What are the relative contributions from the sun, cosmic rays, and
greenhouse gases, to the observed warming in the late 20th century and
what are their expected contributions during the 21st Century? How does
this compare to natural climate variability of past centuries and
millennia? What is the principle driver or drivers of global warming in
the 20th and 21st centuries? How are cosmic rays different from solar
irradiance? Are there direct measurements of solar irradiance changes
over the last 30 years or so? If so, what do these measurements show?
What are the signals of this solar variability in the Earth’s
atmosphere, and how do climate models reproduce these? Are we likely to
observe additional changes in solar irradiance in the future and what
might such variability have as an effect on climate? How is the ozone
layer affected by solar activity changes and how does it influence
surface weather and climate?
Public Invited
Buffet Reception Following
Moderator:
- Dr. Anthony Socci, Senior Science Fellow, American Meteorological
Society
Speakers:
- Dr. Judith Lean, Senior Scientist for Sun-Earth System Research, Space
Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
- Dr. Caspar Ammann, Research Scientist, Climate and Global Dynamics
Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO
American Meteorological Society
253 Russell
03/24/2008 at 12:00PM
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the House Natural
Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, the Environmental and Energy
Study Institute (EESI), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF)
invite you to a briefing to examine the factors that limit the water
available for critical uses throughout the country. The briefing is held
in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality
Assessment (NAWQA) Program.
Competition for water is becoming more intense across the United States.
Population growth competes in many areas with demands for water for
irrigation and power production. Aquatic ecosystems compete for water
used by cities, farms, and power plants to support their minimum flow
requirements. In addition, the depletion of water in many aquifers
decreases the supply of good quality surface water, and climate change
is likely to exacerbate the availability of water as well.
Water quality impaired by human activities constrains water use. Perhaps
less understood is that water use can degrade water quality by releasing
naturally occurring contaminants, like salts, uranium and radium, into
streams and aquifers, thereby constraining water availability.
This briefing will explain and provide examples of the connections
between water use and water quality and how they can ultimately affect
water availability for critical uses. It will begin by highlighting
salinity in the Southwest, where a new USGS
study has found reduced concentrations of salts in streams resulting
from control activities in irrigated agricultural areas. It also will
provide brief examples of how agricultural practices have affected
naturally occurring radium in New Jersey, pumping has affected naturally
occurring uranium in San Joaquin public-supply wells, and water re-use
has introduced man-made organic compounds in coastal aquifers in
southern California.
To conclude, the briefing also will connect the science to national
policies relating to issues of water availability.
Speakers include:
- David Anning, NAWQA scientist, Albuquerque,
New Mexico, U.S. Geological Survey
- David Kanzer, Senior Water Resource Engineer,Colorado River Water
Conservation District
- Robert Hirsch, Associate Director for Water, U.S. Geological Survey
- Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resource and Environmental Policy,
Congressional Research Service
This briefing is free and open to the public. No
RSVP is required. Please forward this notice
to others who may be interested. For more information, contact Leanne
Lamusga, [email protected], 202-662-1884.
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
HC-5 Capitol
03/20/2008 at 10:00AM
This webcasted panel discussion will examine opportunities for U.S.
businesses and others to invest in energy efficient and renewable energy
projects in Ukraine using the mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. The
panelists will review opportunities for reducing energy waste in
Ukraine’s major end-use energy sectors as well as the status and
near-term potential for developing Ukraine’s solar, wind,
biomass/biofuels, small hydro, geothermal, and coal-mine methane
resources.
Panelists
- Brian Castelli – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,
Alliance to Save Energy
- John Palmisano – Chairman, IE3
- Rich Rosenzweig – Chief Operating Officer, Natsource
- Ken Bossong – Co-Director, Ukrainian-American Environmental
Association
(biographical information on each of the four panelists follows below)
This event, being co-sponsored by the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and The
Washington Group, will be broadcast live on-line in English.
Persons planning to attend in person should arrive by 11:50 am
- (Ukrainian Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm)
U.S.-Ukraine Foundation 1701 “K” Street NW Suite #903 Washington,
DC 20006
TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS ON-LINE: Questions for the
panelists can be e-mailed either in advance or during the discussion to
[email protected]. Please type “Kyoto/Energy Panel” in the “subject”
line.
TO REGISTER AND FOR MORE INFORMATION: For
On-Site Attendance, RSVPs Required. Lunch will be served. Space is
Limited.
RSVP by email to: [email protected].
The presentation will be broadcast live online. To register to watch
online, please visit this
link and follow
the instructions.
Ukrainian-American Environmental Association
District of Columbia
03/19/2008 at 12:00PM
Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy
Independence & Global Warming will hold a hearing on Thursday March 13,
2008 with EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson
and other experts to discuss EPA and the Bush
administration’s response to the landmark Supreme Court decision
Massachusetts v. EPA.
Witnesses
Panel I
- The Honorable Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
Panel II
- The Honorable Roderick Bremby, Secretary, Kansas Department of Health
and Environment
- The Honorable Josh Svaty, Kansas House Member
- Lisa Heinzerling, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
- David Bookbinder, Chief Climate Counsel, Sierra Club
- Peter S. Glaser, Partner, Troutman Sanders
House Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
03/13/2008 at 09:30AM
This event will
feature presentations by leading thinkers on energy policy from the U.S.
government (state and federal), universities, and the private sector, as
well as international perspectives. It will take place in the main
auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences building at 2100 C
Street, NW, in Washington DC. This event will serve to develop
information for the Academies’ ongoing study, America’s Energy Future:
Technology Opportunities, Risks and
Tradeoffs, and to
stimulate discussion among leading thinkers with diverse points of view
on energy issues as the 2008 U.S. elections approach.
The Summit will include presentations addressing three major energy
themes: Energy Security; Energy and the Economy; and Energy and the
Environment. During the sessions, the analyses and results of key recent
energy studies will be presented by principals from:
- Council on Foreign Relations
- Electric Power Research Institute
- InterAcademy Council
- International Energy Agency
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- McKinsey Global Institute
- National Commission on Energy Policy
- National Petroleum Council
- National Research Council
- Rocky Mountain Institute
- U.S. Climate Change Science and Technology Program
- U.S. Department of Energy
In each session, there will also be time provided for participants to
ask questions to a roundtable of speakers. The preliminary agenda will
be posted by mid-January. This event is expected to be very full –
please register early
(free)
if you’d like to attend. If you have any questions, please contact us at
energysummit at nas.edu.
The National Academies
District of Columbia
03/13/2008 at 12:00AM
A media conference call to discuss the findings of a study jointly
commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the
American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) that quantifies the
potential national and state economic impacts of the Lieberman-Warner
climate change bill, S. 2191, the America’s Climate Security Act of
2007.
Conducted by Science Applications International
Corporation (SAIC), the independent study examines
the implications of the legislation with respect to future energy costs,
economic growth, employment, production, household income and the impact
on low income earners. The study includes a comprehensive national
economic assessment, as well as separate and specific overviews of the
impact the legislation would have on all 50 U.S. states.
The results of the study will be outlined during a brief presentation
which will be followed by a question and answer session. The full
SAIC national and 50 state-specific studies
will be posted online at 9:30 am ET, Thursday, March 13, in advance and
can be found at either www.accf.org or
www.nam.org/climatechangereport.
The call is for credentialed media only.
- The Honorable John Engler, President, National Association of
Manufacturers
- Dr. Margo Thorning, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist,
American Council for Capital Formation
American Council for Capital Formation
National Association of Manufacturers
District of Columbia
03/12/2008 at 10:00AM
This hearing will explore the degree to which nuclear power could
provide a solution for addressing climate change.
The contemplated future role of nuclear power in reducing global
greenhouse gas emissions will clearly require a monumental capital
investment, many years if not decades of planning and construction,
extensive international coordination, and substantial assumption of risk
by the general public and by investors. This hearing will examine the
feasibility of achieving such a nuclear expansion, the costs and
benefits of this nuclear path, and whether nuclear power can play a
leading role in solving the climate challenge.
Wtinesses
- Amory Lovins, Cofounder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of the Rocky
Mountain Institute
- Sharon Squassoni, Senior Associate in the Nonproliferation Program of
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- David Lochbaum, Director of the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union
of Concerned Scientists
House Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
03/12/2008 at 09:30AM
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Environment
and Public Works Committee, will be joined by the heads of America’s
leading environmental organizations to discuss the need for action to
address the challenge of global warming.
Participants
- Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman, Environment and Public Works
Committee
- Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club
- Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters
- Kevin Knobloch, President, Union of Concerned Scientists
Also participating will be representatives of Environment America,
Environmental Defense, Center for International Law, Clean Water Action,
National Wildlife Federation, Ocean Conservancy, Pew Environment Group,
Physicians for Social Responsibility, and The Wilderness Society.
Senate Environment and Public Works
406 Dirksen
03/12/2008 at 09:30AM
The Committee will explore the importance of basic research to U.S.
competitiveness. The hearing will examine research and development
budgets at agencies in the Committee’s jurisdiction, particularly the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National
Science Foundation (NSF), as well as interagency science programs
addressing climate change, nanotechnology, and information technology.
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Science, Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee
253 Russell
03/11/2008 at 01:15PM
Witnesses
- C.H. “Bud” Albright Jr., Under Secretary of Energy
- Alexander Karsner, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy
- James Slutz, Acting Principal Deputy, Assistant Secretary for Fossil
Energy
- Kevin Kolevar, Director, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
House Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee
Energy and Water Subcommittee
2362-B Rayburn
03/11/2008 at 10:00AM