© Robert Glenn Ketchum
- • 2011 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis Overview
The 2011 TRI National Analysis is EPA’s annual interpretation of TRI data, and it provides the public with valuable information on how toxic chemicals were managed, where toxic chemicals ended up, and how 2011 compares to previous years. Users of TRI data should be aware that TRI captures a significant portion of toxic chemicals in wastes that are managed by industrial facilities, but it does not cover all toxic chemicals or all sectors of the U.S. economy. – January 2013 (pdf 5.65MB)
- • Running Dry: Looming Water Shortages in the United States
The problem is not a lack of water but the availability of a safe water supply needed for a rapidly growing population. Water is a renewable resource, but that does not mean that it’s in infinite supply. The water cycle is a closed system, meaning that we cannot add more steps to it. When we talk about wasting water what we mean to say is that we are interfering in the cycle in a way that causes it to take longer for useable water to complete the cycle. – September 2012 (pdf 695KB)
- • Climate Policy Initiative, Tracking Emissions and Mitigation Actions: Evaluation of MRV Systems in China, Germany, Italy, and the US
This report focuses on systems that measure emissions, estimate the impact of mitigation actions, report those results, and verify that the information is complete and correct. We use the term measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) to refer to these systems. While institutions vary across different political, social and economic systems, all countries are pursuing some common objectives in terms of climate change mitigation, and all can benefit from effective MRV systems. (View the Factsheet, pdf 254KB.) — April 2012 (pdf 784KB)
- • Global Demand for Vegetable Oils Contributing to Deforestation
The global demand for vegetable oils is increasing at an unsustainable rate – more than 5 percent annually over the past decade – contributing to massive deforestation in tropical regions, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). UCS’s report “Recipes for Success: Solutions for Deforestation-Free Vegetable Oils,” which was co-authored with Climate Advisers, offers solutions for businesses, governments and consumers on producing and using vegetable oil without causing deforestation... — March 7, 2012
- • Facts and Figures on E-Waste and Recycling *New
This is a summary of available statistics that help is to quantify the problems of electronic waste and e-waste recycling efforts. Each item includes its source and link to the original documents (where available), to make it easy for reporters and researchers to confirm data back to the original source. – February 21, 2012 (pdf 178KB)
- • e-Waste: The Exploding Global Electronic Waste Crisis *New
The world has been dazzled by advances in the electronics industry and the amazing products we now depend on in our everyday lives. But rapid advances in technology mean that electronic products are becoming obsolete more quickly. Shorter product life-spans, coupled with explosive sales in consumer electronics, mean that more products are being disposed of, and discarded computers, TVs, and other consumer electronics (so-called e-waste) are now the fastest growing waste stream in the U.S. – (pdf 668KB)
- • Reputational Risks, Regulatory Challenges
and Legal Uncertainties
This report highlights the range of existing and emerging risks associated with development of the proposed pebble copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska. The advisory details the growing list of regulatory, legal, engineering and political challenges facing the London-based mining giant as it struggles to secure permits for the controversial gold-copper mine planned for the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the world’s biggest wild sockeye salmon fishery. – February 2012 (pdf 1.40MB)
- • TROUBLED WATERS: How mine Waste dumping is Poisoning our Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes
Mining companies are dumping more than 180 million tonnes of hazardous mine waste each year into rivers, lakes, and oceans worldwide, threatening vital bodies of water with toxic heavy metals and other chemicals poisonous to humans and wildlife. The amount of mine waste dumped annually is 1.5 times as much as all the municipal waste dumped in U.S. landfills in 2009. – February 2012 (pdf 4.49MB)
- • Climate Policy Initiative, Tracking Emissions and Mitigation Actions: Current Practice in China, Germany, Italy, and the US
This report represents the first stage of a broader CPI effort to characterize, evaluate, and draw insights from existing domestic MRV systems for emissions and mitigation actions in four of the major emitters – China, Italy, Germany, and the United States. (View the Factsheet, pdf 254KB.) — February 2012 (pdf 1.53MB)
- • Floridians Seek More Federal Relief
In the years before World War II, Florida begins an economic recovery and military buildup, spurring population growth. In 1940, the population reaches almost 2.9 million. For the first time, women outnumber men at 50.3 percent of the population. In 1947, after years of drought, the state is deluged by rainfall averaging 100 inches along the lower east coast, almost twice the norm. Much of the ground is saturated when two hurricanes hit the state late in the year; flooding throughout the region is catastrophic. Floridians ask the federal government for a master plan to balance the need for flood protection and reliable water supply. (pdf 4.52MB)
- • Arctic Opening: Opportunity and Risk in the High North
The Arctic region is undergoing unprecedented and disruptive change. Its climate is changing more rapidly than anywhere else on earth. Rising temperatures are causing a retreat of sea ice and changes to seasonal length, weather patterns and ecosystems. These changes have prompted a reassessment of economic and development potential in the Arctic and are giving rise to a set of far-reaching political developments. – 2012 (pdf 10.8MB)
- • A Blueprint for Ocean and Coastal Sustainability
The ocean is an integral part of our planet, and is an absolutely essential component of human lives, livelihoods and the environment that sustains us. Use of ocean space and resources has been an essential component of global economic growth and prosperity... – 2012 (pdf 2.24MB)
- • Simulating fuel treatment effects in dry forests of the western United States: testing the principles of a fire-safe forest
We used the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS) to simulate fuel treatment effects on 45 162 stands in low– to midelevation dry forests (e.g., ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. P. & C. Laws.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) of the western United States. We evaluated treatment effects on predicted post-treatment fire behavior (fire type) and fire hazard (torching index). FFE-FVS predicts that thinning and surface fuel treatments reduced crown fire behavior relative to no treatment; a large proportion of stands were predicted to transition from active crown fire pre-treatment to surface fire post-treatment. Intense thinning treatments... – November 2011 (pdf 1.86MB)
- • CRED CRUNCH, “Disaster Data: A Balanced Perspective”
In the first semester of 2011, natural disasters had a devastat-ing impact on human society. Preliminary EM-DAT figures showed the occurrence of 108 natural disasters, which killed over 23 thousand people, affected nearly 44 million others and caused more than US$ 253 billion of economic damages... – September 2011 (pdf 915KB)
- • Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous U.S. 2004 to 2009
Wetlands are transitional from true aquatic habitats to dry land (upland) and as a result, their abundance, type, and condition are directly reflected in the health and abundance of many species. In 1986, the United States Congress enacted the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act (Public Law 99-645) recognizing that wetlands are nationally important resources and that these resources have been affected by human activities. – September 2011 (pdf 20MB)
- • The Benefits and Costs of the Clean Air Act from 1990 to 2020
Section 812 of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments established a requirement that EPA develop periodic reports that estimate the benefits and costs of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The main goal of these reports is to provide Congress and the public with comprehensive, up-to-date, peer-reviewed information on the Clean Air Act’s social benefits and costs, including improvements in human health, welfare, and ecological resources, as well as the impact of CAA provisions on the US economy. This report is the third in the Section 812 series, and is the result of EPA’s Second Prospective analysis of the 1990 Amendments. – March 2011 (pdf 4.02MB)
- • Building Effective Environmental Policy: A Guide for
Decision-Makers
This report is designed to help decision-makers in government and industry develop and advise on environmental policy. It will: (1) help policy-makers working on environmental issues understand the range of policy instruments available to them and when each is most effective (2) suggest how business can constructively feed into the process at various stages (3) present a framework, based on years of research, for building more effective and efficient environmental policy – 2011 (pdf 1.26MB)
- • Synthesis of the Effects of Pavement Properties on the Rolling Resistance
The main objective of this work was to objectively investigate the influence of pavement type (i.e., asphalt and concrete) on the rolling resistance of vehicle tires by reviewing existing literature. Therefore, it was important to research the influence of specific pavement properties such as stiffness and surface geometry on rolling resistance. This work also summarizes and evaluates the existing methods used to measure the rolling resistance, and quantifies the influence of the properties. A recommendation is made based on the existing literature and... – 2011 (pdf 1.02MB)
- • Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
This 2010 Report to Congress on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is the second in a series of periodic reports to fulfill the requirements of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA 2000) and the CERP Programmatic Regulations. This Report provides members of Congress and other interested parties with an update on the progress of CERP over the past five-year period... – 2011 (pdf 5.44MB)
- • Land Area Change in Coastal Louisiana from 1932 to 2010
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) analyzed landscape changes in coastal Louisiana by determining land and water classifications for 17 datasets. These datasets include survey data from 1932, aerial data from 1956, and Landsat Multispectral Scanner System (MSS) and Thematic Mapper (TM) data from the 1970s to 2010. Previous studies have analyzed land change in coastal Louisiana, but many are out of date, provide data for limited time periods, or lack the temporal frequency necessary to provide information about when the loss occurred. The purpose of this study is to provide updated estimates of persistent land change and historical land change trends for coastal Louisiana and for each hydrologic basin, as defined by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Program (n.d.), for the 1932-2010 period of record. – 2011 (pdf 1.92MB)
- • 2009 TRI (Toxics Release Inventory) National Analysis
EPA released the 2009 TRI National Analysis on December 16, 2010. Read the Greenversations blog post “What’s in your neighborhood”. The TRI National Analysis is an annual report that displays EPA’s analysis of the most recent TRI data. It includes a variety of documents and webpages that outline national and local trends in toxic chemical disposal or other releases to the environment, as well as trends in toxic chemicals managed by TRI facilities... – December 16, 2010
- • Untangling the Environmentalist’s Paradox: Why Is Human Well-being Increasing as Ecosystem Services Degrade?
Environmentalists have argued that ecological degradation will lead to declines in the well-being of people dependent on ecosystem services. The
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment paradoxically found that human well-being has increased despite large global declines in most ecosystem
services. – September 2010 (pdf 413KB)
- • BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Budget: What Happened to the Oil?
The National Incident Command (NIC) assembled a number of interagency expert scientific teams to estimate the quantity of BP Deepwater Horizon oil that has been released from the well and the fate of that oil. The expertise of government scientists serving on these teams is complemented by nongovernmental and governmental specialists reviewing the calculations and conclusions.... – August 2010 (pdf 88.4KB)
- • Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected and reported data on the generation and disposal of waste in the United States for more than 30 years. We use this information to measure the success of waste reduction and recycling programs across the country. These facts and figures are current through calendar year 2010... – 2011 (pdf 891KB)
- • Propane Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Growing concern about the potential effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has increased the focus on low-emission technologies and energy sources. Propane, approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as a clean alternative fuel, can help address these concerns because it performs better than many other fuels with respect to GHG emissions. – March 2010 (pdf 197KB)
- • Lloyd’s 360° Risk Insight, Global Water Scarcity: Risks and Challenges for Business
Most businesses will find it difficult to manage all of their water risks alone. Given the complexity of the issues and the political and social importance of water, engagement with civil society, other companies and the public sector is necessary. This report briefly outlines the nature of the global corporate risk around water and highlights ways in which business can better manage this growing risk. The report focuses on water scarcity as the major global issue affecting business, but similar issues often arise where water quality presents risks to companies. – 2010 (pdf 2.96MB)
- • Chromium-6 Is Widespread in US Tap Water
Laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) have detected hexavalent chromium, the carcinogenic “Erin Brockovich chemical,” in tap water from 31 of 35 American cities. The highest levels were in Norman, Okla.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Riverside, Calif. In all, water samples from 25 cities contained the toxic metal at concentrations above the safe maximum recently proposed by California regulators... – 2010
- • The China Greentech Report™ 2009
China’s market requirements for greentech solutions are tremendous. Chinese government policies are positive drivers for greentech market development and a wide range of businesses are beginning to deploy greentech solutions to address a broad spectrum of environmental issues. While significant challenges remain, stakeholders have clear opportunities to accelerate market development and create a more environmentally sustainable China. – September 2009 (pdf 4.95MB)
- • Groundwater Availability Detailed in California’s Central Valley
A new, three-dimensional water-modeling tool provides a detailed picture of how water flows below ground and how it relates to surface-water in rivers and canals in California’s Central Valley. – July 8, 2009 (pdf 188KB)
- • Trends in Emissions of Ozone-Depleting Substances, Ozone Layer Recovery, and Implications for Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure
Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer by human-produced ozone-depleting substances has been recognized as a global environmental issue for more than three decades, and the international effort to address the issue via the United Nations Montreal Protocol marked its 20-year anniversary in 2007. Scientific understanding underpinned the Protocol at its inception and ever since. – November 2008 (pdf 4.83MB)
- • The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Interim Report – Three Key Messages
- Economic size of the loss and its impact on human welfare
- Strong link with poverty
- Discount rates
http://www.teebweb.org/ – May 2008 (Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation 1.8MB)
- • Decision-Making Chronology for the Lake Pontchartrain & Vicinity Hurrican Protection Project
The one-two punch of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September of 2005 proved calamitous to a vast swath of the U.S. Gulf Coast across the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. While still offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina’s 175 mph winds created the highest storm surge yet recorded at landfall in North America... – March 2008 (pdf 2.37MB)
- • United Nations Global Environment Outlook
The fourth Global Environment Outlook: environment for development (GEO-4) assessment is a comprehensive and authoritative UN report on environment, development and human well-being, providing incisive analysis and information for decision making.
Download the full report – 2007(pdf 22.1MB)
- • REACH in Brief
REACH is based on the idea that industry itself is best placed to ensure that the chemicals it manufactures and puts on the market in the EU do not adversely affect human health or the environment. This requires that industry has certain knowledge of the properties of its substances and manages potential risks. Authorities should focus their resources on ensuring industry... – October 2007 (pdf 143KB)
- • Environmental Protection, Public Health and Human Rights
Until very recently, environmental protection, public health and human rights were viewed as distinct areas of public policy by governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations alike at both the national and international levels. With increasing globalization of trade and commerce in the past few decades, the environmental and public health impacts of rapid industrialization and urbanization in different regions of the world are now being recognized as having major human rights implications by many policy makers. – April 2003 (pdf 285KB)
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