Science Publications
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation with Agricultural Land Management Activities in the United States—A Side-by-Side Comparison of Biophysical Potential
March 2012
Responsible for 6% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) production, agricultural land use has significant potential to reduce these emissions and capture additional carbon in the soil. Many different activities have been proposed for such mitigation, but assessments of the biophysical potential have been limited and have not provided direct comparison among the many options. We present an in-depth review of the scientific literature, with a side-by-side comparison of net biophysical GHG mitigation potential for 42 different agricultural land management activities in the United States, many of which are likely applicable in other regions. Twenty of these activities are likely to be beneficial for GHG mitigation and have sufficient research to support this conclusion. Limited research leads to uncertainty for 15 other activities that may have positive mitigation potential, and the remaining activities have small or negative GHG mitigation potential or life-cycle GHG concerns. While we have sufficient information to move forward in implementing a number of activities, there are some high-priority research needs that will help clarify problematic uncertainties.
Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Existing Sources: Section 111(d) and State Equivalency
March 2012
On December 9, 2011, the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions convened a broad range of stakeholders to explore the legal and policy issues presented by the regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under 111(d) (existing source performance standards) of the Clean Air Act. The workshop focused primarily on the options for states to demonstrate that existing GHG policies are equivalent to the 111(d) requirements. The Nicholas Institute distributed this document to workshop participants prior to the event to provide a framework for the issues that would be discussed. Nothing in this document should be interpreted as expressing the Institute’s opinion of the path the EPA should take on any given issue.
Reducing the Energy Penalty Costs of Postcombustion CCS Systems with Amine-Storage
January 2012
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can significantly reduce the amount of CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants, but its high capital and operating costs are an important barrier. In this paper we analyze one alternative to reduce operating costs of amine-based CCS systems.
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Potential of Agricultural Land Management in the United States: A Synthesis of the Literature (Third Edition)
January 2012 - by Alison J. Eagle, Lydia P. Olander, Lucy R. Henry, Karen Haugen-Kozyra, Neville Millar, and G. Philip Robertson
Climate Change Mitigation and Agriculture
December 2011 - by Eva 'Lini' Wollenberg, Marja-Liisa Tapio-Bistrom, Maryanne Grieg-Gran, Alison Nihart
A new book features two chapters on reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions penned by researchers at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions—Brian Murray and Lydia Olander. The 456-page book reviews the state of agricultural climate mitigation globally and focuses on the design and implementation of activities to reduce emissions and increase carbon storage.
Myths and Facts About Electricity in the U.S. South
September 2011 - by Marilyn A. Brown, Etan Gumerman, Xiaojing Sun, Gyungwon Kim, Kenneth Sercy
This paper identifies six myths about clean electricity in the southern United States. These myths are either propagated by the public at-large, shared within the environmental advocacy culture, or spread imperceptibly between policy makers. Using a widely accepted energy-economic modeling tool, the paper exposes these myths as half-truths and the kind of conventional wisdom that constrains productive debate. In doing so, it identifies new starting points for energy policy development.
A Cooperative Federalism Framework for CCS Regulation
September 2011 - by Jonas J. Monast, Brooks Rainey Pearson, and Lincoln F. Pratson
Coal is the dominant energy resource used for power generation across the globe, and projections suggest this will remain the case for years to come. While coal is an abundant, low-cost domestic energy resource, it is also the most carbon-intensive of all of the fossil fuels. The amount of existing coal-fired infrastructure, the ongoing importance of coal to the nation’s economy, the political support for the coal industry in the U.S. Congress, and the nation’s need for stable, affordable base load power generation all suggest the ability to capture carbon emissions and store them in underground geologic formations—a process commonly referred to as carbon, capture, and storage, or CCS—will likely be an important option for mitigating climate change.
Risks to Forest Carbon Offset Projects in a Changing Climate
May 2009 - by Christopher Galik and Robert Jackson
Integrating State, Regional, and Federal Greenhouse Gas Markets: Options and Tradeoffs
August 2008
Experiments with limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through cap-and-trade programs are underway in approximately half of U.S. states. There are currently three regional carbon markets under development in the Northeast, the West and the Midwest, and ten states recently joined eleven other countries and the European Commission to form an international forum to share information and experiences with the design and implementation of carbon markets. At the same time, the U.S. Congress is considering multiple proposals to create a federal cap-and-trade market.
G8 Leadership is Critical to Curbing Energy-Related CO2 Emissions
September 2007 - by Prasad Kasibhatla and William Chameides
Climate Change Science: What We Know
March 2007 - by Lydia Olander, Rob Jackson, Gabi Hegerl, and Nicole St.Clair
Do Recent Scientific Findings Undermine the Climate Benefits of Carbon Sequestration in Forests?
April 2006 - by Lydia Olander
Recent scientific papers document previously unknown or under-reported methane emissions and water trade-offs that could reduce the benefits from terrestrial carbon sink practices such as reforestation and plantations. This Nicholas Institute report examines the policy implications of these findings. The report is a consensus document from a roundtable of top experts convened at the Institute earlier this year. Recent scientific papers document previously unknown or under-reported methane emissions and water trade-offs that could reduce the benefits from terrestrial carbon sink practices such as reforestation and plantations. This Nicholas Institute report examines the policy implications of these findings. The report is a consensus document from a roundtable of top experts convened at the Institute earlier this year.
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