Publications -- Environment

Dec 10, 2008

BA #637 – Lights Out for Thomas Edison

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will soon ban the most common light bulbs in the United States.  New efficiency standards will require manufacturers to produce incandescent bulbs that use less energy per unit of light produced, starting with 100-watt incandescent bulbs in 2012, down to 40-watt bulbs in 2014.

Oct 21, 2008

BA #635 – Nuclear Renaissance: Atoms to Power the Future

How will America meet its future energy needs? Rising demand for electricity, possible greenhouse gas legislation and U.S. dependence on foreign oil are some of the reasons for concern. These factors, combined with the high cost and relative unreliability of various other alternative energy sources, have forced policymakers to consider nuclear energy once again.

Oct 02, 2008

BA #634 – Regulating Global Warming: Expanding the Authority of the Environmental Protection Agency

In May 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that greenhouse gases meet the definition of an air pollutant in the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responded in 2008 by issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) that explains how the Clean Air Act applies to regulating emissions of greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming.

Sep 10, 2008

BA #631 – In Order to Extinguish Forest Fires, Don’t Let Logging Burn Out

Federal mismanagement of U.S. forests has increased the number, size and cost of wildfires over the past decade.  Historically, the national forests have been logged to provide lumber for commercial activities, to promote forest recreation, species protection and management, and to prevent wildfires.

May 14, 2008

BA #617 – Capping CO2 Emissions, Boosting Energy Costs

The United States has refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol intended to limit and eventually reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The treaty did not meet two requirements Congress deemed necessary for a worthwhile international climate change policy — that it: 1) do no harm to the U.S. economy and 2) include developing nations in emissions regulation. Congress should apply these criteria to proposed domestic climate change legislation.

Apr 07, 2008

BA #614 – Energy Independence in Brazil: Lessons for the United States

Nationwide, average retail gasoline prices are nearing the all-time inflation-adjusted high of $3.40 a gallon reached in 1981, lending urgency to renewed calls for U.S. energy independence.  Analysts often tout Brazil as the epitome of energy self-sufficiency.  Brazil imported more than 80 percent of its oil in the 1970s, but it likely reached energy independence by the end of 2007, according to projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Feb 21, 2008

BA #610 – Polar Bears on Thin Ice, Not Really! Redux

In early March, the polar bear could become the first species officially recognized by the U.S. government as threatened by global warming.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — even though U.S. polar bear populations aren't declining.

Feb 18, 2008

BA #609 – Climate Change Forecasters on the Hot Seat

More than 20 years ago, climate scientists began to sound the alarm over the possibility that global temperatures were rising due to human activities, such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels.  In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in order to study and better understand this potential threat. 

Jan 30, 2008

BA #607 – Geoengineering: A Global Warming Fix?

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a potent greenhouse gas, helps warm the climate. Absent water vapor, CO 2 and other natural greenhouse gases that trap a portion of the sun's radiation, the Earth would be about 60ºF colder than it is now — an icebox.

Nov 15, 2007

BA #603 – Increasing America’s Domestic Fuel Supply by Building New Oil Refineries

Rising oil and gasoline prices have many causes that are beyond the control of the U.S. government.  However, government policies have contributed to higher prices by reducing domestic refining capacity, which has limited the supply of gasoline.  No new oil refineries have been built in the United States for almost 30 years, and many refineries have closed.