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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies a significant opportunity for the United States to utilize agricultural residues and manure to reduce oil and coal dependence. By 2030, the U.S. could tap 155 million tons of residues and nearly 60 million tons of manure, which could generate over 10 billion gallons of ethanol or 166 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The document emphasizes that sustainable use requires balancing energy needs with soil health, suggesting that no-till farming and cover crops can mitigate erosion. Geographically, a small number of states, led by Iowa, hold the majority of this potential, with specific opportunities identified in Arkansas, Texas, and California based on their dominant crops and livestock.

The report argues that Michigan can affordably achieve a 32.5 percent renewable electricity standard by 2030, which would drive $9.5 billion in investment and reduce CO2 emissions by 65.4 million tons with minimal impact on retail electricity prices.

The document examines the proliferation of glyphosate-resistant weeds across approximately 60 million acres of U.S. cropland, attributing the crisis to the 'perfect storm' of monoculture, overreliance on a single herbicide, and the neglect of nonchemical control methods. It criticizes the agribusiness industry's proposal to introduce crops resistant to more toxic herbicides like dicamba and 2,4-D, warning that this will accelerate the evolution of multiple-herbicide resistance and increase environmental and health risks. Instead, the authors propose agroecological solutions—such as crop rotation, cover crops, and biodiversity—which they claim could reduce herbicide use by over 90% while maintaining yields. The brief concludes with recommendations for the USDA and Congress to fund sustainable weed control and support organic farming transitions.

The report argues that the current U.S. agricultural landscape is dominated by corn and soybeans due to federal subsidies, which contradicts national nutritional goals. Using economic modeling, the authors find that aligning production with healthy dietary guidelines would significantly increase fruit and vegetable acreage while reducing cereal grain production. Such a transition would likely improve public health, reduce environmental degradation from monocropping and livestock operations, and create new economic opportunities for farmers, particularly in the Midwest.

The report details a September 2013 briefing on America’s Power Plan (APP), focusing on the transition to a high-renewables future in the U.S. Midwest. It examines the need for new utility business models to handle decarbonization and distributed energy resources (DERs), highlights Minnesota's legislative progress on solar and renewable standards, and discusses Xcel Energy's experience integrating variable wind power. Key recommendations include adopting performance-based regulation, streamlining 'soft costs' for solar PV, and integrating distribution planning into state resource processes.

The report argues that state renewable electricity standards (RES) are effective market-based tools that have driven significant growth in wind and solar capacity across the U.S. with minimal cost impacts on consumers. It highlights that these policies stimulate local economies through job creation in installation and manufacturing, provide new revenue streams for rural landowners, and stabilize electricity rates by removing reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets. While noting strong compliance rates, the document identifies transmission infrastructure, market oversupplies, and political opposition as primary challenges to further expansion.

The US experienced a nearly four-fold increase in electricity from wind and solar between 2007 and 2012, with nine states already generating 10 percent or more of their power from these sources. The document asserts that current grid tools can handle higher percentages of variable renewable energy and that a combination of wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower could supply 80 percent of US electricity by 2050, with wind and solar alone contributing 50 percent.

The report examines the environmental, logistic, and infrastructural barriers to commercializing cellulosic ethanol from corn stover in the US, concluding that the country will likely fall short of RFS2 mandates.

The report examines the growth of wind and solar power in the U.S. and globally, asserting that the technical challenges of variable energy sources are manageable. It highlights successful integration by utilities like Xcel Energy and countries like Denmark and Germany. The document details various tools for maintaining reliability—including geographic dispersion, improved forecasting, transmission upgrades, and energy storage—and cites studies suggesting that renewables could provide 80% of U.S. electricity by 2050.

The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a transition from industrial agriculture to 'healthy farms' based on agro-ecological principles. The brief identifies four key strategies: adopting a landscape approach to biodiversity, increasing crop rotation diversity, reintegrating livestock and crops, and expanding the use of cover crops. It argues that these methods can maintain high yields and profits while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, mitigating pollution, and enhancing soil fertility. The document concludes that this transition requires systemic policy changes, including increased financial incentives, expanded technical assistance, and more publicly funded research into sustainable practices.

A coalition of 103 environmental and health organizations is urging the EPA to finalize the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule, arguing that delays in regulation have led to significant environmental damage and disproportionately impacted low-income communities and people of color.

The document criticizes 260 U.S. House members who voted on June 21, 2012, to include a provision in a transportation bill that allows coal ash ponds to operate without basic safety standards and prevents the EPA from establishing national health and safety regulations. It highlights that these members represent districts containing the vast majority of the U.S.'s hazardous coal ash sites and notes a correlation between these votes and campaign contributions from the electric utility and mining industries.

The report examines the growth of local and regional food systems in the U.S., highlighting their potential to create tens of thousands of jobs and improve public health and environmental sustainability. It identifies barriers to scaling these systems, such as inadequate infrastructure and safety nets, and recommends increased federal funding and research to support small-scale farmers and low-income consumers.

The report analyzes the potential for the Midwest to transition to a clean energy economy by adopting the Midwestern Governors Association's (MGA) targets: reducing electricity use by 2% annually and sourcing 30% of electricity from renewables by 2030. Using a modified National Energy Modeling System (NEMS), the Union of Concerned Scientists finds that these goals are achievable and would lead to significant job creation, consumer savings, and carbon emission reductions. The analysis highlights wind and biopower as the most competitive resources, while noting that transmission capacity remains a primary barrier. The report argues that regional targets would complement a federal carbon policy, making such a policy more affordable for consumers.

The report presents wind power as a viable alternative to fossil fuels in the U.S., highlighting its competitiveness with natural gas and its ability to reduce CO2 emissions and water consumption. It details economic advantages such as job creation and local tax revenue, while addressing environmental impacts on wildlife and human concerns regarding noise and aesthetics. The document concludes that reaching a target of 20 percent wind electricity by 2030 is feasible and affordable, provided the U.S. adopts stable long-term policies like a national renewable electricity standard.

The report finds that beef production accounts for approximately 2.2% of total U.S. global warming emissions. While improving forage quality could reduce methane emissions from pasture beef by 15% to 30%, the overall impact on U.S. emissions would be less than 0.5%. However, well-managed pastures offer significant carbon sequestration potential, potentially offsetting 0.1% to 2% of annual U.S. heat-trapping emissions. The document compares pasture-finishing systems with confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), noting that while CAFOs often have higher feed efficiency, pastures generally sequester more carbon. The author recommends that the USDA expand research into nutritious pasture crops and provide incentive payments for best management practices.

The report analyzes the climate impact of U.S. beef production, noting that beef cattle and stored manure account for 18 percent of U.S. methane emissions. It argues that while improving forage quality and pasture management can reduce methane emissions by 15 to 30 percent, the overall impact on total U.S. global warming emissions would be less than 0.5 percent. The document compares pasture-raised systems with confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), highlighting that while CAFOs offer faster weight gain and higher feed efficiency, well-managed pastures sequester more carbon. It recommends that the USDA expand research into nutritious pasture crops and provide incentive payments for practices that curb emissions and boost carbon sequestration.

The document presents data on the freshwater requirements of U.S. power plants, highlighting that coal and nuclear power are the primary consumers of freshwater for cooling. It details the distribution of cooling systems across the U.S. and identifies specific watersheds where power plant water use significantly impacts the Water Stress Index (WaSSI).

The document argues that media outlets have a duty to connect the dots between a warming climate and the devastating weather events of 2010, such as heatwaves in Russia and flooding in Pakistan. It asserts that climate change will increase the frequency of severe weather, decrease crop yields, and worsen air quality, providing a list of scientific and journalistic resources to support this coverage.

The report details the implementation of a survey conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Iowa State University's Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology (CSSM) to examine the role of science and government oversight in food safety. It outlines the sampling process for 8,122 employees across the FDA, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), the data collection procedures used between March and May 2010, and the resulting response rate of 21.62%. The document also includes the full survey instrument, which investigates political interference in science, job satisfaction, and the influence of business interests on public health decisions.