Search Climate Insights Directory
49 results
The National Security Impacts of Climate Change
This issue brief examines how climate change impacts United States national security, detailing the Department of Defense's (DOD) conceptualization of climate change as a 'threat multiplier' and the resulting operational, infrastructural, and geopolitical challenges. It outlines the adaptation and mitigation strategies adopted by the DOD and other security agencies, while analyzing the role of Congressional legislation and funding in shaping these efforts.
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Document type: Briefing
The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act
This fact sheet describes the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S.517, H.R. 1311), a legislative proposal to amend the Clean Air Act to allow the year-round sale of E15 fuel. It explains how current Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standards inadvertently block E15 sales during summer months, the environmental and economic impacts of these restrictions, and the potential for higher ethanol blends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel costs.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act: Environmental, Health & Consumer Considerations
This fact sheet examines the environmental, health, and economic implications of the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S.517, H.R. 1311), which proposes amending the Clean Air Act to allow the year-round sale of E15 fuel. It details how current Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standards inadvertently restrict E15 sales during summer months, the resulting costs to retailers and consumers, and the potential for higher ethanol blends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Tillerson and Exxon environmental record: statement and background
A statement from Friends of the Earth regarding the appointment of Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, as U.S. Secretary of State, outlining potential conflicts of interest and risks to climate and environmental policy.
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Document type: Statement
Offshore Wind
This fact sheet provides a comprehensive overview of the global offshore wind energy sector as of early 2016, contrasting the established European market with the emerging industry in the United States. It details the technical advantages of offshore wind over onshore wind, current installation capacities, key market players, and the economic and environmental impacts of the transition.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Offshore Wind: Can the United States Catch up with Europe?
As of 2016, Europe dominated the global offshore wind market, with the UK, Germany, and Denmark leading in installed capacity. The United States, while possessing vast potential (over 4,000 GW), was in the early stages of deployment with its first commercial project at Block Island. The document highlights the technical advantages of offshore wind—such as stronger winds and proximity to coastal population centers—and notes the significant job creation potential in the EU sector.
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Document type: Fact sheet
To drill or not to drill? Obama’s offshore drilling dilemma
A statement by Friends of the Earth urging President Obama to implement a moratorium on all new offshore oil and gas leasing and drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf to prevent climate disruption and protect marine wildlife.
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Document type: Statement
Addressing the climate crisis with a Robin Hood Tax
A statement from the president of Friends of the Earth U.S. advocating for a 'Robin Hood Tax' to fund the global response to the climate crisis, arguing that current funding mechanisms are insufficient and often repurpose existing development aid.
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Document type: Statement
Issue Brief: Energy Storage
This issue brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the role of energy storage technologies in mitigating electricity industry challenges, integrating renewable energy, and improving grid reliability. It details various storage technologies—ranging from pumped hydro and compressed air to advanced batteries and flywheels—and analyzes the impact of U.S. federal policies, specifically FERC orders and Department of Energy (DOE) initiatives, in overcoming implementation barriers.
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Document type: Briefing
Energy Storage
This policy brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the role of energy storage technologies in mitigating electricity industry challenges, integrating renewable energy, and improving grid reliability. It provides a technical overview of various storage methods, analyzes the impact of U.S. federal policies and legislation, and highlights specific large-scale implementation projects across the United States.
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Document type: Policy brief
Microsoft Word - ERM Sign On Letter Final.docx
A letter from multiple organizations to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry requesting the suspension of the Keystone XL review process due to alleged conflicts of interest and misrepresentations by Environmental Resource Management (ERM), the firm hired to prepare the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).
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Document type: Statement
Oral comments at public hearing on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
Oral comments delivered by Baskut Tuncak of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) on May 29, 2013, regarding the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The statement warns against "enhanced regulatory cooperation" on chemicals that might undermine the European Union's more stringent hazard-based regulatory approach in favor of the United States' risk-based approach.
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Document type: Statement
Climate Change and UNFCCC Negotiation Process
This resource book, published by the Government of Nepal's Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in November 2012, serves as a guide for climate change negotiators. It details the institutional and procedural framework of the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, analyzes the specific climate vulnerabilities of Nepal—particularly in its mountain regions—and outlines national policy responses, including the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and REDD+ initiatives. The document emphasizes the need for increased international climate finance, technology transfer, and gender-sensitive policies to support Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
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Document type: Guide
An Earth System Perspective
This chapter from the GEO-5 report argues that the Earth System's complexity and non-linear interactions, combined with human pressures, limit predictability and threaten life-support functions. It asserts that traditional top-down problem-solving is inadequate and calls for an integrated Earth Systems approach based on basic research, long-term monitoring, and regular evaluation to address the drivers of environmental pressure.
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Document type: Report
Regulation of Cooling Water Intake Structures at Existing Facilities
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.
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Document type: Statement
Understanding Interstate Differences in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
This research paper analyzes the drivers of per capita carbon dioxide emissions across U.S. states, identifying specific socioeconomic and climatic factors that contribute to higher emissions levels.
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Document type: Research paper
Statement of Daryl W. Ditz On Behalf of the Center for International Environmental Law Before the U.S House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection At a Hearing on Prioritizing Chemicals for Safety Determination
Daryl W. Ditz, representing the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), provided testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 17, 2009, arguing that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has failed to protect public health. Ditz proposed three primary reforms: authorizing the EPA to phase out high-priority chemicals (specifically PBTs), establishing a health-based safety standard for all chemicals where manufacturers bear the burden of proof, and mandating comprehensive, updated data submissions from chemical manufacturers to fill critical information gaps.
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Document type: Statement
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.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Summary of the Harmful Provisions in the Energy Bill
A joint statement by Friends of the Earth and ten other environmental and consumer advocacy organizations criticizing a U.S. energy bill for failing to address global warming or oil dependence while providing subsidies to the fossil fuel and nuclear industries.
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Document type: Statement
Statement of Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder on Oil Spills in Indian Ocean, Philippines, Lebanon
Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder issued a statement arguing that oil dependence is dangerous and contributes to the climate crisis. He cited several recent spills, including a 1.4 million gallon spill by a Japan-bound tanker, a 528,000 gallon spill in the Philippines, a leak contaminating 60 miles of the Lebanese coast, and leaks in BP's Alaskan pipeline. Blackwelder called for the replacement of oil with clean energy and improved efficiency to avoid air and water pollution and severe health consequences.
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Document type: Statement