This statement today by Pelosi and Reid shows the power of grassroots movements to spur our leaders into action. Years of letter writing, lobbying, and organizing have been vital in building the case about this plant -- but it has taken the mass mobilization of thousands of people to push our leaders to more substantial action. As Congressional leaders are recognizing that better solutions exist for their own backyard -- we must keep the pressure up to ensure that coal is phased out across the country, and replaced with clean, renewable, just solutions that solve the climate crisis, and support our communities.
You can read more about the announcement here:
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/02/26/breaking-pelosireid-call-to-switch-capitol-power-plant-off-of-coal/
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
News: Mountaintop Removal
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/13/172010/409/418/697238
Breaking: Court Decision Could Open Floodgates to New Wave of Mountaintop Removal
by Bruce Nilles
Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 02:25:49 PM PST
Breaking news from Appalachia – today a panel of federal judgesruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a controversial mountaintop removal mining case. This could open the floodgates on up to 90 new mountaintop removal coal mining operations that had been stalled until now in the permitting process, and which threaten to destroy huge swaths of the Appalachian Mountains. The ruling will permit mining companies to conduct devastating mountaintop removal coal mining operations without acting to minimize stream destruction or conducting adequate environmental reviews.
These mining discharges will reach downstream water sources and poison everyone's water – not just those residents near the mines.
Earthjustice and the Appalachian Center for the Economy & the Environment filed this lawsuit challenging several West Virginia mountaintop removal permits in September 2005, on behalf of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and Coal River Mountain Watch. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in March 2007 found those permits violated the Clean Water Act. This ruling overturns that prior victory for Appalachia's mountains and communities.
One thing is clear in the wake of today's decision – we must redouble our efforts to protect Appalachia.
Please join us in contacting the Obama Administration at this critical time, to make sure this decision does not unleash a wave of devastation on Appalachia's communities. President Obama's EPA has the power to restore mountaintop removal regulations that were gutted by the Bush Administration, essential if we hope to sustain the rivers, mountains, and communities of Appalachia.
One of the mountains threatened by this decision is Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, where Massey Energy has proposed a 6,000-acre mountaintop removal mine, one of the biggest mountains ever slated for mountaintop removal.
The Coal River Wind Project, Coal River Mountain Watch (CRMW) and many other organizations have been fighting Massey over the project - saying that the beautiful Appalachian mountain would offer much more for energy, the local economy, and the environment if it instead was used as a site for wind turbines.
Massey's plan is to blow up the top of the mountain to get at the coal, ruining the site for any future wind power use, not to mention nearby communities, clean water, and wildlife.
On Tuesday, the West Virginia Surface Mining Boardheld another hearing on the site's blasting permit,
and our coalition turned out strong, providing great witnesses on the permitting process and the better benefits of wind power on that site.
Lorelei Scarbro of CRMW said the hearing lasted all day, with both sides of the debate calling witnesses. No one is sure when the board will rule on the permit, but we are unfortunately not very optimistic.
"The surface mind board is very coal friendly," said Scarbro. "But we're still making a concerned effort on this. We're drawing attention to it and raising awareness, yet we have a pretty good sense that they traditionally do not rule in our favor."
Rory McIlmoil of the Coal River Wind Project says the economic analysis conducted by Downstream Strategies shows "that for the local communities and on the county level, a 328 MW wind farm - and to a greater degree the development of a wind industry in Raleigh County - provides the public greater economic benefits in terms of jobs, tax revenue and output than the proposed (mountaintop removal mining) would."
Added McIlmoil, "The report also calculates the social and environmental externalities of both options, and shows that the proposed (mountaintop removal) mining actually results in a net economic loss over a 34 year period of over $600 million, and that is a conservative estimate."
You can read the report on the Coal River Wind website.
Scarbro said West Virginia officials have certainly been hearing from the public about the Coal River Wind project, saying she heard that Gov. Joe Manchin's office has been inundated with calls and emails for the past two weeks (Manchin has said he supports Massey in this case).
"Apparently they were answering the phones at one point just saying, 'Yea or nay,'" laughed Scarbro. "I understand he's getting pretty upset about the amount of attention on this."
The public can still take action on this by continuing to contact public officials. "We need the pressure up, we need to talk to our legislators, we need to write letters to the editor on the local level nationwide."
Our local chapter is on board with Scarbro and McIlmoil and the coalition. We are all trying to save this mountain. Scarbro had an excellent point when I spoke with her today.
"Environmentalists have been painted with a broad brush, people say we have no alternatives and we want to take jobs away," she explained. "But this is not true. We want to bring renewable energy to West Virginia, bring in green jobs. We are doing good things."
Breaking: Court Decision Could Open Floodgates to New Wave of Mountaintop Removal
by Bruce Nilles
Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 02:25:49 PM PST
Breaking news from Appalachia – today a panel of federal judgesruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a controversial mountaintop removal mining case. This could open the floodgates on up to 90 new mountaintop removal coal mining operations that had been stalled until now in the permitting process, and which threaten to destroy huge swaths of the Appalachian Mountains. The ruling will permit mining companies to conduct devastating mountaintop removal coal mining operations without acting to minimize stream destruction or conducting adequate environmental reviews.
These mining discharges will reach downstream water sources and poison everyone's water – not just those residents near the mines.
Earthjustice and the Appalachian Center for the Economy & the Environment filed this lawsuit challenging several West Virginia mountaintop removal permits in September 2005, on behalf of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and Coal River Mountain Watch. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in March 2007 found those permits violated the Clean Water Act. This ruling overturns that prior victory for Appalachia's mountains and communities.
One thing is clear in the wake of today's decision – we must redouble our efforts to protect Appalachia.
Please join us in contacting the Obama Administration at this critical time, to make sure this decision does not unleash a wave of devastation on Appalachia's communities. President Obama's EPA has the power to restore mountaintop removal regulations that were gutted by the Bush Administration, essential if we hope to sustain the rivers, mountains, and communities of Appalachia.
One of the mountains threatened by this decision is Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, where Massey Energy has proposed a 6,000-acre mountaintop removal mine, one of the biggest mountains ever slated for mountaintop removal.
The Coal River Wind Project, Coal River Mountain Watch (CRMW) and many other organizations have been fighting Massey over the project - saying that the beautiful Appalachian mountain would offer much more for energy, the local economy, and the environment if it instead was used as a site for wind turbines.
Massey's plan is to blow up the top of the mountain to get at the coal, ruining the site for any future wind power use, not to mention nearby communities, clean water, and wildlife.
On Tuesday, the West Virginia Surface Mining Boardheld another hearing on the site's blasting permit,
and our coalition turned out strong, providing great witnesses on the permitting process and the better benefits of wind power on that site.
Lorelei Scarbro of CRMW said the hearing lasted all day, with both sides of the debate calling witnesses. No one is sure when the board will rule on the permit, but we are unfortunately not very optimistic.
"The surface mind board is very coal friendly," said Scarbro. "But we're still making a concerned effort on this. We're drawing attention to it and raising awareness, yet we have a pretty good sense that they traditionally do not rule in our favor."
Rory McIlmoil of the Coal River Wind Project says the economic analysis conducted by Downstream Strategies shows "that for the local communities and on the county level, a 328 MW wind farm - and to a greater degree the development of a wind industry in Raleigh County - provides the public greater economic benefits in terms of jobs, tax revenue and output than the proposed (mountaintop removal mining) would."
Added McIlmoil, "The report also calculates the social and environmental externalities of both options, and shows that the proposed (mountaintop removal) mining actually results in a net economic loss over a 34 year period of over $600 million, and that is a conservative estimate."
You can read the report on the Coal River Wind website.
Scarbro said West Virginia officials have certainly been hearing from the public about the Coal River Wind project, saying she heard that Gov. Joe Manchin's office has been inundated with calls and emails for the past two weeks (Manchin has said he supports Massey in this case).
"Apparently they were answering the phones at one point just saying, 'Yea or nay,'" laughed Scarbro. "I understand he's getting pretty upset about the amount of attention on this."
The public can still take action on this by continuing to contact public officials. "We need the pressure up, we need to talk to our legislators, we need to write letters to the editor on the local level nationwide."
Our local chapter is on board with Scarbro and McIlmoil and the coalition. We are all trying to save this mountain. Scarbro had an excellent point when I spoke with her today.
"Environmentalists have been painted with a broad brush, people say we have no alternatives and we want to take jobs away," she explained. "But this is not true. We want to bring renewable energy to West Virginia, bring in green jobs. We are doing good things."
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Recycling News for DC!!
Starting Oct 6, DC has expanded what they will take in the recycling bins.
It is as follows: City recycling crews are now picking up a number of new kinds of items that were previously not accepted for recycling. Most intriguing is that the city will now collect plastic bags for recycling, including the bags you typically get from grocery stores, and even those flimsier produce and dry cleaning bags. Here's the list of new items the city will now pick up:
• Aerosol cans
• Milk and juice cartons
• Plastic bags, e.g., grocery bags, newspaper bags, shopping bags (Please "bag the bags" by placing all the bags into one bag.)
• Rigid plastics: plastic milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, plastic toys, and empty plastic garbage/recycling bins.
• Wide-mouth containers: peanut butter, margarine/butter tubs, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, whipped topping, and prescription and other medicine bottles( without the medicine in it, of course. This is my editorial).
So now you should have a lot less garbage and mostly recycling if you do add these items.
It is as follows: City recycling crews are now picking up a number of new kinds of items that were previously not accepted for recycling. Most intriguing is that the city will now collect plastic bags for recycling, including the bags you typically get from grocery stores, and even those flimsier produce and dry cleaning bags. Here's the list of new items the city will now pick up:
• Aerosol cans
• Milk and juice cartons
• Plastic bags, e.g., grocery bags, newspaper bags, shopping bags (Please "bag the bags" by placing all the bags into one bag.)
• Rigid plastics: plastic milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, plastic toys, and empty plastic garbage/recycling bins.
• Wide-mouth containers: peanut butter, margarine/butter tubs, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, whipped topping, and prescription and other medicine bottles( without the medicine in it, of course. This is my editorial).
So now you should have a lot less garbage and mostly recycling if you do add these items.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Article on Environmental Filmmaking
I thought you might be interested to see the great photo of AU’s Prof. Larry Engel, and a companion article by me, on pages 48 and 49 of the April issue of Washington Life Magazine. I hope you enjoy them.
Chris Palmer
http://washingtonlife.com/issues/april-2008/polywood/media-spotlight/page48.php
http://washingtonlife.com/issues/april-2008/polywood/media-spotlight/page49.php
Chris Palmer
http://washingtonlife.com/issues/april-2008/polywood/media-spotlight/page48.php
http://washingtonlife.com/issues/april-2008/polywood/media-spotlight/page49.php
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
New "Green" Section of Washingtonpost.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/green/index.html?hpid=sec-nation
Monday, April 7, 2008
Several Articles and Event Announcements from the Wilson Center
*********************************************************
ECSP News April 2008
*********************************************************
TOP STORY
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INTEGRATED PHE PROJECTS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL AND COST-EFFECTIVE, REVEAL EVALUATIONS
In the poorest areas on the planet, people "are living off primary extraction of resources, so their interaction with the environment is very intimate. They don't have a lot of leisure time to do conservation as a hobby. If they're going to do it, they're going to do it very integrally with their livelihoods," said David Carr of the University of California, Santa Barbara, discussing the importance of including sustainable livelihood projects in development programs that integrate population, health, and environment (PHE) issues. At "Population-Health-Environment Programs: Assessing the Past, Planning the Future" on March 13, Carr, Lori Hunter of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and independent consultant John Pielemeier presented the results of their recent assessments of PHE programs in the Philippines, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Uganda, as well as other countries. "If men link the size of their family to the amount of time they have to spend fishing, they might be interested in thinking about how big their family is," said Hunter, explaining the benefits of PHE's cross-sectoral approach. For more on PHE, listen to this original podcast featuring Hunter on ECSP's New Security Beat blog. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A0C0E96-CDBA-6B98-9347A387ECC5AF5B
ALSO IN THE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND HUMAN IMPACT ARE CHANGING THE GLOBAL MAP, SAY "FUTURE SHOCK" SPEAKERS
The complex linkages between environmental degradation, health, and migration are "entangled vulnerabilities," said Pell Center Director Peter Liotta at a March 4 event sponsored by the Pell Center in collaboration with ECSP and the Embassy of Liechtenstein. ECSP Director Geoff Dabelko, David Smith of the UN Environment Programme, and Kent Butts of the U.S. Army War College examined the security threats posed by global phenomena including migration, demographic change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation. Capitalizing on the positive links between environment and security offers a "new option for U.S. preventative diplomacy and engagement strategies," argued Butts. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A0FADF4-EE18-4641-2C1AC04ADEEE581C
IMPROVING LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COULD ENHANCE GOVERNANCE,PREVENT CONFLICT IN BOTSWANA AND NEPAL
Community-based natural resource management "offers a framework for dealing with conflict in a participatory and equitable manner, particularly when you are dealing with conflict with regards to resource use and access," said IUCN's Masego Madzwamuse. "Natural resource-based institutions...are critical for conflict mitigation, especially in areas where there is a high dependence by the local or the rural dwellers on natural resources." Madzwamuse was joined by David Bray of Florida International University, Kent Glenzer of CARE, and Maksha Maharjan of SAGUN (via telephone from Kathmandu) at a February 28 event sponsored by ECSP that examined how local natural resource management can strengthen local governance and help prevent violent conflict from erupting. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A11D48D-EA17-08A1-2DD4CFBFFD20FC61
REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Each year, more than 500,000 women in the developing world die during pregnancy or childbirth. The Initiative for Maternal Mortality Programme Assessment (Immpact) will soon complete a six-year program of global research that identifies and evaluates the effectiveness of strategies to reduce maternal mortality. On March 12, four members of the Immpact research team--Wendy Graham, Julia Hussein, Cynthia Stanton, and Sophie Witter--shared some of their key results and strategies with a North American audience for the first time. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1363A9-904C-77F6-AE501CA482B309A9
URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH BRIEF RELEASED BY CHINA ENVIRONMENT FORUM
"As mainland China struggles with poorly managed landfills; illegal dumping; lack of citywide recycling programs; and a likely need for 1,400 additional landfills over the next 25 years, lessons from municipal waste management in Taiwan and Hong Kong may prove instructive," observes a new China Environment Forum research brief on solid waste management in Taiwan and Hong Kong. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A13CACF-DF59-05A0-C40BBAD3588E50BD
BRAZIL AND BIOFUELS UPDATE
As part of the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, the Wilson Center's Brazil Institute explored U.S.-Brazilian cooperation over biofuels during the past year. Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero recently testified on energy cooperation between Latin America and the United States before the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Brazil Institute maintains a free, regularly updated collection of resources on biofuels in Brazil. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A14B9E3-D624-78EE-5B35BBD0EAB1ECC9
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE EXAMINED BY U.S., CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVES
More than 65 senior-level Canadian and U.S. government officials, industry representatives, and energy policy experts met on March 6 to discuss bilateral opportunities to develop and implement carbon capture and storage. The event opened with a keynote breakfast featuring Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and concluded with remarks from Wyoming Governor David Freudenthal. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A16D262-B66D-523F-3F3E8F0758F33C67
SAVE THE DATE
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SEEKING SOLUTIONS FOR WATER SCARCITY IN CHINA
April 8, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Bryan Lohmar, U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; Wang Rong, China University of Political Science and Law and China Center for Law and Sustainable Development Research http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1A8B73-A68A-7C18-94AE23392B4D589B
MORE OR LESS?: TWO ACCOUNTS OF POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING
April 22, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Matthew Connelly, Associate Professor of History, Columbia University; Robert Engelman, Vice President for Programs, Worldwatch Institute http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1C5BCE-EB3F-5F17-6212E3D576A54F97
ENERGY REFORM IN MEXICO: CAN A SOLUTION BE FOUND FOR TRANSBOUNDARY OIL PRODUCTION IN THE GULF OF MEXICO?
April 23, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Lourdes Melgar, Independent Energy Consultant; Miriam Grunstein, Attorney, Thompson & Knight; David Enriquez, Partner, Grupo Derecho Maritimo y Energia Costa Afuera; Joe Dukert, Independent Energy Consultant http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1DF24C-A074-33D4-C2A4D82D5D2EE17F
POST-CONFLICT PROPERTY AND LAND POLICY
April 23, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Gregory Myers, Natural Resource Management Specialist, U.S. Agency for International Development; Peter Hetz, Senior Technical Advisor, ARD, Inc.; additional speaker TBA http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A212E6C-D17D-2E19-B66478A9013800F3
JAPAN'S DECLINING POPULATION: CLEARLY A PROBLEM, BUT WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
April 24, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Robin LeBlanc, Washington and Lee University; Leonard Schoppa, University of Virginia; Keiko Yamanaka, University of California, Berkeley; Jennifer Robertson, University of Michigan http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A223D2D-97CF-BF80-3D38BB1171C546AC
BOOK LAUNCH: THE CHINA PRICE: THE TRUE COST OF CHINESE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
April 25, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Alexandra Harney, Author, The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage, and former reporter and editor, Financial Times http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A237678-E023-DCF1-16EF286BEECA11C5
DECENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
April 28, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Jesse Ribot, Senior Associate, Institutions and Governance Program, World Resources Institute; Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; additional speaker TBA http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A24FE02-08C8-E3BF-ABCFC306DC86FAAF
SUGARCANE ETHANOL AND LAND USE IN BRAZIL
April 28, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Andre Nassar, President, Icone; Barbara Bramble, Senior Program Advisor for International Affairs, National Wildlife Federation; Charlotte Hebebrand, Chief Executive, International Policy Council http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A25D603-EDB1-4E8B-96202CD327CEE0EB
ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG
April 29, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Yok-Shiu F. Lee, University of Hong Kong; Carlos Wing-Hung Lo, Hong Kong Polytechnic University http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A273044-0594-B30C-F5DB5D5A4BA8FD5D
TRANSBOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., and May 9, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Donald K. Alper, Western Washington University; Stephen Brooks, University of Windsor; Marc Gaden, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Charles Krueger, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Tim Heinmiller, Brock University; Carolyn Johns, Ryerson University; Philippe LePrestre, Universite Laval; Bill Lowry, Washington University; Barry Rabe, University of Michigan; Ian Rowlands, University of Waterloo; Mark Sproule-Jones, McMaster University; Deborah L. VanNijnatten, Wilfrid Laurier University; Michael Kraft, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A284E37-E90E-3975-6BDDF88C8FC6934C
VISIT OUR BLOG
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PODCAST FEATURES MASEGO MADZWAMUSE, DAVID BRAY ON NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND CONFLICT MITIGATION IN BOTSWANA AND MEXICO
In this original ECSP podcast, Masego Madzwamuse describes how IUCN's Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Programme in Botswana helps communities manage their own rangeland, forests, and water, while David Bray recounts his work in two adjacent watersheds in Guerrero, Mexico--one where strong community-led natural resource management helped prevent conflict, and another where weak community institutions contributed to violence.
ECSP News April 2008
*********************************************************
TOP STORY
----------------------------------------------------------------
INTEGRATED PHE PROJECTS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL AND COST-EFFECTIVE, REVEAL EVALUATIONS
In the poorest areas on the planet, people "are living off primary extraction of resources, so their interaction with the environment is very intimate. They don't have a lot of leisure time to do conservation as a hobby. If they're going to do it, they're going to do it very integrally with their livelihoods," said David Carr of the University of California, Santa Barbara, discussing the importance of including sustainable livelihood projects in development programs that integrate population, health, and environment (PHE) issues. At "Population-Health-Environment Programs: Assessing the Past, Planning the Future" on March 13, Carr, Lori Hunter of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and independent consultant John Pielemeier presented the results of their recent assessments of PHE programs in the Philippines, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Uganda, as well as other countries. "If men link the size of their family to the amount of time they have to spend fishing, they might be interested in thinking about how big their family is," said Hunter, explaining the benefits of PHE's cross-sectoral approach. For more on PHE, listen to this original podcast featuring Hunter on ECSP's New Security Beat blog. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A0C0E96-CDBA-6B98-9347A387ECC5AF5B
ALSO IN THE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND HUMAN IMPACT ARE CHANGING THE GLOBAL MAP, SAY "FUTURE SHOCK" SPEAKERS
The complex linkages between environmental degradation, health, and migration are "entangled vulnerabilities," said Pell Center Director Peter Liotta at a March 4 event sponsored by the Pell Center in collaboration with ECSP and the Embassy of Liechtenstein. ECSP Director Geoff Dabelko, David Smith of the UN Environment Programme, and Kent Butts of the U.S. Army War College examined the security threats posed by global phenomena including migration, demographic change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation. Capitalizing on the positive links between environment and security offers a "new option for U.S. preventative diplomacy and engagement strategies," argued Butts. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A0FADF4-EE18-4641-2C1AC04ADEEE581C
IMPROVING LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COULD ENHANCE GOVERNANCE,PREVENT CONFLICT IN BOTSWANA AND NEPAL
Community-based natural resource management "offers a framework for dealing with conflict in a participatory and equitable manner, particularly when you are dealing with conflict with regards to resource use and access," said IUCN's Masego Madzwamuse. "Natural resource-based institutions...are critical for conflict mitigation, especially in areas where there is a high dependence by the local or the rural dwellers on natural resources." Madzwamuse was joined by David Bray of Florida International University, Kent Glenzer of CARE, and Maksha Maharjan of SAGUN (via telephone from Kathmandu) at a February 28 event sponsored by ECSP that examined how local natural resource management can strengthen local governance and help prevent violent conflict from erupting. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A11D48D-EA17-08A1-2DD4CFBFFD20FC61
REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Each year, more than 500,000 women in the developing world die during pregnancy or childbirth. The Initiative for Maternal Mortality Programme Assessment (Immpact) will soon complete a six-year program of global research that identifies and evaluates the effectiveness of strategies to reduce maternal mortality. On March 12, four members of the Immpact research team--Wendy Graham, Julia Hussein, Cynthia Stanton, and Sophie Witter--shared some of their key results and strategies with a North American audience for the first time. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1363A9-904C-77F6-AE501CA482B309A9
URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH BRIEF RELEASED BY CHINA ENVIRONMENT FORUM
"As mainland China struggles with poorly managed landfills; illegal dumping; lack of citywide recycling programs; and a likely need for 1,400 additional landfills over the next 25 years, lessons from municipal waste management in Taiwan and Hong Kong may prove instructive," observes a new China Environment Forum research brief on solid waste management in Taiwan and Hong Kong. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A13CACF-DF59-05A0-C40BBAD3588E50BD
BRAZIL AND BIOFUELS UPDATE
As part of the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, the Wilson Center's Brazil Institute explored U.S.-Brazilian cooperation over biofuels during the past year. Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero recently testified on energy cooperation between Latin America and the United States before the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Brazil Institute maintains a free, regularly updated collection of resources on biofuels in Brazil. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A14B9E3-D624-78EE-5B35BBD0EAB1ECC9
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE EXAMINED BY U.S., CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVES
More than 65 senior-level Canadian and U.S. government officials, industry representatives, and energy policy experts met on March 6 to discuss bilateral opportunities to develop and implement carbon capture and storage. The event opened with a keynote breakfast featuring Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and concluded with remarks from Wyoming Governor David Freudenthal. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A16D262-B66D-523F-3F3E8F0758F33C67
SAVE THE DATE
----------------------------------------------------------------
SEEKING SOLUTIONS FOR WATER SCARCITY IN CHINA
April 8, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Bryan Lohmar, U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; Wang Rong, China University of Political Science and Law and China Center for Law and Sustainable Development Research http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1A8B73-A68A-7C18-94AE23392B4D589B
MORE OR LESS?: TWO ACCOUNTS OF POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING
April 22, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Matthew Connelly, Associate Professor of History, Columbia University; Robert Engelman, Vice President for Programs, Worldwatch Institute http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1C5BCE-EB3F-5F17-6212E3D576A54F97
ENERGY REFORM IN MEXICO: CAN A SOLUTION BE FOUND FOR TRANSBOUNDARY OIL PRODUCTION IN THE GULF OF MEXICO?
April 23, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Lourdes Melgar, Independent Energy Consultant; Miriam Grunstein, Attorney, Thompson & Knight; David Enriquez, Partner, Grupo Derecho Maritimo y Energia Costa Afuera; Joe Dukert, Independent Energy Consultant http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1DF24C-A074-33D4-C2A4D82D5D2EE17F
POST-CONFLICT PROPERTY AND LAND POLICY
April 23, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Gregory Myers, Natural Resource Management Specialist, U.S. Agency for International Development; Peter Hetz, Senior Technical Advisor, ARD, Inc.; additional speaker TBA http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A212E6C-D17D-2E19-B66478A9013800F3
JAPAN'S DECLINING POPULATION: CLEARLY A PROBLEM, BUT WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
April 24, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Robin LeBlanc, Washington and Lee University; Leonard Schoppa, University of Virginia; Keiko Yamanaka, University of California, Berkeley; Jennifer Robertson, University of Michigan http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A223D2D-97CF-BF80-3D38BB1171C546AC
BOOK LAUNCH: THE CHINA PRICE: THE TRUE COST OF CHINESE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
April 25, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Alexandra Harney, Author, The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage, and former reporter and editor, Financial Times http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A237678-E023-DCF1-16EF286BEECA11C5
DECENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
April 28, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Jesse Ribot, Senior Associate, Institutions and Governance Program, World Resources Institute; Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; additional speaker TBA http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A24FE02-08C8-E3BF-ABCFC306DC86FAAF
SUGARCANE ETHANOL AND LAND USE IN BRAZIL
April 28, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Andre Nassar, President, Icone; Barbara Bramble, Senior Program Advisor for International Affairs, National Wildlife Federation; Charlotte Hebebrand, Chief Executive, International Policy Council http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A25D603-EDB1-4E8B-96202CD327CEE0EB
ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG
April 29, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Yok-Shiu F. Lee, University of Hong Kong; Carlos Wing-Hung Lo, Hong Kong Polytechnic University http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A273044-0594-B30C-F5DB5D5A4BA8FD5D
TRANSBOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., and May 9, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Donald K. Alper, Western Washington University; Stephen Brooks, University of Windsor; Marc Gaden, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Charles Krueger, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Tim Heinmiller, Brock University; Carolyn Johns, Ryerson University; Philippe LePrestre, Universite Laval; Bill Lowry, Washington University; Barry Rabe, University of Michigan; Ian Rowlands, University of Waterloo; Mark Sproule-Jones, McMaster University; Deborah L. VanNijnatten, Wilfrid Laurier University; Michael Kraft, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A284E37-E90E-3975-6BDDF88C8FC6934C
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PODCAST FEATURES MASEGO MADZWAMUSE, DAVID BRAY ON NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND CONFLICT MITIGATION IN BOTSWANA AND MEXICO
In this original ECSP podcast, Masego Madzwamuse describes how IUCN's Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Programme in Botswana helps communities manage their own rangeland, forests, and water, while David Bray recounts his work in two adjacent watersheds in Guerrero, Mexico--one where strong community-led natural resource management helped prevent conflict, and another where weak community institutions contributed to violence.
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