The purpose of this report is to capture best practices and lessons learned from experts in the field who are contributing to an integrated approach to climate adaptation + mitigation (A+M) to cut carbon pollution (mitigation) and prepare the nation for climate change impacts (adaptation). These best practice and lessons learned were distilled from the “Climate Adaptation + Mitigation Synergies: Pursuing Implementation Pilots” symposium and workshop sessions held at the 14th National Conference and Global Forum on Science, Policy and the Environment Conference held in Washington, DC from January 28-30, 2014. The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) and the National Climate Assessment’s network (NCAnet) Adaptation + Mitigation Nexus (AMNex) affinity group co-hosted these sessions.
Day: May 13, 2014
Victory bonds could provide financial support to clean energy
Read the full story at Fierce Energy.
The Clean Energy Victory Bonds Act of 2014 has been introduced to Congress in an effort to secure the United States’ clean energy future.
To track the progress of this legislation, visit Congress.gov. It was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Power on April 11, 2014.
2014 Wood to Energy Grant Program RFP
Overview Information
Catalog of Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number is 10.674
Important Dates:
April 22, 2014 – Issuance of Request for Proposals
June 3, 2014 – Proposal submission deadline
July 29, 2014 – Approximate date for the U.S. Forest Service to notify applicants of results
August 15, 2014 – Approximate date of award
Synopsis of Cooperative Agreement Opportunity
The U.S Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) requests proposals for wood energy projects that require engineering services necessary for final design and cost analysis. The Hazardous Fuels Wood to Energy (W2E) Grant Program will fund projects for which some or all of the woody biomass is generated from National Forest Service System lands as a result of hazardous fuel treatments, forest restoration activities, insect and disease mitigation, catastrophic weather events, or thinning overstocked stands. Projects that use woody biomass from multiple land ownerships (State, Tribal, or private lands) and multiple sources (wood products facilities, urban wood waste, etc.) will be considered as long as some of the woody biomass is generated from National Forest System lands. Projects that do not anticipate using any wood from National Forest System lands will not be eligible.
Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Spring 2014 Hypoxia Task Force Public Meeting
Wednesday, May 21, 2014, Public Meeting: 8:30 am – 5:45 pm (Central Time)
In person: The meeting will be held at the Statehouse Convention Center, Governor’s Hall I, located at 1 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock, AR.
Webinar: For those unable to attend in person, there is an option to view the meeting via webinar. The only requirements for attending the webinar are that you register and have a computer with sound (listen through the speakers or headphones) so that you can see and hear the presentations being made. After you register for the webinar, instructions about how to join the webinar will be emailed to you.
To register, go to the registration page and indicate whether you will be attending in person or via the webinar.
Meeting Purpose
- Share innovative approaches among the states to reduce excess N and P in HTF states as part of nutrient strategy implementation.
- Learn about Arkansas’ nutrient reduction strategy.
- Learn how federal programs and innovative new approaches to those programs can support state nutrient strategy implementation and other HTF goals.
- Hear insights from non-member organizations working to reduce nutrients in the MARB.
IKEA Makes First Wind Farm Investment in the United States (in Hoopeston, IL)
IKEA US announced today that it is making its first wind farm investment in the United States with the purchase of Hoopeston Wind in Hoopeston, Illinois. The 98 megawatt wind farm is the largest single IKEA Group renewable energy investment globally to date and will make a significant contribution to the company’s goal to generate as much renewable energy as the total energy it consumes by 2020. The project is currently being constructed by Apex Clean Energy and is expected to be fully operational by the first half of 2015.
EnviroAtlas
EnviroAtlas is a collection of interactive tools and resources that allows users to explore the many benefits people receive from nature, often referred to as ecosystem services. Key components of EnviroAtlas include the following:
- A multi-scaled Interactive Map with broad scale data for the lower 48 states and fine scale data for selected communities
- The Eco-Health Relationship Browser, which shows the linkages between ecosystems, the services they provide, and human health
- Ecosystem services information, GIS and analysis tools, and written resources.
Though critically important to human well-being, ecosystem services are often overlooked. EnviroAtlas seeks to measure and communicate the type, quality, and extent of the goods and services that humans receive from nature so that their true value can be considered in decision-making processes.
Using EnviroAtlas, many types of users can access, view, and analyze diverse information to better understand how various decisions can affect an array of ecological and human health outcomes. EnviroAtlas is available to the public and houses a wealth of data and research.
EPA takes on three villains at once: Pollution, climate change, and racism
Read the full post at Grist.
You may have read something recently about the air being racist, which is of course ridiculous. It is true that if you are white in America you will tend to breathe air of a more premium quality. A recent study from the University of Minnesota found that black and brown Americans are more often trapped in neighborhoods laden with nitrogen dioxide than their white fellow Americans.
American Cities Are Haunted by Too Many Parking Spaces
Read the full story in BusinessWeek.
American car culture may be declining, but much of our urban infrastructure remains steadfastly centered around the automobile. Planning choices made in the heyday of car ownership may prove incompatible with a rising generation of consumers who seem remarkably disinterested in driving.
U.S. Parking Facilities Cut Energy Use by 90 Percent, Switch 270 Million Square Feet to Energy Efficient Lighting
As part of the Energy Department’s commitment to helping U.S. businesses save money by saving energy, the Department’s Better Buildings Alliance is supporting the Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign. To date, more than 100 U.S. businesses and organizations are participating in the campaign and planning or installing energy efficient lighting in their parking lots and garages. In the past year, these organizations have committed to install efficient lighting across more than 270 million square feet of parking space – cutting energy use by up to 90 percent.
“By making parking lots and garages more energy efficient, our partners in the Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking Campaign are saving energy, improving their bottom lines and serving as models for other organizations to increase the use of energy efficiency in their communities,” said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson.
Building owners spend more than $6 billion to light their parking lots and garages, and much of this could be saved if parking lots and garages were upgraded to the most efficient lighting solutions. LEEP Campaign participants have upgraded their facilities to high efficiency metal halide, fluorescent, and LED solutions that last three times longer than their previous technology and by using controls are able to reduce energy use when parking facilities are not in use. Through the LEEP Campaign, the Energy Department’s Better Buildings Alliance, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Green Parking Council and the International Facility Management Association are working together to help owners of parking lots and garages upgrade to energy efficient lighting.
Today, the Energy Department joined LEEP Campaign co-organizers to recognize 12 organizations for leading the way in efficient lighting. Combined, these 12 winners are saving nearly 45 million kilowatt-hours and $4 million per year by upgrading to high efficiency lighting in 500,000 parking spaces nationwide.
Since 2009, the Energy Department’s Better Buildings Alliance has provided technical assistance to help building and parking facility owners and managers install energy efficient lighting. Find more information on the Energy Department’s broader efforts to save money by saving energy at U.S. parking facilities and a full list of the organizations recognized today.
ClearPath
ClearPath is an all-in-one suite of online tools to complete GHG inventories, forecasts, and climate action plans at the community-wide or government operations scale. It allows multiple users to collectively:
- develop baseline and subsequent inventories
- track emissions progress over time
- forecast multiple scenarios for future emissions
- analyze benefits of emissions reduction measures
- visualize alternative planning scenarios
- guidance and training at your fingertips
ClearPath is a product of ICLEI.
Environmental News Bits 