Friday, March 21, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 3/21/14

<> World Water Day Celebrations kick off in Tokyo - webcast available - On Friday 21 March, the UN-Water World Water Day celebrations continue in Tokyo, Japan with discussions and debates, the official launch of the World Water Development Report. . .

<> Ethanol Industry files to take LCFS fight to United States Supreme Court - Following the January decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to deny rehearing en banc in the litigation regarding California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy are today petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court for certiorari to make a final determination relating to the constitutionally flawed LCFS.

<> CRS Report: Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues - Congressional Research Service. March 14, 2014. The policy debate over the role of nuclear power in the nation's energy mix is rooted in the technology's fundamental characteristics.

<> The Truth About Nuclear Power - Part Three - Subtitle: Nuclear power plants cost far too much to construct.  The instant cost plus inflation, escalation, and interest on loans adds up to more than $10,000 per kW. 

<> The Future of Nuclear Power in Tennessee - We are excited to announce that the CASEnergy Coalition is going to be in Tennessee next week! We're looking forward to a number of visits and meetings, including a stop at the University of Tennessee, with leaders in the. . .

<> CRS Report: Cars, Trucks, and Climate: EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources - Congressional Research Service. March 13, 2014. The standards, which will affect trucks beginning with the 2019 model year, are to be proposed by March 2015 and finalized a year later.

<> House To Vote On "No More National Parks" Bill - Responding to President Obama's decision last week to protect a stretch of California's Coast near Point Arena as a new national monument, the House of Representatives is planning to vote next week to overturn a 108 year-old law that presidents of both parties have used to protect iconic American places, including the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Arches National Park. The bill, H.R. 1459, aims to block presidents from using the Antiquities Act of 1906. . .

<> U.S. and South Africa Hold Bilateral Discussion on Building a More Sustainable Energy Future - U.S. and South Africa Hold Bilateral Discussion on Building a More Sustainable Energy Future Pretoria — U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman and South African Minister of Energy Ben Martins met yesterday. . .

<> Four Ways Tokyo's Smart Meter Plan Breaks New Ground - Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s 27-million-unit smart meter project isn't just about smart meters. It's also about creating an end-to-end, citywide energy management platform, meant to link meters, utility enterprise platforms and...

<> Former White House CEQ official Guzy discusses future of air regulations - After leaving his post as deputy director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality earlier this year, how is Gary Guzy now advising industry clients to prepare for the Obama administration's air regulations? 

<> USDA Announces Growth of U.S. Organic Industry and Additional USDA Support Available with New Farm Bill - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new figures today that show the organic industry continues to grow domestically and globally, with over 25,000 certified organic operations in more than 120 different countries around the world.

<> Ban hails impact of UN climate change treaty, urges renewed commitment to ideals - Over the past 20 years, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has galvanized the world to seek multilateral solutions to the grave threat of climate change. . .

<> Water Management In Post Conflict Countries Critical To Peacebuilding And Economic Recovery New Study - According to the study, some 1.8 billion people are expected to face absolute water scarcity in the next decade.

<> Exxon agrees to disclose 'unburnable carbon' reserves - Oil giant will explore how tougher climate change laws could affect its long term strategy. . .