Category «Environmental Law»

President Obama to declare more than 500,000 acres protected

Outside Magazine: “In January, the White House issued a report showing that 7.3 million acres of federal land have been leased for oil and gas drilling as of December, while 2.9 million acres have been permanently protected. Seems disproportionate. On Sunday, however, the Washington Post reported that in a bold move that might change America’s public land policy, the Obama administration, using its …

Subjects: Environmental Law, Government Documents

Is Great Barrier Reef in peril due to planned massive dumping of drudged mud

Outside magazine: “The Australian government agency that oversees the Great Barrier Reef approved a plan to expand a major coal port in Queensland by dumping 792,516,157 gallons of dredged mud on the Great Barrier Reef. Environmentalists are infuriated, saying that the reef has already lost huge amounts of coral to storm damage and coral-eating starfish. A 2012 …

Subjects: Environmental Law, Government Documents

Mayors from 10 Major Cities Unite to Cut Climate Pollution from Buildings

News release: ” The mayors from 10 major U.S. cities today announced they will undertake a united effort to significantly boost energy efficiency in their buildings, a move that combined could cut as much climate change pollution as generated by 1 million to 1.5 million passenger vehicles every year, and lower energy bills by nearly $1 …

Subjects: Climate Change, Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents

Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector’s Energy Use

CRS – Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector’s Energy Use. Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy, January 3, 2014 “In the United States, more than 400 billion gallons of water is withdrawn daily from surface and ground water sources of freshwater and saline-water to supply domestic uses, agriculture including irrigation, industry, mining, and thermoelectric power. Information about the energy—especially electricity—that is …

Subjects: Congress, Education, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents

New Study – Made in China for us: Air pollution as well as exports

News release: “Chinese air pollution blowing across the Pacific Ocean is often caused by the manufacturing of goods for export to the U.S. and Europe, according to findings by UC Irvine and other researchers published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [see China’s international trade and air pollution in the United States]. The study is …

Subjects: Climate Change, Economy, Environmental Law, Government Documents

Pew – Pacific Sardines, Critical Food Source in Steep Decline

Pew Environmental Initiatives: “The Pacific coast of North America supports one of the most vibrant and diverse marine ecosystems on Earth, largely because of the presence of thick schools of small prey fish such as Pacific sardines. Unfortunately, this crucial forage fish appears to be in the midst of a severe population decline. Its absence will be felt …

Subjects: Environmental Law, Government Documents

Oil and Chemical Spills: Federal Emergency Response Framework

CRS – Oil and Chemical Spills: Federal Emergency Response Framework. David M. Bearden, Specialist in Environmental Policy. Jonathan L. Ramseur, Specialist in Environmental Policy, January 13, 2014. “Thousands of oil and chemical spills of varying size and magnitude occur in the United States each year. A recent spill of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol into the Elk River in early January 2014 in and near …

Subjects: Congress, Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents

New GAO Reports – Clean Water Act, Cruise Vessels, Space Acquisitions, VA Surgical Implants

CLEAN WATER ACT – Changes Needed If Key EPA Program Is to Help Fulfill the Nation’s Water Quality Goals, GAO-14-80, Dec 5, 2013 CRUISE VESSELS – Most Required Security and Safety Measures Have Been Implemented, but Concerns Remain About Crime Reporting, GAO-14-43, Dec 20, 2013 SPACE ACQUISITIONS – Assessment of Overhead Persistent Infrared Technology Report, GAO-14-287R, Jan 13, 2014 VA …

Subjects: Environmental Law, Government Documents, Health Care, Legislation, Medicine

EU – Common Fisheries Policy reform

“Despite several improvements after the 2002 overhaul of the common fisheries policy (CFP), there was a general consensus that the CFP urgently needed further reform, because it had failed to make fishing sustainable, as EU member states’ fleets still catch far more than marine ecosystems can replace. Today, 88% of Mediterranean stocks and 39% of Atlantic …

Subjects: Economy, Environmental Law, Government Documents

Net Loss: The Killing of Marine Mammals in Foreign Fisheries

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): “Few realize it, but nearly every foreign fish product sold in the United States enters the U.S. market in violation of federal law. from the cod and haddock that go into the fish sticks enjoyed by children to the sea bass served at fine restaurants, if it was imported, it probably entered this country …

Subjects: Environmental Law, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation

Health Impact Assessment of Shale Gas Extraction: Workshop Summary (2014)

“Natural gas extraction from shale formations, which includes hydraulic fracturing, is increasingly in the news as the use of extraction technologies has expanded, rural communities have been transformed seemingly overnight, public awareness has increased, and regulations have been developed. The governmental public health system, which retains primary responsibility for health, was not an early participant …

Subjects: Energy, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Health Care