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  • Authentically Wired
    Water and a lot more from Paul F. Miller.
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    The water resources blog of the American Water Resources Association.
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    An articulate Earth scientist with an MS in Geography from Oregon State University, Courtney van Stolk explores the 'whys' of this fantastic planet.
  • California Water Blog
    A biologist, economist, engineer and geologist walk onto a bar…From the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC-Davis.
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    That's 'Campana-stan', or 'Place of Campana', formerly 'Aquablog'. Michael Campana's personal blog, promulgating his Weltanschauung.
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  • Dr. Anne Jefferson's Watershed Hydrology Lab
    Anne blogs from Kent State University on a variety of earth science topics.
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    Noah Hall's blog about - what else - all things wet and legal in the Great Lakes region!
  • International Water Law Project
    Gabriel Eckstein, Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law, comments on international and transboundary water law and policy.
  • John Fleck
    Former science writer @ Albuquerque Journal and current director of the Water Resources Program at U of NM. Topics: Colorado River basin, Western USA water, more!
  • Legal Planet: Environmental Law and Policy
    From the UC-Berkeley and UCLA law schools, it highlights the latest legal and policy initiatives and examines their implications.
  • Maven's Notebook
    A water, science, and environmental policy blog by Chris Austin, aka 'Maven'. Focus is on California.
  • On The Public Record
    A 'low level civil servant who reads a lot of government reports writes about California water and related topics.
  • Wettit - the water reddit
    Water blog with tons of news items, other blogs, etc.
  • Texas Agriculture Law Blog
    Don't let the name fool you - there are lots of water issues in agriculture and Tiffany Dowell of Texas A&M University does a fabulous job with this important Internet resource. Give it a read - I do every day!
  • The Water Blog
    From the Portland, OR, Water Bureau.
  • The Way of Water
    Dr. Jennifer Veilleux records her fieldwork, research, and thoughts about water resources development and management, indigenous rights, ethics, and a host of other issues.
  • Thirsty in Suburbia
    Gayle Leonard documents things from the world of water that make us smile: particularly funny, amusing and weird items on bottled water, water towers, water marketing, recycling, the art-water nexus and working.
  • This Day in Water History
    Michael J. 'Mike' McGuire, engineer extraordinaire, NAE member, and author of 'The Chlorine Revolution', blogs about historical happenings in the fields of drinking water and wastewater keyed to calendar dates.
  • WaSH Resources
    New publications, web sites and multi-media on water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH).
  • Waste, Water, Whatever
    Elizabeth Royte's ('Bottlemania', 'Garbage Land') notes on waste, water, whatever.
  • Water Matters
    News from the Columbia University Water Center.
  • Watershed Moments: Thoughts from the Hydrosphere
    From Sarah Boon - rediscovering her writing and editing roots after 13 years, primarily as an environmental scientist. Her writing centres around creative non-fiction, specifically memoir and nature writing. The landscapes of western Canada are her main inspiration.
  • WaterWired
    All things freshwater: news, comment, publications and analysis from hydrogeologist Michael E. Campana, Professor at Oregon State University and Technical Director of the AWRA.

« July 2016 | Main | September 2016 »

31 posts from August 2016

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

Josh Newton's Water Jobs & More - 31 August 2016 (Updated: 5 September 2016)

Josh.logoDespite all that is going on at World Water Week Josh has come through with his weekly water jobs!

As a PDF:  Download 30 August 2016 - JWJ

As a Word doc:  Download 30 August 2016 - JWJ

Check out his website for all the jobs. His jobs are on Facebook, too.  

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshnewtonH2O. Follow Josh's Water Jobs on Twitter: @joshswaterjobs

Josh's and other job notices are archived here. All the jobs I post are archived at Twitter; the hashtag is #JobWaWi. 

As more jobs come in I will post them at the bottom (Additional Positions) and date when I post them. I am also posting some general job sites. I will continue to post my weekly summary of Josh's jobs and more.

Some General Employment Resources:

1) Check out  - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) 

2) UN Jobs in Water Resources

3) UN Jobs in Water Management

4) UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

5) Global Water Jobs

6) WASH Vacancies

7) Academic Jobs Online

8) Get Hydrology Jobs

9) AAG Jobs

18) State of Washington Careers: 

19) Idaho DEQ 

20) OSU Water Resources Program

To the jobs!

Minimum experience level requested:

0-4 years

1) GIS Analyst – WWF-Zambia (Zambia): 31 August

2) Project Coordinator II (Governance Center) – WRI (Washington DC): Until filled

3) Associate (Project Operations) – Palladium (Indonesia): 15 September

4) Programme Associate – UNDP (Tanzania): 9 September

5) Operations Analyst – WSSCC (Geneva): 4 September

5-9 years

6) Chief Technical Specialist – UNDP (Azerbaijan): 8 September

7) Program Operations Manager - The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Los Altos, CA, USA): Until filled

8) US nationals: Climate and Water Adivsor – USAID (Ethiopia): 23 September

9) French speaker: Environmental Affairs Officer – UN-DPKO (Mali): 22 September

10) Judicial Affairs Officer – UN-DPKO (Afghanistan): 23 September

11) Environment Specialist – ADB (Manila): 5 September

12) Natural Resource Management and Multiple-Use Water Services (NRM/MUS) Manager – Winrock (Ghana): 15 September

13) Policy Officer – FAO (Palestine): 30 August

14) Senior Manager (Business Development) – IWMI (Sri Lanka): 9 September

15) Spanish speakers: Líder de Hidroenergía por Disenov – TNC (Colombia): 9 September

10+ years

16) Senior Manager (Communications and Knowledge Management) – IWMI (Sri Lanka): 9 September

17) Theme Leader: Water Availability, Risk and Resilience (WR) – IWMI (Sri Lanka): 9 September

Not stated/Other

18) Executive Director – Water Footprint Network (The Hague, Netherlands): 30 September

19) Water Industry Partnership Officer – WaterAid (Exeter, UK): 16 September

20) Special Projects Manager – WaterAid (London): 8 September

21) Agriculture, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Education, and Gender Experts – Plan International (Zambia): 30 September

22) Hydroclimate Uncertainty Postdoctoral Fellow (Climate & Ecosystems) – Berkeley Lab (Berkeley, CA, USA): 16 September

23) Research Assistant (Risk and Resilience (RISK) Program) – IIASA (Vienna): Until filled

WASH:

24) Policy Manager – WaterAid (Ghana): 23 September

25) WASH Specialist (Ethiopia/Djibouti) – NRC (Djibouti): 5 September

26) Senior WASH in Emergencies Manager – IRC (Nigeria): Until filled

27) French speakers: WASH Project Manager – Medair (DRC): Until filled

28) French speakers: WASH & Infrastructure Advisor – Medair (DRC): Until filled

29) WASH Program Manager – Mercy Corps (Nigeria): 25 September

30) Kenya nationals: Head of WASH Program – ACF (Nairobi): 9 September

31) WASH Specialist – UNICEF (Sierra Leone): 10 September

32) CLTS / C4D Specialist – UNICEF (Sierra Leone): 10 September

Consultancies:

33) Consultancy: Data Analytics and Visualization for Water Global Practice – World Bank (Washington DC): Until filled

34) Senior Capacity Building Expert – UNDP (Azerbaijan): 8 September

35) Terminal Outcome Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability within the UNDP Eritrea – UNDP (Eritrea): 5 September

36) French speakers: Expert(e) en Adaptation Basée sur les Ecosystèmes – UNDP (Guinea): 9 September

37) Rapid Review of the Kalahari-Namib Project: Enhancing decision-making through interactive environmental learning and action in the Molopo-Nossob River Basin – IUCN (South Africa): 31 August

38) Preliminary Assessment of the Water well drilling sector in Angola – UNICEF (Angola): 13 September

Internships:

39) Internship – Water Footprint Network (The Hague, Netherlands): 15 September

40) Freshwater CWS Communications Intern – WWF (Washington DC): 15 September

41) Nature-Based Solutions Intern (IUCN EU Representative Office) – IUCN (Brussels): 16 September

Additional Positions:

Posted: 31 August 2016

42) Position:  (Weaverville, CA) - Supervisory Interdisciplinary. Closes: 2 Sept  
  
43) Positions:  (AZ, CA, NV) - Mechanical Engineers. Closes: 6 Sept   (tnx ) 
 
44) Position:  (New York City) - Deputy Director, Development 
 
45) Position:  (DC) - Associate Director, China-Latin America Initiative  
 
46) Position:  (DC) - Assistant Director, Resilience Project.  
 
47) Position:  (DC, GA LA, AL, TX, MS or FL) - Director, Gulf of Mexico Restoration. Closes: 19 Sept.  
 
48) Position:  (Palm Bay, FL) - Senior Professional Engineer, Regional Construction Projects   
 
49) Position:  (Palm Bay, FL) - Supervising Professional Engineer, Water Resource Engineering   
 
50) Position:  (Palatka, FL) - Bureau Chief, District Projects and Construction.   
 
51) Position:  (Asia/Africa) - Theme Leader: Water Availability, Risk and Resilience. Closes: 12 Sept.  
 
52) Position:  (Nepal) - Research Officer – Agriculture and Water Resources Management.  
 
53) Position:  (Cincinnati, OH) - Director, Water Center (Assoc/Full Prof). OUF; App rev: Sept 2016  
 
54) Position:  (Tacoma, WA) - Environmental Planner. OUF; App review; week of 5 Sept  
 
55) Position: ABCWUA (Albuquerque, NM) - General Counsel. Closes: 6 Sept. Click 'Open Positions'  
 
56) Position: ABCWUA (Albuquerque,NM) - Pgm Mgr - Water Conservation. Closes: 12 Sept. Click 'Open Positions'  
 
57) Position:  (Paonia, CO) - Assistant Editor.  
 
58) Position: Western Rivers Conservancy (Portland, OR) - Cooperate Counsel. OUF.  
 
59) Position:  (Telecommute) - Associate Editor  
 
60) Position:  (Seattle, WA) - Regional Partnership Unit Supervisor - Water & Land Div. Closes: 7 Sept  
 
61) Position:  (The Hague) - Executive Director. Closes: 30 Sept 
 
 
 
 
 
 
67) Position:  - Water Resources Research Institute (Las Cruces, NM) - GIS Analyst. Closes: 7 Sept  
 
68) Position: Utah DNR (Salt Lake County) - Geologist. Closes: 18 Sept.  
 
69) Position: AMP Insights (Tucson, AZ or Beaverton, OR) - Research Associate. OUF: First review: 15 Sept.  Download AMP_Research_Associate (Bruce Aylward is the 'A')
 
70) Position: OR WRD (Klamath Falls,OR)- Natural Resource Specialist 1 (Hydrologic Technician). Closes: 9 Sept  
 
71) Position:  (NYC) - Climate Change Editor. Closes: 19 Sept  
 
Posted: 1 September 2016

72) Position: (Mt. Vernon, WA) - Northwest Straits Commission Director. Continuous.
 
73) Position: (Wenatchee, WA) - Environmental Planner. Closes: 20 Sept.
 
74) Position: NE DCNR (Lincoln) - Asst Director of Water Administration, Permits and Registrations Divisions.
 
75) Position: NE DCNR (Lincoln) - Asst Director, Water Planning, Engineering and Technical Services Divisions  
 
Posted: 5 September 2016
 
 
76) Position: (Grand Isle,VT) - Environmental Analyst–Technical Coordinator, Lake Champlain Basin Pgm. Closes: 11 Sept
 
77) Postdoc Position: (Golden, CO) - Water Purification Technology. Closes: 18 Sept.
 
78) Position: FL Geological Survey (Tallahassee) - Hydrogeologic Modeler. Closes: 12 Sept
 
79) Position: (UK) - Executive Manager. Closes: 18 Sept. Scroll down to 'Last Call' @  

'Statistics always remind me of the fellow who drowned in a river whose average depth was only three feet.' -- Woody Hayes 

Posted on Wednesday, 31 August 2016 at 05:23 AM in Josh Newton's Water Jobs & More!, Opportunities & Positions, World Water | | Comments (0)

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Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Josh Newton's World Water Week Drinks & More - 30 August 2016

Josh2Josh is in Stockholm at World Water Week but still sent his water jobs around - I posted them on 31 August - check here.  See his website and Facebook for his jobs.  

He did announce the venue for his annual WWW Drinks get-together and this event will be a great place to meet your fellow WaterWonks if you are in Stockholm. Here is his message:

I apologize for the delay, but please know that you are invited to attend a drinks evening tomorrow, Wednesday, 31 August starting at 20:00 at Stockholm's World Water Week.  What took so long was to find a new and larger location than last year, which was able to happen. 

We will be literally across the street from the main entrance to the Conference Center at the Gården Bar and Grill.  In plain terms, under the big tents outside in the plaza, the far one from the entrance.  The link above goes to Google Maps.

We have the place until midnight or later, so if you are at the Gala or elsewhere tomorrow night, please stop by afterwards.  Feel free to let anyone know, as this is open to anyone.  There will be basic snacks, but no larger food items.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask and I look forward to seeing you there if you are in town.

Josh

Back to some jobs....

The Water Resources Graduate Program at OSU now has a jobs page. You can access it here.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshnewtonH2O. Follow Josh's Water Jobs on Twitter: @joshswaterjobs

Josh's and other job notices are archived here. All the jobs I post are archived at Twitter; the hashtag is #JobWaWi. 

As more jobs come in I will post them at the bottom (Additional Positions) and date when I post them. I am also posting some general job sites. I will continue to post my weekly summary of Josh's jobs and more.

Some General Employment Resources:

1) Check out  - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) 

2) UN Jobs in Water Resources

3) UN Jobs in Water Management

4) UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

5) Global Water Jobs

6) WASH Vacancies

7) Academic Jobs Online

8) Get Hydrology Jobs

9) AAG Jobs

18) State of Washington Careers: 

19) Idaho DEQ 

20) OSU Water Resources Program

Enjoy! Back next week for sure!

"Alla känner apan, men apan känner ingen." - Swedish proverb
[Translation: "Everyone knows the monkey, but the monkey knows no one."]

Posted on Tuesday, 30 August 2016 at 02:07 PM in Events, Josh Newton's Water Jobs & More!, Opportunities & Positions, World Water | | Comments (0)

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Monday, 29 August 2016

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 29 August 2016; Updates: Zika Virus & Italian EQ

IMG_1975Check out Elaine's excellent coverage of the Italian EQ (first story in the Geoscience BB) and the Zika virus (first story user the Enviro-Sciences BB). 

Yesterday was an especially good day here in Honduras: we dedicated another ACJF potable water project in the village of El Tamarindo. 

Would you be interested in receiving these Bulletin Boards via email directly from Elaine? Send an email to [email protected] with the word “subscribe” in the subject line and the email address will be added to Elaine's email list. 

Elaine's previous Bulletin Boards are archived here and at #EJHBB on Twitter. Elaine2 

Here is a link to the weekly water news and jobs for 20 - 26 August 2016. 

Note: all the links should be hot; if not, paste the URL into your browser. The PDF and Word lists below contain the URLs.

Here are the lists in Word/PDF:

As a PDF: Download Bulletin_board_lists_29August2016

As a Word document: Download Bulletin_board_lists_29August2016

Geosciences Bulletin Board - 29 August. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. 

6.2M hits central Italy, shaking lasts 142 seconds at epicenter & 30 seconds in Rome, numerous aftershocks, widespread damage, injuries & deaths (video)

Strong and major earthquakes in Italy since 1900

Hour-by-hour account of the Plinian eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD

Will Mount Vesuvius erupt as a consequence of 6.2M EQ in Italy?

6.8M EQ in Myanmar causes temples to crumble (video)

Earth tremors recorded in Japan help identify “weather bomb” over Greenland

Lidar helped reveal the existence of a vast reef beyond the Great Barrier Reef

Johns Hopkins study of 8,000 people links hydraulic fracking to a number of adverse health effects

Heading into the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season

Will this newly discovered 145 ounce gold nugget spur a new gold rush in Victoria, Australia?

Taking “selfies” continues to be a dangerous activity…by being buried alive by glacial collapse or falling into a river

New National Water Model may predict flash floods with greater accuracy

Signs of induced seismicity in Salton Trough Brawley Seismic Zone due to geothermal production field

Long-term creep following the 2014 Napa earthquake

Deadline approaching for seismic retrofitting required by city law in San Francisco

New Oceana animated maps show dolphins and whales threatened by seismic airgun blasting along the Atlantic coast

Rare, complete T-Rex “Tufts-Love skull” found last year in Hell Creek area of Montana will be cleaned & displayed at Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture

Humans have had a long-term impact on climate

Micro-plastics found deep in the ocean at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain

Here’s what happened as Santiaguito explosively erupted in Guatemala

Large-scale groundwater pumping increases levels of arsenic in aquifers in Southeast Asia by 100 fold above safety limits

Largest pearl in the world weighs in at about 75 pounds

The balance of sea ice, sea level, snow accumulation in Antarctica

Flaws in logic and models that compare climate of the mid 1800s with modern conditions

USGS Frankton stream gage reactivated in Indiana after 13 year hiatus

New information products now available on health hazards of volcanic air pollution (vog)

Measuring methane release from Arctic permafrost over past 60 years

Unraveling the landscape of the Tarim Basin in China

Complex relationship between major faulting & mountain building in Himalayas

Analyzing the migrations of dinosaurs

Impact of large meteor during late Triassic was responsible for marine mass extinction

Connecting slow earthquakes and megathrust earthquakes at plate boundaries

Sufficiently slow buildup of deposits on the sea floor is necessary for formation of rare earth resources

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii, established in 2006, is enlarged from 442,781 to 582,578 square miles

 

Enviro-Sciences Bulletin Board - 29 August. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. 

Zika update

“Sacred Water” series on efforts by Native Americans to protect water resources on & off reservation (with links to series)

Air pollution models which assume people are at home fail to properly assess impacts – need to consider “active exposure index” which differs from home exposure index

Biofuels are not “carbon neutral” and are worse than gasoline when it comes to emissions

Newly discovered group of “multicomponent” viruses that can infect animals

Political crusades targeting national parks for drilling and exploitation

Suburban sprawl and poor preparation made flood damage in Louisiana that much worse

Mapping the changing human footprint on Earth

The Pentagon helps bombs, birds, and butterflies co-exist and protects rare species

FEMA proposes “higher ground” after flooding, but is 2 to 3 feet enough?

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is declared, encompassing about 87,500 acres in Maine

Improved health conditions & life expectancy in Eastern Mediterranean are being subverted by wars & civil unrest

Inconvenient truths of industrialized agriculture promoting dependence on pesticides & forging resistance in pests

No matter whether in drought or with abundant precipitation, aquifers are declining due to over-pumping to meet growing demands of increasing populations along coastlines

Salmonella in backyard chicken flocks and Fever ticks are spreading northward in Texas impacting cattle, deer and nilgai antelope which are reservoir species for the fever

Realizing the value of urban streams in Hawaii

Organochlorine chemicals (PCBs & OCPs), banned in US in 1977, are persistent in environment & are now linked to autism following pre-natal exposure

Trying to slow the process of desertification in Africa by planting trees

New rules finally now in effect for antibiotics in animal feed, despite committee of U.S. government experts concluded in 1969 that the practice contributes to antibiotics’ resistance in humans

Photo-essay marking major milestones in the history of our National Parks

Photography helped create Yosemite National Park

In honor of Donald “D.A.” Henderson (1928-2016), American epidemiologist who led the international war on smallpox that resulted in its eradication in 1980

Federal judge agrees with environmental position against Edwards coal-fired plant

AgConnect system to test ability to support emergency response decision-making necessary to control the spread of disease in an outbreak

Costliest nuclear accident in US history? “Cost-plus” contract means it could be the explosion of one drum at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, perhaps more than Three Mile Island partial meltdown

FDA issues direct final rule categorizing animal drugs (antibiotics) in medicated feedstocks

Which is larger? The tanks in which orcas are held in captivity at Sea World or the parking lot?

Can impacts of highway expansion on koala colony be mitigated?

Ban on swimming with dolphins in Hawaii is proposed by National Marine Fisheries Service to give 50 yard buffer

Judge rules in favor of controversial South Mountain Freeway – Ahwatukee group & Gila River Indian Community will appeal decision that poses health threats & crosses sacred land

New 400-mile A2A—Algonquin to Adirondack trail was designed by a moose named Alice

Invasive parasite killed thousands of fish and forced closure of 183-mile stretch of Yellowstone River

Letting mining companies self-regulate means little to no meaningful data on consistent basis

New York challenging the effectiveness of dredging to clean up PCB contaminated sediments in Hudson River

Models predict that the Southeastern US will experience more smog over coming decades

Following 3 deaths, glass-shard coated kite string is banned in India….but uncertain as to how to enforce the ban

Hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii linked to scallops from the Philippines

Settlement reached & fines imposed under Clean Air Act on two pesticide distributors in Puerto Rico

City of Chicago wants to rename sewage sludge…but does that remove the toxic materials or it just deceptive?

Capybaras are latest in a number of invasive species in Florida (video)

New test now available to detect potentially deadly blue-green algae in water

TCEQ approved water rights permit in the Brazos River Basin, drought study to be completed on impacts

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." - Edgar Allan Poe

Posted on Monday, 29 August 2016 at 12:10 AM in Blogs, Twitters, WWW sites, e-Newsletters, & Lists, Elaine Hanford's Bulletin Boards, Readings, Journals, Videos, Films & Visuals | | Comments (0)

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Sunday, 28 August 2016

Briefing Paper: 'Global Climate Risk Index 2016'

LogoI stumbled across the Global Climate Risk Index 2016 while doing some research for another topic. It's published by the think tank Germanwatch. 

Download Global_Climate_Risk_Index_2016

 There is a German version available, too. 

Here is what the report's website says:

The Global Climate Risk Index 2016 analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the Cover CRI 2016 impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.). The most recent data available - from 2014 and 1995–2014 - were taken into account. The countries affected most in 2014 were Serbia, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the period from 1995 to 2014 Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti rank highest.

This year's 11th edition of the analysis reconfirms that, according to the Climate Risk Index, less developed countries are generally more affected than industrialised countries. Regarding future climate change, the Climate Risk Index may serve as a red flag for already existing vulnerability that may further increase in regions where extreme events will become more frequent or more severe due to climate change. While some vulnerable developing countries are frequently hit by extreme events, there are also some others where such disasters are a rare occurrence.

The Paris climate summit is the keystone to an international year advancing several international policy issues relevant to reduce impacts of extreme events. Paris needs to deliver a farreaching and durable climate regime that safeguards affected populations through the agreement of a global adaptation goal, an adaptation policy cycle, support for adaptation investments and an international agenda to address loss and damage. [Click on the graphic to enlarge it.]

Risk1

And the press release:

Paris/Bonn (3rd Dec. 2015). Serbia, Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina were the countries most impacted by climatic events in 2014. This is the result of this year’s Global Climate Risk Index, launched today by Germanwatch at the climate summit in Paris. "Heavy rains, flooding and landslides have been the defining hazards of the new Global Climate Risk Index", said Sönke Kreft, author of the study and Team Leader for International Climate Policy at Germanwatch. "Patterns of extreme precipitation is what people and countries will likely face in a warming climate."

"It was the poorhouse of Europe that was the worst hit last year", said Kreft. That the majority of impacts from floods, storms and heat waves are borne by poor countries, is also highlighted in the Index's long-term finding. Kreft: "Climate related impacts are unfair. Nine out of ten most affected countries in the period 1995-2014 are among the 'low' or 'lower-middle' income countries, with the most impacted being Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti."

Some countries are being repeatedly battered by extreme climatic events. Pakistan has now been in the 'Bottom Ten' for five consecutive years, while the Philippines were among the ten most impacted countries seven times in the last decade.

"Constant calamities from storms and floods take a heavy toll on the Philippines", said Raymund E. Liboro, representative of the Philippines commenting on the index' results. "We realised that climate change is the defining challenge for our people and the planet. That's why we brokered the Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum - a statement of a group of countries to inject urgency and morality into the climate talks." Kreft adds: "Our index results are a reminder that the Paris climate summit needs to achieve the climate ambition and global solidarity required to safeguard vulnerable population worldwide."

Honduras is what interests me. That's where I am.

Enjoy - or not.

"Snow skiing will be hurt – but water skiing will benefit." - Yale economist, 1990, commenting on climate change (via Bill McKibben)

Posted on Sunday, 28 August 2016 at 12:10 AM in Climate Change, Climate & Meteorology, Extremes: Droughts, Floods, etc., Readings, Journals, Videos, Films & Visuals, World Water | | Comments (0)

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Saturday, 27 August 2016

CRS Report: 'Methane: An Introduction to Emission Sources and Reduction Strategies'

CRS logoWhy post a report about methane? Methane is a more potent GHG than good ol' CO2. Global warming plays tricks on us via the hydrologic cycle. End of story. 

Hot off the presses (sorry!) from the wonderful folks at the Congressional Research Service: Methane: An Introduction to Emission Sources and Reduction Strategies, by Richard K. Lattanzio, Kelsi Bracmort, James E. McCarthy, and Lynn J. Cunningham (15 August 2016).

Great primer!

Click on the graphics to enlarge them.

Download CRS_Methane_15August2016

Summary

The Obama Administration’s Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions

On June 25, 2013, President Obama announced a national “Climate Action Plan” (CAP) to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), as well as to encourage adaptation to expected climate change. One of the initiatives within the CAP focused on the control of methane emissions, a potent short-lived climate pollutant. It called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, the Interior, Labor, and Transportation to develop a comprehensive interagency “Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.” The Strategy, released on March 28, 2014, committed to steps to cut methane emissions by an estimated 16% from 2012 levels by 2020 through both voluntary actions and agency rulemaking. It also outlined the Administration’s efforts to improve the measurement and assessment of these emissions.

Box1

Perspectives on the Strategy

Some stakeholders, including many in the affected sectors (i.e., agriculture, fossil energy, and waste management), have raised concerns over federal proposals requiring more stringent controls. They argue that further regulation of methane emissions would not provide cost- effective health and environmental benefits. Some industries contend that they are already doing everything feasible to capture and reuse methane emissions (for requisite safety and economic reasons) and that state and local authorities—who share a closer understanding of the industries’ specific circumstances—are best equipped to oversee and enforce emission reduction efforts within their jurisdictions.

Figure 1

Other stakeholders, including many health and environmental advocates, contend that the Strategy and its proposed rulemakings fall short. They argue that methane emissions can jeopardize worker safety, lead to ground-level ozone formation (commonly referred to as “smog”), and act as a potent GHG. Recent events in the United States (e.g., the rise in domestic oil and natural gas production, the encroachment of domestic oil and natural gas production on new or more populated areas, and the revitalization of the petrochemical manufacturing sector) have led these stakeholders to suggest the need for more enforceable standards. Likewise, they estimate that the Obama Administration’s recent GHG reduction targets, offered under the U.S. commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, would be unattainable without further controls.

The Role of Methane

Behind it all is methane—the world’s simplest hydrocarbon and the primary component of natural gas. It is released into the atmosphere by both natural sources (such as wetlands and wildfires) and human activities (such as oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, landfills, and the raising of livestock). When captured, methane can be used as either a fuel or a chemical feedstock, with many advantages over other fossil fuels (e.g., it is more versatile and less polluting). Its dual nature as both a pollutant and a commodity makes efforts to control emissions potentially beneficial to both the environment and the economy.

Figure2

For these reasons, as far back as the 1970s, the federal government has sought policies to help reduce, capture, and reuse methane emissions. Whether strategies to control emissions are effective and cost-efficient for a given industry may depend upon a number of factors, including the nature and extent of the emissions, the technology available for capture, and the market price for the recovered products. In this way, the cost-benefit considerations are similar to those of energy efficiency efforts, wherein high up-front investments and other market barriers, if confronted by producers, may be offset over time.

Recent federal policies have included a variety of funding programs for research and technology development as well as voluntary programs and tax incentives for industry. Historically, methane emissions were addressed directly by two federal rules: one on new municipal landfills and another on federal oil and gas leases. Since the Strategy’s release, the Administration has proposed and finalized several additional rules—on oil and natural gas systems, coal mines, and municipal landfills. These rulemakings—as well as a variety of legislative efforts in Congress— attest to the continued interest in an appropriate policy response to the issue of methane emissions.

 Enjoy!

  "I thought it must be true until I found out what it cost." - Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) on climate change, speaking to Rachel Maddow in 2012

Posted on Saturday, 27 August 2016 at 12:10 AM in Climate Change, Climate & Meteorology, CRS, FMSO & GAO Reports, Policy, Planning, Governance, IWRM & Management, Readings, Journals, Videos, Films & Visuals | | Comments (0)

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