<> Closer To Sealing the Farm Bill Deal? - As we head into the second half of January, House and Senate negotiators inch closer to finalizing the 2014 Farm Bill. At least one of the lead negotiators has said that he expects the bill to be reported out of the Farm Bill Conference Committee during the final week of January. However, it is not hard to imagine that negotiations might last into February. Dairy Dairy policy remains one of the. . .
· Farm Bill Developments - David Rogers reported yesterday at Politico that, "House farm bill conferees are being alerted to a likely meeting Monday morning at which the Agriculture Committee leadership is hoping to finalize agreement on a conference report that can come to the floor next week.
<> Study: Statutory 2014 RFS Levels Can be Met Through Increased E85 & E15 Consumption, Carryover RINs - A new study by Informa Economics entitled "Analysis of the Potential Use of Biofuels toward the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2014" shows the originally intended Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) 2014 blending requirements can be reached through expanded consumption of E85 and E15, as well as judicious use of carryover RIN credits.
<> Farm Bureau Expresses Opposition to RFS Proposal - American Farm Bureau Federation this week stated its opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency's 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard requirements, which would scale back the total amount of biofuels that must be blended into the nation's gasoline supply. AFBF responded to EPA's Federal Register notice for public comment.
<> NTSB calls for tougher standards on trains carrying crude oil- The National Transportation Safety Board today issued a series of recommendations (see Safety Recommendation Letters R-14-001-003 and R-14-004-006) to the Department of Transportation to address the safety risk of transporting crude oil by rail. In an unprecedented move, the NTSB is issuing these recommendations in coordination with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
<> DOE Announces Webinars on the National Geothermal Data System, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Benefits for Tribal Communities, and More - DOE Announces Webinars on the National Geothermal Data System, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Benefits for Tribal Communities, and More EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to training for the clean energy workforce.
<> National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC); Notice Of Open Meeting - National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC); Notice Of Open Meeting. This notice sets forth the schedule of a forthcoming meeting of the DoC NOAA National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC).Time and Date: The meeting will be held February 20, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
<> States closer to western mines have lower coal costs - In 2012, the top-five states for total expenditures on out-of-state coal delivered to the electric power sector each spent more than $1.5 billion.
<> Davos 2014: Achim Steiner insider diary - Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP, sees much progress, but Davos is but one moment on the long road to change
<> Growing demand for cropland threatens environment, UN agency reports - If demand for new land on which to grow food continues at the current rate, by 2050, high-end estimates are that area nearly the size of Brazil could be ruined, with vital forests, savannahs and grassland lost, the United Nations today warned in a new report.
<> Visuallizing Why US National and US State Governments' GHG Reductions Commitments Are Now Woefully Inadequate in Light Of Recent Science - The US commitment to reduce its ghg emissions made in Copenhagen in 2009 of 17% below 2005 by 2020 and commitments of even those US state governments who have shown some leadership on climate change are now woefully inadequate in light of the most recent climate change science. . .
<> UK Department of Energy & Climate Change - The Government is today publishing the Community Energy Strategy and I will be depositing copies of it in the Libraries of the House. This is the first ever Community Energy Strategy published by a UK Government.
