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Administering Green Programs in Congress: Issues and Options

Description: This report discusses "green" programs and the higher profile they have gained since the 110th Congress. "Green" programs are those designed to create an environmentally friendly work environment and conserve energy. This report discusses initiatives and policy options that would improve the "greening" process on Capitol Hill.
Date: March 11, 2011
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2010 Forest Carbon Workgroup: Final Report

Description: This document provides a detailed report and recommendations of the 2010 Forest Carbon Work group to the Director of the Department of Ecology and the Commissioner of Public Lands. The recommendations relate to the critical role Washington’s forest lands will play in addressing the challenge of climate change; appropriate responses to pressure for conversion of working forest lands to non-forest uses; and the role of ecosystem service markets, including carbon offset markets, and other incentiv… more
Date: January 2011
Creator: Partridge, Craig; Boese, Jerry & Bernath, Stephen
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Deep Water: the Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling

Description: On May 22, 2010, President Barack Obama announced the creation of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling: an independent,nonpartisan entity, directed to provide a thorough analysis and impartial judgment. The President charged the Commission to determine the causes of the disaster, and to improve the country’s ability to respond to spills, and to recommend reforms to make offshore energy production safer. This report is the result of an intense six-m… more
Date: January 2011
Creator: National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling (U.S.)
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Seafood Safety: Background and Issues

Description: Although seafood consumption can contribute to a healthy diet, some fish and shellfish can cause foodborne illnesses or contain environmental contaminants. This report discusses whether current food safety programs are sufficiently protecting consumers, and if not, what changes should be considered.
Date: December 2, 2010
Creator: Upton, Harold F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy's Water Demand: Trends, Vulnerabilities, and Management

Description: The nation's energy choices embody many tradeoffs. Water use is one of those tradeoffs. The energy choices before Congress represent vastly different demands on domestic freshwater. The energy sector's water consumption is projected to rise 50% from 2005 to 2030. This rising water demand derives from both an increase in the amount of energy demanded and shifts to more water-intense energy sources and technologies. This report discusses this issue as well as related issues that may arise for the… more
Date: November 24, 2010
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Litigation Seeking to Establish Climate Change Impacts as a Common Law Nuisance

Description: This report discusses recent legislative initiatives seeking to establish climate change impacts as a common law nuisance. The report explains what private and public nuisances are, the issues faced by policymakers when litigating a climate-change/nuisance suit, and also discusses five climate-chance/nuisance suits that are now or formerly active, as a basis of comparison. The report also explores arguments of those both for and against addressing the complex issue of climate change through com… more
Date: November 19, 2010
Creator: Meltz, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Coastal Wetland and Wildlife Impacts and Response

Description: The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, and the resulting oil spill began a cascade of effects on the coastal areas of the Gulf and on the wealth of species that inhabit those areas. This report addresses the importance of wetlands in general, the ecology of the coastal wetlands in the Gulf, impacts of oil spills on wetland habitats, response options, the implications of hurricane season for the spill's impacts, and cleanup and recovery issue… more
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne & Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Overview and Issues

Description: This report focuses on the mandated minimum usage requirements - referred to as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) - whereby a minimum volume of biofuels is to be used in the national transportation fuel supply each year. It describes the general nature of the biofuels RFS and its implementation, and outlines some of the emerging issues related to the sustainability of the continued growth in U.S. biofuels production needed to fulfill the expanding RFS mandate, as well as the emergence of potent… more
Date: October 14, 2010
Creator: Schnepf, Randy & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened concerns about the region's future. Issues such as Arctic sovereignty claims; commercial shipping through the Arctic; Arctic oil, gas, and mineral exploration; endangered Arctic species; and increased military operations in the Arctic could cause the region in coming years to become an arena of international cooperation, competition, or conflict. This report provides an overview of Arctic-… more
Date: October 8, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Biomass Feedstocks for Biopower: Background and Selected Issues

Description: The production of bioenergy - renewable energy derived from biomass - could potentially increase national energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to rural economic growth. This report provides analyses of commonly discussed biomass feedstocks and their relative potential for power generation. Additional biopower issues - feedstock accessibility, the biomass power plant carbon-neutrality debate, and unintended consequences of legislative activities to promote bioenergy -… more
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Army Corps of Engineers Water Resource Projects: Authorization and Appropriations

Description: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attracts congressional attention because its projects can have significant local and regional economic benefits and environmental effects, in addition to their water resource development purposes. This report provides an overview of the Corps civil works program. It covers the congressional authorization and appropriation process, the standard project development process, and other Corps activities and authorities. It also includes an Appendix on the evolution o… more
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: Carter, Nicole T. & Stern, Charles V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Executive Order - Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes

Description: This order establishes a national policy to ensure the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources, enhance the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies, preserve maritime heritage, support sustainable uses and access, provide for adaptive management to enhance understanding of and capacity to respond to climate change and ocean acidification, and coordinate with national security and foreign policy interests. This ord… more
Date: July 19, 2010
Creator: United States. President (2009- : Obama)
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force

Description: This report provides recommendations for a strengthened governance structure to provide sustained, high-level, and coordinated attention to ocean, coastal, and Great Lake issues with a framework that addresses conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainable use of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
Date: July 19, 2010
Creator: United States. Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force.
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Impacts of Comprehensive Climate and Energy Policy Options on the U.S. Economy

Description: This study compiles and updates the findings of 16 comprehensive state climate action plans and extrapolates the results to the nation. The study then takes those results and using a widely accepted econometric model projects the national impact of these policies on employment, incomes, gross domestic product (GDP) and consumer energy prices. Finally, using the bottom-up data developed by the states and aggregated here, the study models the national impact of major features of the Kerry-Lieberm… more
Date: July 2010
Creator: Center for Climate Strategies
Partner: UNT Libraries
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State of the Climate in 2009

Description: This report describes observations of precipitation, temperature, and other climatology metrics from different global regions.
Date: June 2010
Creator: Andt, D. S.; Baringer, M. O.; Johnson, M. R.; Alexander, L. V.; Diamond, H. J.; Fogt, R. L. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries
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U.S. Climate Action Report 2010

Description: The Fifth U.S. Climate Action Report presents a detailed outline of the actions the U.S. is taking to address climate change, contains updated projections on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and underscores the United States commitment to address climate change.
Date: June 2010
Creator: U.S. Department of State
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Providing for Backyard Wildlife: A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Feeders, Houses and Plants

Description: Brochure containing information "to assist people wanting to create habitat and features that will attract wildlife to their backyards" (About the Author). The table of contents lists sections for: platform bird feeder, platform butterfly feeder, simple squirrel and dove feeder, suet feeder, solitary bees, pollinator box, general use nesting box, nesting platform, butterfly attracting plants, and hummingbird plants for Texas.
Date: May 2010
Creator: Brown, Walter
Partner: UNT Libraries
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A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change

Description: This report identifies areas of research for understanding the impact of climate change on human health. Research areas include respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health, as well as infectious diseases, nutrition, and others.
Date: April 22, 2010
Creator: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Partner: UNT Libraries
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Progress report of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force

Description: This report describes work by the Interagency Climate Change Task Force. The group's goals include forming recommendations for a national strategy for climate change adaptation, improving the resilience and adaptive capacity of the federal government towards climate change, and improving public understanding of specific climate change vulnerabilities.
Date: March 16, 2010
Creator: United States. Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force.
Partner: UNT Libraries
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