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:
California’s Energy Future: The Potential for Biofuels
Next-generation biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions of transportation to meet California’s target greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal, but deep replacement of fossil fuels through implementation of low-carbon lignocellulosic ethanol and advanced biomass derived hydrocarbons (drop-in biofuels) and reduction in demand is required, according to a new report from the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST)...— via California Council on Science and Technology
Technically Recoverable Shale Oil and Shale Gas Resources
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released a new report that estimates that shale oil and shale gas resources in the United States and in 137 shale formations in 41 other countries represent 10% of the world’s crude oil and 32% of the world’s natural gas technically recoverable resources—i.e., those that can be produced using current technology without reference to economic profitability. — via U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration
Mayor Bloomberg’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan for New York City
Citing the perils of climate change and the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday called for a sweeping $19.5 billion initiative that would include new coastal protections and zoning codes for the city as well as new standards for telecommunications and fuel provision... — via New York City Economic Development Commission
China is outsourcing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions within its own borders, a study has found. This is much like the way in which rich countries in the West have long turned to China to produce cheap goods, thereby outsourcing dirty emissions. Poorer areas such as Inner Mongolia produced 80% of CO2-related emissions for goods used in richer coastal areas such as Beijing and Shanghai. — via Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Black Carbon and the Regional Climate of California
Reductions in emissions of black carbon since the late 1980s, mostly from diesel engines as a result of air quality programs, have resulted in a measurable reduction of concentrations of global warming pollutants in the atmosphere, according to a first-of-its-kind study—which Berkeley Lab participated in—examining the impact of black carbon on California’s climate. — via California Air Resources Board
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