International Publications
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Environmental Management Needs for Exploration and Exploitation of Deep Sea Minerals
May 2012 - by International Seabed Authority, et al.
The International Seabed Authority in collaboration with the Government of Fiji and the SOPAC Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community held a Workshop on Environmental Management Needs for Exploration and Exploitation of Deep Sea Minerals, in Nadi, Fiji.This initiative reflected the increasing interest in and associated concerns about the potential environmental impacts of deep sea minerals exploration and mining and how competent authorities at the national and international level will regulate this emerging economic development opportunity in a sustainable manner in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction. This document contains the outcomes of the discussions at the workshop.
Groundwater Quality and its Health Impact: An assessment of Dental Fluorosis in Rural Inhabitants of the Main Ethiopian Rift
April 2012
Increased intake of dietary calcium may be key to addressing widespread dental health problems faced by millions of rural residents in Ethiopia’s remote, poverty-stricken Main Rift Valley, according to a new Duke University-led study published in the journal Environment International. As many as 8 million people living in the valley are estimated to be at risk of dental and skeletal fluorosis as a result of their long-term exposure to high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the region’s groundwater. Most efforts to combat fluorosis in the region have focused primarily on treating drinking water to reduce its fluoride content. Increasing the amount of calcium in villagers’ diets, or finding alternative sources of drinking water may be necessary in addition to these fluoride-reducing treatments, the study found. Support came from the Duke Global Health Institute and Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.
Green Economy in a Blue World
January 2012 - by United Nations Environment Programme, et al.
This report highlights how ecological health and economic productivity of marine and coastal ecosystems, which are currently in decline around the globe, can be boosted by shifting to a more sustainable economic paradigm that taps their natural potential. Released by the United Nations Environment Programme and partners, it further highlights how the sustainable management of fertilizers would help reduce the cost of marine pollution caused by nitrogen and other nutrients used in agriculture, which is estimated at $100 billion per year in the European Union alone.
The Net Global Effects of Alternative U.S. Biofuel Mandates: Fossil Fuel Displacement, Indirect Land Use Change, and the Role of Agricultural Productivity Growth
January 2012 - by Aline Mosnier, Petr Havlík, Hugo Valin, Justin S. Baker, Brian C. Murray, Siyi Feng, Michael Obersteiner, Bruce A. McCarl, Steven K. Rose, and Uwe A. Schneider
One of the declared objectives of U.S. biofuel policy is the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel combustion, but many studies have questioned whether such a reduction would actually occur and, if so, how large it would be. This report describes the global market, land use, GHG emissions, and nitrogen use impacts of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) and several alternative biofuel policy designs, which differ in terms of mandate magnitude and feedstock composition, over the 2010–2030 period.
A Silent Tsunami Revisited: Extending Global Access to Clean Water and Sanitation
August 2011 - by Harriet C. Babbit, Malcom S. Morris
Freshwater Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment: The Indrawati Sub-Basin, Nepal
July 2011 - by Ryan Bartlett, Sarah Freeman, Jonathan Cook, Bhawani S. Dongol, Roshan Sherchan, Moon Shrestha, and Peter G. McCornick
This report is part of a project of WWF Nepal and the Nepalese Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS). It outlines the discussions and conclusions of three workshops held in Nepal to determine the vulnerability of the Indrawati sub-basin to the impacts of climate change and development within the context of climate change vulnerability at the national level. Held over the course of four days in Kathmandu and in the Sindhupalchok district headquarters of Chautara, the workshops brought together a diverse group of more than 60 participants, including Nepali national experts, local bureaucrats, and most importantly, local water users and subsistence farmers with direct knowledge of resource management issues in the basin.
Assessing Climate Change Risks, Vulnerabilities, and Responses in the Siphandone/Stung Treng Area with a Focus on Protecting Vulnerable Ecosystems
July 2010 - by Elizabeth Kistin and Peter McCornick
This workshop report reflects discussions and analysis conducted by 16 regional experts who gathered to test the methodology outlined in Flowing Forward with reference to the Siphandone/Stung Treng area in the Mekong River basin. The findings presented here highlight the significant effects of both climate change and development pressures on ecosystems and livelihoods in the case study area and discuss the ongoing and potential future policy and infrastructure responses to changing circumstances.
Expanding the Scope of International Terrestrial Carbon Options: Implications of REDD+ and Beyond
February 2010 - by Kathleen Lawlor, Aaron Jenkins, Lydia P. Olander, Brian C. Murray
Forging a Path for High-Quality Compliance REDD Credits
December 2009 - by Brian Murray, Lydia Olander, Donald P. Kanak
U.S. Government Funding for Forests in Developing Countries and the New REDD+ Landscape
October 2009 - by Kathleen Lawlor and Lydia Olander
The Effects of Performance Standards on Offsets Supply Under H.R. 2454
August 2009 - by David Cooley, Lydia Olander, Brian Murray
Nicholas Institute Discussion Memo on H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
The Economics of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Compliance Market
July 2009 - by Brian C. Murray and W. Aaron Jenkins
Mitigation Beyond the Cap: A Series of Briefs on Expanding Climate Mitigation Opportunities
The Crucial Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change
June 2009 - by Erin Myers Madeira, Lydia Olander, William Boyd, Kathleen Lawlor, John O. Niles
International Forest Carbon and the Climate Change Challenge Series – Brief No. 1
Policy Impacts on Deforestation: Lessons from Past Experiences to Inform New Initiatives
June 2009 - by Alexander Pfaff, Gregory S. Amacher, Kathleen Lawlor, Erin O. Sills, Michael J. Coren, and Charlotte Streck
A policy brief exploring what has worked in reducing forest loss and degradation and what has not, and the reasons for these different outcomes.
Including International Forest Carbon Incentives in Climate Policy: Understanding the Economics
June 2009 - by Brian C. Murray, Ruben Lubowski, Brent Sohngen
Experience on the Ground, in the Forests
June 2009 - by John Niles with William Boyd, Kathleen Lawlor, Erin Myers Madeira and Lydia Olander
International Forest Carbon and the Climate Change Challenge Series – Brief No. 6
Addressing the Causes of Tropical Deforestation: Lessons Learned and the Implications for International Forest Carbon Policy
June 2009 - by Kathleen Lawlor with Lydia Olander, William Boyd, John Niles and Erin Myers Madeira
International Forest Carbon and the Climate Change Challenge Series – Brief No. 5
Fundamentals for an International Forest Climate Policy
June 2009 - by Lydia Olander with John Niles, William Boyd, Erin Myers Madeira and Kathleen Lawlor
International Forest Carbon and the Climate Change Challenge Series – Brief No. 4
Responding to Concerns and Questions
June 2009 - by Lydia Olander, William Boyd, Kathleen Lawlor, John Niles, Erin Myers Madeira
International Forest Carbon and the Climate Change Challenge Series – Brief No. 3
International Forest Carbon in Current Policy Proposals
June 2009 - by William Boyd, Lydia Olander, John Niles, Kathleen Lawlor, Erin Myers Madeira
International Forest Carbon and the Climate Change Challenge Series – Brief No. 2
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