Search Climate Insights Directory

The Keystone XL pipeline, proposed by TransCanada to transport tar sands oil from Canada to Houston, faces significant opposition from U.S. lawmakers, grassroots organizers, and federal agencies. The EPA gave the State Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement a failing grade for omitting global warming impacts. Concerns include the potential contamination of the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska and the higher carbon emissions associated with tar sands oil compared to conventional oil. The document highlights controversies surrounding Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's perceived bias and her ties to TransCanada's lead lobbyist, Paul Elliott.

The EPA has introduced new GHG permitting standards under the Clean Air Act, requiring large power plants and refineries to undergo a Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis. While states typically issue these permits, the EPA has taken over this role in Arizona and Texas due to non-compliance. The program targets facilities adding more than 75,000 tons of CO2 (or equivalent) and will expand in July 2011 to include all new facilities emitting over 100,000 tons per year. The BACT process involves a five-step evaluation of technology availability, feasibility, effectiveness, and impact to determine the best emission control options.

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 asserts that environmental regulations in the United States generally cost far less than predicted by industry and the EPA, while providing substantial economic and public health benefits. It challenges claims that such regulations cause widespread job losses or force firms to relocate to 'pollution havens,' citing data that environmental spending creates jobs and that actual compliance costs are often lowered by technological innovation.

The briefing analyzes the shift in U.S. climate policy from a focus on national cap-and-trade legislation toward regulatory agency actions, subnational initiatives, clean-tech funding, and international trade issues. It argues that while a national mandatory system is unlikely in the short term, climate action is diversifying across administrative, local, and trade-related channels.

The document examines the technology and global status of offshore wind energy, noting that while Europe leads in operational capacity, the United States has significant untapped potential. It details the technical requirements for different water depths, the regulatory frameworks in countries like Denmark, and the specific siting and permitting complexities in the U.S. The text also addresses public concerns regarding tourism, wildlife, and military radar, while highlighting the economic benefits in terms of job creation and greenhouse gas reduction.

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that the NRC has inconsistently enforced safety regulations for radioactive releases, allowing numerous accidental leaks to occur without sanction. While the NRC previously issued sanctions for monitoring and control failures, the report claims the agency has tolerated 27 accidental releases over a four-year period with impunity, effectively breaching its safety contract with the public.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of nuclear power, detailing the process of fission and the operation of pressurized and boiling water reactors. It examines the uranium fuel cycle, noting that the U.S. relies heavily on imports from countries like Russia and Canada. The text also addresses the challenges of radioactive waste storage, specifically mentioning Yucca Mountain, and analyzes the economic decline of the U.S. nuclear industry following the 1970s due to cost overruns, declining energy demand, and public opposition.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports the EPA's proposed Transport Rule to replace the judicially invalidated Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) but argues it should be strengthened to further reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). CATF specifically advocates for the passage of S. 2995, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 (CAAA of 2010), asserting it would deliver greater emissions reductions, save more lives, and provide more regulatory certainty than the Transport Rule alone. The testimony details the severe health and environmental impacts of power plant emissions, including premature death from fine particulate matter, acid rain damage to eastern ecosystems, and ozone-related crop losses.

The document argues that implementing fuel-efficiency standards and technologies for medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the U.S. would generate significant job growth, increase GDP, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights that while these vehicles represent only 4% of U.S. highway vehicles, they consume over 20% of fuel, and that widespread adoption of efficiency technologies could save 100 billion gallons of fuel by 2030.

The report argues that improving the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty trucks through advanced technologies would create significant net job growth, increase GDP, and reduce global warming emissions, provided that policy interventions overcome existing market barriers.

The document argues that improving the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the U.S. would create significant job growth, increase GDP, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provided that market barriers are overcome through performance standards and incentives.

The report identifies 38 U.S. states as net importers of coal in 2008, with 11 states spending over $1 billion each on these imports. It highlights a growing dependence on coal from Wyoming and international sources, particularly in the Southeast and Midwest. The authors argue that states can mitigate these economic losses and environmental damages by investing in energy efficiency and homegrown renewables.

In 2008, Texas imported 63 percent of the coal used for its electricity generation, primarily from Wyoming, resulting in $1.91 billion leaving the state. While Texas leads the US in wind energy capacity, the document argues that its energy efficiency targets remain modest compared to other states and that the state possesses significant untapped renewable energy potential.

The document analyzes the challenges facing the U.S. advanced biofuels industry, including the 'valley of death' between pilot projects and commercialization, volatile petroleum prices, and regulatory uncertainties. It argues that while the federal government provides essential broad-scale support, state governments are uniquely positioned to guide the industry by leveraging local geography and resources. The report proposes ten specific policy options for states, ranging from resource inventorying and sustainable feedstock guidelines to the implementation of low carbon fuel standards and interagency cooperation, highlighting examples from states like California, Oregon, and Tennessee.

The document outlines the job creation potential of the clean energy economy, citing that renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) industries created over nine million jobs in the U.S. in 2007. It provides specific employment projections for various technologies, including wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal, across U.S. states and international markets such as Germany, Brazil, and India. The text also compares these figures to employment trends in the fossil fuel and nuclear sectors and details U.S. legislative efforts, such as the Green Jobs Act of 2007 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to support workforce training and clean energy deployment.

The document outlines how scientists use climate models, atmospheric records, and carbon isotope signatures to prove that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of global warming since the mid-20th century. It highlights the consensus among the scientific community and major bodies like the IPCC, while noting that attribution science can now link specific extreme weather events to climate change.

The document identifies approximately 2 million mobile homes built before 1976 as the "worst housing stock" in the U.S., noting they are energy-inefficient and often house low-income, elderly, or disabled residents. It highlights that these structures are often ineligible for traditional weatherization programs and proposes the Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Act of 2009 to provide rebates for ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The text details the differences between mobile, manufactured, and modular homes, and provides demographic data on residents of pre-1980 manufactured housing.

The report examines the history and legal mechanisms used to construct barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, specifically focusing on the 'Real ID Act' and 'Secure Fence Act'. It details how these laws allowed the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive nearly all federal and state laws, including environmental and historic preservation statutes, to expedite construction. The author highlights the resulting environmental damage in areas like the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the disruption of Native American sacred sites, and the high financial costs of the project. It concludes by calling for a suspension of construction and a legislative review of the wall's effectiveness and constitutionality.

As of February 2009, 28 U.S. states and Washington D.C. have implemented renewable electricity standards to increase the share of wind, solar, and bioenergy in their power supplies. The Union of Concerned Scientists projects these standards will support 76,750 MW of new renewable power by 2025, reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by over 183 million metric tons. While success varies by state—with Texas significantly exceeding its targets—the document argues that state leadership proves these standards can reduce market barriers, justifying a national renewable electricity standard to enhance energy security and fuel diversity.