Wednesday, May 21, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 5/21/14

National / International News

<> Rahall Praises Passage of Water Bill - U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) announced that the House has passed the Conference Report for H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) [by a vote of 412-4]. . .

<> Evolution of the International Climate EffortC2ES brief looks at different ways the climate effort has evolved over the years, and potential implications for the current round of international climate negotiations.

<> NDPC study finds Bakken crude similar to other light sweet crudes, no greater rail transport risk - Bakken crude is similar to other North American light, sweet crudes and does not pose a greater risk to transport by rail than other transportation fuels, concluded a study

<> NCDC Releases April 2014 Global Climate Report - The globally averaged temperature for April 2014 tied with 2010 as the highest since record keeping began in 1880.

<> GAO-14-274, Chemical Safety: Actions Needed to Improve Federal Oversight of Facilities with Ammonium Nitrate, May 19, 2014 - What GAO Found Federal data provide insight into the number of facilities in the United States with ammonium nitrate but do not provide a complete picture because of reporting exemptions and other data limitations.

<> Secretary Moniz Announces Members to New Commission on National Labs - May 20, 2014. A congressionally-mandated committee that will evaluate the effectiveness of the Energy Department's 17 national laboratories.

<> Energy Department Announces New Prize Challenge to Drive Down Solar Costs - May 20, 2014. To kick off the SunShot Initiative's Grand Challenge Summit and Peer Review, the Energy Department announced SunShot Catalyst, a new prize competition. . .

<> FERC Staff Issues Energy Infrastructure Update for April 2014

<> NCDC Introduces the VIIRS Climate Raw Data Record - NCDC is now providing online access to an easy-to-read version of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) raw data.

<> Special May Newsletter on the Best New Resources for Adaptation, Development, Sustainability and Nonprofit Programs - From The Center for Sustainable Development, specializing in providing sound, evidence-based information, tools and training for humanitarian development professionals worldwide.

<> Stephen Ross Makes Over $30 Million Gift to WRI to Advance Sustainable Cities - a world-recognized business leader, real-estate developer, and philanthropist announced today a $30.5 million contribution to the World Resources Institute (WRI) to galvanize action that will help cities grow smarter and more sustainably in developing countries around the world.

<> Two Counties in Oregon Ban Planting of GE Crops - Coast to Coast Victories for the Food Movement as Political Power Swells Voters in both Josephine County and Jackson County, Oregon overwhelmingly approved ballot measures to prohibit the cultivation of genetically engineered. . .

<> China's Thirst for Coal is Drying Up - As the 'airpocalypse' news that is coming out of China continues to grow, what we predicted more than a year ago is now increasingly more obvious - China's seemingly endless coal demand is in fact a myth, and the Chinese coal boom is over. . .

  • China, Russia sign $400 billion gas deal - China signed a long-awaited deal for Russian natural gas Wednesday, giving China a new energy source and Russia a diplomatic boost in the face of sanctions and condemnation for its aggressive actions in Ukraine.

<> India's New Leadership: 400 Million People Will Have Power In 5 Years With The Help Of Solar - An official of India's newly elected Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, recently said that his government wants every home to be able to run at least one light bulb by 2019.

<> Water Resources Bill: Missed Opportunity For Our Nation's Waters - National Wildlife Federation: "Tough choices are looming, but provisions in this bill undermine how we sort out the beneficial projects from the boondoggles."

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Wednesday, May 21, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Nothing We're Tracking Today (click for the complete Energy & EPA announcements)