while water treatment and heating require significant energy, proposing policy priorities to improve efficiency in both sectors.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing