Each week, we review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted at the “indispensable” RFF Library Blog, curated by RFF Librarian Chris Clotworthy. Check out this week’s highlights below:
Annual Energy Outlook Projections and the Future of Solar PV Electricity
The Economist recently declared that due to technological advancements in solar photovoltaic (PV) energy, soon “alternative energy will no longer be alternative.” But this transition to a solar energy future in the United States is rife with uncertainty. Will costs continue to fall at their recent pace? Can solar compete everywhere, or only when and where the sun shines brightest? — via New York University
The Arctic in the Anthropocene: Emerging Research Questions
Once ice-bound, difficult to access, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, the Arctic is now front and center in the midst of many important questions facing the world today. Our daily weather, what we eat, and coastal flooding are all interconnected with the future of the Arctic. The year 2012 was an astounding year for Arctic change. The summer sea ice volume smashed previous records, losing approximately 75 percent of its value since 1980 and half of its areal coverage. Multiple records were also broken when 97 percent of Greenland’s surface... — via National Research Council
Efficiency Concerns Top Two New Energy Polls
Four out of five American consumers and energy professionals view energy efficiency as a personal priority and at least two out of three believe it could significantly reduce overall energy use if not for political squabbling, two new surveys show...Findings from the separate surveys, conducted this spring by The University of Texas at Austin and the nonprofit OurEnergyPolicy.org, were released Wednesday morning during an event at the National Press Club... — via University of Texas
EPA and the Army Corps’ Proposed Rule to Define Waters of the United States
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is detailing how the Obama administration’s proposed rule defining the reach of the Clean Water Act (CWA) would expand EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers’ jurisdiction...CRS in its March 27 report… says that while the agency’s analysis of the proposed rule indicates that approximately 3 percent of U.S. waters... — via Congressional Research Service
Implementation of REDD+ Mechanisms in Tanzania
This paper explains the major issues and lessons derived from the national forest management program and REDD+ initiatives in Tanzania. It finds that addressing the most important drivers of forest degradation and deforestation, in particular the country energy needs and landownership, is essential for success in reducing emissions regardless of the type of program implemented. It also finds that, through the national program, forest users have learned to maximize profit... via World Bank
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