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This briefing by RMI analyzes the impact of low natural gas prices, driven by hydraulic fracturing, on the growth of renewable energy in the United States. While low wholesale gas prices create near-term financing challenges for utility-scale projects, the document argues that distributed solar PV and long-term cost declines in wind and solar will ensure continued renewable energy expansion.

The GSA Net Zero Renovation Challenge is an initiative by the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings (OFHPGB), and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to achieve deep energy savings in 30-35 federal buildings using Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs). A workshop held in October 2011 by RMI and GSA identified structural, contractual, and technical barriers to achieving net zero energy, proposing a shift toward integrative design, streamlined procurement, and shared risk to move beyond conventional shallow retrofits.

The Stockholm Environment Institute critiques the EPA's cost-benefit analysis for cooling water intake regulations, arguing that monetized benefits are severely underestimated due to the exclusion of non-use values and errors in baseline mortality data. The authors suggest that when benefits are properly calculated and costs are reassessed, the regulations yield positive net benefits with minimal impact on electricity rates and a positive effect on employment and GDP. They strongly advise against site-specific calculations, recommending instead a national standard with a higher threshold for compliance.

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.

A statement by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) arguing that the Fukushima nuclear disaster demonstrates the inherent dangers and economic obsolescence of nuclear power. Lovins contends that nuclear energy is uniquely risky, costly, and slow to deploy compared to renewable energy, cogeneration, and efficiency measures, which he presents as superior alternatives for climate protection.

This WRI fact sheet summarizes the 'Reefs at Risk Revisited' analysis for the Pacific region, detailing the extent of coral reefs, the human populations dependent on them, current local threats, and projected impacts of climate change through 2050.

This 2010 report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the potential for the United States to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through existing federal regulatory authorities and announced state actions through 2030. The study evaluates three levels of regulatory ambition—'Lackluster', 'Middle-of-the-Road', and 'Go-Getter'—across various sectors including power plants, transportation, and industry. It concludes that while existing tools can drive significant reductions, they are insufficient on their own to meet the Obama Administration's Copenhagen pledge or the IPCC's recommended targets for limiting global temperature increases.

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.

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.

This July 2008 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the status of cellulosic biofuel production in the United States, highlighting the number of biorefineries in development, the technologies and feedstocks used, and the federal and state investments supporting the industry.

This report by RMI proposes the 'feebate' as a legislative tool to increase automobile fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A feebate applies a surcharge (fee) to inefficient vehicles to fund rebates for efficient ones, creating a self-financing mechanism that encourages manufacturers to innovate across all vehicle size classes without restricting consumer choice.

This report, commissioned by Hawai`i County Mayor Harry Kim and authored by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), provides a whole-system evaluation of the county's 2005 goals. It identifies the loss of local land control to outside investors as the island's most critical challenge and offers specific recommendations to accelerate progress in affordable housing, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental stewardship. The document emphasizes the use of measurable indicators to ensure government transparency and the adoption of 'whole-system thinking' to address root causes rather than symptoms of community stress.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes various technologies for generating electricity from the ocean's tides, waves, currents, and heat, detailing their technical requirements, existing global projects, and associated benefits and challenges.

This written testimony by Glenn M. Wiser of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives on March 2, 2006, advocates for legislation to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the LRTAP POPs Protocol, and the Rotterdam PIC Convention. Wiser compares two proposed bills to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)—H.R. 4800 (Solis bill) and H.R. 4591 (Gillmor bill)—arguing that only the Solis bill adequately implements the health and environmental protection goals of the Stockholm Convention.

A joint statement from numerous environmental and health organizations urging the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce to support the Solis bill (H.R. 4800) over the Gillmor bill (H.R. 4591) to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) via amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

A joint statement from a coalition of environmental and health organizations urging the U.S. Congress to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by passing implementing legislation that ensures timely action, respects state laws, and provides clear legal authority to the EPA.

This document is a detailed statement submitted by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) requesting the reexamination of U.S. Plant Patent No. 5,751. The patent, issued to Loren S. Miller for a cultivar of Banisteriopsis caapi named "Da Vine," is challenged on the grounds that the plant is neither new nor distinct, is found in an uncultivated state, and violates public policy and morality by appropriating sacred indigenous knowledge.

This 1998 report by the Rocky Mountain Institute examines water-saving technologies and practices for residential use, moving beyond the 1992 National Plumbing Standards to explore high-efficiency fixtures, graywater and rainwater systems, and sustainable landscaping.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the status of the United States' ratification of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and evaluates proposed implementing legislation in the U.S. Congress. It argues that the Solis TSCA bill (H.R. 4800) is the only proposal that aligns with the treaty's health-based standards and supports state-level environmental protections.

This fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative proposes the creation of a California Green Bank to leverage private capital for clean energy technologies. It suggests using revenues from carbon emissions allowance auctions to fund a quasi-public institution that would address financing gaps for homeowners, small businesses, and innovators, thereby accelerating the state's transition to a low-carbon economy.