Each week, we review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted at the “indispensable” RFF Library Blog, curated by RFF Librarian Chris Clotworthy.
Groundwater Depletion During Drought Threatens Future Water Security of the Colorado River Basin
[Green Car Congress] A new satellite study finds more than 75% of the water loss in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin since late 2004 came from underground resources. The extent of groundwater loss may pose a greater threat to the water supply of the western United States than previously thought. This study is the first to quantify the amount that groundwater contributes to the water needs of western states. According to the US Bureau of Reclamation, the federal water management agency, the basin has been suffering from prolonged, severe drought since 2000 and has experienced the driest 14-year period in the last hundred years. The study has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union... – via Geophysical Research Letters
Diversity in the US power supply—the most cost-effective means of managing the inherent risks in fuel costs and technology performance in generating power—could be dramatically reduced in coming decades. Fuel and technology decisions on new supply that will determine as much as one-third of US power supply will be required in the coming decades... – via IHS (free download with registration)
Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory
America’s farm, ranch and forest managers are stewards of the land, and have long recognized the significance of managing soil health, plant productivity and animal nutrition. Conservation practices and other management changes can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase carbon storage while improving soil health, crop or livestock productivity, and resilience to drought and other extreme weather. This report lays out methods for estimating changes in GHG emissions and carbon storage at a local scale. The methods in the report will be used to develop user-friendly tools for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and other USDA stakeholders to help them evaluate the GHG benefits of a wide variety of management practices. [From a Greenwire article by Tiffany Stecker, sub. req'd] USDA published a 600-page report today, listing the most prevalent sources of greenhouse gases and the steps farmers can take to reduce them. Although technical in nature, the document will serve as a part of the foundation to USDA’s part of the Obama administration’s Climate Action Plan… – via USDA
The Benefits of Public Protections: Ten Rules That Save Lives and Protect the Environment
[Website] …The study, The Benefits of Public Protections: Ten Rules That Save Lives and Protect the Environment, analyzed ten proposed or adopted federal standards from agencies as diverse as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service... – via Center for Effective Government
Remaking American Power: The Economic and Energy Impacts of Power Plant Emissions Standards
[New York Times] Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma are among the most vocal Republican skeptics of the science that burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming, but a new study to be released Thursday found that their states would be among the biggest economic winners under a regulation proposed by President Obama to fight climate change... – via Center for Strategic and International Studies
