Each week, I review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted over at the RFF Library Blog.
Air Pollution in China: Mapping of Concentrations and Sources
[New York Times] Outdoor air pollution contributes to the deaths of an estimated 1.6 million people in China every year, or about 4,400 people a day, according to a newly released scientific paper…
According to the data presented in the paper, about three-eighths of the Chinese population breathe air that would be rated “unhealthy” by United States standards… - via Berkeley Earth / by Robert A. Rohde and Richard A. Muller [Accepted for publication in PLoS One]
Extreme Weather and Resilience of the Global Food System
[Bloomberg Businessweek] The risk of global food production shocks and price spikes is rising due to increasingly intense storms and more frequent flood and drought events associated with warmer temperatures, U.S. and British researchers said Friday. - via Final Project Report UK-US Taskforce on Extreme Weather and Global Food System Resilience
Alberta's New Climate Change Discussion Paper
[Calgary Herald] Here are five key points from the report:
The NDP government wants to make an argument for action
The first line of the report, from Environment Minister Shannon Phillips’ introduction, declares: “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges to ever face our planet, our society and our economy.” And further, “doing more of the same would be the worst thing we could do.” - via Climate Leadership Discussion Document Province of Alberta, Ministry of Environment and Parks
States of Progress: Existing Clean Energy Commitments Put Most States in Strong Position to Meet the EPA’s Final Clean Power Plan
Analysis from UCS shows that existing clean energy commitments put most states well on the path to meeting their emissions reduction benchmarks and final targets in the Clean Power Plan. These commitments include carbon caps, mandatory renewable electricity and energy efficiency standards, announced coal plant retirements, and bringing on line nuclear power plants currently under construction. - via Union of Concerned Scientists
Methane Emissions from the Natural Gas Transmission and Storage System in the United States
[New York Times] …Natural-gas gathering facilities, which collect from multiple wells, lose about 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year, about eight times as much as estimates used by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the study, which appeared in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. - via Environmental Science and Technology (2015, v49 n15, p9374–9383; DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01669) / by Anthony J. Marchese, et al.
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